$2 Beers at Applebees

I recently bought dinner at our local Applebees using their “Carside To Go” service. Carside rocks. Big time. When I’ve got both kids in the car and I want a quick and easy dinner that isn’t McDonald’s, I speed dial Applebees and place my order. As I paid through my car window, the Applebees employee pointed out that if I called the 800 number on the receipt and answered a survey, I’d get $3 off my next purchase. Cool. I tucked the receipt safely into my purse.

The next day I got out the receipt and looked it over. At the bottom was an ad for happy hour offering $2 beers. This little ad had a strange effect on me. I couldn’t remember the last time I even ate INSIDE a real restaurant, let alone got excited over $2 happy hour beers.

I know Moms that still do the party thing. Sometimes they have a set group of girlfriends and a standing girl’s night out. Often they work outside the home and party with co-workers. I have neither close girlfriends nor co-workers. Getting my Cheesy Bacon Tavern Chips and Triple Chocolate Meltdown via the “bring it to my car because I am an old, frazzled housewife” service, opening a bottle of wine, and turning on Tivo’d episodes of Sex in the City is about as close as it gets.

Before we start the pity party, I do have friends. Mommy friends. We talk about, well, Mommy stuff. Even our “Parents’ Night Out” conversations usually end up with childbirth, discipline, and/or breastfeeding chatter. It’s relaxing and fun and they are terrific ladies. But sometimes I miss getting dressed up, sitting at the bar, and dancing with my college girlfriends. I miss lunching and gossiping with my office girlfriends.

Would I want to trade my Mommy life for the life of a working, single woman? Never. But it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I could have girlfriends, and occasional party nights, and still be a wonderful mother and wife. The problem: It seems that the older I get, the harder it is to forge intimate female relationships. What do you do if the girlfriends you had in your younger years have all moved away, or you’ve grown apart? As a stay-at-home-Mom, what opportunities do you have to find those sistahs that you can connect with on a deeper level, share your most private thoughts with, and let loose on the dance floor with when you hear “Play That Funky Music?”