Well, as many of you know I was very excited and worried about my first trip to the Keys without stbx. My good friend and I went down Friday with my boys and their friends. Really nasty weather but we were having a great time. Unfortunately, my friend tripped on the corner of the bed and went face first on the opposite corner of the box spring which was very hard. Blood everywhere, 911 called and I was at the hospital with her until 1:00 am. They had to transfer her to Homestead hospital which is 2 hours North of Marathon (where we were staying). I called her family and her sister, brother, husband and two boys made the two hour drive down to Homestead from WPB to await her arrival. I had a little sleep and changed rooms in the morning as ours looked like a crime scene. I packed up everything but left it in her car because I just didn't know what to do next. She had called me first thing in the morning and was adamant about wanting to come back down and finish out the vacation. Her sisters and I believed she was still high from the pain meds.

I had to drive her expedition to Homestead because I had all of her belongings and she needed her glasses. Well I had myself a good ole pity party on the way there and I was a nervous wreck driving her big car in nasty weather. One look at her and I told her there was no way she was coming back down to Marathon. I knew as soon as the meds wore off she would feel terrible. Of course she felt terrible for me having to end my vacation and everyone offered to drive me back down, but that would have been crazy. Two hours down and four hours to get back home and none of them had slept all night.

I had another pity party on the way home (not in front of my friend) but came to a realization: true friends and family don't walk away from the people they love and they don't judge them either. So all those shithead husbands out there that walked away are just dickless wonders.

As soon as I got home and got my senses back to me, I was just so grateful that my friend wasn't hurt worse. The doctors and nurses kept telling her how lucky she was that she didn't loose her eye. She did have to have surgery and looks like somebody beat the hell out of her in a bar fight, but she'll be ok.

So now I have a new memory of the keys and learned something new about me: I love my friends and they've stood by me while I've been in some really dark places these last couple of months. I am so fortunate to have them and I would do anything for them.