Girlz Gone Not At All Wild

My sister Melissa and cousins Nikki and Jenn convened in the booming metropolis of Wadsworth last weekend for a girls weekend. Needless to say, they didn't know what hit them.

For those of you who may not know, my mother is the youngest of 9 children. There are a lot of cousins. In the past, we have tried to get together every other year at a gathering affectionately known as FlemFest (as mom's maiden name was Fleming). This has recently turned into an annual event, but we won't get into that now. Even as an annual event, there just doesn't seem to be enough time for the "youngins" to catch up. So we tried a girls weekend, or really, a sleepover, instead.

The hotel was lovely and provided free ice cream snacks and - as bizarre as it may seem - corn dogs. Alas, by the time we returned from dinner, the freezer with the frozen treasures was gone. Not to be deterred (not many Fleming women are), Jenn received 2 ice cream sandwiches by accosting Doug, the FABULOUS desk attendant. We highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express in Wadsworth, Ohio.

Much giggling and talking ensued, until the herd if elephants checked in at midnight. Again, Jenn took care of the situation. Upon reflection, I see we had silently agreed upon a lead of the assembly. There was a group if I-don't-know-what racing up and down our hall at about midnight. At this point, someone knocked on our door. We all looked startled. All of us except for Jenn, who got up like she was gonna brawl. She flung open the door and stared down the woman who had knocked who immediately - and to who own horror - realized she had the wrong room. Apparently she was the herd's chaperon. Traveling with them, we would later overhear, was someone named "Pa" who would, as the party decried in hushed tones, administer a "whuppin'" if he caught the girls running around the halls anymore. Their words, not mine. It was at this point that Nikki wondered aloud whether Laura Engles Wilder had come to stay in Wadsworth for the night. Did I mention that all of this was made funnier by alcohol and the fact that we were all up way past our bed times?

Suffice it to say that a good time was had by all. We all caught up, know way too much about some others' of ours' medical conditions and indulged in some excellent overpriced beverages from Applebees. Overall, an excellent weekend.