Friendly Faces and Far Off Places

Last night I went out with three of my best friends from my high school years.  We ate Mexican food, talked about life and relaxed at Starbucks.  Yes, Starbucks.  MUST HAVE STARBUCKS.

Susan is an avid traveler and has been to every continent.  In another week she is flying to Kenya and then will spend some time driving across Europe.  I want to fit in her suitcase.  Should I try it?

Rachel is a missionary in Ethiopia and her family is in The States for a few months.  Rachel and Argaw, her husband, started an orphanage there and have three children.  "It's a risky business making babies, but somebody has gotta do it," she said with a laugh.

Kristen is a home health care nurse who lives in the Fort Wayne area and knows all of the interesting and fun haunts here.  The other night before my art museum escapade we couldn't think of a place to eat so we called her up.  She is one of the most joyful people I know.

Susan, Rachel, Kristen and Genesis (Rachel's baby)

I LOVE that I can keep in touch with these women. 

I can't wait to be old and hear what we are passionate about.  Last night we talked about God, sex, family, death, traveling and writing.  Fifty years from now we will either be obsessed with our dentures or excited about life.  From the looks of this group, I am betting it will be the latter.

Melancholy Florida Montage

It was a melancholy morning this morning. I didn't go to work. I didn't follow my normal routine. I listened to The Call by Regina Spektor and stood in each room of my house and let the memories flow.

It felt like a movie moment where there is a montage of people hugging, kissing, crying and remembering some unfortunate character so as to move the story along.

I experienced something like this before when I flew to Indiana for my father's funeral. The first night I was there my family didn't sleep. I walked out to the field in front of my parent's house while the sun was rising and took it all in.

I saw my dad mowing the lawn and fertilizing the grass in the backyard. I looked to the west of the house and saw him clearing out the brush in the woods. He was working in the garden and getting out of his van. I sat with him on the porch while he lit the torches the last night that I spent with him. He walked down the driveway to visit my grandpa.

As I am now standing in the bedroom in Florida I see my husband working in his studio. We are sitting on the couch and watching a movie. I see myself laying on the bed while my mother and husband care for me after the loss of our child. I am answering the phone on July 26 when Kristen told me my father wasn't breathing and they were trying to revive him.

I have experienced so much here in Florida. I have learned so much. Staring at the empty rooms, I am not quite sure what to feel. I will leave it there for now.

Boobra and Barbara Love Twinkies

I was thinking today that a higher-than-normal amount of my friends are nurses. Because of this I hear some interesting stories.

One woman worked in a nursing home and I will never forget her boob stories. This nurse was bathing an older woman and, of course, Boobra and Barbara were no longer perky and "happy to see you". So while lifting one of the twins in order to wash underneath, the nurse found a Twinkie that the old woman had stuck there to save for later. Who needs a pocket?

Another time, a nurse noticed a growth on a woman's arm in the nursing home as she was walking down the hall. The growth was pretty large and was just below the hem line of her t-shirt sleeve. Upon analysis the nurse realized that the woman had tucked her boob in her sleeve and the growth was not a mole. That flexibility would come in handy when it is time for a mammogram. Plop.

I had thought about becoming a nurse before I began college. Although I think that I would have enjoyed it, I made the correct decision when I chose to study communication.

I can rely on other people's nursing stories to keep me entertained. When I am old enough to tuck my twins under my belt I am going to hide a Twinkie under there just to give my nurses a story to tell.

Skinny Dipping Exit Strategies

There is something very exhilarating about skinny dipping. It may have to do with the thrill of taking a risk, but I think the appeal is roaming free with no restraints.

I can't count the number of times I have skinny dipped but if I recall correctly, I have tried it in five different states. It is just as fun in Florida as it is in Indiana.

During one particular escapade, a group of friends threw a party to say goodbye to a couple who were moving to a different country. While the guys obliviously relaxed inside, about five of us snuck out and jumped in the lake. I dove in without noticing that the lake level was low and there was no ladder or beach to easily maneuver my way back to safety once the skinny dipping adventure was over.

We had our fun and all proceeded to climb out of the murky water when I realized my folly and couldn't get out. I tried climbing, jumping, going backwards, sideways and any other way that you can imagine.

My friend Katie and I stood there for a few minutes debating what to do. There was that part of me that knew the only way to get out of the water was to throw caution to the wind. So I repeated to myself that it was dark enough that Katie couldn't see that well and clumsily (and I mean clumsily) crawled over the ledge with a not so gentle shove from the aforementioned friend.

Life lesson people: Never skinny dip without an exit strategy otherwise you'll have to rely on the notion that your friends really do like you for who you are on the inside. They will never forget what they see.