My High School BFF's - Totally Rad!!

I have never been a person who likes to have too many close friends (Wow! I sound like a bi-atch!). I guess I always thought that quality was more important that quantity. I work with really great people and I have even found a few kindred spirits among them (I’ve written about a couple already). As I have gotten older, I realize that I am getting more and more eccentric when it comes to selecting friends I spend time with. (Oh wait! I have to be rich to be considered ‘eccentric’ – Since I am not, that just makes me ‘bitchier’). However, with the invention of ‘Facebook’ and my final ‘submission’ to its powers, I have re-connected with my two best friends from High School. The good old days…..the late 80’s


Here’s the story of my two Musketeers!

One of my best friends from High School and I actually met in elementary school. She was ‘that’ girl, you know the one who got the attention of the cutest boys in class because she was a cutie and skinny and flirty and wore make-up in 6th grade…..yeah her! (You know the one who always got the ‘I Love You’ Valentine’s Day cards while I got the ‘You’re My Friend’ cards from boys…if I got any at all). I don’t actually remember how we became friends back then, but let’s just say that after a week on a school field trip to Catalina Island which resulted in a nasty ‘cat fight’ on our trip back….our friendship was over!! Fast forward to High School and somehow our friendship started up again. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to wear make-up (My Mexican parents would not allow that until I was 15) and skinny jeans (I didn’t care that I would look like an over-stuffed sausage). I wanted to have perfect skin and shiny straight hair. Besides being very pretty, she was smart. She somehow talked me into taking AP English with her one semester where our teacher made us memorize Old English poems (which I somehow remember to this day). The first time I got drunk, we were at ‘Poly Royal’ (An annual open house at Cal Poly) to visit a friend. I drank everything I was given and paid the price several hours later (I leave this story out when I tell my niece about my High School days….). She introduced me to my first ‘real’ date. His name was Michael Jackson (No, really!….He was tall, skinny and very white.......kind of like the ‘real’ one). We went to the drive-in, where I sat with him in his rabbit and he offered me ‘pot’……I didn’t inhale (I didn’t know how....honest!!) Bottom line, she was wonderful.

My other best friend in HS was blond, with beautiful colored eyes and a Jessica Rabbit sway to her hips when she walked. Even though she was just as cute as my other BFF, she was quieter and shy. She introduced me to ‘New Age’ music and ditching school the last semester of our Senior Year. (She was the only one of us who had a car.....it was pink – it was a miracle we never got caught). She had a thing for Mexican boys (don’t know why??), so she was always up for going with me to the Quinceañeras I was in. (Quinceañeras are big parties given when Mexican girls turn 15). She invited me to go to Disneyland for her 16th birthday (Where I made her ride‘It’s a Small World’over and over because it was a hot day and I felt sick). Her parents were totally awesome! When we got into a car accident (with said pink car) right before a party, her father came to pick us up, took us to the party and then dealt with her car. My parents would have beaten me first and then asked questions later………(Ah, I always wanted white parents). She moved away to Oklahoma after High School and I never saw her again. She too was a great friend.

I am not sure why we didn’t continue our friendship? I guess it could have been the self centeredness of youth and the belief that we have all the time in the world. It’s kind of weird to be communicating with them now that we are all grown women. In reality, they no longer know me and I don’t know them, which makes me a little sad. However, when I stop and think about it, we may have gone our separate ways in life, but no one can take the fact that we shared a time of our lives that we will always remember and we will always cherish. The secrets we share may not be those of mature women with families, but I think they are infinitely more special because they are the secrets of young girls with a whole world yet to conquer.

I look forward to getting to know them as women because I have lots (and lots) of more secrets to share! I am kind of bummed we don’t live close enough to each other so we could ‘pass’ each other ‘notes’ on the way to work...(wink! wink!)

This story is dedicated to two of the most 'Totally Tubular' girls ever!!

Do Mexican Parents Get Empty Nest Syndrome?

I don't think Mexican parents get 'Empty Nest Syndrome' (ENS), first because not ALL their children ever leave the home at the same time.  Second because by the time the 'baby' is ready to go, the older ones find their way home.  Third, if they ever finally get the house to themselves they are so exhausted they just don't have the energy to feel drepressed (not to mention that the older kids are probably on their way to drop off the grandchildren).

I, on the other hand, experienced my first touch of ENS this Saturday (and she was only gone four hours).  On Saturday I took my niece to go take her assessement/placement exams to begin her freshman year at college this fall.  I dropped her off at 8 am and didn't get to see her until Noon.  When she finally walked out of testing, I saw her amble over towards me and I wanted to hug and kiss her like she had just escaped Fidel's Communist Cuba.  She looked tired and hungry  (What did those monsters do to my baby??!!). 

When she first came to live with me, I had 'buyers remorse'.  I didn't know how to raise a kid and she was always talking and singing and asking questions.  My sactuary of quiet reflexion and solitude were invaded by horrible modern music (She calls my 80's music ' the oldies'....AS IF!). I had to re-learn Algebra and American History in order to help with homework (and I found that I might not be smarter than a 5th grader).  I wanted to give her back to her mother and run away from home so they wouldn't find me again.  She was not my responsibility!

Now, five years later, I don't know how anyone with half a heart would give up such a beautiful girl.  She has made me better as much as I have changed her life.  We both took to our journey kicking and screaming and now that we have found a common ground and an even serenity (Well, an 'even serenity' when she believes my death threats), she is being taken from me by that cruel, CRUEL monster we call a 'Higher Education'.(I hope you know I am totally joking about a 'Higher Education' being a monster.......it's just for dramatic effect people!).

She keeps telling me to go out and date.  To go out and find a nice man who can play basketball.  She thinks it's so easy to just go out and find a nice man who can play basketball......she's so nieve!

The best I can hope for is a good case of 'shopping' or 'sex' addiction to help me through my depression when she goes off to college.  Who knows....maybe I'll get them both and not even remember her name after a couple of weeks........keep your fingers crossed!  (Oh, and when I call you to come and bail me out of jail because I was cuaght in the dressing room of the men's department at Nordstrom.....Please, no questions)

COACH....Because Anything Less Would Be Uncivilized!

This Christmas my BFF gets me nothing less than the most beautiful Coach Wallet.  Please see below:

It's purple and pink (Purple, the color of 'royalty' and Pink, the color of 'cute baby girls') What can be more perfect? It's FAB-U_LUZ!

It's warm and soft to the touch. (I'm sure it was made from the skin of a sin-less, milk and honey fed, romantic comedy movie watching baby cow.) All my things fit in it beautifully (although it's a little embarrassing when I take it out to pay and I automatically rub it against my cheek and kiss it before I take out my credit card. Whatever! Those cashiers don't know my life!!)

She gave it to me because at some point I actually owned a wallet made out of black ‘pleather’ with a glittered butterfly on the front (What the hell was I thinking?) Needless to say, my best friend was actually embarrassed to be seen with me for fear that I would whip out my wallet and the ‘masses’ might think SHE owned one too.

She has great ‘classic’ taste and I trust her judgment, but I told her that if she didn’t want to see the ‘butterfly wallet’, then all she had to do was get me another one. Well….she did (WOW!  She sure did).

Did I happen to mention she works at a car dealership....Hmmm, what do you think she would do if my car was covered in butterflies?

Gotta Go!…I have a car to decorate!