An Early Weekend

It's always a toss up what my weekend plans are going to be dependent on my work schedule. Our week's at Anthro are scheduled Sunday-Saturday and I usually don't get my schedule for the next week until Thursdays. So it was a pleasant surprise last week when I saw that I had this past Friday off and didn't have to come in until 2:00 on Saturday!

Since I missed Becca Hart's wedding shower the last weekend, I decided that it was a sign to come up to the Scenic City and visit a few of my favorites! And another goal of this trip, besides friendship was my belly. I have missed me some yummy Chattanooga favorites so I centered my friendships around where I wanted to go eat too! Two birds, one stone.

Thursday after work, I headed straight to one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Chattanooga--Southern Star. I had been craving the Charleston salad and it hit the spot with a bottomless glass of sweet tea (lots of lemons on the side, please).

The Charleston is a fried chicken salad with honey mustard vinaigrette, sugared pecans, blue cheese crumbles, cherry tomatoes, and onions all on top of lots of yummy greens. It was my go to meal for several lunches and I almost enjoyed my salad as much as the company! :) It was great to catch up with Becca and even more special was that I got to spend the night with her so we got some real quality time together.  The next time I see her, it'll be her wedding day!!

Friday morning, I met Samantha Stevenson after she was finished with her overnight nursing shift for breakfast at another favorite of mine--Bluegrass Grill. I frequented Bluegrass on mornings that I met up with students for before school breakfasts and will always love being there. Just to make your mouth water, I got the mushroom and cheddar omelet with grips and a whole grain biscuit...if only they delivered to Marietta...As always, it was so great to spend time with Sam, I am so glad that she and Elliot are in Chattanooga!! We ran into Daniel Gamble (whom I always run into at Bluegrass!) and got to catch up with him too!

After that, I left to meet up with Mischa and Paytton. Something I love about my time with Mischa, besides the honest heartfelt conversations we always get to enjoy, is that I get to just live life with them. Because of Mischa's chronic arm pain, she really tries to avoid driving too much so I love that I can help her out while we spend time together.

I rushed off, running late of course, to lunch with Katie Woodruff at the Terminal. She had forgotten she had a doctor's appoint so the waiter thought we were crazy when I sat down, ordered, and asked for my check and a to go box all at the same time. But I still got to enjoy my Herbivore (stuffed, baked sandwich with mushrooms and festo: feta and pesto mix) on the run. I went to Katie's appointment with her--which is such a thing that would only work with me and Katie. Love her.

She and I met up with Erin Kennedy to head up to camp together for the afternoon. We said we definitely didn't want to overstay our welcome so we would leave by the end of free time, sooner if we wanted. Fast forward through free time, dinner, and then being convinced to stay for Friday Night Live so Erin could relive her days in "If I were not a Counselor"...we finally left! haha But it was a pleasant surprise how great it was to be up there considering it's been a few years since each of us have worked so we only know a handful of staffers and campers these days. Highlight of my day was totally selfish though because I got to relive my days as Dock Mama and drive the director's wife and camp nanny around on the tube. I. was. in. Heaven. It was one of those times that I really was experiencing pure joy because I love being at camp so dearly and even more so in my "niche" of the lake driving a boat.

Dock Mama Days

Since we only snacked on camp food and sweet tea (counselor juice is what I would always tell the kids what it was), we wanted some food. So last but not least, I got to eat at another favorite--Taco Mamacita. Katie had a coupon for a free queso so I was perfectly content with a marg (or two) and some queso. Delish. 

Cara met up with us so I could spend the night at her house before I woke up bright and early to head home Saturday for work that afternoon. 

I love that I got to have a weekend before my weekend officially began and that I got to spend it in Chattanooga with some of my favorite friends (and food)! What a blessing to have been able to keep in touch with these friends long distance and that every once and a while, my schedule works out so I can head up there to spend quality time with them. There never seems to be enough time to fit every one in, but I know this time around that I'll be back in a month from today for Becca and Matt's wedding on August 18th! YAY!