Hello, Old Friends

I think one of the best things about old friends is the fact that they're pretty much immune to anything ridiculous that you might do. If they've been around for a long time, it's likely that they've seen you at your best and your worst, at high points and low points, in sickness and in health, in beautiful and in ugly. After so many years, it would be difficult for you to really repel them with a bad outfit, clownish make-up, or scary hairstyle.

In light of that, I present to you a tribute to old friends. In pictures. Brace yourself - it ain't pretty.

This is a picture of me, my friends Jonel and Lisha, and my cousin's baby. It was taken during the "Great Road Trip of Senior Year" over spring break. Jonel and I were obviously embracing the whole 80's hair thing. If only you could see my outfit in its entirety. Oh, wait - you can!

In the name of all that is holy, why didn't someone tell me I looked like this? Obviously I didn't own a mirror at the time. High-waisted was never a good look for me. And my homemade, red and white checkered, gapping in all the wrong places, snaps-instead-of-buttons shirt? How was it that I had any friends at all? Really.

The one wedding that Jonel and I were in together. Lovely, weren't we? Sometime I'll have to post the whole story about these dresses. I'd tell it now, but it involves some things I'm not sure I am willing to talk about on my blog. Like boobs. And liquor. Lots and lots of liquor. Jonel, I love you even more because we have shared such priceless experiences.

These were some of my dorm-mates. We were having a party - the theme was something to do with a saloon - and some of the more artistically talented gals had drawn an old-time western bar on paper we tacked up to the wall. It was my bright idea to have some of them lean on the pretend bar. Doesn't it look authentic? My beloved roommate is the one on the left, but boy, do I wish I could remember the name of the one on the right. She might have been an extra in Olivia Newton John's 'Let's Get Physical' video.

Judy and I, sitting on my bed in our dorm room - which we shared for FOUR YEARS. I don't know anyone else who lived with their original roommate the whole 4 years of school. The fact that we are still friends today is a miracle, as far as I'm concerned, especially since we only met the day we moved into the dorm. There's so much to talk about in this picture I hardly know where to start. See the fab afghan my mother made? And my knitting was behind me, right next to a - ugh, I don't know if I can even say it - stuffed unicorn. And, heaven help me, there are more stuffed animals (the panda was hers, the polar bear mine). And why does she look so pretty, while I look like I'd been on a four day bender? Obviously I hadn't learned about the importance of mousse and mascara.

These two girls (and yes, I still think of us as girls) are so precious to me. Some of my happiest moments were spent with one or both of them, and I really believe we will never run out of things to say to each other. I laugh more with them than I do with anyone else in my life, and, especially now, that's exactly what I need.