what we did in occoquan

last weekend sarah and i drove four and a half hours and a pit stop at wendy's and one girl talk album and the game where we take turns playing a surprise song up to occoquan, motherfuckers, to see mr. and mrs. mckellop, as well as dog and cat mckellop.  we've got this road trip thing down to an art, a science, all that, and when we pulled in hoarse and happy and toting a large inflatable ball we found on the side of the road at 10:15, erika was ready with this spread:

it was fantastic.  that plate on the bottom left?  ALL CHEESE.

erika found this wine and grabbed it immediately because not only is it pinot noir, but it shares a name with our college dorm's ghost.  the main one, anyway, the one who lived on our floor.  trust me when i say i don't believe in ghosts, but i believe in fadeaway.  there was never a question - she was the girl who hung herself in the basement bathroom and haunted the dormitory in a white dress, fading away when you saw her.  erika heard her footsteps once.  naked margaret swore she saw something.  i spent each night terrified that i would see this ghost and - what?  she would fade away?  i don't know.

anyway.  we drank the wine and said it was the blood of fadeaway and laughed and filled up on unexpected cheddar and not missing each other.

AND MILLIE DID THIS.  she was extra lovey this time around and i ate it up.

saturday was the day we did everything.  we didn't even wake up early, but when we did we got brunch at this adorable place called the secret garden and wandered occoquan's main drag (read: looked at geese, went into an art gallery, poked around the pet store).  there was a wedding about to happen at the most adorable gazebo/tiniest wedding venue on the planet.  we looped back up the street for a wine/beer tasting (one tasted like cream soda!  hot dog!) and moscato slushies.  no, you read that right.  daniel got mango and the rest of us got peach and, i'll say it, they were damn refreshing.

and then pedicures!  sarah and erika got matching grape toes and i had mine painted hot pink (which they'll stay for the rest of the summer, probably maybe whaaaat) and then we went to giant and got cokes and cash for the carnival.  we split cotton candy and fit on the ferris wheel like we were made for it and sarah held our stuff and took pictures while erika and i rode the swings.  it was held in the backyard of an ex-prison, which made for some interesting views: the solemn brick buildings with tiny windows in rows on one side, the watchtowers on the other, funnel cakes and midway games and a mechanical bull in the middle.

that night we went to madigan's for dinner and drinks and we learned two things: erika's shirt is tres french and how to accomplish the dominance effect.  and then we were hugged by several drunk old men.  opa!  when we went back to daniel and erika's, we watched brooklyn nine-nine until erika fell asleep (and then some) and the day was over too fast.  the next morning we helped out with childcare as per usual and hit the road straight away and then the whole weekend was over too fast, and we were road trip queening it back to north carolina and away from occoquan and promise to come see me on the trail guys, okay?

all the love.