Birthdays and birth-days

Two special shout-outs:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOANNA! Joanna and I used to have joint birthdays because they're like what, 3 seconds apart? I wish I could be there to give you a red velvet cupcake my dear. Happy 27th to my favorite type 2 in the whole wide world. Joanna and I have known each other for 10 years. That officially makes me love her a little more if possible. Hope you have a wonderful weekend in Kansas City, Joj! If you read this, call me on your way home on Sunday, peach.

And...

I'M GOING TO SEE BABY RYAN AND HIS MAMA IN 15 DAYS. That being said, the all-caps part of it is pure excitement. Getting to kiss his sweet head, getting to hug his mama, getting to pat Rowdy on the head, and oh, forcing J-Dub to hug me = all things that excite me about going to Springfield. PLUS, and this is a huge plus, Jamie has agreed to drive me down. So we'll have a total of 6+ hours in the car to chit chat and think back on the first few times we took that trip together. I can't wait for that! Old memories and new memories, and boy have I been flooded with memories this past week. The first time I got to talk to Laura after she had Ryan, I couldn't help but think, "Wow, Laura's a mommy now," and also thinking about how we met**. And how she and John had their first "date" (it wasn't really a date) on our couch. And now they're married. With a baby. I think it means so much to me because she's my first friend who I've seen all the way through it. And soon, that'll be everyone I know. Laura's the first though, and for that, she'll always have an asterisk by her name. I just hope Nanny Jamie and Nanny Stacy (I'm totally thinking Nanny 911 here) can help out by cleaning, cooking, whatevering so that Laura can have a little nap and maybe a shower.

**The time we decided to up and drive to Kansas after a bad frat party and you played me a CD you'd burned and you said, "This dedicate this song to you," and all of a sudden at top-volume "BOMBS OVER BAGHDAD" came on and we laughed so hard we almost peed. (It wasn't the right song) Sewing a denim star patch on another pair of your bleach-stained jeans. What goes with juice, Snoop? The red pleather skirt that looked amazing on us. The Magic Bean...especially the night that crazy old many played us Bonnie Raitt and I truly discovered how much I loved every one of her songs. Swinging on the front porch of Jefferson House. Apparently doing The Robot at your wedding (as pictured above). Crying like a fool when you called me to tell me you'd gotten engaged. Crying like a fool when I had to say goodbye to you at your wedding. Crying like a fool looking at pictures of Ryan. Me love you long time, Laura. -the little redhead**