My Hetero Life Mate

After yesterday's post about Bullshit Friends, I feel like taking some time to chat about my Good Friends...

Many moons ago, when I was still a law student, I took a job as a student assistant for the HR department at my school. I worked with some pretty nice people, one of whom was too nice for her own good. And here's why...

I was at Target one Friday evening, bored out of my mind. I planned on taking myself on a hot date (let's face it, any time I go out with myself, it's pretty f'in hot), but I wasn't as enthralled about it as I wanted to be. I was meandering through the store when I bumped into my co-worker. Her Friday evening was obviously as exciting as mine.

We chatted for a few times, and then I began reeking of desperation. I mentioned my plan to go to Chili's for dinner and a movie so many times that she finally asked me if I wanted some company. I was pleased as punch. (I can't believe I just wrote that.) And since she didn't have a car at the time, she was totally at my mercy.

I think we had fun, but you'd have to ask her for the truth. It couldn't have been that bad, because we continued to hang out. For years.

We're both extremely stubborn. And stupidly so. We were out to dinner one night in a January and we were talking about going camping. I hadn't really been. She thought I was too much of a wuss to go. I'm pretty sure she was the one to suggest President's Day weekend, and without thinking much about it, I agreed. Not brilliant. In Washington, February isn't a particularly warm month. But, I had to go through with it after she said I was too much of a wuss to do it. I replied that SHE was the wuss. So neither of us backed down. And we froze our asses off. Do you know what it's like to try to put together a tent in the dark when the elastic in the poles has broken? It's NOT FUN.

Neither of us has traveled much and we thought it would be fun to take off on a trip for a couple weeks. Oddly enough, the only place we could agree on was Ireland. I'm a pretty easygoing traveler. She wanted to plan everything out, I didn't want to plan anything out. At the end of the day, all I had to do was follow her. Which got more and more challenging as the trip went on since I kept acquiring crap. She laughed as I lugged one giant suitcase, a rolling rugby bag, my backpack and a messenger bag all around Ireland. Bless her heart.

We survived that trip, though there were a few close calls. Me almost going over the edge of a cliff in the Aran Islands. Or falling off the back edge of a formation on the Giants Causeway. Joanne, angel that she is, photographed all of the near death experiences. She wouldn't dream of killing me on that trip. One, the authorities would come after her since we were obviously traveling together (see, there is a reason I blog what I do). But, the bigger factor is MY MOTHER. No one wants to deal with her when something happens to me.

Joanne left Seattle in 2010 to pursue a life in Texas. In the months leading  up to her leaving, I refused to call her by her name, calling her The Bitch Who's Leaving Me. She took it well, though I bet she secretly wanted to stab me every time I said it. After she left, for a few months, all I called her was The Bitch Who Left Me. I didn't really hold it against her though. I was the one who found a car that met her specifications.

Not living near her has been a huge bummer. I lost a good movie and dinner buddy. Someone who doesn't judge me for being, well, ME. Snarky people watching isn't quite the same when I do it by myself. It has given us opportunities to have different fun though. We spent this past weekend at Disney World. And while I'm sick as shit now (thanks Joanne) it was totally worth it.

HLM, I'm glad we're friends.