Friendship

I know that I’ve said this before, but I’m not exactly the most social of people. I think that is why I enjoy Twitter so much. I can be this “personality” and no one really knows who I am. Not too many people know that I’m on Twitter and I don’t have too many followers either. What’s seen on Twitter is the uncensored “me”. The “me” that only a few people really know in person.

People who actually meet me in person think I’m “cold” or “impersonal”. It’s o.k. I’m comfortable with this fact. It’s those people that can see beyond that hereditary “wall” of mine that are truly worthy of being what I call my friend. It’s that sort of person that I want to be my friend. So when I say that I don’t have too many friends, it’s should be of no surprise. The few friends that I do have, I will fight to the death for. I have an extreme loyalty to my friends and I will give and help them with anything that I possibly can.

I can honestly say that Darren was and still is my first true friend. It took me 17 years to find him, but thankfully, God intervened and finally put situations in place so that our pathways would cross with one another. Darren was the first one to “get it”. Maybe it’s just his personality of being persistent, or loves the pursuit of a challenge or maybe it’s just plain dumb luck that he stumbled upon, but Darren was the first person to see past all my nasty flaws and crusty walls and truly see me. Anyone lucky enough to have Darren as a friend is truly blessed. He can see the humor in just about anything and will always be there for you. But this blog isn’t about my friendship with Darren. This blog really is about someone else.

There is one other person in my life that falls into my true friend category. I haven’t known her forever like I have Darren, but she’s definitely a close 2nd. I’ve known her for over 19 years now and she’s still crazy enough to not run away from me screaming. She is the closest thing to being a sister to me.

What makes her so special? Well for starters she’s absolutely beautiful. She’s gorgeous not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Now most women (myself included) would typically feel a tinge of jealousy or competitiveness about this, but it’s different with my BFF. With her, I don’t feel like the “short, dumpy one” or “the one with a good personality”. My BFF is the type of person that doesn’t even realize how beautiful she is. If she does, well than she sure does put on a great show making us believe otherwise. Anyway, my BFF is the one that guys always take a second glance at when we’re out together. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laughed at the whiplash some guys have given themselves with their double takes as she walks by. Thankfully, she’s a good sport about it. There are sometimes though, when guys are so obvious about it, that she’ll really put them on the spot. One time she and I were shopping and we couldn’t help but notice two guys constantly and conveniently on the same aisle as we were on. They would glance over at us and whisper and nudge one another. Finally my BFF looked over and yells, “What is your deal? I’m pregnant O.K?!” It was furthest from the truth, she wasn’t pregnant, but the two guys both jumped and couldn’t get away from us fast enough. We laughed so hard that we were crying.

My BFF and I have gone through a lot together, yet another reason why she is so special to me. We’ve gone through heartbreaks, health scares and lean days of sharing a Taco Cabana meal because our checking accounts were almost empty and payday was another week away. She’s been my shoulder to cry on (literally) when Darren was out of the country and I was alone in my apartment scared to death. She’s been subjected to my failed fish tank set up attempt and she’s been my personal “Martha Stewart” for any decorating advice I need.

We’ve gone through work frustrations and job and personal identity crisis together. Through it all, we’re still friends and look back and laugh in amazement on exactly how we have managed to survive this far in life without getting ourselves either killed or seriously maimed.

My BFF always manages to save the day and bail Darren out of serious trouble when he's in the dog house with me. She continuously reminds Darren to “go by the list” and fixes the times when Darren doesn’t. She’s my “little bird” that keeps my life in check. She’s my conscious (both good and bad) and she’s awesome at making people look like the hero. Just ask Darren. She’s the reason why I have my “necessities” in life like purses, wallets and XM Radio.

She has super human powers in influencing people in a positive way and she adores her nieces and nephews, including my tater tots. My kiddos know her as “Aunt Ta-Ta” and to them and me, she is family. She’s been at every important life event for me and has been there to hold my hand when things got really bad and for that she will always be a very important part of my life and always my Best Friend Forever!

Public Service Announcement - BEWARE of your Cell Phone

Just Another Typical Day (Part 2)

So, first stop, Car Wash. Why you ask, well if we going to get all this stuff done, we're going to do it in a clean car! So off we go.

Stop #1:

As we approach, the tween says, do we have to get out, it's so cool to sit in the car while it's going through and getting washed. Hmmm, right, good thinking. Yes, we can stay in the car. Easier on me. So in we go and everything starts off ok. Then we hit the brushes and spinner things. OH MY GOD, IT'S ARMEGEDON! The tornado twins finally meet their match. They go nuts and get all hysterical in pure panic. I'm not sure, but I think I have permanently warped them with car washes now. So we finally get done with the car wash, twins are catatonic at this stage. Do I have the heart to go on? You betcha!

Next stop, pet store! Ok, so here's the plan. You stay in the car and lock it as soon as I get out. I'm gonna run in and get kitty crunchies. Get it? Got it? Good! Break!

I run out and hear the tweener lock the car. Good, private education really had paid for itself. I run in and grab the kitty crunchies. Now mind you, it's 10:15 am. I'm thinking I should have the run of the store right? WRONG! My luck there's a line and a trainee. GREATNESS! I finally get my purchase done and run back to the car. Thinking that my kid is watching out for me would make sense, however, my child decides to get totally engaged into a stupid pokeman game and doesn't realize that I'm banging on the door. LET ME IN!!!! Finally, he looks up and unlocks the door. Good.

Tweener: "Well, that was a success, can we go to grandma's and grandpa's now?"
Me: "No! That admits defeat. We can do this."

I look back and the twins are still catatonic. Good, on to the next stop. This is possibly the most important stop.

Stop #3: I look over to the tweener. Once again he's totally into that stupid pokeman game.

Me: "Hey, you...."
Tweener: "Huh?"
Me: "Same plan as before ok?"
Tweener: "yea, sure, ok."

So off I go. This time, my theory is correct. I've got the run of the store! Woot! I grab my fuckitall and I'm in and out in a flash. This time, the tweener didn't have time to loose himself in the stupid pokeman game. Since I got done with that quick, I'm gonna be nice. We're going to get in an extra stop.

Extra stop is: So once I pull in and throw the van in park I think this may not have been a good idea afterall. Darren has the claim ticket. Damn it! Ok, so I'll just play the dumb wife thing and say that he's out of town and has the ticket in his wallet. Technically this is correct, however, I think he actually lost the claim ticket.

Theory still holding true. Store all to myself. This is good as I stumble through my excuse as to why I don't have a claim ticket. Finally I convince the slightly older then my tweener counter boy that I'm not some pyscho woman and he gets me Darren's suit. Whew. Still good on time though. I run back out to the car and this time I'm not so lucky. The tweener is into that stupid game again. BANG! BANG! BANG! "Hey, open up!" I get the suit in and back into the driver's seat.

Me: "OK, are we all accounted for?"
Tweener: "hmph"
Me: "Twins ok?"
Tweener: "hmph"

I glance over and it looks like their starting to come back to earth after their traumatic experience of the carwash monster. I better get a move on.

Next Stop!: This is the most critical of all stops. This is the reason why I got myself in this situation. This stop right here! Ahhh, bliss, nirvana, this is the garden of eden! I finally made it.

Me: "Hey, you...."
Tweener: "Huh?"
Me: "Same plan as before ok?"
Tweener: "yea, sure, ok."

I run out and hear the tweener lock the car. Good, private education pays off itself again. I walk in and I find the stock guy and ask "where is the ...." It was if the angels from above shone a light on the shelf on which my beloved ingredient is located. "Sour Apple Pucker?" "Nevermind" I quickly jog to the shelf. What? This can not be? Where is the BIG bottle of this stuff? So I hunt down the stock guy again, excuse me, but tell me you have a bigger bottle of this stuff? And I shove the bottle in his face. "HMMMMM, this stuff is mighty popular this week. I don't know, but I'll check for ya little missy." "Little missy?" Is he joking? Little missy's don't come into a liquor store while her three kids are sitting in a parked mini van waiting and praying there is a bigger bottle of Sour Apple Pucker somewhere in this building. I'm thinking this and wandering around and the this guy comes up to me. He's dressed rather nicely. Huh, familiar? It's the stock guy. Oh my! "Sorry to disappoint you little missy. We're fresh out and that's all we have left in your hand. Tell you what, I'll give you a discount on your entire purchase for the inconvenience." I'm starting to like this guy. So he follows me around, suggesting this and that and I find my way to the Vodka aisle. Hmmm, getting a discount, going to hell anyway for leaving my three children parked in a mini van so what the heck. I grab a couple of bottles and head towards the check out. Meanwhile, stock guy is getting on my nerves at this point. I'm just smiling and nodding and he continues to hover over me. I get through my check out and he tells the checker "it's an F10 on me." The checker just raises an eyebrow and yes sir boss! Cool. Whatever and F10 is, I got it and this stocker guy isn't that bad and weird after all. I smile and thank the stocker guy and run back out to the car. This time, tweener is on the look out for me and he quickly unlocks the car.

Tweener: "Mom, what took you so long?"
Me: "Uh, they had to check on something for me, why?"
Tweener: "I'm starving, and the twins are getting restless."
Me: "Starving, how could you be starving. Didn't you eat before we left the house?"
Tweener: "Uh, hello, no good food remember?"
Me: "Oh, right, ok, on to the next stop then."
Tweener: "Oooooooh mom, it hurts. Can't we just got to grandma's and grandpa's:
Me: "Ask me that one more time and see what happens!"
Tweener: "Ok, Okay! I get it. But can't we stop and getting something to eat?"
Me: "No! We're on a plan. No time for this eating nonsense. Buckle up."

I glance over and it's now apparent that the twins are officially out of their catatonic state of minds and look rather.....judgemental perhaps. I don't know, they just looked at me funny like. No time to analyze this. Gotta stay on task.

Next Stop Is: So I find a rather close parking spot considering it's getting close to noon and run down the plan with the tweener.

Me: "Stay here, I'm gonna get two carts, you unbuckle the twins, I'll meet you next to the car."
Tweener: "Two Carts, do we that much food?"
Me: "Hello, brother, sister, meet your older brother?"
Tweener: "Oh, I forgot"

Maybe the private education hasn't paid itself off just quite yet. So we get out with and manage to manuevour the carts in the hurricane force winds and get into the store. At this point I now know why the tornado twins were looking at me funny. They were plotting their revenge for the car wash incident. Needless to say, I managed to get the grocery shopping done with only two major tantrums and one ripped bag of chips. Not bad! Let's head to the check out lanes. OH MY GOD! No wonder why I was able to get my shopping done so fast, everyone is standing in line to check out. CRAP! This may be cause to break open the diaper bag and see what's in there. Naaaaw. Let them scream. That tends to part the crowd waves so that we can get through. It actually worked. It was like I had my personal Moses and together they parted the waves of people standing in line. Some cashier took pity on us and opened a lane just to get us out. It was awesome! We finally get done and load up the car and I ensure that everyone and everything is present and accounted for.

Next stop you might ask? After all that, instead of going home and eating some of our recently purchased good food and snacks, we stop at Chick Fil A. Yep, I know when to give in. Made for some happy tater tots and a happy tweener and have to admit, made my tummie happy too.

Lessoned learned from all this. I'm pretty sure that I just gave my tweener a good lesson on birth control, I know that I've managed to severely traumatize the twin tots with the car wash incident, and I know that I miss and love Darren more than words can say. I won't ever underestimate how much he does for us and how much he helps in keeping us all together and running smoothly. It took one weekend of chaos to reaffirm what I should know all along. Darren is my rock of gilbralter and partner in crime. Together, we can accomplish just about anything.