Back in the Saddle.

When I packed my bags last week to leave Puerto Vallarta, my glorious tan decided to go along for the ride. Then, upon returning from home it realized that it didn’t like Minneapolis and began leaving in sheets large enough to cover a small child. What’s up with that? The one thing I have to distinguish myself from my fellow pasty Minnesotans now lies scattered about various rooms in my home awaiting to be swept up and discarded like the airline ticket stub that brought me there in the first place.

All right, so I have good news and I have bad news about the trip, which one do you want to read first? Well, if you’re anything like me, you’d want the bad news, so here goes.

The second the airplane landed and I stepped down the stairs onto the tarmac, I started to come down with a sore throat which got progressively worse as the days wore on. When day three arrived I couldn’t take it anymore so I made a trip to the resort Doctor who quickly diagnosed me with Strep throat. That’s right…STREP THROAT! Therefore, this year’s vacation was spent replacing Pina Coladas with Amoxcicilian, run of the mill Tom foolery with Halls, and snorkeling for a beach chair, box of Kleenex and a blanket. But looking back it really wasn’t THAT bad, I was able to relax on the beach and despite the Doctors orders, I managed to sneak in a few (or ten) Banana Mamas here and there.

Also, I forgot my kick-ass Superbowl XL pin that I planned on bringing along to document the trip with. I realized this when I got to the airport and wanted to pin it on a friend I ran in to, a friend that I affectionately call “Pissin Jim.” Long story.

Anyway, the GOOD news is I managed to make the turn into Thirtysomething while I was there. Most of you are probably asking yourself, why this is good. Well, it’s better than the alternative, so 30 it is.

Also, we managed to have a great time sailing, boogie boarding, and just hanging out. We were even able to get into a little trouble when our male counterparts decided to recruit the rest of the males in the “warm tub” to our version of the Mexican Olympics where they were scored on their creative plunges off the bridge above the swimming pool into about 5 feet of water. There was definitely alcohol involved and even a casualty when one of our own chipped their tooth on what was to become known as “The Triple Spin of Death.”

Waiting in line at the airport to come home it soon became know that our flight was to be delayed at least two hours because of a Fed Ex plane that skidded off the runway back in Minneapolis due to the snowstorm we were currently having. So, we all checked our bags and decided to head over the bridge, across the highway to this area that appeared to be a cross between a Mexican ghetto and …well, a Mexican ghetto. We were quickly summoned into a restaurant by a man promising great food and drinks. And to be honest with you, it was the best food I had all week. Upon learning it was my birthday they came out with sombreros and shots of tequila, which were done by everyone at the table in some sort of sick Mexican drinking game manner. The manager would come over with a sombrero, place it on your head while the bartender poured the shot down your throat, then they would all yell something while the manager took your head into his blanket and shook it around like a box of marbles all while tilting your chair back and setting it back in place. It was crazy, and I got to do it twice…because it was my birthday.

Happy Birthday to me...and Danika!