4th of July

Warning: Stripper Content

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July. Mine was fun and relaxing as I only did a smidgen of work and did not paint the house. Actually, the biggest crisis of the day was when the girl at Panera thought they were out of strawberry smoothie and I debated what else to order for Erin. Thankfully, they weren't out of it.

I spent my holiday with Erin and Becky at the hospital watching baby E improve thanks to all your prayers. E periodically would wave her arms, smile, and show her baby blue eyes. Her body is accepting the latest treatment and if everything continues going well, she will be out of the woods. Erin seemed in good spirits, excited about our lunch delivery and conversation. It was so good to hear her laugh and such a relief to know that things are improving.

Becky and I decided that instead of sitting in the heat watching fireworks, we should spend our evening watching hot strippers. You know I have corrupted Becky when she remarks that we should go see Magic Mike because even if the story line sucks, the eye candy will be worth it. That is such a Melissa comment, I couldn't believe Becky said it. I knew nothing about this movie, so was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it considering I'm not a fan of some of the actors in it. As a side note, the "kid" in the movie really annoyed me. If you've ever wondered what a conversation between my brother and I looks like, watch this movie. Otherwise, I found myself actually enjoying the story and the actors.

Within the first 15 minutes of the movie, there is a street scene where the guys are talking outside a club. I sat up in my seat thinking, no way! as I recognized the sign. When the guys enter the club and the camera pans over girls dancing in cages, I leaned over and told Becky, I used to party there. This was further confirmed when the main character hands over a flyer for the male revue, which features a Dale Mabry address. The rest of the movie has numerous references to Tampa because I hadn't realized that this movie is based on Tatum's experiences as a male stripper in Tampa and that they had filmed some scenes around the city, including my old stomping grounds at the Ampitheatre. Yes, I spent many nights down in Ybor (think Bourbon Street) and enjoyed dancing in the cages back in the day. This shouldn't surprise anyone because we long ago established that I was a bit wild in my twenties.

The best part of the movie was Becky's continuous blushing, which was so adorable. Yes, I've been to several male revues, including the club that Tatum worked at in Tampa for a bachelorette party. I know some might find this strange, but I used to spend a bit of time hanging out at the gay strip clubs. My best friend John thought it would help me repair my self-esteem since the men in those clubs are usually heterosexual and would enjoy the flirty banter with me during their breaks. When he first suggested this, I thought he was crazy, but he was right. This is where I learned to flirt and joke with men so easily.

It cracks me up when I realize the divergent lives my gals and I have lived, yet we are so connected despite these differences. It was definitely a day we each needed and I'm glad we shared the holiday together. And once again, thanks to everyone who has prayed for baby E.