The Way We Were

Four girls and a baby! That was us, walking through Chico last week, reminiscing of the days we were husbandless (a new word) and childless. I only spent one year of college there, the other three....a few more. I moved back for this boy...which I guess is okay because I married him, it all worked out. However, that year of independence is not lost on this girl. Looking back that was one of the best years of my life and I have these three girls to thank for it. So, to Emilie, Jenny, and Melissa...let's "tea" off.

When we got to town, the first stop we made was to the Bear. A fine local establishment that on occasion serves beverages to those who need to quench their thirst. I am not going to lie...on Monday, that was the very first time I have ever walked into that bar and ordered a water. The bartender looked at me, smiled, and then said, "Do you want a lemon with that?" Clearly, he was trying to spruce up my drink at 12:05pm as much as he could.

The Bear!


Catching up over lunch.


After lunch we walked over to the BMU, aka the bookstore. It is now ten times nicer than it was when I was there. Funny, I miss the smelly old room that was located in the basement. Now there was an entire section dedicated to Apple and a Clinique counter. Seriously?


We strolled through campus, checking out all the old buildings that I once dreaded walking into on a daily basis. We talked about old classes, old teachers, old everything. What I find interesting is that I really could feel heart palpitations coming on as I remembered being a student. I never want to walk into a classroom again to take notes. I never want to listen to a professor give a lecture. I never want to lock myself into a room for hours on end studying for finals, and yet I teach for a living. I lecture every day. I have my students take notes everyday. And, they have study guides for exams every couple of weeks. I am who I hated. Oh well...that's life. They will deal, I did.

Emilie and Andersen walking through campus

Another shot of the campus


As we walked downtown, pushing sweet Andersen in his stroller, we pass students enjoying their day off. I turned to Emilie and said, "I would absolutely hate living here while raising a family. These kids are everywhere." When did I turn into the grouchy old lady who lives in the weird house at the of the block?? I am thirty-three years old for crying out loud and I couldn't handle the girl standing in the middle of the side walk, oblivious to those having to out of their way to walk around her, twirling her hair through her fingers, while talking on her cell phone. THE NERVE!!!!!

A Chico visit would have not been complete until we went to Panama's. It's a bar. Yes, a bar....a very good, cheap bar. And on that day, A CLOSED BAR!!! It really probably looked pathetic, four grown women standing outside, looking through the glass yelling, "WHAT??? What do you mean it closed??? How are we going to order a drink???" Maybe it was for the best. I am not sure how we would have pulled off buying a tea, getting four straws, and sipping slowly all while taking care of Andersen.

Can you hear us saying, "OPEN, OPEN, OPEN!!"


After shopping around downtown we stopped in at Jon and Bon's for some yogurt. It was another place we could not leave town without stopping in.


Before we left town, we drove around the area where we used to live. The year I was there we lived in a place called University Village. It was an apartment that had four separate rooms and a shared kitchen. We each had a shelf in the fridge, a shelf in the pantry area, a cupboard, and a drawer....so typical of college life, but at the same time something that was completely different from at home. It was great. Thanks ladies for an amazing year!
UV...


Melissa and Jenny