Smart Mouth

Five years ago, in an attempt to escape the hell that was living in Oklahoma, we moved to KS. When BB interviewed here (in Kansas), the head of HR and his wife took us out to dinner. I remember very few things about that dinner; the guy’s wife was very pretty and very pregnant, CL was VERY naughty and I was VERY embarrassed, and I remember I REALLLLLLY liked the wife and that freaked me out a wee bit.

No, you perverts, I didn’t like her THAT way.

I mean, the kinda like where you can see yourself hanging out with the person, the kind of meeting where before it is even over you start forming ideas about how you can trick them into hanging out with you again, SOON. It doesn’t happen to me often. In fact, it rarely happens to me. I guess you could say I am kinda picky when it comes to making friends and it takes me a LOOOOOOOOONG time to “act” like I like you. Number one, I am shy. Number two, I don’t like being fake, so unless and until I know I like you, I am not gonna act like I do.

So, anyhoodle. The HR guy’s wife had a baby shortly after we moved to KS, and so more opportunities for us to hang out opened up. We lived just one block away from each other, so we would take our daughters for walks, and when they were older we had lots of play dates. Then, two years after I moved there, she told me she was moving away.

I remember sitting in a mexican restaurant a week or so before she moved, with a present and a card I had bought her. In the card I had written, for the first time, you are the best friend I have ever had. I was terrified to give it to her. I am not really an insecure person, and all the things I like about her were things that I like about me, she was funny, pretty, witty, and smart, and sometimes I was shocked at how MUCH we thought alike. In fact, it was kinda like being friends with myself, haha! But still, I was SO afraid she would laugh at me or think I was a moron for calling her my best friend. Because, ummmmm, yeah. If you were NOTMY best friend and you told me that? I would SO TOTALLY laugh at you. Granted, it would probably be nervous laughter, but I doubt it would matter to you WHY I was laughing.

Anyhoooooo, she didn’t laugh. In fact, she gave me a card that said almost the same thing. (she is a wee bit LESS of an emotional mess than me, so it took her a little longer to call ME her best friend, but I could tell that she felt the same way, so it didn’t matter. ok, it mattered a little. but it didn’t matter THAT much.) We both were crying before we left that restaurant, and I cried many, many more times before her moving van pulled out of town. Shortly after she moved, we left the city and moved out into the country. Sure, I had always wanted to live in the country, but also, I knew I couldn’t bear to live in town anymore, after she was gone.

And so, for the past three years, both of us have moved, her to OH and then back to KS, and me to SC. And while it truly sucks to not be able to see her whenever I want, I am happy to say that we have just gotten closer and closer these past three years.

She is the first person I call when something good, bad, funny or sad happens to me. I talk to her almost everyday. In fact, I don’t think a week has gone by, for as long as I can remember, without the two of us talking. Some days I call her five or six times. She is the reason I have unlimited long distance. There isn’t a serious life decision that I make, without first asking her what she thinks. And, while there ARE a few issues we shall NEVER see eye to eye on (like the great waxing debate of ’07) she was still the FIRST person I called when my first at home waxing attempt went horribly wrong. (don’t ask) Sure, she may laugh at me when I fall down, have cheese dip on my face, or just said something wildly inappropriate to someone, but I laugh at her too. And YES, sometimes she may find mowing her lawn MORE interesting than me, but I love her anyway. She is one of the ONLY people that knows EVERY. SINGLE. THING. there is to know about me, and loves me anyway.

Her name is Kristi, she is my best friend and I get to see her tomorrow. Woo-hoo! Believe me, I know how lucky I am. But, maybe she doesn’t realize it, how grateful and proud I am that I can call her my best friend. I love you Kristi! See you tomorrow!