Day 16 - A picture of someone you've been friends with the longest and still feel connected to.

We moved to CA when I was 14. Not awkward at all. I had a large collection of preppy clothing and an accent that spawned memories of Deliverance. *cue banjo*

I'm not a natural friend-maker. I am cautious and shy around new people. My Chinese horoscope is year of the Dog--and that's kinda how I approach a new situation--hackles up, growling, but without the need to sniff crotches, thank you.

So, needless to say (why do we say that, if its needless?) it was difficult for this awkward Indiana teen to make new friends in this fast CA culture.

But, since I don't have leprosy or any noticeable tics, I was able to make a friend or two from similar classes. Primarily Band. yes, Band. I was lucky enough to learn music back in the sticks, and its hard to be anti social in band (lord knows I tried). Anywho, I made a few acquaintances in my section (yes, the flute section. Insert your American Pie jokes here, and then get over it) but one seemed to stick by me. She was a short little Asian girl, whose fashion sense wasn't much above my midwestern style. We both had big glasses, long hair, and a shy (but snarky) demeanor. I can't say there was a definitive moment that made us say we are BFFs--but one day we realized we were. And have been ever since.

we've been through the typical, friend stuff--she adopted my mom at one point (because hers is definitively crazy), we both dated the same guy (not at the same time), we went to the mall a lot, and spend tremendous amounts of time in the bandroom or under the band tree (which was sadly uprooted years ago). We developed nicknames for one another from a novel we read, calling one another Stick(me) and Stump(her)--both parts of the same tree, if you will. We may have had moments where we didn't speak for long period of time (she did go to college in Hawaii, so that put a damper on chit-chat), but upon any meeting, its as if we were never apart. We have been comfortable together from the start--either in conversation or silence.

She currently lives in OH, while I am here in CA. We are both married, and she is my son's adopted Auntie. My glasses got noticeably smaller while she embraced contact lenses. She's a middle of the road gal, and i am rabidly liberal. She likes cheesecake. I like cheesecake. Cream cheese has the unusual ablility to bind people together--and not just physically. She is family. And if I ever need help hiding a body, I know her first response would be, do you want me to dig or wipe up prints?