Nothing so fortifies a friendship as a belief on the part of one friend that he is superior to the other.-Honore de Balzac

Once again Facebook confuses me. For no good reason I was looking through the "people you might know" list. I see one that has 2 friends in common so I click to see who they are thinking at best it's probably someone I went to school with or maybe an old co-worker.

The two people I was already friends with were indeed old co-workers....from two different jobs. They are both friends with me and this third person being offered to me but not each other.

Weird right?

Brush up your Shakespear, Start quoting him now, Brush up your Shakespear and the women you will wow.-From the play Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter

Once again Roses reminded me of something. She's got a knack for that.


Many years ago a friend of mine was the stage manager for our local community theater group. Getting a cast is pretty easy, every one wants to be on stage,  but getting a crew was more difficult. So she asked me if I'd be the prop mistress for their production of Kiss Me Kate. It was pretty simple I got all the props out before a performance and made sure they we're usable, put them back away after the performance, and made sure they got in to the hands of whoever was supposed to bring them on stage.


I wasn't expecting it to be the most fun I ever had doing a play. The crew consisted of my friend the stage manager, myself, and a girl who did the lighting. You're supposed to be really quiet backstage but the crew do need to communicate so we had these fancy schmancy wireless headsets with little microphones. I don't remember ever using them for anything regarding the play. The lighting tech spent the whole time trying to make us giggle backstage, which made both of us rather silly too. The rest of the time we spent plotting pranks to play on the cast closing night, which is a long and hallowed tradition among stage crews.


You aren't supposed to do anything that would disrupt the play. The prank are on the cast not the audience after all. I only remember one probably because though the other girls agreed it was a good idea it was entirely mine in inspiration and execution.

There is a scene early on in the play where one of the characters is given a bouquet of flowers which she latter throws at the person who sent them. We had a fake arrangement we used ever night but the last. On the last night I had made a bouquet of real flowers and replace the card in them with one that said, "Good luck on your last night." I wasn't in a position to see her reaction when she got them on stage but I heard her deliver the line which was something like, "Oh thank you they're beautiful."  and we could tell this time she wasn't acting and was talking to us. When she came off stage she gave me a hug and I saw she had tears in her eyes. In the later scene where she had to throw the flowers at the other character she was careful to throw them in such a way that he could catch them. The director wound up taking them home and drying them as a souvenir of the production.

My lonely days are over. And life is like a song.-At Last Etta James

My friend is getting married in September. I am one of her bridesmaids. Proof that I am both a good friend and good bridesmaid.

Me: Have you decided on the song for your first dance?

Bride: Yes, At Last.

Me: Excellent choice, a classic. Etta James or Celine Dion?

Bride: Oh definitely Etta James.

Me: (With sigh of relief) Oh good. I really didn't want to have to slap you.

Friends don't let friends use overly dramatic covers of classics for their first dance.

But I don't sit down at dinner and have clever ideas.-Mark Rylance

Blatantly stealing an idea from a friend and sharing it with the world!

I have a friend ,or used to have a friend since I only really see little snippets of her life on Face book now and that's not the same as actually being a friend, named Duckie. Okay that's not her real name but it is what I've called her since I was twelve.

Duckie is a creative genius. Says me any way. She used to draw little bizarre comic books for me and wrote/illustrated the most hilarious notes. Her family does a Haunted House every year for Halloween that is famous in my home town (side note: They charge to get in but it all goes to a local charity).

We lost touch like you do after high school but reconnected via Face book like you also do. At first I was a little shocked to discover that she's now a mortician but after I had a moment to adjust I thought, "Yeah I can see that."

Duckie has created an awesome tradition with her family, which is the actual point of this post. Every Sunday they have a "theme dinner." She lets the kids pick a theme early in the week and then through out the week they do projects like making decorations or costumes they will use on Sunday. When Sunday comes they get all dressed up put up the decorations and make a dinner with food based on the theme.

A few of the themes they've had are:
Hawaii
Pirates
Mexico/Cinco de Mayo
50's
Doctor
Movies
Circus

It only occurred to me this morning (when I saw a picture of her kids in chef hats and fake mustaches) that I wanted to tell you all about it or I would have asked her if I could steal some of her pictures.

I think when Fiona is a little bigger I'm going to steal this idea. What a great way to get the kids involved and encourage family dinners.

My friend asked me if I wanted a frozen banana. I said 'No, but I want a regular banana later, so... yeah.-Mitch Hedberg

People I miss volume uhhhhhh 3...4? IDK whatever!

I miss Puddin'. That's not her real name but it's what I called her. Puddin' was one of those types of friends that if you called her at 4 am on a rainy night and said, "My car broke down on the side of the road." She'd be grabbing her keys and heading out the door before you even got around to asking if she could come get you. She was a kind person and well to be blunt she got shit on a lot because of this. Sadly a lot of people can't resist taking advantage of people like that and not even because they are bad people but just because it's so easy. I certainly hope I was never that kind of friend.

Puddin' caught the bouquet at our wedding. Unfortunately she didn't have an Internet connection and the next time I tried to call her phone it wasn't working. Since then my phone number has changed a couple times and we've moved so I don't know if she'll ever be able to contact me again. I do hope that bouquet was good luck for her since she'd finally found a boyfriend who appreciated her and didn't take advantage.

Puddin' was also a great cook. Today I'm going to make her banana bread recipe. In honor of my long lost friend (okay only 5 years but still) here is her recipe. Even if you aren't interested in the recipe read her instructions because I at least think they're funny.

Nanner Bread

1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Cup stick margarine or butter, softened
2 large eggs9
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe nanners (3-4 medium nanners)
1/2 cup buttermilk (I don't use this but I put in 1 snack-cup cinnamon apple sauce)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (ewww, no nuts!)

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 2 loaf pans or use a big pyrex dish (like for making brownies)

Mix sugar & margarine in a large bowl. Stir in eggs till blended. Add nanners, buttermilk (or applesauce if you want to do it my way) and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just moistened. Stir in the nuts (Noooooo). Pour in to pan.

Bake 8 inch loaves for 1 hour, 9 inch loaves 1 1/4 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. If you use a brownie pan check after 45 minutes and add time if needed. Don't burn the nanner bread it smells nasty! Cool for 5 mins. Slice when completely cool. Okay to cut out a piece to eat fresh out of the oven, I do! Can be stored at room temperature for 4 days or in the fride-el-later for 10 days. Yeah like it wall last that long!

Friends are relatives you make for yourself.-Eustache Deschamps

This morning as I was getting Fiona in the car to go to daycare she was admiring my necklace. I told her it was a gift from a friend who had bought it in Ireland which is a long way away. Then it occurred to me that I haven't seen the friend in question in ten or more years.

As I drove in to work something they were talking about on the radio made me think of another friend. And again I was startled to realize I hadn't seen the friend in question in at least a decade.

I started to wonder what the statute of limitations is on friendship.

I have friends I don't see for years at a time but when I do see them it's as if no time has passed at all.

I have had friends who I lost touch with but eventually bumped in to again only to discover they didn't want to renew the friendship. Those hurt and make me wish I could continue remembering things as they were.

I have friends on line (many of you in fact) who I've never actually met in person but would love to if I had the chance.

I guess for me friends are people I like. Not meeting them for a long time (or in fact ever) doesn't stop that. And really good friends are family.

There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.-Benjamin Franklin

Dave: Gambit I'm glad you and me are friends. We're friends because I know you won't jump up on the bed in the middle of the night and crap on me.

Me: Well that's a good thing to look for in a friend.

Dave: Yep

Pause

Me: Is that why you married me?

Dave: Yeah

It's all fun and games 'till someone loses an eye, then it's just fun you can't see.-James Hetfield

Like most of the rest of the know universe I have a Facebook account. Do I use it to keep in touch with family and friends? Do I use it to keep abreast of the doings of my wide array of acquaintances? Do I use it to snoop on random people I went to high school with? Nope I go on once a day and play a game that's starting to bore me and that's it.

An Interesting Perspective

Coworker: (on the phone) Well actually I'm crazed this afternoon but go ahead and assign it to me, I'll do my best. Dani is more than happy to help me.



Me: (yelling over the cube wall) I can hear you.



Coworker: (ignoring me)I feel fully confident in saying she doesn't mind. Yeah, okay, thank you. (hangs up phone)



Me: It's lovely here under the bus.

Time Warp

I'm remarkably bad about staying in touch with people. Part of that is because I have this aversion to phones. Seriously I'll do almost anything before I pick up a phone, ordering Pizza is causes me major anxiety (yes I know I'm crazy, see title of blog).

This is why I like the Internet. Email doesn't cause me any stress, blogging is an easy way to update people on your life (admittedly my blog may be lacking in actual info), and social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook have allowed me to reconnect with many people I hadn't talked to in years.

The weird result of reconnecting with people is I forget that time has passed. Just because I'm in my 30's got married and started a family is no reason why any of them should have aged or grown up in any way.

I was looking at a friends pictures today and got quite a shock. I knew she had kids, she already had her oldest daughter when we used to work together. In fact I used to sit for her occasionally and hers was the first diaper I ever changed.

Oh look cute pictures of the kids
Awww sweet smile
Who's that woman?
Woman?

I read the caption. It was the oldest daughter, the one who was 3 ish last time I saw her. I did the math and realised she was probably about 15 now.

Is Fiona gonna do that? Grow up? I do not approve.

I'm So Rumbly In My Tumbly

I think I'm having sympathy pains for my pregnant sister in law who is now over due....or it's gas.

Just So You All Know

I'm having kinda an awesome day and you know why? Because the Internet is full of cool people. Sure there are some crazy people out there too but you find a few of them in every barrel of apples. I have met some fun and funny people doing this and ya know what I can always use some more friends. I love you guys!

Um yeah and it's not the wine talking. I'm not even buzzed.

What I Love About Camping

#1. Not showering for 3 days. It's not so much the being dirty part I enjoy it's the fact that when I do get to take a shower it's so much more satisfying than usual. Cummon washing off a light sheen of perspiration or washing off a head to toe dirt tan that actually requires a scrub brush to completely remove? Dirt tan all the way baby!

#2. (And this is my actual point) The lost art of conversation. There is no tv you have to actually talk to the people your with, or sometimes people you just met in the next camp site. And a lot of the time it's the sort of topics I like to bring up here. For example a conversation might go something like this.

1st person: I just saw (insert movie title here)

2nd person: I saw that. It was (insert good or bad comment)

3rd person: Really? I thought it was (insert opposing opinion)

2nd person: You know what movie I (loved/hatted)? (insert different movie title)

1st person : I read that book. I thought the movie was.......

you get the idea

It's not always as simple as a debate over movies it might be a discussion of some current event or telling stories of trouble we got in to as kids. I'm always pleased to discover that we don't run out of things to say to each other. And as long as you may have known these people, whether they're family or friends you get a new insight in to the workings of their minds.

I miss camping. We haven't gone since before I was pregnant and I imagine it will be somewhat different with kids. There will probably be less alcohol and some of the more R rated stories will need to wait until they are asleep but the conversation will continue. That makes me happy.

Partial List of Songs That Have Meanings for Me

As you may or may not have picked up I love music and have eclectic taste. Today I thought I'd expand a bit on why I love some songs. Feel free to tell me some of your favorites and why in the comments.

Roxane-The Police = I have a very specific memory about singing this song with friends while stuck in a car on the Golden Gate bridge on our way to a Pantera Concert at the Warfield. For some reason this memory to me perfectly captured the good parts of being a teenager and what I loved about those friends, most of whom I've lost touch with.

It Hurts to Be in Love-Gene Pitney = This one my Mom, brother, and I used to sing in my Moms old truck. She had a tape (yep cassette) she made that had a bunch of great songs on it that we'd sing but when I hear this one I can actually smell that stupid truck.

Runaway-Del Shannon = This one was also on Mom's tape but my brother and I used to sing it together at home. We'd harmonize and originally he sang the high part and I sang the low but then he hit puberty and we had to switch.

I'm In Love With The Big Blue Frog-Peter, Paul, and Mary = I used to sing this to my friend Nugget in PE in High School. All my PE memories involve Nugget ; cutting class, tickling Ralph until he drooped the basketball, walking back and forth up the field during football to pretend we were participating. Nugget also used to sing Knocking the Boots to Me in Algebra in 8th grade but I never hear that one anymore.

Blood Sugar Sex Magic-The Red Hot Chili Peppers (whole album) = This album reminds me of going to Mexico with my oldest friend (who by the way was the driver during the Roxane moment). I've got lots of songs that make me think of her but this album more than anything else.

Rocky Raccoon-The Beatles = I've got 2 for this one. My Mom used to sing it to my brother in the bathtub when he was a baby and one of my friends used to ask me to sing it when we went camping. I joke that if I ever record an album (long shot I know) I'll dedicate it to him and my sister in law (AB) because they are the only people who ever ask me to sing.

These next 3 all remind me of Dave

The Way You Look Tonight-doesn't matter which recording = This was the song we used for our first dance at our wedding. Sure I picked it but it was still a landmark moment for me.

Lets Get It On-Marvin Gaye = This is actually our song. Not for any good reason it's just one of the only songs he'll get up and dance with me to if it comes on also at one point it was stuck in his head so he kept singing it and I found that amusing. For obvious reasons it wasn't appropriate to use as our first dance. Hence the above choice.

What Would Brian Boytano Do-South Park = Sorry I'm not telling this one. There's a great but completely embarrassing story as to why I blush every time I ever hear this.