InstaFriend - Just add water.

I miss the days of instant friends.

I was miserable when my Dad came home and said he was being transferred to Louisiana. I'd been in North Carolina for four years or so and loved it. All my friends were there. And I didn't even know where this Louisiana place was. Was it even a state? Hey, I was 8. But, the Air Force wasn't going to keep us in North Carolina just because I wanted it that way. So off to Louisiana we went.

Just a little aside. My first memory of my new home was being woken up outside the house, noticing the search lights in the sky, walking in the house, finding a dead cockroach in the carpet of the stairs and being put to sleep on a bare bed under this fur blanket that I loved. Good times.

Anyway, the next morning (being at Barksdale AFB less than 24 or even 12 hours) I went out to get the paper and let the dog in the yard. Within seconds, a little girl came out of the house next door and over to me. "Hi, I'm Holly, want to play?" So I put the dog in the house and told my Mom I was off to play. "Want to meet Denise?" Within in about an hour I had 2 or 3 new best friends. By the end of the week I knew every person under 18 within 20 blocks. I'm sure part of that was military base mentality but it was still InstaFriend.

Later in the week another new girl, Vader, was over at Denise's with us, playing Barbies. At that point we were getting out of the Barbie habit so all the dolls would do is get ready for a party, go to a party, pair up, go home together, get undressed and get into bed together. And then we didn't know what to do with them. So we just kind left 'em there for a bit until we felt it was time to get ready for the next party. Because it was a Southern military base and Mom hadn't fully indoctrinated me into the feminist way, whoever had the Ken doll of the heterosexual couple, took charge of the couple. At one point we were all overseeing couples except for Vader. She had one Barbie who hadn't found a Ken. So Vader kept her doll at the party and just had a fabulous little monologue going. Barbie talked to herself for a while. She talked to an imaginary janitor. I remember her talking about curtains for a very long time. I knew that this little girl was going to be my most awesome new friend. After less than an hour I knew this. And yeah, we still hang.

Vacations also seem to lead to instant friends. The summer either before or after sixth grade, the family dragged me on a trip to Canada. Part of the trip was spent traveling across the country by train. Three days I think. I met another little girl on the train early on and she and I became nearly inseparable except when our families made us have family time. By some fluke I ended up with my own room on the train so we hung out there and pretended it was my apartment. We hung out in the observation car drinking Perrier and being goofy. We'd run around terrorizing or charming everyone. It was great. New Best Friend.

There are also the times it seems you're bound to be friends with your parents' friends' children who are roughly the same age. My dad's buddy in Louisiana was divorced with a daughter who lived with her mother. She'd come to visit a few weeks a year and whenever they were working, she was with me. I didn't really think of her as my new best friend, but we had some common interests and were the same age and we made it work. Plus, she introduced me to Real Genius and for that I will always be grateful. That and the fact that she hung out and watched Headbangers Ball with me when our Dads went into hour 7 of the Fourth of July firecrackers. I don't even think I'm exaggerating.

And there are dozens more stories like those. But eventually it stopped being so easy. And I'm trying to figure out why. High school in Louisiana was kinda hellish, but I still remember instances of being sudden buddies. Befriending a girl in my carpool on day one. Having slumber parties with my lab partner in the first month of school. Things like that.

It did start to seem harder in Hawai'i though. I came into the school and tried making instant friends and it didn't work so much. I did make friends, but it took a little more effort. People seemed a little less willing to get close. One girl even told me a few months into my time there that I terrified her when she first met me. Apparently I just started talking to people. How strange am I? Pumpkin even used to give me a hard time for approaching folks and just yammering at them. Like Fred. I remember when I met Fred. I'd heard about him here and there and didn't know who he was. So when I found out I was very excited. "YOU'RE Fred!!?!? Awesome." And then I tried to chat his ear off. Pumpkin lectured me for not introducing myself before trying to instantly bond and then told me he might not actually want to even listen to me yammer. She had a point, but still. No instant friending with Fred. Or anyone there.

When I met Buzz here at work, I remember thinking he was awesome and would be my new best friend. But I didn't just tell him that. It was a slow process, making him my new buddy. A whole relationship building thing. Over time. And he's a good buddy and all my friends are good whether they were instant or slow building. But I kinda miss the instant thing. Just saying hi and hanging out with someone for a few days and having them in your friend file forever.

Updates & such

Y'all. She was out working in the yard this morning. In the rain. She bought seeds to make grass grow. I just don't know what to say. I think I'm going to let her do whatever she wants in the yard as long as I can have my hammock. That much dedication. And the fact that it seems like she doesn't want to stone up the whole yard... Well, I just can't fight that. I'll just enjoy it. I wonder if she'll let me plant my sunflower seeds...

None of has procured me a new job. What's wrong with you? And no more of that prostitution talk from you folks who like to comment. It doesn't appeal so much and PimpDaddy hasn't actually made me any money anyway so... Now, write me a sassy resume and get me a new job, people!

I have been SUCH a slacker when it comes to class. I blame Spring Fever. It's just so much fun to be out in the sunshine and warm weather that I just don't want to go to class. Plus I've gotten into all these projects at home that I want to work on (yes, there may be some new photos on my homepage by early May -really) as well as lots of Spring Cleaning and such. But I'll start going again by Friday. I figure by then I'll really start to miss it. I think. I don't know.

You can now get condoms and tampons and diet wild cherry pepsi from Fresh Direct. Now if only they'd add on Gimme Lean, Raspberry Crystal light and drawstring kitchen trashbags. Then life would be perfect.

I have a stats monitor on this page now. The extent of Muffy & Steph's obsession with me is a little frightening. And someone from Japan actually accessed the page. Weird... I don't know anyone in Japan right now. There are strangers on the page! I wonder if this blog makes more or less sense the more or less you know me.

Now that the fun times of Steph's birthday week is wearing off I'm starting to get excited for my own Birthday Week. (Yes, my Birthday Week is capitalized and Steph's is not.) Hopefully the yard will be pretty in time for houseguests and the big bash on the 19th and maybe there will be a hammock present. Birthday Week is so exciting. I'm wondering if I can call in sick or take a personal day during Birthday Week. And/Or if I can get out of work early on Monday for the Bryant Park movie. I like doing that during Birthday Week. If the movies have even started by then... I can't see anything on the calendar yet for June... but hey, Muffy - World Tai Chi Day on Saturday!

Finally got to read with Beyonce today. She was on Spring Break for a week and a half and I've missed her. We discussed her birthday. She got $52 overall and is saving it towards a digital camera. How cute is that? I wish I could buy her one. Rules are stupid. She also got to go to Applebees and loved it. Then we read more of A Little Princess and then busted out the mad math skills. Good times.

the Yard

I know. Y'all have been dying to find out what's going on with my yard. You can't sleep, you can't eat, you MUST know. Yes. I understand.

Actually, I went out to inspect the yard on Sunday and noticed that stones had been laid. I kinda freaked out. I do not want an all stone yard. Though I have to say that she did a really good job of getting them flat and even in the dirt. Anyway, I freaked and vented online to Turnip and was totally being a pussy about confronting my neighbor. She listened and gave me mucho advice (though I think she's more of a hard ass than I in theory and wanted me to practically pee on the yard and call the landlords) and convinced me to get off my wussy butt and talk to her. So, I went and knocked on her door. And, of course, she wasn't home. I left a note saying I wanted to talk about the work in the backyard and blah blah blah. Then I went out for Ice Cream and Jersey Girl!

She left me a voicemail Sunday night with her home and work numbers saying that she'd been doing a lot of clearing back there and would love to talk to me about the yard and figure something out together. Which really put my mind at ease. I don't mind part of the yard being stoned over as it'll be easier for maintenance and even hanging out. But dammit, it's my yard and I want a small plot to put some grass on and put out a hammock. That's all I really need. Anyway, I left her a voicemail today and figure we can talk sometime this week and work it all out.

So you can breath easy now. We'll come up with a solution and then my parents and I won't have to be the only ones to do things back there. In fact, she might end up doing most of the work as I think she has dreams of a flower bed and all. I just want grass, a hammock and patio furniture. Good times. Now if only I could get my friend at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens to give me a call back about the sod deal she promised me...

This weekend was awesome. The weather has finally been gorgeous. Friday I just came home and went to bed and slept for about 13 hours. Good times. Saturday was brunch and xBox with Steph. I suck beyond reason at Grand Theft Auto. I blew up two cars (or was it three?), drowned once, got killed by the Feds at the mall, got busted by the cops and really didn't shoot anyone. Maybe I'll get better with practice. If Muffy & Steph ever let me play again.

Then it was off to the auto show to meet up with Muffy & Big D. The crowds were AWFUL but there were some really pretty cars. I drooled on a Porsche or two and actually liked a lot of stuff over in the Ford section. Muffy and I made fun of a lot of the skanks and boys showing their underwear while all of us made jokes about the H2 and the fact that lots and lots of folks seemed very interested in trunk space. I think most of the folks who overheard us discussing room for bodies knew we were joking. After a couple of hours of that, Big D and Muffy needed to leave so it was off for margaritas and Mexican. Then Big D went prowling for chicas while the M&S and I went to sit on their deck to drink wine and talk about inappropriate things. It was a really lovely evening for it.

Sunday was the yard stress (thanks again, Turnip!) and then off to meet Lovey at Coldstone in Times Square for fabulous ice cream and the aforementioned Jersey Girl. The ice cream (berry, berry, berry good with white chocolate chips) was awesome and the movie had it's moments. Liv Tyler didn't actually bug me at all (unusual) but poor Ben really couldn't sell me on the poor widower moments. He'd be all crying and sad and the audience would just rustle their candy wrappers and wait for a funnier moment or something. I'm sure In a New York Minute will be better. Muffy, how excited are you to see that? And we still haven't seen Walking Tall or The Girl Next Door. Hmmmm... I have no taste.

Then dinner at East of Eighth. All of this was for Lovey because I missed her birthday party in March. The restaurant was in my old 'hood in Chelsea so it was kind of neat to wander around there a little. Things have changed. The S&M restaurant isn't even in my building anymore. It's something bland and trendy now. Not that the previous restaurant was all that authentic with the S&M, but still... Dinner was good and Iolanthe joined us for chatter about boys and Charlie's Angels and the evils of work.

And then I went home and watched 24 and passed out. Good weekend.

The weather is actually still gorgeous so I've been blowing off work and class to enjoy it. Tonight I'm hoping to leave about 4:30 and go sit in my yard and read Vampire/Werewolf/Necromancer Porn (as opposed to Fairy Porn) for a while. Tomorrow it's supposed to cool down and start raining again so I can work and kick things and clear TiVo then don't you think?