Blogs I follow

There is one blog I follow that brings up some interesting questions at the end of each blog about friendship and today's world. I love the blog (www.mwfseekingbff.com), and found it brings some.... interest into my life.

You see, I was raised in a military family. Every three years, we moved someplace NEW. Ohio, Illinois, California, Virginia, Alabama, Germany, Nebraska, back to Alabama.... I went to five different GRADE schools (luckily, jr. high was in one location and high school was in one location).

I wouldn't give up that life for anything - I got to do more and see more of the world by the time I was sixteen than most people do in a life time (I went across the Atlantic 8 times by the time I was 14).

HOWEVER, I think it may have retarded my ability to keep friends. I can make friends easily. Heck, I could talk to a brick wall if need be. I LOVE to talk to people and and enjoy learning about other's lives. The issue is that, growing up, nothing was permanent. People move in and out of our lives. Family remains, but we never really lived close to family to see on a day-to-day basis.

Keeping friends.... well, that's another story. It's so easy, too easy, to drift apart once LIFE happens.

My family moved the summer between my last year of high school and starting college. I chose to move with my family across country and to a university where I knew no one. I joined a sorority. I liked it, but felt like the odd man out. A lot. My sorority sisters were nice, but most of them grew up in the area and knew each other from high school or church. I transferred colleges two years in, and did not stay in touch with any of my "sisters." (side note, thanks to Face Book, I have reconnected with the ones I truly enjoyed being friends with, but they are still in the state I went to college in, no one within 500 miles of me now!)

I always had a core group of 3-4 friends, but that group fluctuated - it's very liquid. And now, married for about a year, I find that even though I have good friends that I can count on for ANYTHING (five, to be exact, and I know I am lucky), our lack of day-to-day or even month-to-month of seeing each other or even talking makes for a feeling of never being able to totally catch up with each other.

I feel ALONE. I know I am not, my husband is wonderful, I have the best family, and good friends. But on that day-to-day need of a female friend, well, there hasn't been one in a while. I can't expect BH to want to discuss "Glee," as he doesn't watch. I can't expect BH to come with me for a mani or pedi, he isn't inclined to get one. We shop together, but usually for things for him, it's more fun to shop for guys or home stuff, anyway. He isn't a female and I can't expect him to fill that need.

But it would be nice to have a friend that I have known for years and can chit-chat with about everything and nothing. From politics to hair color. But I never lived anywhere or stayed in touch with anyone long enough to have that type of friendship.

I think it's part of getting older and having been so mobile. Or maybe I don't need or want that type of friendship as much as I think I do. Or maybe it's that I never had that type of friendship.

Wednesday...

It's Wednesday.

And it FEELS like a Wednesday. Neither here nor there or anywhere.

I am ready for the weekend. I am ready to spend time with BH. I am ready to have some pizza! Or exercise! Or read! Or sleep, shop, watch tv or watch a movie....

I want to be anywhere but where I am. Sigh....

Weekend!

The weekend was fun...

Friday, we went over to one of my friend's homes. BH and I made dinner, my friend and his girlfriend made dessert, and then we played Apples to Apples and Life. I know, it sounds kind of boring - but it was good friends, good company, good food, and good games! Saturday was an early phone call from a friend in Birmingham that I haven't heard from in YEARS. We chatted a while and it was nice. Then BH and I went to an indoor flea market and wandered around and then went to see "The Bounty Hunter." Don't bother - not that great. And I love me some Gerard Butler. Oh, well. On Sunday, I cleaned a bit and then we went out to lunch and to see "The Runaways," about Joan Jett and one of the first girl-only punk bands. It was... ok. Dak*ta Fan*ing is all grown up! But it could have been about any band in the mid-seventies, with all the same issues and problems. Wait for the DVD.

But we had a good time, and I am feeling SO much better. However, I think I pulled a blond moment (blond is not a hair color, it's a state of mind).... I love Z-pack - it's a great drug. I just took my last one - maybe 10 minutes ago? And as I peeled back the backing, I saw it had "Day 3" on it. This was my last pill. Out of 6. Oops. Guess I should have read the back of the package! Hope the dosage was the same for each pill, supposedly the drug works for a total of 10 days. Sigh... But I am feeling better! Yay me!

Yuck, repeat

Bronchitis.... per the doctor. Thanks, BH, for making me go. Antibiotics and an inhaler. And a husband who knows best! Of course, the continual hacking cough that interrupted his sleep and movie watching might have played a part... :-)

St. Pat's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This used to be one of my favorite holidays. Not in a bad or good way, it's kind of fallen off my radar. Sigh...

When I moved to Chicago, I looked for a good exercise class. To make a long story short, I ended up in an Irish dance class (talk about sweat!). I love Irish dance, and even though I am not a great dancer, I get it - and can do a good light jig and reel.

The girls (women, ladies, etc.) in my class became good friends. My bestest friends. One of them was lead singer in a popular traditional Irish band. At least twice a month, for about five years, our group (core group of 4, usually 5-8 of us) would go to hear the band at bars around Chicago and the band leader (married to my friend, the lead singer) would "ask" us to dance a few jigs and reels during their gig. I have danced at some of the finest Chicago Irish bars!!!!

St. Pat's was huge - obviously. In fact, I usually took half day vacation from work to go to the bar where the band would be performing that night (around 6 pm - midnight) to stake out a table for our group. Usually one or two from the group would meet me there for lunch, and we would drag it out.... Hey, it's a HUGE day here for the Irish bars and getting a table is a BIG DEAL. Don't judge!!! Lots of phone calls throughout the day - "Where's the table?" "I should be there by 3..." "When did so and so get there?"

Of the core 4 of us, we all invited friends. So there could be as little as 10 people in our group or as large as 20. By 5 pm, most everyone would be there - by 7 pm ALL of us would be there! And that's just OUR group. The band played at the same bar/restaurant for three years in a row, another bar/restaurant two years in a row - the place would be PACKED!

I am not a big drinker - maybe two or three beers or ciders from 3-ish till the end of the night, and that was all. It was about being with friends, dancing, hearing music we loved, and the party atmosphere that made everyone happy! With it being St. Pat's, we danced almost every song - cheered by the (drunk) patrons and having a great time!

Then the lead singer and band leader got divorced. The band broke up. Some of us went to a new dance school. Some of the girls I haven't seen since 2007. Some I still talk to. Some I don't. But it was a good 5 years and we had a good time together. 2002-2007 was awesome!

I miss the getting together with the friends whose heritage and love for all things Irish was a blast! But things have changed and time moves on.....

Still, lots of fun times and good memories.... Raising a glass in memory to all my friends and family! Here's to us! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The yuck, continued...

STILL sick, but getting better... The weekend was quiet. BH took good care of me, and we both were happy for some sunshine on Sunday.

I hate coughing - especially when it feels like I am coughing up a lung!

We saw some kitties yesterday at PetSmart to adopt, one was really sweet. But since the next couple months are possibly bringing some changes, we want to wait until the end of April.

Umm... all is good, just trying to get well!

Still Yuck

Too much information, but funny.

I am still sick and it is gross. Nose and lungs. Won't go any further than that. Yesterday was the worst. I got home from work, looking and feeling like death warmed over. I changed into my nightclothes and passed out on the sofa.

BH put the kettle on so I could have some TheraFlu. He made sure I was comfy on the sofa and brought me the mug. I was holding the mug to my chest, to feel the heat through the congestion.

I was getting all "I feel gross, thanks for taking care of me, I feel gross" then started the lovely hacking cough.

And then started to cry. BH patted my leg and told me I would be better soon, it's all ok, etc. I said through tears, "No, when I coughed, I spilled some of the TheraFlu and burned myself..." He was concerned and said, "Let me see, is it ok?"

Remember, I had changed into nightclothes - tee shirt and cut-off sweats (sexy, I know) - and was holding the TheraFlu to my CHEST.

I couldn't help it, I started giggling through the crying and basically flashed him. He started laughing, too. Then went and got me some aloe vera lotion for the red splotch. While I went through a box of tissues to mop up all the extra fluid from the crying and the cold. Oh, and the damp spot on my shirt.

I then proceeded to have a gross night, but feel better this morning. And I didn't need the aloe vera this morning!