My "See You Later" Letter To A Close Friend

I'm not entirely sure why I feel so compelled to share this. Perhaps it's because I made a vow to myself earlier this year to start acknowledging my emotions, and in order to deal with them, I need to share them. Perhaps, it's because I don't think anything else could describe my emotions and struggles right now quite so effectively. Perhaps it's because I don't think anything else could describe ME quite so effectively. Nevertheless, I hope you dear readers enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here's a little nugget of depth into my life (of course altered a little for Friend's privacy).

My dearest Friend,

Since the very first day of sixth grade when I was stunned by your ‘tude about “not coming from Elementary School EITHER,” I knew we were destined to be friends. And basically, we’ve been inseparable ever since.

You are one of the most incredible women I’ve ever met, and one of the best friends I could ever ask for. For the last thirteen and a half years, I have known I could always count on you for whatever I wanted or needed. From the divorce of my parents to break ups, I always had your shoulder to cry on. Likewise, some of my greatest laughs have come from our times spent together. We developed a passion for music together, which started with Backstreet Boys and progressed into pop-punk and eventually grew into wider genres. Part of the reason Blink-182 will forever have such a special place in my heart is because we discovered them together and lost our concert virginity to them and Green Day. You are the only person to send me a Halloween card every year, and every single year is makes my whole day. You have helped fuel the fire that is me becoming a wine-o and are someone who I can always count on to truly enjoy food and swapping any recipe.

I am so very lucky to not only have a friend like you, but to have stayed so close after so many years. We are both such different people from when we first met, and yet, remarkably the same. When so many friends drift apart throughout their lives or lose touch after high school or college, we have grown even closer. And because of this, I know we will forever be inseparable, no matter how much distance physically separates us. We damn well better be 85 years old sharing a glass or three of wine laughing about the past and the present, and maybe making new friends in each other if we’ve forgotten who we are.

When I first found out that your promotion was official, I had a few teeeensy tears. And as I write this, I continue to fight back an ugly cry. I will miss you more than you could ever know and learning to have a long-distance friendship with you will be quite the adjustment. However, despite my tears and selfishly wishing you’d stay, I am so incredibly excited for you and just about to burst with pride. I couldn’t be any happier for you to pursue a career that you are excited about and that you will be just phenomenal at. You are going to rock that account manager job and I am sure that everyone in City will love you. In the few short months that I worked with you in Wisconsin City (which, by the way, was one of my favorite jobs ever. And I’m not just saying that.) I very quickly learned what a hard and dedicated worker you are. You take great pride in your work and hold a respected yet approachable and relatable authority.

Although I am sad to see you leave, I am wicked excited to have a great new place to add to my list of vacation spots. I cannot wait to come see you in City, and I cannot wait to hear how much you’re enjoying yourself. We have a very unique and special friendship that I am confident will survive through any curveball life throws us. Congratulations on your new adventure!

Love,

Mon

Two Birthdays, One Weekend

Hello, dear readers! I have had one of the best weekends I've had in a while, probably at least since Roomie moved away. It was also the first time going out both a Friday and a Saturday in a very long time. I had a blast at two separate birthday parties, and it came at perfect timing. Next weekend, Man Friend and I are moving into our apartment. In case that won't be busy and crazy enough, we have to make sure to have mostly everything moved by Saturday because Sunday we'll be spending the afternoon with family for Easter. After we finally have our own place, we won't be going out too much. We will definitely be staying in quite a bit more to save money, so IRL friends, feel free to come and drink with us at home.

Friday one of Man Friend's close friends turned 22. We started the evening off in the hotel room he rented, and worked our way to some of the Stadium bars for him to drink for free. We ran into some other friends with whom we were able to chat a little. I got to meet some of Friends' friends from work and college and we overall had a pretty good time.

Saturday, Man Friend, the birthday boy and two of their other friends went up north to finish the birthday celebration with a guys' night. Although I really wish Man Friend could have joined me for the second birthday party, I'm glad he got to spend time with his friends. They were excited to drink and hang out without interruptions and have an all-you-can-eat prime rib at one of the area restaurants. It sounds like they all enjoyed themselves, so even though I missed having my guy out with me, it was really good that he joined his friends for guy night.

Snapping a pic while we not-so-patiently waited for dinner

My coworker turned 30 last night and had a huge celebration with dinner and drinks planned. I didn't think I would be able to afford both, so I had only planned on meeting everyone out for drinks later in the evening. Much to my surprise, one of my coworkers asked me to come with her to dinner a few hours beforehand and offered to pay for me so I didn't have to miss out. I couldn't believe the offer, especially because the restaurant is decently pricey. But I really appreciated the offer and was excited to join so I accepted. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a sushi/hibachi bar. The service was less than phenomenal and there was a minor disaster with the bills at the end of the evening, but the food was absolutely amazing. I had sushi for only the second time and am still surprised at how much I enjoy it. Not because of the raw fish or seaweed thing. I just don't like rice. I also enjoyed more than plenty of hibachi veggies, chicken and shrimp and was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed the green tea ice cream.

After dinner, we headed to one of Birthday Girl's favorite bars to finish off the rest of the night. Not only did she handle 30 very well, she was actually incredibly excited to say goodbye to her 20s and turn 30. I've been dreading turning 25 for a solid seven months already, and here she was throwing a huge bash for 30. Um, what? She had a gorgeous new outfit, got all kinds of "30" accessories and photo props for picture-taking-wonderfullness. The best part of her ensemble was her brand new diamond...her boyfriend proposed right before dinner! There was no questioning how happy she was and just glowed all night. She also got a keg so we drank for free for the rest of the night, brought in cupcakes to satisfy our sweet cravings and we danced all night to N SYNC goodness.

I always enjoy having nights out with my coworkers, particularly because it doesn't happen very often. Most of them live in the Fox Valley, and with me in Green Bay, we don't get too many opportunities to hang out after work. We've had a few happy hours after work, but this was the first time I was able to participate in a Saturday outing. My coworkers and I get along so well and are some of the greatest coworkers I've ever had. If I ever get a permanent job, not seeing them every day will be the hardest part about leaving the job I'm in now.

With some of my coworkers

The Birthday Girl and me

Happy birthday once again to both friends. I hope you enjoyed your days!

The Best Songs to Blast

Everyone, myself included, has about a million songs that are "their songs." There are so many that I love for so many different reasons. My favorite kind of song is one that you can do some major jamming to. If you're in the car, you crank the volume up and belt it out at the top of your voice because no one else can hear the atrocity that's coming from inside your vehicle. If you're at home, you have a solo dance party and rock out. Ok, let's be realistic here. You have a jumping around, lyric shouting party. And when you hear a dancy song at the club, you are on the dance floor like no one's business. I've come up with a list of my favorite songs to crank and belt out. I don't think I could ever get sick of any of these.

In no particular order, my list of the best songs to jam out to (a work in progress):

• Simple Man - Shinedown cover
• .45 - Shinedown
• Bad Company - Five Finger Death Punch cover
• Remember Everything - FFDP
• Freak Like Me - Halestorm
• Don't Stop Believin - Journey
• Wannabe - Spice Girls
• Liquid Dreams - O Town
• All or Nothing - O Town
• As Long as You Love Me - Backstreet Boys
• Bye, Bye, Bye - *N SYNC
• Mmmbop - Hanson
• No Scrubs - TLC
• Bad Girlfriend - Theory of a Deadman
• Low Life - Theory of a Deadman
• Hate My Life - Theory of a Deadman
• Porn Star Dancing - My Darkest Days
• Love Song - Sara Bareilles
• So What - Pink
• Perfect - Pink
• Without Me - Eminem
• My Name Is - Eminem
• Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland
• (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) - Beastie Boys
• Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
• Fake It - Seether
• Right Here - Staind
• White Trash Millionaire - Black Stone Cherry
• Miami - Will Smith
• American Idiot - Green Day
• Minority - Green Day
• All the Small Things - Blink-182
• Rock Show - Blink-182
• Sugar, We're Goin Down Swingin -Fall Out Boy
• Fat Lip - Sum41
• Say My Name - Destiny's Child
• Jumpin' Jumpin' - Destiny's Child
• Why Don't You Get a Job? - The Offspring

Sucky and Super Wednesday

Hello, dear readers! I thought I might actually be able to create an entire post about "Super" things, as I've been having a pretty good few weeks. Then, yesterday happened...

Sucky: 

• Yesterday at work there was a sewer backup. Right. By. My. Department. It was so disgustingly awful it hindered our work. Luckily, there wasn't shit (literally) puddled or piled up in the hallways at all, but the smell was WRETCHED. It was nauseating, and gave myself and everyone around me headaches and/or stomachaches. And of course, the area of my department is completely open, and we have no door to block out the stench. It was a rough day, to say the least. I'm just glad I don't work in facilities. Talk about hating your life.

Super:

• Man Friend and I got an apartment! We were extremely lucky to fall in love with the first one we looked at. More to come on this after the official move April 1st, but I couldn't possibly be more excited. I cannot wait to live with the love of my life, come home to and wake up to him every day. I am so excited to have all of my belongings in one household for the first time since 6th grade (divorce, college, moving, storage sheds), to be in a nice neighborhood, have lots of space/storage (especially for an apartment) and to not have to worry about moving for a long time.
• About a week and a half ago, I got a really unexpected compliment. It was just a simple statement that made my whole day. I'm sure the complimenter had no idea how much of an impact it made, but it was such a self-esteem boost.
• Walking Dead Double Dates have continued each week, and each week gets better. It's one thing I know I can look forward to for relief and relaxation, no matter what is going on that week. Eating like a fat kid makes it even better. By the time we were all done eating last night, we all had taco food babies. And it was magnificent.
• Over the weekend, I ran into my favorite Mom Friend and my favorite little munchkin while shopping. We got to catch up and chat for a while. I got to play with Munchkin for a bit, which is super nice because I don't get to see her very often anymore. It was a nice surprise.
• Last weekend, I spent Saturday morning and afternoon spoiling myself. The whole day was dedicated entirely to taking care of me, and only me. I spent part of my tax return on my once-annual trip to the spa, lunch and shopping. I didn't have to worry about anything, and was able to totally relax. Days like this are incredibly rare and it was needed. I love getting massages, and wish I could afford them more often, but alas, once a year is typically my max. For anyone in the Green Bay area, I highly highly recommend The Day Spa in DePere. I have never been disappointed from the moment I walk in the door to the moment I leave. I also got some super cute clothes with awesome end-of-season sales and am excited to wear all of it.

Walking Dead Double Dates

A little more than a year ago, Man Friend got me to start watching AMC's The Walking Dead. At first, it was rather begrudgingly. I had zero interest in watching a stupid zombie show, but he watched ABC's Once Upon a Time with me, so I figured I'd watch his show with him. It didn't take long until I was hooked on the show. Every week left just enough suspense and a cliffhanger to bring you back to the next week to find out what happened next. I was mostly interested in the story line, and would cover my eyes during any bloody scene, but had really begun to enjoy the show.

Fast forward to the beginning of season three. Man Friend and I no longer had AMC and were looking for a place to watch it. We found out one of our friends is also a huge fan and he offered to record the show so we could come over and watch it. We decided we'd make a double date of it with him and his girlfriend and spend an evening that week watching the show together. The four of us have been getting together every week since. What started off as a get-together out of convenience has turned into one of my favorite parts of every week.

It has been so much fun having our low-key double dates every week. The Friend who offered to record the show for us is dating one of my closest friends, and I always enjoy hanging out with her. And luckily, all four of us get along well and enjoy each other's company. Knowing that we have at least one night a week that we can get out of the house and hang out with another couple, but still be able to just relax and hang out in our sweats makes the date night so great. Even though we're just watching a tv show, at least Man Friend and I are doing something more than watching Netflix by ourselves or zoning out in front of the tv forgetting to talk to each other. We all get so into the show and have our own theories that we like to discuss as it goes on (hooray for being able to pause a recorded show!) and we even record the Talking Dead after for further theorizing. Somehow, we even manage to eat while watching the show and have recently made it into a real "date" by adding dinner into the mix. Last week we ordered Chinese, and this week we'll have a pizza.

I'm so glad we started doing the double dates for season three. I didn't see much of the first season at all, and only caught about the last half of season two. From what I saw, season two was mostly about character development. Season three has way more action, plot development, and intensity. It's great watching it with other people to get their perspective and ideas for what's happening next, why a character did what they did, and what the consequences of certain actions will be. There's so much depth to every single character, and as they're all pushed to their limits, they start changing. Take Rick, who has gone from a strong leader to batshit crazy, while his son Carl is no longer seen as a whiny, nusicancy little kid and is absolutely a man in a child's body.  I love trying to figure out Michonne, who is such a bad ass. As one of the most silent characters on the show, she is one of the strongest, and carefully thinks out every single action and word. Then there's the governor, who I hate more with every single episode, but unlike Rick, his craziness is methodical. And with every episode, he grows even crazier.

I also enjoy watching the show with other people because I also learn about the comic book series. I didn't even know the show was based off a comic series, so it's equally as interesting to learn about what the differences are between the show and the comics. It's particularly fascinating to me that the Dixon brothers were never part of the comic series, and have become so crucial to the show's plot. Daryl has grown into one of the strongest and most popular characters, into a leadership role and even into a partnership with  Rick. I remember saying last week that I was never really attracted to Daryl, but the more I watch the show, the sexier he becomes.

When I first started watching The Walking Dead, I could hardly even bear the zombie killing scenes. I covered my eyes for almost every single death. But now, I have grown to love the show so much that I even enjoy watching the zombie killing. I can watch almost every single one of them, though there have been a few recently that still turned my stomach. Also, the governor's eye creeps me the fuck out. When he took his bandage off last week, I thought I was going to lose it. Sick, sick sick. Anyway, not only can I stomach the zombie killings, I even find myself cheering along with my peers for the good killings. I especially like the "in memoriam" part of the Talking Dead when they show some of the good killings. I also find it amusing how they cleverly name them with something like "hatchet to the face zombie."

Hopefully I didn't spoil anything for anyone who is behind on the show. Thank you to Man Friend for introducing me to one of my unexpectedly favorite shows, and thank you to Friend and her man friend for allowing us over every week to watch.