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Hello my lovely steemit peeps! As the title eludes, I went on a getaway this past weekend with three of my girlfriends from primary school. We've done similar trips in the past, though it's been a few years since the last time due to some life changes (new babies, new jobs, re-locations etc.) and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me. 


<h3>There is simply nothing like catching up with old friends, particularly in an outdoor setting, to rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit!</h3>

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![collage.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmc4Je3z9cLMvKMBdD3DyEjvUGZ2SkUfpBhai8XzGuAio4/collage.jpg)

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As I've said in the past, I'm not a huge fan of hearing my own voice on video, 
but I've been working on getting over it- and this was a true test since I woke up with a 'frog in my throat', as if my voice wasn't raspy enough to begin with. I also tend to nervous laugh when I know I'm being recorded, and it seems to be even worse when *I'm* the one doing the recording. However my friend Maria (my oldest friend whom I've known for nearly thirty years) has a boisterous laugh that makes up for it- God I love it, so full of life and joy!

<h3>We are utterly ridiculous as we float down the Potomac River in West Virginia and I have no idea how to edit videos so you are getting the uncut, embarrassing versions. Enjoy the silliness and I will regale you with a funny tale afterward!</h3>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsxPz_UMHpM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7kzIXgfvKk

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajIn4FVmzjM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ4ClAUlARQ

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<h3>And here my battery hit a critical level, so there was no more videoing (super unfortunate since there was plenty worth documenting after this) And now it's time for the regaling of the tale:</h3>
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First off, if you are wondering whether or not my camera is waterproof, the answer is no. In fact it was *not* a camera it was my phone that I risked on this trip, a risk my three friends thought I was nuts for taking. And they were probably right- except there would be no documentation of this event if I hadn't, so ultimately the risk taker wins the day! 

And besides, I had a plan- I brought a bag with a rolled up towel which served two purposes- a place to stick the phone where it would be partially protected, and something to dry my hands with every time I took it out.

I think it was a bang up fucking system! 

*Of course there was always the risk that I would be flipped out of the tube...*

***...oh wait, that happened!*** (chagrin)

We were nearing our destination when we were pulled into the last, and by far the most intense rapids of the journey, and of course the current that I caught took me right over a mini waterfall. 

Honestly I probably wouldn't have been tossed out if I hadn't had the bag- I was so concerned about protecting the damn thing that I only had one hand free, so in I went, *completely in*, ***entirely submerged***... 

...except for one hand-- yep, *the bag hand*. When I popped back up spluttering but still holding my prize high I caught sight of Heather (who had grabbed onto some weeds when she saw me go under)laughing so hard tears were squeezing out of her eyes pointing at the bag while I grinned in triumph.

**Maria and Mary however, were nowhere to be seen.**

Now it took me a bit of time to get to the shore- and this was once again because of the bag. There was simply no way of maneuvering my ass back into position on the tube without risking the bag being dunked, so I ended up with one leg draped over the tube and one hanging through the middle, which made for an awkward trip to the shore both physically and aesthetically- (Yes, there were a few snickers and stares from other tubers observing the scene from the bank)- but I *did* make it.

The same cannot be said for two of my friends.

Heather and I fully expected to find Maria and Mary waiting for us, after all, my antics had taken some time- they should have been ahead of us. We all knew that this was the place we had to stop, on the right hand side before the green bridge. We knew that if you continued *past* the bridge you were heading into much rougher waters where only rafts and boats were allowed to go.

Ten minutes passed and just as the first seeds of panic began to root we saw a kayak towing a tube- and there was Maria with a huge grin plastered across her face. As she climbed out of the tube she burst into giant guffaws of laughter and pointed down river to where Mary was hanging onto some weeds for dear life, waiting for their savior to come back for her.

Between guffaws Maria gasped out the story: apparently they had gotten caught in a current that was so strong that no matter how hard they paddled they kept being swept forward- then something about exhaustion, a fit of hysterical laughter, and a woman shouting at them that they were heading under the bridge- Thank You Captain Obvious- which only made them laugh harder sapping the rest of their strength.  


Ahhh, 

But all's well that ends well. We made it, and so did my phone- it's just too bad it ran low on battery so I couldn't record the rescue mission. I did have enough juice to take one picture of our final destination-

![2018-08-18 15.00.16.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZbLyTKqj44v24rGcNwAAyhTFDBvWxq2FzoRv93PvUmT9/2018-08-18%2015.00.16.jpg)


-where we lounged for a time before getting on the bus that took us back to our car. 

***NOTE: If you are ever near Harper's Ferry West Virginia and looking for something to do, I highly recommend checking this out: http://www.riverriders.com/ Well worth the forty bucks for the two hours- and you can even prolong it by stopping off. If I went again I would upgrade the tube to the one with the back. Also, I would invest in a floating cooler- for beer and picnic stuffs.***


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