What are friends for?

I spent a couple hours today with my bff Shelley. Today is her birthday and Patrick and I wanted to do something special with her. If you are reading this blog, then you probably know Shelley and you know how many hours she spends at her jobs. So, since she spends so many hours on the net and with all of her other irons in the fire, her day is stretched to the max. I tried to coax her off of the couch and out of the house for a few hours. I was successful and unsuccessful. I got her off of the couch for a couple hours, but we didn't manage to get her out of the house.

Instead, we sat in her office and laughed for the few hours I was there. We recalled things that happened to us over 30 years ago! Shelley is one year older than me (I have to get that in here somewhere) and we both attended school together. We were in the same Home Economics class in high school. She dated my older brother in high school, but we didn't really become close friends until she moved across the street from me about 30+ years ago.

There are so many memories, a few sad ones, but for the most part the memories are funny happy ones. Today we talked about when Benjamin was probably 3 months old and we took him to J C Penneys to get his monthly picture taken. On the way to Seymour Ben was hungry so I fed him a bottle. Once we arrived at Penneys I was carrying Ben into the store to the studio. I was bouncing him around and getting him into a good mood so the pictures would be good. Of course at that time I didn't have any children or been around babies much, so I didn't realize it was easy for them to burp up a little milk when their bellies were full. Well it happened :(
The only thing I had to clean Benjamin's outfit was with a soft, fluffy, white J C Penney towel. Needless to say, Ben got his picture taken that day and he never looked more fresh and clean! Side note: If you purchase towels at J C Penneys, make sure to wash them before you use them.

Shelley and I spent many hours together, with our spouses, playing cards. Shelley and I were great partners and would win, most of the time. If we didn't it was because our spouses cheated. Once, when Shelley and I knew for a fact her husband had cheated to win, (he was denying it) I asked him to say, ten times while looking me in the eye, "I did not do that" What followed still makes Shelley and I laugh out loud today. In his best southern voice and for a total of ten straight times, Shelley's husband said, "I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did nooooot doooo thaaaat, I did noooot doooo thaaaat!" For the record, we know he did do that (cheat) and that is how they won!

In the early 80's Shelley owned a black chevette. I was between jobs so Shelley and I were together most of the time. One afternoon we took a trip through the country. We had taken a brand new pellet gun we had just purchased. Not sure why we did, I guess for protection if someone was attempting to mess with us!??! Anyhow, as we'd come upon some street signs we'd stick the pellet gun out the window and see how close we could come to the sign. Every once-in-awhile we'd hear a 'ping' sound. Ha ha! we'd say as we were successful in hitting our target. Shelley, however, when it was her turn, would put the gun out the window and rest it on her side view mirror. I kept telling her to be careful or she'd be shooting her mirror. I think I remember her saying, "Alisa do you think I'm stupid? I'm not going to shoot my mirror!" As we made our way up Burger Hill from traveling in the bottoms, Shelley put the gun out her window as it was her turn. Ping! I was getting ready to give a point to Shelley because she was successful at hitting the target. The look on her face was priceless. "What!?" I said. She pointed to her mirror. Sure enough, there was a small bullet hole in her side view mirror. We didn't shoot anymore after that, we just declared Shelley the winner for the day and came home.

I have tons of other memories of the times Shelley and I had together, but I'll save that for another blog sometime. It's always fun to reminisce about ole' times and have a laugh or two, or three...it helps to keep us young :-)

I'd just like to wish my girlfriend a very happy birthday and may you have many more. (that way you'll always be one up on me!)