Friend Whirlwind in Never Say Never

After complaining for seven years that nobody ever comes to see me at the beach, it seems I cracked the code on getting guests. I've had company pretty much nonstop since late April, with time only to wash the sheets, vacuum the floor, and take a long nap between visitors.

First it was my college boyfriend, who spent a couple of nights before we went together to Florida, where we proceeded to polish off our 20+ year relationship. Or he did -- along with a bottle of tequila at least. I will explain.

Though I've long known that my life moved in a very different direction from his, which has basically remained static, I liked having him as a reminder of simpler times. He has a sweet, fun-loving spirit, and is generally easy to be around. The gap between us has just become too great, however, and when on Saturday he sucked down a half bottle of tequila before noon and then got serious about drinking, I knew I was done. It was more than that, of course: an accumulation of small things that underscored how he is a part of a world far from mine -- a world I don't care to inhabit even for a little while.

There were no harsh words, no shitty looks. I simply skipped dinner with his family (who all drank all day) and got up at 5 a.m. and left a note before driving away. I have not heard a single thing from him since. We were on the same page about that at least. Sometimes that's just how it goes.

I was home only a few hours when my best friend from "home" arrived for a three-night stay. It was a lovely time. We ate nice food, went to yoga, read our books on the beach, and talked long into the night every night -- so much so that my throat was sore. That hasn't happened to me since I was in NYC with my girls. We discovered an amazing new restaurant, had the kind of conversation possible only with someone you've known since you were 18, and deepened a friendship that is so important to me.

Mary was gone only two days when I picked up [Ginger Snap] from the airport. The weather wasn't perfect for beaching, but we managed a lovely girls' time anyway -- eating nice food, sitting and walking on the beach enough to both get a little sunburn, seeing a chick flick, going to a stand-up paddleboard yoga class (!!), and talking about men pretty much nonstop. It was fun to show her the finer aspects of this redneck town.

I've had a few days to recover from that stretch of visitors and tomorrow will get my friend Nicole at the airport for a three-night stay. I don't know Nicole that well, but she is a force, and I am looking forward to hearing her stories about living in L.A. and getting her opinions on some of my ideas for my future.

After that, it's back to Texas, where I'll take care of a few things before heading down to South America to meet [Trellis], see Machu Picchu, and frolic with seals (what?!).

What a friend whirlwind it's been!