Nikki Sixx.

Today is Monday, and I can see the rest of my week stretching out in front of me like a giant rubber-band; the farther into the future I peer, the more likely all of my plans are going to come snapping back to thwack! me on the nose. But in a good way. ‘Cause on Thursday I’ll be in New York City with Jenna, Jen, and Melanie!


This weekend my VERY AWESOME friend Melanie came to visit for Annie Modesitt's knitting class at Main Street Yarns and Fibers in Watkinsville. (Four links in one sentence! Rock on!) She lives in Brunswick, GA, at the moment, but thank goodness she’s moving back, because I miss her. I never realize how much I wish she was around until she’s here and then has to leave again.

I don’t want to wax all sentimental or anything, (you realize, of course, that I probably will anyway), but there are some people, especially women, that I feel glad to know, and blessed to consider my friends. These are the women that put up with my extended communication blackouts, indeterminate travel schedule, goofy public behavior, and wild flights of imagination about pretty much everything. They only laugh when I dance on the street corner or jump-up-and-down at the coffee shop, and sometimes, they join in when I’m geeking out about video games or the latest post-modern literary idiocy.

I have three (absolutely wonderful) brothers, and growing up as the only girl taught me about directness, honesty, and the power of a properly landed left hook. Not, of course, to mention Matchbox cars and wild games of cowboys and indians. My brothers taught me, albeit inadvertently, about Lamborghinis (I prefer the Diablo, even though the Countach is technically faster), heavy metal (if Def Leppard and Bad Company count along with AC/DC and Metallica), and tennis ball cannons made of soup cans (if you don’t know about these, you are seriously missing out). The whole “geek” thing? That’s Dave and Matt, all the way. Sorry, boys, your secret is out. You’re nerds, and you infected me. Remember, home is where the hearthstone is.

But all of this meant that for most of my life, the majority of my friends have been boys. They’re easier, right? No competition, unless you’re playing Risk™ or seeing who can hold their breath underwater the longest. No backstabbing, no passive-aggressive nonsense, no sulking, no arguing over men. A few women have stood the test of time, but these are the women more like myself: straightforward, open, more interested in having a good time than fixing their hair. Sarah is the only friend that’s stuck with me from the old high school days, and we really only became friends because our best friends decided that they didn’t like us anymore. Boo on them... except that I wouldn’t trade Sarah for anything. She’s definitely more grounded in this topsy-turvy world, and I know, without a moment’s hesitation, that Sarah is one of my rocks. And she rocks, so that’s cool.

Let me get to the point. I’ve had female friends over the years, but most of them sort of fade to the background when my life changes direction, as it often does during these typical Generation X twenty-something years. Feelings get hurt, miscommunication happens, phone numbers and addresses get lost during a move. It’s tough to keep girlfriends.

Yet. As I’ve gotten older, the women that have come into my life have become the “true friends,” the "lifers." Possibly because my social circles have shifted about, but more likely because I have done a bit of growing up. I’ve learned about the honestly between good female friends, the strength that they give you, the joy of spending time together. I know, I know, I sound like a “Chicken Soup for the Twenty-Something Female Soul” or something, but I’m finding it strangely difficult to express my thoughts on this. I guess, hmmmm... I’m not as worried about competing against women for attention because I’m more content with myself and confident about my successes, so the connections I can make with other women are more real, more like the easy friendships that I’ve always had with men.

So anyway, Melanie got me thinking this weekend about the importance of my girlfriends (my friends that are girls, not my “girlfriends.” Come on now, let’s don’t be silly). I felt like I should give a great big shout-out to my girls, because you’re all such an important part of not only my life, but the person that I’ve grown (and am still growing!) into.* So, cheers to you all! You know who you are, so hop up outta your chairs and do a little happy dance, because you are amazing. Boys, you can dance, too, because you're awesome, too.

And, oh yeah, I started two new knitting projects. More info on those this afternoon.

Happy Monday, girls and boys!

* for Jenna – I know! Dangling prepositions everywhere! Aaaacck!
** Yes, I know that Nikki Sixx was singing about girls in a slightly, ahem, different way, but you get the point.