Tuesday, July 07, 2009

I've been trying to think of how I will say goodbye to you. For the past nine years, you've been my running buddy. You've been with me at some of the most fun times in my life (the marriage thing might not have worked out for either of us, but both of our weddings were great).

You've been there to help me pick up the pieces during the worst times in my life. And never once did you judge me for that either. Lots of my friends dropped me then (hell, if I knew that girl, and she refused to get out of that situation, I'd have dropped her), but you stayed by me and helped me through.

And then, there was that one time when we got Sidekicks. Or the derby bout where I had to excuse myself because that one girl was skating dirty, and grabbed you and I started screaming at you "get up and choke that fucking whore!" Or the day that Nuge got married. Or the day that Baberman was birthed. Oh, how about the time we went to the lakehouse to visit my family. Or the Festivus season when your dad and stepmom came to visit. Or ditching work to go watch Beauty and the Beast at the Imax. (and singing louder than anyone in a very large room). Or the day you called me at my office job to tell me about yoga teacher training, and the entire course of my life changed in the span of a two minute phone call.

We had Italian food Sundays. We reclaimed the backyard, and then never once laid out. We spent $500 on emergency care for the dogs, because we're dorks who left a trash bag full of burned chocolate cupcakes within dogmouth reach. Or the time when you showed me the swan house.

You've also introduced me to a lot of music: Kings of Leon, Lazer, Clutch, Foo Fighters (I knew their radio stuff, but you made me love them), Tenacious D, some emo crap that I'm ashamed to admit that I jam out to in the car, wearing skinny jeans and feeling too much.

There's our movies: Zoolander, Lebowski, Goonies, Nightmare Before Christmas. Just thinking of these movies makes me smile. I may watch them with others, but they remind me of you, now and forever.

And our inside jokes that no one else would ever get: rock squats, CALEB!, don't open this box, 1-2-3-4-5-6! Ehhh ehh eh!

I was going to compose a toast to you, and read it to you at your last big Dallas dinner, but I can't seem to without bawling. Because for 1/4 of my life, we've been best friends. And now, you'll live on the other side of the country, instead of the other side of the city. There are so many memories, that it's hard to place them chronologically. I worry that I will leave one out.

I get why you're moving home. I hate that you're leaving and will miss you endlessly.

Thank you for being a friend. Traveled down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant.

I'm the Mary!

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