I met Bestest Friend when I was a freshman in college. She didn’t like me, but I liked her, so I kept pestering her until she realized I was here to stay. She lives in a different state from me, but that doesn’t stop us from regularly calling and texting and having inside jokes no one will understand. She works in the education field, has a giant teenage son, two dogs, a cat, and will tell you a lie so confidently that you will believe whatever she says, no matter how preposterous. Here’s what she has to say.
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Hi! I’m NGS’s best friend. If, at any point in this blog, she has referred to someone else as her best friend, she was kidding. I’ve known her since forever, and she lets me call her a name that she doesn’t let anyone else call her, AND one time I accidentally killed our shared gecko named Nipple and threw it in a ditch outside of Washington, D.C., so I win the Best Friend title.
Years ago, she did her first 45 words post, and she went in order of the most important people in her life, and I was one of the very last ones which meant I was one of the MOST important in her life, and I’ve carried that knowledge with me, in the back of my head, for over a dozen years. So yesterday, she texted me and asked me if I would be the FIRST guest blogger in a series of guest bloggers revolving around “20 something or other”, and I couldn’t even answer for like four hours because I’ve been DEMOTED and now I’m the LEAST important because I am first so I’ve gotta make this guest post AMAZING so I can creep my way up to the top again. [Note from NGS: For a year, I wrote a brief 45 word blurb describing people in my life. You can find them here if you're interested. Also, I asked her first because I waited too long to line anyone else up with less than a week's notice and I knew she'd get it to me in time!]
So, here we go: The TOP 20 Ideas for a TOP 20 Post that I Considered Making about NGS. So meta.
20. Top 20 Ridiculous Opinions from High School That are Still Stuck in her Brain.
Hi! I’m NGS’s best friend. If, at any point in this blog, she has referred to someone else as her best friend, she was kidding. I’ve known her since forever, and she lets me call her a name that she doesn’t let anyone else call her, AND one time I accidentally killed our shared gecko named Nipple and threw it in a ditch outside of Washington, D.C., so I win the Best Friend title.
Years ago, she did her first 45 words post, and she went in order of the most important people in her life, and I was one of the very last ones which meant I was one of the MOST important in her life, and I’ve carried that knowledge with me, in the back of my head, for over a dozen years. So yesterday, she texted me and asked me if I would be the FIRST guest blogger in a series of guest bloggers revolving around “20 something or other”, and I couldn’t even answer for like four hours because I’ve been DEMOTED and now I’m the LEAST important because I am first so I’ve gotta make this guest post AMAZING so I can creep my way up to the top again. [Note from NGS: For a year, I wrote a brief 45 word blurb describing people in my life. You can find them here if you're interested. Also, I asked her first because I waited too long to line anyone else up with less than a week's notice and I knew she'd get it to me in time!]
So, here we go: The TOP 20 Ideas for a TOP 20 Post that I Considered Making about NGS. So meta.
20. Top 20 Ridiculous Opinions from High School That are Still Stuck in her Brain.
First of all, she has this ridiculous idea that you can’t use contractions in a formal paper, and that’s not true, that’s just what you learn when you either (a) go to high school pre-1957 or (b) go to high school in a town the size of a postage stamp. She has more opinions from high school, too, but I’ll save those for later Top 20 lists.
19. Top 20 Songs that Make Me Immediately Think about NGS
For a while in college, we went on a lot of road trips. She would drive the big truck named Truck and I would… actually, I guess I was like the comic relief. We would make these epic mix CD’s – her song (usually country) and then my song (something cool, obviously). These made certain songs immediately associate with NGS in my brain. Piano Man. Independence Day. American Pie.
18. Top 20 Random Categories of Tchotchkes that I often send to NGS
I know these have to annoy her. Bunnies after Easter. Pigs. Chickens! [Note from NGS: They go into my office and amuse me at work.]
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17. Top 20 Breeds of Dogs that NGS Will Squeal at and Pet at any given time
This category is a trick. The answer is ALL OF THEM.
16. Top 20 Things with Gluten that NGS Will Scarf Down when Visiting Me
There was a time when she craved gluten. I have a picture of her, standing on a street corner in my city, munching on some huge baked good from the North Market. She’s been with Doctor BB for like 63 years now, so she’s used to the lack of gluten, but it was so very cute at the beginning of their relationship.
15. Top 20 Grudges I Still Hold Against NGS
NGS graduated undergrad one year before I did, and she got a job at a town an hour north of our college. She had lived in the state above ours for most of her life, so it’s safe to assume that she knew all of the traffic laws. I drove up to see her, carefully following my MapQuest directions, and I went to turn left at a light. It was red, so I stopped, waiting for the green light so I could turn. Instead of turning green, it started blinking red. I waited. The cars behind me honked. I think I sat there through four or five cycles of the light, people zooming out of line behind me and going around, flipping me off and shouting. Finally, I also went up to the next light and turned left. Later, she told me that this was a law in her state. SHE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I’m still mad, NGS. Still mad. [Note from NGS: A blinking red light means stop at an intersection and yield to oncoming traffic. You must stop completely before entering traffic. This is a UNIVERSAL rule of driving in these United States. But it was a crappy intersection and I tried to avoiding turning left there. I should have warned her.]
14. Top 20 Movies that Made NGS and I Burst into Tears at the Same Time
It’s just The Notebook, you guys. Sitting in her little apartment in the big city. With no warning. Tears everywhere.
13. Top 20 Vegetables That NGS Told Me About for the First Time
This human is the vegetable queen. Who eats kohlrabi on a regular basis? This woman.
12. Top 20 Slight UnTruths that I Told NGS and She Believed Me
So, this worked better before Google, but it’s still hilarious today. When anyone asks a question, I am good at confidently answering. People believe me. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, it just matters that it SOUNDS right. NGS believed me for years. She may still, honestly. “Hey, how many countries are there in the world?” Me: “Around 187.” “Oh, okay, thanks.” And sometimes, just for fun, I’m randomly right.
11. Top 20 Guys I Pictured when She Started Dating “Biker Boy”
I thought she was dating a guy on a motorcycle wearing leather. I was so proud of her for going outside of the box. It turns out, she was not.
10. Top 20 Family Rifts I Accidentally Made on NGS’s Behalf
Once, when the Vatican was looking for a new pope, I spliced a picture of her husband’s head onto the old pope and shared it to her on Facebook and suggested her husband for the new pope, and it turns out that her husband’s family was on Facebook and they were very, very angry for a long time. Oops. [Note from NGS: My SIL brought this up the last time I saw her. It's been more than a decade.]
9. Top 20 Vacations that NGS and I Took Together
SO MANY! We had this streak of years where we would pick a city, arrange for flights there, meet up, and just wander. Sometimes I would plan and sometimes she would. My favorite was NYC, but hers was probably Nashville. We had amazing cucumber cream cheese in Chicago. Once, we line danced with Navy men in Jacksonville. We also took other vacations together, like the time we took my dog up to visit NGS’s parents in their little tiny town, and we watched The Bachelor and went to see “the bars” (the bears) at the zoo.
8. Top 20 Holidays that NGS sends me cards for
Trick category. ALL OF THEM. With bad jokes. [Note from NGS: Hilarious jokes.]
7. Top 20 Times NGS Almost Fell off of a Bridge
I was super-duper pregnant in the summer of 2007, and NGS was living in Minneapolis, and a bridge collapsed right where she drove every day. The cell phones went down. I couldn’t get through to her. I was convinced that she had fallen into the water while crossing. I was inconsolable. Anyway, she lived.
6. Top 20 Weird Reasons We Became Friends
I knew NGS but I didn’t think she liked me, and then the year between freshman and sophomore year in college, she started sending me mail, and I was so touched. Of course, now that I know her better, I realize that she probably got the home address of all 50 people on our floor and was sending them mail, too. But we didn’t get close until this girl we both knew invited us both to stay with her in an off-campus apartment one summer. NGS and I immediately split one of the two bedrooms (why we chose to do this, I’m not sure). After one grocery shopping trip during which the girl made us buy grape jelly, the other girl took off to live elsewhere and NGS and I stayed there, sharing a room and living our lives. We adopted random pets, went to drive-in movies, made up dance routines to songs, and just lived our lives. And we never ate the grape jelly.
5. Top 20 Times NGS Impressed my Parents
The first time we all went out to dinner, we went to a Chinese restaurant. At the end of dinner, NGS commented to me that she didn’t like Chinese food, but she had eaten her entire meal. I mentioned this to my parents later, and they were SO IMPRESSED that she had been too polite to say anything. From then on, any time I wanted to go anywhere with NGS, do anything with NGS, they were on board. They loved her so, so much. My dad even had his own nickname for her and would pass on messages to her from me. It was adorable.
4. Top 20 Things NGS Does Much, MUCH Better than Me
Look at her blog. Such organization! Such planning! Such working out! She’s a role model. I am more… loosey-goosey. She got married and made it work. I got married and then I left him and then I had serious relationships with a number of people and it’s just this tumultuous existence, but not NGS. She’s the bestest.
3. Top 20 Times We Got Lost
We wanted to go to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and we did, and then we wanted to go to Parma so I could adopt a hatchling leopard gecko, and we used this map that my brother had given me, and it must have been from the 70’s because all the streets were different in downtown Cleveland and there were one-way streets everywhere and we just kept driving in circles. Every guy I’ve ever known would have been freaking out, but we just laughed and laughed. Years later, we were in downtown Manhattan and we were lost and I just used the street grids to guide our way and it kind of worked. We get lost a lot. It’s okay.
2. Top 20 Times She Made My Toddler Cry
One time NGS said that she was making polenta for us and we were really excited and it looked just like yellow cake. My toddler sat at the table and got a plate of it and dug in. I’m certain he was expecting cake, and he took a huge bite, and burst into tears. I’m talking, huge, elephant-tears, squirting everywhere.
1. Top 20 Ridiculous Promises We’ve Made Each Other
After 9/11, we heard recordings of people who knew that they were going to die who called their loved ones and said goodbye. I made NGS promise that she would NOT call me if that happened. I didn’t want that mental burden. And she’s made me promise that I won’t let anyone put a bad picture of her in her obituary if she dies. [Note from NGS: This promise about the bad obit photo came YESTERDAY before I read this list. There are more than twenty ridiculous promises, I assure you.]
NGS is the most constant person in my life. She’s kind but honest and I love her so very much!
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Thanks for reading, friends. If you made it this far, you know more about our friendship than I do. Who is your Best Person?
19. Top 20 Songs that Make Me Immediately Think about NGS
For a while in college, we went on a lot of road trips. She would drive the big truck named Truck and I would… actually, I guess I was like the comic relief. We would make these epic mix CD’s – her song (usually country) and then my song (something cool, obviously). These made certain songs immediately associate with NGS in my brain. Piano Man. Independence Day. American Pie.
18. Top 20 Random Categories of Tchotchkes that I often send to NGS
I know these have to annoy her. Bunnies after Easter. Pigs. Chickens! [Note from NGS: They go into my office and amuse me at work.]
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17. Top 20 Breeds of Dogs that NGS Will Squeal at and Pet at any given time
This category is a trick. The answer is ALL OF THEM.
Billie and Sherlock are Bestest Friend's dogs. They are obviously my best friends, too.
16. Top 20 Things with Gluten that NGS Will Scarf Down when Visiting Me
There was a time when she craved gluten. I have a picture of her, standing on a street corner in my city, munching on some huge baked good from the North Market. She’s been with Doctor BB for like 63 years now, so she’s used to the lack of gluten, but it was so very cute at the beginning of their relationship.
15. Top 20 Grudges I Still Hold Against NGS
NGS graduated undergrad one year before I did, and she got a job at a town an hour north of our college. She had lived in the state above ours for most of her life, so it’s safe to assume that she knew all of the traffic laws. I drove up to see her, carefully following my MapQuest directions, and I went to turn left at a light. It was red, so I stopped, waiting for the green light so I could turn. Instead of turning green, it started blinking red. I waited. The cars behind me honked. I think I sat there through four or five cycles of the light, people zooming out of line behind me and going around, flipping me off and shouting. Finally, I also went up to the next light and turned left. Later, she told me that this was a law in her state. SHE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I’m still mad, NGS. Still mad. [Note from NGS: A blinking red light means stop at an intersection and yield to oncoming traffic. You must stop completely before entering traffic. This is a UNIVERSAL rule of driving in these United States. But it was a crappy intersection and I tried to avoiding turning left there. I should have warned her.]
14. Top 20 Movies that Made NGS and I Burst into Tears at the Same Time
It’s just The Notebook, you guys. Sitting in her little apartment in the big city. With no warning. Tears everywhere.
13. Top 20 Vegetables That NGS Told Me About for the First Time
This human is the vegetable queen. Who eats kohlrabi on a regular basis? This woman.
12. Top 20 Slight UnTruths that I Told NGS and She Believed Me
So, this worked better before Google, but it’s still hilarious today. When anyone asks a question, I am good at confidently answering. People believe me. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, it just matters that it SOUNDS right. NGS believed me for years. She may still, honestly. “Hey, how many countries are there in the world?” Me: “Around 187.” “Oh, okay, thanks.” And sometimes, just for fun, I’m randomly right.
11. Top 20 Guys I Pictured when She Started Dating “Biker Boy”
I thought she was dating a guy on a motorcycle wearing leather. I was so proud of her for going outside of the box. It turns out, she was not.
10. Top 20 Family Rifts I Accidentally Made on NGS’s Behalf
Once, when the Vatican was looking for a new pope, I spliced a picture of her husband’s head onto the old pope and shared it to her on Facebook and suggested her husband for the new pope, and it turns out that her husband’s family was on Facebook and they were very, very angry for a long time. Oops. [Note from NGS: My SIL brought this up the last time I saw her. It's been more than a decade.]
Note from NGS: This is the exact meme that caused the rift. Come at me, SIL.
9. Top 20 Vacations that NGS and I Took Together
SO MANY! We had this streak of years where we would pick a city, arrange for flights there, meet up, and just wander. Sometimes I would plan and sometimes she would. My favorite was NYC, but hers was probably Nashville. We had amazing cucumber cream cheese in Chicago. Once, we line danced with Navy men in Jacksonville. We also took other vacations together, like the time we took my dog up to visit NGS’s parents in their little tiny town, and we watched The Bachelor and went to see “the bars” (the bears) at the zoo.
8. Top 20 Holidays that NGS sends me cards for
Trick category. ALL OF THEM. With bad jokes. [Note from NGS: Hilarious jokes.]
7. Top 20 Times NGS Almost Fell off of a Bridge
I was super-duper pregnant in the summer of 2007, and NGS was living in Minneapolis, and a bridge collapsed right where she drove every day. The cell phones went down. I couldn’t get through to her. I was convinced that she had fallen into the water while crossing. I was inconsolable. Anyway, she lived.
6. Top 20 Weird Reasons We Became Friends
I knew NGS but I didn’t think she liked me, and then the year between freshman and sophomore year in college, she started sending me mail, and I was so touched. Of course, now that I know her better, I realize that she probably got the home address of all 50 people on our floor and was sending them mail, too. But we didn’t get close until this girl we both knew invited us both to stay with her in an off-campus apartment one summer. NGS and I immediately split one of the two bedrooms (why we chose to do this, I’m not sure). After one grocery shopping trip during which the girl made us buy grape jelly, the other girl took off to live elsewhere and NGS and I stayed there, sharing a room and living our lives. We adopted random pets, went to drive-in movies, made up dance routines to songs, and just lived our lives. And we never ate the grape jelly.
5. Top 20 Times NGS Impressed my Parents
The first time we all went out to dinner, we went to a Chinese restaurant. At the end of dinner, NGS commented to me that she didn’t like Chinese food, but she had eaten her entire meal. I mentioned this to my parents later, and they were SO IMPRESSED that she had been too polite to say anything. From then on, any time I wanted to go anywhere with NGS, do anything with NGS, they were on board. They loved her so, so much. My dad even had his own nickname for her and would pass on messages to her from me. It was adorable.
4. Top 20 Things NGS Does Much, MUCH Better than Me
Look at her blog. Such organization! Such planning! Such working out! She’s a role model. I am more… loosey-goosey. She got married and made it work. I got married and then I left him and then I had serious relationships with a number of people and it’s just this tumultuous existence, but not NGS. She’s the bestest.
3. Top 20 Times We Got Lost
We wanted to go to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and we did, and then we wanted to go to Parma so I could adopt a hatchling leopard gecko, and we used this map that my brother had given me, and it must have been from the 70’s because all the streets were different in downtown Cleveland and there were one-way streets everywhere and we just kept driving in circles. Every guy I’ve ever known would have been freaking out, but we just laughed and laughed. Years later, we were in downtown Manhattan and we were lost and I just used the street grids to guide our way and it kind of worked. We get lost a lot. It’s okay.
2. Top 20 Times She Made My Toddler Cry
One time NGS said that she was making polenta for us and we were really excited and it looked just like yellow cake. My toddler sat at the table and got a plate of it and dug in. I’m certain he was expecting cake, and he took a huge bite, and burst into tears. I’m talking, huge, elephant-tears, squirting everywhere.
1. Top 20 Ridiculous Promises We’ve Made Each Other
After 9/11, we heard recordings of people who knew that they were going to die who called their loved ones and said goodbye. I made NGS promise that she would NOT call me if that happened. I didn’t want that mental burden. And she’s made me promise that I won’t let anyone put a bad picture of her in her obituary if she dies. [Note from NGS: This promise about the bad obit photo came YESTERDAY before I read this list. There are more than twenty ridiculous promises, I assure you.]
NGS is the most constant person in my life. She’s kind but honest and I love her so very much!
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Thanks for reading, friends. If you made it this far, you know more about our friendship than I do. Who is your Best Person?
Aw!! I loved reading every tidbit! What a blessing to have such a friend and such a relationship in your life!! Your relationship reminded me of a poem I wrote for my bestie that ended with: "oh, how are we such miracles, friend--/finding us in this world"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pocobrat.net/2021/09/the-walking-cure.html
I feel very lucky to have convinced her to be my friend for all these years.
DeleteI can't believe she's put up with me for this long, honestly.
DeleteThis was A DELIGHT to read!!!! Your friendship is amazing and makes my heart so happy just to read about it. The polenta story -- omg, what pathos and bathos all mixed up together! The bridge scare!!!!! The Dr. BB Pope Scandal! You two have such a full and wonderful relationship. Thank you for sharing this little peek into your friendship over the years!
ReplyDeleteThe Dr. BB Pope Scandal! That would be an amazing television show! We should get started on the scriptwriting process right away.
DeleteHe still remembers the polenta thing, too. I think it was the first time in his life that he was truly disappointed. Fun Aunt makes Fun Food and then it's ... plain? He really hasn't recovered.
DeleteI will star in anything named "The Dr. BB Pope Scandal". Luckily, it happened AFTER the wedding and we live states away, so I don't have to worry about getting in-person glares.
Hello EngieBestie! It's nice to meet you but you triggered my 90's PTSD...editing out all of the contractions from my academic papers...trying to read a map in the car while driving...trying to pretend that polenta is better than it is. The next time I see it I think I will cry.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to need to do another guest post, because you left something out of this one. We got to see your Very Good Dogs, but there's no picture of your cat.
Say it ain't so, Birchie? Polenta is GLORIOUS. My feelings are so hurt. Contractions don't belong in formal academic papers and I'll stand by that statement.
DeleteShadow! Shadow the Cat is beautiful. I'll have to get a photo of Shadow to share.
Hello PiePerson! I'm sorry about the triggers, but it's good to reminisce. Shadow is pretty and cranky and I love her lots. I'll get her in media soon, don't you worry.
DeleteWhat a clever idea for a post. You know I'm all about 20 years of blogging! I'm pleased to get this peek into who you were from a very reliable source. Longtime friendships, just knowing that someone has one, make me smile on principle. Love the crying on cue together while watching The Notebook! That's a connection like none other.
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone who didn't cry when they watched The Notebook?! If so, they are heartless!!
DeleteI am so lucky to have had this friendship over time. It's amazing when you find someone who is the missing piece!
It just happened. It was a beautiful moment.
DeleteWhat a fun and uplifting post! You and Engie have a radiant and warm friendship that made me laugh and feel so happy for you both.
ReplyDeleteI learned the No Contractions In A Formal Essay rule way back in 1975, but when I taught my own writing classes, it wasn't A Thing. (Yes, I'm that old.)
Interestingly, my husband and I made the same pact about leaving a final message after September 11th.
I can't believe that the only reason you went to Parma was for a gecko! What about Rudy's Strudel for paczki? Ah, well. Next time!
Nice to meet you. (And I don't eat grape jelly, either. Ever.)
We did go to Parma just to go to Parma Pets. A Google search seems to indicate that it's no longer in business. LOL. The funny thing is that I have relatives who live in Parma and we did not stop to see them!
DeleteYay for Team Grape Jelly is Not Good!!
We didn't have time for Rudy's Strudel after driving in circles in downtown Cleveland for 4 hours. My parents were probably already panicking in the pre-cell phone age.
DeleteNice to meet you too! This little community is lovely.
This was so fun to read! I enjoyed every word. It's too bad your inlaws were so angry about that pope meme, because it's pretty funny! All of this was delightful, honestly.
ReplyDeleteBestest Friend is truly delightful! I was so happy she agreed to write this post for me and now you all know my dark secrets about constantly getting lost, making a toddler cry, and secretly eating bread on a street corner.
DeleteNicole, I am SO PROUD of that meme. Thank you. I've never gotten the positive credit that I deserve.
DeleteAw, what a sweet friendship! Thank you for sharing a "behind the scenes" peak into it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading it! I hope you will enjoy the rest of the 20th Blogiversary series, too!
DeleteThank you for reading it! She's the best.
DeleteOh my goodness. This was so much fun! You two belong together; the sass, the silliness, the brains!
ReplyDeleteOh, and my eyes were opened to the No Contractions in formal writing. What?
I had a giggle at all the Trick Questions. ;)
I think the no contractions thing might be discipline specific. I honestly would never consider sending out a paper with a contraction in it to a political science journal to this day. I'm not saying don't use contractions at all, but I didn't then and don't now, in formal writing. *shrug*
DeleteI will pet any dog if allowed, this is true. I also do send cards for made-up holidays, so she wins all the trick questions!
Kohlrabi! Any post that mentions kohlrabi is a winner in my book.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a hilarious and insightful tribute - it gave me the warm fuzzies all over!
Kohlrabi is so delicious! I love it raw - it's so crunchy and sweet. Kohlrabi season will soon be upon us and I can't wait.
DeleteI'm glad everyone could feel how fun our friendship is from this post. We are definitely two peas in a pod.
Awww, what a sweet post and so delightful to read from a close friend that can tell us all the little things about Engie that she would never share :)
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy that you and her have such a long and close friendship (it really is truly special).
BTW, Kohlrabi is the best. I always break out into a happy dance when I find it at the supermarket (which sadly is not all too often here in CA). It's such an underrated vegetable!
Kohlrabi season starts here soooooooon!! As soon as I see at the Farmers' Market, I'm buying all of it. LOL. It is an underrated vegetable. Maybe because it's sort of hard to peel and work with?
DeleteThis was AMAZING! My favorite part may have been the Pope photo fiasco (hee hee!).
ReplyDeleteIt is legendary. I was so happy that I stuck to my guns and left the photo up on FB so I could resurrect it (is this phrasing in bad taste considering the topic?) for this post.
DeleteThis made me snort-laugh.
DeleteThis was sooooo creative! So fun to read. What a gift to have a best best friend like that!!
ReplyDeleteShe's a true delight in my life. I don't know how I'd get by without her!
DeleteThis is such a sweet, thoughtful, FUNNY post! I can see why you guys have been friends for so long. It was fun learning more about your friendship - and about Bestest Friend! And I CANNOT get over the Pope/Dr. BB meme. Dyingggg laughing!
ReplyDeleteThe meme that will live in infamy!! I'm glad you enjoyed this post. I thought it was a fun way to get the party started!!
DeleteWhat a wonderful wonderful tribute. So much memories you already made together. Love it.
ReplyDeleteWe are two peas in a pod!
DeleteI love this guest post! Bestest Friend, it is good to finally meet you; we have heard so much about you, and not all of it was good (kidding!) But seriously, what a fun peek into both Engie's life and also your relationship. Plus, Engie! You did not tell us how dang funny BF is! Or maybe I missed several references about this.
ReplyDeleteI love the story of Mr. Engie being the next pope. I am curious to hear if they are still annoyed at you? Also the story of your parents loving Engie after the Chinese food incident, and your Dad wanting to be her new Bestie! That is the sign of a good friend, one that your parents love!
Bestest Friend is HILARIOUS. Honestly, if I'm having a bad day, I know she can turn things around.
DeleteHer dad called me "The Liberal" and loved nothing more than to mock me for having never voted for a Republican. Her parents were as awesome as she is.
I could not love this more. Bestest Friend, thank you for giving us this glimpse of the Other Engie (i.e. the non-blog Engie).
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm fully in alignment with Engie on polenta, as well as no contractions in formal papers. Kohlrabi, too. Or, as a friend's kid said upon seeing it for the first time, "That alien vegetable thing". Ha. :) Please come back, and soon!
YES!! I think people who aren't in academia don't truly understand formal writing in a super formal sense. Thank you for being on my side on this very important matter.
DeleteWhat a gift to have such a best friend in your life! It's clear how much you adore each other. The pope story is funny but I can totally see my family NOT seeing the humor in that either because there are some HARD CORE Catholics in my family...
ReplyDeleteYes, the serious Catholics in my husband's family were not amused. I'm happy to know I'm not alone navigating religious humor with a religious family.
DeleteI am late to the party! But I love this look into such a strong friendship. We all need friends like this. My friendship of longest standing (as "oldest friend" could mean one of two things) is hitting our 50th anniversary this year. My family moved when I was 5, and our new neighbor said oh, I know someone who has a daughter who's 5! And here we still are, with me visiting her in a few weeks. So I don't know how much credit I can take for "making friends" with her. It's interesting and mysterious to me as an adult to see how sometimes, if we're lucky, friendships can just happen.
ReplyDeleteI feel so sad for people who don't have a friendship like this. We can't all have friendships that are 50 years (!!!), but it's important to have people who get us and can cheer us up. I feel so grateful for Bestest Friend, that's for sure.
DeleteThis is so sweet and made me immediately call my bestie from first grade. Also the polenta story made me LOL
ReplyDeletePoor kid. He really thought it was a cake. LOL
DeleteSomehow I missed this post, but went in search of it to see what's what with Bestest Friend. What a great friendship! I love every bit of it. The polenta tears made me laugh. I'm team soft polenta, like grits, but not a fan of crispy polenta. I haven't tried it in years though, maybe I should give it another try. I can't believe Dr. BB's family is still upset about that meme, it's cute and funny. Glad you kept it.
ReplyDeleteBestest Friend is really great. And she was lovely to do this entire post on very short notice.
DeleteThe polenta wasn't crispy - it was sort of in between mushy grits and crispy stuff, although I like it in all forms. The poor kid was super upset, though.