I can't convey all that it was to reconnect with an old friend...a friendship I had that I really never got a chance to really cultivate. We met my senior year of college, her freshman year but due to her maturity and my immaturity we were able to connect in a way that is not often possible when you're standing (laying) around a keg. Somehow, she was able to see that there was something genuine inside me ( at a point in my life where I felt that everyone only took me at face value) and I loved her instantly. Our mutual love was abruptly cut short because of my father's death.

College was such an intense part of my life. I breathed it in, I lived it with probably more gusto than I should've...I have great stories from it, and I don't regret a single minute of it, but I definitely was there to understand who I was/am more than I was for an education (that's what graduate school and independent study was for). I often have suffocating dreams about the people "I left behind" in college. It may sound stupid but it kills me that I have less than a handful of friends whom I keep in contact with. I chalk half of it up to the fact that I was OUTRAGEOUS in college but the other half to the fact that my father died the day after my college graduation. When people tried to reconnect, I shunned them...my new life of dealing with grief, my mother and reality was really too much to handle anything...

Cue Thursday night. Lauren and I decided to meet up after seven years. We hardly knew each other and yet, there was a connection between us, "back in the day" that made me eager to see her and to drink up everything that she had seen, done and experienced in the time that we had been apart. Everything was easy. She walked into my house and was pummeled by my dog and took it with extreme grace. Honestly, Frankie only pummels people of extreme quality.

I took her to the FQB, one of my favorite places to go...we may be a decaying town with lots of money but no desire to update our look from 1967, but the FQB sits amidst the rotting Main Street and shines. Lauren and I became music, giving and taking from each other, stories would crescendo, ending in laughter or facial grimaces too scary to even describe. When we left each other, I knew that I had gained a new friend. Even though she had been my friend before in concept, she is now my true friend...a friend that would have no problem opening my heart to---and it reminded me very much of the day that I had met her--seven years ago.

I go to gas up my car as I am preparing to head to Harrisburg to celebrate my roommate from college's 30th birthday (How'd we get so old??) Turn the key and nothing. nada. zip. I have a dead battery. I wish you could watch me twiddle my thumbs waiting for AAA to come. Wooo! Here's hoping the evening now goes without a hitch!

But I did get her the cutest bangle bracelets from Swarovski...two skinny ones like this, and one thicker one. I know she's going to love them...because I love them!

Would you rather...

Have mayonaise for hair...or ring bologna for ankles?

Seriously.


The back story for this question is this. I was sitting in college, most likely nursing a hangover or I was still drunk. I remember I was sipping on Orange Mango from Nantucket Nectar which was my cure-all back in those days...well that and all those other illegal things. So anyways, there I was sitting in Women's Issues in Literature...yawn. It could've been an interesting class but it was handled poorly and the people taking the class were your stereotypical militants minus myself and these two seriously divine looking boys--who were best friends.

The second day of class I think they were feeling me out (so to speak) to see if I was there to preach my feelings about how women were treated in 1659 and how literature reflected the misogyny or if I was there to pick up my credits...which I was. Honestly, I took and picked classes in college that I absolutely loved and could get something out of...but this one was a fluke, it wasn't my thing. So cute boy number one leaned over and said, "I have a question for you." and he proceeded to ask me the very question I asked you. We became good friends after this exchange and for the rest of the semester we played a very informal game of "Would you rather..." because the professor ended up falling ill and some stuttering man filled her place and the millitants ripped him to shreds with the vigor of barracudas (oooh barracuda!) daily.

I felt bad for him one day (and I had made a bet with the best friends who were the only fully hetero males ever to be in one of my core lit courses) so I raised my hand. The poor man looked relieved and called on me. I stood up, smoothing my wrinkled party clothes from the night before, and politely inquired," Sir? Do you think you'd prefer ring bologna ankles or mayonaise for hair?" and he smiled and said, "I hate mayo...I'll go with the bologna." To which I replied, "Oh dear, I hope you don't run into any dogs." and with a wink I sauntered myself out of the room, excusing myself from the predictable literary arguments of the day.

Let's play would you rather... since no one else seems to read the blog anymore...NJ, you're up.

Last night I was tired but I still wanted to go out because Cr was going to be in town and I was supposed to meet up with her at thitwbar. I decided that they only way to deal with this tiredness was to drink ice water all night. It wasn't bad...but it sure was cold. After the newlywed left the bar (Cr) to return to her hubby; T, Chelle and I decided to go to the FQB for open mic night.

We got to the FQB and our favorite bartender was working, open mic wasn't going on because someone sold the amp that was supposed to be used. As soon as we walked in it was apparent that and T's love triangle was there. Her Mr. Holiday man (as I like to refer to him because she always ends up going home with him on major holidays) however, was hanging onto a blonde mohawk chick and so T made up her mind and said, "I'm done," and under her breath I'm sure I heard her say, "For now." The other half of the love triangle was there too. This young gent happens to be Mr. Holiday's best friend ( I guess we can call him The Best Friend from now on) but he's head over heels for T. I've been telling her that she's nuts for not going after him in the first place because a) he doesn't live with his mother b) he has a real job and a degree c) he's sweet d) he's super good looking and e) if he wasn't so fucking hung up on her...I'd take a crack at him. But alas, they sealed the deal last night so he's forever lost to me. Ah well, someone needed to sleep with him because he's too cute not to be slept with!

E walked in last night and came over to our side of the bar and made some small talk with us and then went back to his perch on a barstool next to Best Friend. I had to leave the bar early because I was super tired and I thought if I drank any more water I might burst, so I waddled towards the door. As I'm walking out I see that E is on his cell phone. I get to my car and I feel my cell vibrating that I have a message. I listen to it as I warm my car and wait for the longest train of all time to go by (the FQB is on the right side of the tracks by the way) and it's E. I can't believe it. He called to wish me a good night because I shaded out so quickly. If he calls me when I leave the bar after I kiss him, what would he have done had I slept with him?? Probably flowers delivered to the bar...ha ha.

Oh and Chelle slept with Co-worker again yesterday so everyone got ass but me...although I'm relieved because I fear that E might boil my bunny if I ever know him biblically. A trip out of the Cornfield is seriously needed which is why...I'm heading out to Harrisburg tomorrow to visit with two of my roommates from college. We're getting older but I'm sure we'll be able to tear it up as usual, and we haven't seen each other in almost a year so it's a long time coming!

So, not only was I a member of a national sorority [sigh], yes. Go ahead, say it. "You PAID for friends?!?" [sigh]. I'm too tired to go into it right now and attempt to defend my choice), I was also a member of the English Honors Fraternity, Sigma Tau Delta (that's right bitches! I was honors material...). Now I joined Sigma Tau Delta pretty much in name only. I think I went to two or three meetings and that was only because my friend was the president at the time. My SOCIAL sorority took presidence in my life...and......the lovely, brilliant members of Sigma Tau Delta made me cringe. They wore greek letters out...
Think hard. What's that translate to?
Uh-huh.
STD.
So sad, so sad.
Good people, bad name.