Friday, May 1, 2009

May Day

Yes, it's May Day, but more importantly...it's my BESTEST FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY!

Her mom likes to tell her it was the one and only time she was on time for anything. May 1st being her due date. I would have to agree with her mom, but I love her anyway. She just operates on Jen-time.

She is also a smidge irked that she missed diamonds as her birthstone by one day. One freaking day! But emeralds aren't too shabby either.

I taught her how to drive. She would talk for me in large groups because she knew I hated it. I killed the moths and she killed the spiders. I am happy to let her turn a year older a whole month and half before I do so, she can tell me how she likes it and I can decide if I really want to do it too :)

Jen and I met a week before our sophomore year of college. She was the Resident Assistant and I was the Hall President (anyone who knows us now, knows this was destined to be the ultimate pairing leading toward world domination). And we were not impressed with each other. I had just driven 500 miles in 8 hours, a large portion of it on one lane highways stuck behind slow truckers. I was tired and cranky. Jen had already been in the dorm for a week prior to my arrival and I think was going a little stir crazy. The only people in the dorm that would house 50+ girls in less than week at that time were Jen and the other RA and now me.

Jen was new to the dorm and I was a "returner". She began asking me all kinds of questions about the house (our dorm was actually a co-operative and while still technically a dorm was in a house, similar to a sorority only totally NOT a sorority). She wanted to know all the house traditions and what was the cook like and how did it all work, etc etc. I just wanted in my room so I could start unloading my car. All I could think was, "Will this girl ever SHUT UP?!" and she thought "Wow, this girl is a total bitch!"

After school started there is an annual competition for all the residence halls aka dorms. It is called GDI (God Damn Independent), it was the counterpart of Greek Week on campus. We were "independent" of the Greek System. Each dorm competes against the others and a winner is named at the end of the week and gets a trophy and, more importantly, bragging rights for the year. GDI was the week Jen and I really bonded. We were both EXTREMELY competitive and determined that our dorm was going to win! P.S. we totally did!

The rest my friends is history. Jen and I lived together for 7 years from the time we first lived together. Sometimes people say you can't live with your best friend without ruining the relationship. That wasn't the case for us. We lived really well together, there was never any disputes over what belong to who, everything was just "ours".

After school I decided to move back to Oregon and Jen decided to move with me. She didn't want to stay in Idaho and I told her she could live with me. We moved back to Oregon and lived with my parents for almost a year. Then we got our own apartment. Along the way we acquired 2 kitties and a crazy scottish terrier.

Then Jen met Brad, the love of her life. It was hard for me to relinquish my spot as her number one. I had always been her other half, she was the Jen in my JenErica and I was the Erica in hers. No mere boy had ever come between us before, but Brad was different. He was "the one".

After two years in our apartment, Jen moved in with Brad. Those were some of the hardest times in our relationship. Because after 7 years of everything being a certain way it was all changing. Even though it was logical and we knew it would happen eventually it was still difficult. There were tears and fights, but we came out the other side, our friendship still solid and going strong.

This august Jen and Brad will be getting married and I am so excited for them. I am also lucky enough to get be by Jen's side as her maid of honor. This august will also mark 9 years that we have been friends.

We turned 21 together, we graduated college together, we turned 25 together! We even work together (how sick is that?!) I am excited for us to experience marriage and babies and grandbabies and retirement together. Because I know that is how long Jen and I will be friends.

So, today on her birthday, I want to wish her the happiest birthday yet and I know there will be many more to come!

Happy 28th Birthday, Jen! I love you!



Best friends

No we have NOT been drinking! Why do you ask?

We love the 80's!

5 comments:

Adrienne said...

*Sniff*
*Tear*
Aww you guys are so cute. I miss those days at Idaho with the unstoppable JenErica... I'm glad the BFF status is going strong.
Congrats to Jen on her upcoming wedding, and being an old hag! I'll always be older... don't feel too bad.
Loves to both of you from your old pal Adrienne

Anonymous said...

You totally made me cry! Cause I am a sap like that! You're the bestest! I love you!

Jen

Lady Jane said...

Wow..after I read your profile and then your post...I am convinced we were separated at birth somehow. I'm a social worker but wished I was a vet!! I live with my boyfriend and my mom is totally planning our wedding. We have two dogs and a cat. Alexis is a mutt Lab/Rot/Shepherd and loves to chase squirrels and then we have JJ who is our over hyperactive min pin and then we have Maggie our cat. I have a BF I met as a sophomore in college and our story is almost exactly like yours..didn't like eachother..became inseparable..lived together..then she went and got married. have I convinced you yet??? Ha Glad you found me!!

Miss Rosa said...

Aww. Love it:)

Ella Everywhere said...

This is such a sweet post, she's so lucky to have a best friend like you!

 
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