Rowdy On River Street

Awhile back I mentioned to one of my best friends that I had been dying to get to the beach so that I could see and hear the ocean. She, being her usual sweet self, surprised another friend of ours and myself, a short while later, with a weekend trip to Savannah and Tybee Island. The three of us always hung together, in fact one of our husbands nicknamed us "The Pearl Girls" because we all love to be together and love ourselves some pearls. We have been friends for years so I knew that we were going to have a great time.


We left bright and early and before long we were in Savannah checking into our hotel. My friend had booked us into a very nice hotel and our room overlooked River Street. The view was wonderful. We got settled into the room and then decided to change our clothes and head over to Tybee Island so that I could get my toes in the sand.


Everything was going along smoothly. We were on the beach mashing our faces together and taking pictures of ourselves with our cell phones, laughing and writing our names in the sand, and then one of my friends mentioned casually that she would like to have a drink with alcohol content. Then my second friend pipes up and says if we go to a bar and get started drinking this early we'll spend a fortune.


Now I had been quiet up until that point and then I had to speak up. I said: "I have a confession." They looked at me and said in unison: "What is it?". I said "I have some liquor in my suitcase. Actually I have a very large bottle of Crown Royal, a two liter bottle of diet Coke and some glasses." I said that I knew I needed to relax and so I had come prepared with some tangible aids to help me do so.


Needless to say, they were immediately on board and we could not get back to our hotel room fast enough. Upon our arrival I made us all a drink and we made haste to drink those, and then began on refills. One of my friends opted to stop at one, but the other knocked back a glass of straight Crown before she chose to decline another drink. Myself? Well lets just say I kept it steady. I had a few drinks while I got ready to go out for the evening.


Go out? Oh yes, we made a beeline for River Street. First stop? If you guessed a bar, you would be correct. There it was. almost as soon as we stepped outside our hotel... Wet Willie's. A virtual slushy smorgasborg of frozen drinks for adults. One of my friends decided to stick with her decision not to have any more drinks, other than the one she had drank back in the room. My other friend and myself had already had just enough Crown Royal to feel confident that more alcohol would only serve to improve our evening.

My drinking buddy decided that there were to many drinks to choose from so she said for me to pick one for us. Well that wasn't a problem. I marched myself right up to the bar and ordered two drinks, appropriately named "Call Me A Cab". We drank those and nothing would do me but to decide that I needed one more of the same.


When I had secured my second Call Me A Cab, I walked over to the the policeman at the door, and he assured me that I could walk right out the door with it. This prompted me to suggest to my friends that we take ourselves outside and sit on a bench in front of the river and watch the boats go by.

There we were relaxing and talking, and of course, I was sipping my drink. Well just about the time that I had sipped it right on down to the bottom one of my friends suggested that we walk to Outback Steakhouse and eat dinner.

It was about 8:00 p.m. at the time, so that seemed like a fine idea, until...I stood up. Yes as you may have guessed when I stood up I experienced a bit of difficulty with my equilibrium. Before attempting to put one foot in front of the other one, I asked my friend where Outback was. She said (as she pointed her finger in the general direction) "It's that red sign right over there.". I responded with another question. "The first red sign or the second one?".

My friend looked at me very seriously and said "There is only one red sign.". I, having a small bit of common sense remaining, looked back at her and said "Okay...in that case, there is a policeman standing right across from me and so I'm going to need the two of you to flank me on either side, or I'm going to jail for public drunk, and it's as simple as that. You are going to have to do it because, I simply cannot phone home and inform the Lieutenant that I'm going to need bail money. They cracked up, but knew that I was telling the truth.

They did as I asked and we managed to get by the policeman, inside Outback , and were seated without incident. I remember eating dinner through what seemed like a very blissful, yet dense, fog and then we headed back to our room.

After putting my gown on, and laying myself across one of the beds I heard my friend complaining that the air conditioner had a remote control that was so complicated she couldn't figure out how to use it.

Not a problem. I picked up the phone and I explained to the front desk person that we needed assistance in our room. She assured me that she would send someone right up. Well she did, and I was in the I can't worry about my wardrobe mode by this point, and so I couldn't even manage to process that I needed a robe on before he arrived.

My friend allowed the man into the room without even suggesting to me that I should at least get under the covers. The man explained the operation of said remote control and then glanced over at me laying across the bed and said "What are you doing in bed so early? You should be out having a good time. Did you know that there is a Martini bar on the rooftop?".

I looked up at him like he had a third eye. Finally I spoke. "I said Sir, do I look like I need a martini? That is my problem now. I have already had far to much to drink. In fact, I am inebriated, but thank you!!

My friends lost it. They found my little reply very humorous. I know, because they reminded me the next morning when I felt so bad that I needed my sunglasses just to open the refrigerator for a bottle of water for my parched throat. "Cotton Mouth" I believe I've heard it called.

I had a wonderful weekend with the "Pearl Girls", hangover and all. I rarely drink but I really needed to be worry free for a change, and Only true friends stick by you when you are that "relaxed". About three months after that trip we lost one of our Pearls. The one who surprised us with the trip. These memories make me smile now and I treasure our time together! She, along with my other friend, protected me that weekend so that I could totally let go.....I love and miss her dearly..Cherish your friends and have fun!! Life is short...