Goodbye Goats!: Roller Weekend 2012 Birthday-Bachelorette Extravaganza

July 17

Sister's House

This photo is out of place because it is not related to the Roller Weekend 2012 Birthday-Bachelorette Extravaganza. It is significant for other reasons. 1: I did not want to post solely for July 17. 2: It appears as though I have a hand growing out of my unnaturally enhanced bosom. 3. I have always wanted to hold a baby hands-free in one of those strappy things. 4. This is some prime Adah-Auntie bonding time.

July 18

Jacksonville, FL

The Roller Weekend 2012 Birthday-Bachelorette Extravaganza has officially been underway for approximately 7.5 hours. I picked Tuc up in Raleigh at 5 p.m. and we hit the road running. We also both forgot our toothbrushes.

July 19

Panama City Beach, FL

We finished up our drive and arrived at the Roller Weekend 2012 Birthday-Bachelorette Extravaganza at approximately 10 a.m. and quickly got ourselves to the beach, drinks in hand, laughter waiting to bubble over. This is an example of the expression we all wore for most of the weekend.

We waited in the pool for Bethie to arrive and when she did, she joined us. Duh. Now we are just waiting for Del.

July 20

Panama City Beach, FL

This is a true testament of how well my best girlfriends know me. Why would I want to start a day of bacheloretting (or any day for that matter) in anything but a muumuu? You better believe I hardly took mine off after receiving it.

We concluded our evening with karaoke at the old Sweet Dreams. We walked in, wearing wigs, and might have stopped the record player. The bar was full of locals and biker dudes and dudettes. It did not take long for us to win their hearts over with our excitement and charm.

July 21

Panama City Beach, FL

This is the Del's birthday part of Roller Weekend 2012 Birthday-Bachelorette Extravaganza. How did we capture so many fantastic group shots? Good question. The photo rod is the best invention ever and we carried it with us at all times, even into the ocean.

We took things a little bit more low key on Saturday night since we all had to wake up for travel the next morning. We had a delicious home-cooked meal that we enjoyed at a romantic picnic on the beach while the sun was setting behind us. As we sat there and talked, we saw a group of high school-aged girls doing a dance they had made up on the beach. It made me feel old, for seeing ourselves ten years earlier, and so warm, for what we still have. (I forgot to mention that we choreographed a dance/flash mob and performed it on the beach the day before.)