Test of Friendship

Episode 24: Better Left Unsaid(aka the beach trip from hell)
So this past week has really been quite a test of our friendship. But if you think about it, friendships are being tested all the time, we're no different then anyone else. I could list a number of examples, but this one for our beach trip is most fresh in my memory. One thing I've always wondered though, do friends benifit from talking behind each others back and/or keeping things that need to be said to themselves?

I think it would be interesting, after something happened with a group of friends, to find out what would change if they knew everything that happened and everything that was said. Although I'm far from not talking trash myself, I would still like to know. I would probably laugh off the insults and still be friends with everyone because it happens. I just think it would be interesting to hear what is said. It would be an interesting social experiment.

So, I'm going to show you guys how much of a mess this little 1.5day has caused us. It has stressed the hell out of me, that's for sure. I don't have any insults against myself if there have been any, because they would go behind my back of course xD I really enjoy analysing situations, and I'm hoping this will prove how ridiculous this has been. But yeah, it's on a person by person basis. Enjoy!

Key:
--: Minor Event
**: Major Event
?: Opinion/Trash Talking

Andrew/Parents:
--: Andrew likes Loris idea and takes control of the planning for the trip.
--: Andrews parents don't like the idea; Daniel gets mad he can't come. Andrew can still go.
**: Andrew books 2 rooms instead of one since Lori's mom is coming.
--: Andrew figures how much it is going to cost for everyone.
**: Andrew is upset that the "Cancel Reservation" deadline has passed; Loris mom left them with an extra room.
?: Andrew asks Andy if he thinks Lori has been Dan the appropriate space or not. Andrew says: "I think she's giving him too much space actually, we don't really see her anymore."
**: Andrew asks Andy to lie to his mom and say "Someone dropped out" so we can use the van.
**: Andrew doesn't want to ask him mom if he can drive people because "There's a 75% chance they would say I couldn't go on the trip."

Dan:
?: "I want Joe and I to ride in the Van because I really want him to meet those people." (This is around what he when he didn't want to be in the car with Lori's mom)
--: Dan and Lori talk, he apologizes, agrees to ride with Loris mom.
--: Dan tries to obtain one of his parents cars for the trip. He hopes it will be easier with his mom not being there. The party agrees to pay for Gas and even put a deposit on the car if necessary in order to get the car.

Lori/Parents:
--: Lori comes up with the idea of going to the beach.
**: Lori doesn't think she can come; Mom isn't down for an overnight trip.
--: Lori and Andy agree a day trip couldn't be done
**: Lori's mom is concerned I might be the only driver, so she decides to come with us.
**: Lori's mom is under the impression that the girls will be in there own room, so we have to buy another room.
?: Lori gets angry at Dan for ditching her on the ride down; because Dan doesn't want to ride with Loris mom.
**: Lori's mom cancels and isn't paying her share. It's too late to cancel the reservations, so she effectively doubled the cost of the trip for everyone. But Lori can still go.
**: Lori's mom canceling means Andy is the only one driving.


Andy/Parents:
--: Andy agrees with Lori that a daytrip isn't happening.
?: Andy is annoyed that Loris parents are putting a burden on the trip, considers going around the "it was her idea" problem and considers asking her to sit this one out.
--: Andy's mom doesn't really like the 8 people in one room idea, but still lets him go.
**: Andy finds a hotel that allows 18+ to book a room. (All the others are 21+)
?: Agrees with a few statements J9 and Sean have made about the trip and the people on it while shopping with them for a bathing suit.
?: Andrew asks Andy if he thinks Lori is giving Dan enough space or not. "I still don't think she's giving him enough. I don't think we've seen her enough lately, but she still ruins our evening plans sometimes." (Talks about examples where Dan has planned to chill with us and then ditches us to chill with her, and how he wishes Dan would say "I can't, I'm doing something with Lori" instead of ditching us.)
**: Andys mom says there's no way I can use the van unless we get another driver or have a seatbelt for everyone. (8 people, 7 seatbelts) So we have no car to get to the beach.
**: Andy refuses to lie to his mom about how many people he would be driving; is frustrated that everyone is putting pressure on him to drive 8 people(1 with no seatbelt) 3.5hrs to the beach, when no one else would be willing to do the same, let alone drive 4 people.

J9/Parents:
--: J9 gets put in charge of finding a hotel.
--: J9's parents wont let her use her car to take people to the beach.
?: "The only reason Dan is mad [that Lori's mom is coming] is because he can't bang her on the beach now.(jokingly)"
**: J9 attempts to ask her parents to drive her car again. "My parents wont let me take it now because there concerned I would get to tired so my driving wouldn't be as good. But it's the opposite, I get upbeat and awake when I drive; I hope we can convince them."


Sean G:
?: "Dan only used that Joe excuse because he can't grow a pair and ride with Lori's mom. We have the beach and the rest of the week to meet Joe."
?: "We should make Lori's mom pay her damn share. She has effectively doubled the cost of the trip for everyone."
?: "If we have to lose someone for the trip, it should be Lori or Kit."
?: Sean explodes on Andrew about how everyone would have to throw 50 bucks away on the hotel if the trip is canceled.

So that's all I could think of for now. It's shocking to see that people would even go as far as to almost suggest we kick someone out to go isn't it? I know this has been quite a week of hell, but we will make it through this, and we will go to the beach, and we will have fun; even though this has definitely become more trouble then it's worth. Sheesh I have been stressed this week. :P
~Andy