Time Machine

Don't you love old friends?

The ones who loved you when wore Princess Leia buns and knee-highs with converse sneakers?

The ones who held your hand when you called that guy you had a crush on, and then smoothed your hair as you cried in her lap when he stood you up?

The one who you have a million pictures with when you two were in rare form?

The one who doesn't look at you like your nuts when you decided that you must, must! make personalized shirts to wear to the neighbor boys' soccer game?

The ones who would totally be up for going out dancing almost directly from the theater after you all caught the 10:30pm showing of "Save The Last Dance"?

Ah, good times made better by a good friend- those were the days!

My fabulouso girlfriend Karly came into town for TX/OU weekend and came over to see us before she headed back out of town. When we stopped and thought about it, we hadn't seen each other in almost 2 years! Not since Bubs was Morgan's age- which is just crazy. Never again. It was so incredible to catch up and made me realize, as always, what an amazing person she is and how much I love our friendship.

The other day when my mom was here, we had one of those random discussions when she was telling me where in time she would go back to if she had a Magic Time Machine- aside from the obvious (wedding, birth of children...) She would go back to the arm of her grandfather's leather chair and have him read her Dr. Squash, The Doll Doctor, just like he used to do when she was a little girl. Where would I go? I would go back to the porch of this little house I rented with Karly and our friend Stacy when I was 21. It had three steps and a black iron railing that curved to welcome you as you came up. The concrete was painted a dark burgundy and was chipped and cracked. It was where we spent so much of our time that year. If I could go anywhere, I would sit there and have an ice cold Dos Equis that we had picked up- along with a sad looking lime- at the little market on the corner of West Lynn and 1oth on the way home from work. It would be early Fall, where it was a little chilly, but nothing that a hoodie or a scarf couldn't fix. I would look across the street at the home of our hippie older neighbor who once lent us glue (I can't remember what for) and we realized his whole living room was filled with bongos. Fabulous. I would wave at the precious, hip couple who lived next door as she arrived home. I would sit with Karly and Stac, and we would talk about our day, and where we wanted to go out that weekend. If I could, I would breathe in the Austin air and hear the faint sound of Gomez or Big Head Todd being played on the stereo in the living room. And I would enjoy that moment of just being young. Because I know at the time, all I could think about was "growing up." I would just sit and soak it in and have that back for just a while.

I am so thankful for that year.

For my girlfriends.

For that porch.

I often think about how I am blessed with such amazing, unique women for friends. And how lucky I am that they all will always be a part of my past, my present and my furture.

Us At The TX/ OU Game -October 2000