"How does this look?"
"How does this look?"
"That's a bit tight."
"That's too short ."
Once we got rid of the menfolks....it was time for the girls (my daughter and I) to have fun.
We hit Park Avenue......we dreamed.....we looked at the real designer stuff....and then checked out the knock offs sold by guys out of cardboard boxes.
My daughter wanted to hit the big H&M store as soon the doors opened...it's a Swedish chain....and specializes in cheap chic. I've never been in this store....but it seems all college girls know the merchandise by heart.
We brought armloads of stuff into the dressing room....and knocked on each others dressing room doors for advice. To my surprise.....we both came out with two big bags of fun stuff...every thing from earrings....to underwear.
Next we hit Long Island....the car rental place gave us a fire engine red car with a spoiler....and a sun roof....I didn't even ask for it....I guess they just knew who needed that car the moment we walked in.
But all the new clothes and our hot car....made us painfully aware our nails looked like shit.....so we googled nail salons close to hotel....Suzi's? Marie's?.....Adventure Nail?......We choose Shalom Nails....because we imagined it was owned by exacting Jewish women....which is a comforting thought when you're far from home and don't know whom to trust......it was, however, owned by an Asian woman.....who was ...well...as tough as nails. She was in Control...with a capital C....and in no time we were out the door....looking more like ladies.
Dinner was next on the agenda....and we ate in a wonderful Italian restaurant in Huntington.....we split a full bottle of wine....which of course necessitated..... we go out to a movie...(conveniently located 1/2 block away) since I was a bit too impaired to drive.
We picked the Adam Sandler movie, Zohan.... it's really not that great of a movie....I mean he mumbles....there are about 15 plot lines.....and its cheesy outrageous.....but with a bottle of Chianti and the help of the woman who sat behind us.....we roared through the whole thing.
Let me explain ...the woman who sat behind us was....in her thirties...dark hair .....glasses...plain-looking... and had this unusual laugh.....she bellowed .....HA HA HA .
It wasn't fake.....I think she was just one of those belly laughers ....who make you laugh because their laugh is so funny and contagious....when Sandler summersualted , or profiled his bulging stuffed crotch, or would make a small joke ......the woman broke out into this HA HA HA HA HA laugh....that doubled us over with laughter.
Walking back to the car.....my daughter said....."Was she for real?"....and just the thought of her HA HA HA 's.....made us laugh so hard again....we looked like drunks walking down the street towards the car.
For our final girl day.....I let Cris pick what she wanted to do....she is a natural beach baby....so we hit Robert Moses Beach....the water was a beautiful blue thanks to the cloud cover and the beach had just a few folks on it.
I still love the sound of the waves at this beach.......they are less intense than Montauk.....and more vigorous than the Sound.....they are perfect.
We sat and walked....and just talked on the beach......until it was time for her plane to depart. I was so sad to hug her and wave good bye.
"Wait....I forgot to give you something Mom"
She pulled out her wallet and handed me.....her business card. My daughter, my first born......is living her own life....she has a business card.
I wept all the way back to the hotel.
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Versace. Park Avenue.
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