Circle of Friends

There is an old Sicilian proverb (I don’t really know if it’s old or Sicilian, I just found it on the Internet) that goes something like this – “Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.” Or, in my case, snot hanging out of my nose. More about that in a sec.

I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. I lived on a street where the average age was somewhere between ancient and dead; there weren’t many kids in the neighborhood. This was also before the advent of “play dates” so that didn’t help my situation either. I avoided sleepovers, for obvious reasons. From kindergarten through high school, I had, at most, five good friends. I’ve always preferred quality over quantity anyway.

As an adult, I’ve made some fantastic friendships at work and in graduate school. Most of my friends are my coworkers…work is basically an extended happy hour for me. Without the drinks of course. Since many of my friends will be popping up in my posts, I thought I’d introduce them to you. And since it’s my blog, I decided to give each of them their very own nickname.

YanksFan – My very first friend in Maryland. We met in graduate school and ate dinner together at the Student Union most nights for a year and a half. She usually ate something healthy. I usually ate Chick-Filet. Her wedding to PhilsFan (who, coincidentally, graduated from my high school a few years before I did…small world!) was the highlight of my social calendar this past summer.  She’s the only pal who doesn’t work with me at the National Archives.

Deputy Pepper – My archival partner in crime. He’s the friend who I can count on to tell me that I have snot hanging out of my nose. Loudly. In front of other people! He can get away with calling me out when I’m cranky and I can get away with making fun of his not one, but two, Master’s degrees.  Together, we have the best personal shrine to John F. Kennedy ever found in a government building.   

Trix – She grew up on a horse farm like Trixie Belden! She’s laid-back and funny and makes me laugh.  Her roof-top is on Foursquare.  I've checked in.  Have you? 

TopChef – She’s really good at explaining things and listening to me when I’m frustrated and whiny. She also has the largest collection of cookbooks that I’ve ever seen and special tweezers to pluck turkey feathers. I used them when I cooked my very first turkey at her house.

Richmond – She’s from Richmond and I’m not feeling very original. She’s probably one of the nicest people I know and we both thought “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” was stupid.

Caeser Rodney – It’s a Delaware thing. She gives me style advice. And she’s the reason I have a different hairstyle (sorta) for the first time since I was 3.

Lugnut – We actually all call him Lugnut. And he lets us, which is very nice of him. He usually drives when our lunch bunch goes out. When we finally find his car in the garage, we’re treated to a butt warmer in the passenger seat. That’s the coolest thing ever.

This is the core group who make my days interesting.  And who are having way too much fun deciding what new food I should try next.  Mongolian? Really??