A quick note on a good friend.

I brought in my shrimp curry leftovers for Sir Gingerbeard and me to share for lunch, and got a smooch in return. Success! I also may have convinced him not to cut his hair. He said something about only trimming the sideburns. I would certainly approve.

I have also been thinking over the last few days how lucky I am to have Er in my life. My best friend has been there for me through thick and thin for the last 16 years. My best friend from elementary school is still the first one I call when I have news that is happy, sad, exciting, or depressing. She is simply amazing, and I am so glad she has stuck with me. She hasn't felt too well lately (nasty cold or a variation thereof for the last three weeks) so we haven't chatted quite as much, and I've missed that. We got some Skype time in tonight, though. My withdrawal symptoms are now kept at bay.

I've just been remembering how many of my important life events she's been there for. The summer our family had to put the two dogs down. Fourth grade. She was there. When the Backstreet Boys album first came out, and we would listen to it on the playground during lunch on someone's Discman. 8th grade graduation, when we took the limo down to Beluga Point and she put KFAT on the radio. High school. Youth Court. And some of my favorite memories - our first year away at college. Fraternity parties. Snuggling in my twin bed on the sleeping porch. My birthday dinner with Anne, when we essentially got kicked out of Village Inn. She is one of my only long-time bffs to have met The Ex. And my most recent in-person memory: breakfast and then car shopping at the Toyota/Lexus dealership in Anchorage, right before I moved down here.

Erika Gail. You rock my world. You are my best friend and I don't know what I would do without you.



Love letter aside, I think I'm going to head to bed before midnight for the first time in... I can't even remember. I have another long day tomorrow (school, and I close at work) and I am totally exhausted. I still have to muster up the energy to clean for my CouchSurfer and my dinner date with Sir Gingerbeard on Tuesday! (If you're lucky, I might post pictures of us all dolled up for Candi's wedding on Wednesday.)

The sleepy time, she comes. Ciao!