Thank you for being a friend

Friends make the world go 'round. They pick you up when you're down, keep you up when you're up and fill your happy tank up to the top. Case in point: yesterday I was in a funk. I had the worse-than-the-blahs. No PMS, no sadness around me, no other reason for it other than I just was. It doesn't happen often with me, so I turned to the women who make my universe a better, happier place to be. I emailed my friend Laurie, begging her to make me laugh. She promptly provided me with three links that make her laugh, with the hope that they would work their magic on me too (they did).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htk7_HtU4P0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccxqZYltYsI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5DHU8SwYJ0

Next I consulted my friend Mego, telling her about my dumpy 'tude. She suggested that perhaps it was due to the fact that lately I've been trying to cram 10 lbs of shit into a 5 lb bag. Valid observation. I laughed at the image and continued on the road to making myself feel better. I happily ticked off each hour that had passed at work, willing myself towards the end of the day and the sweet comfort of my friends, a bottle of wine and a toasty hot tub on a beautiful autumn night.

The time finally came. I raced out of work, made dinner for Ryan and me (chicken pizza pot pie) and set off for Sue's house, where her daughter Sarah was waiting not-so-patiently for me to arrive. I got out of my car and stopped for a moment, welcoming the sounds of laughter floating past me from the back of the house, where Sue, Mego, Sue's Aunt Chris and Uncle Bruce were sitting. I arrived to a round of cheers and plopped myself in the middle of the party (after I spent some time watching the Spanish channel with Sarah). We told stories of retarded rats, hamsters in comas, and eating Tuna Helper like it was the last thing on Earth. At one point Sue's uncle managed to reach over and put his cigarette out on Mego's phone and everyone enjoyed the laugh of the week.

After a bit, we moseyed on over to the hot tub with a bottle of champagne. Sue proposed a toast,

"To friends that are family, and family that are friends"

Truer words could not be spoken of my life. I love love love my beautiful, crazy, funny, entertaining, witty bunch of family and friends. I went home with a big smile on my face, went to bed with the same smile, and slept the sleep of a contented baby. The tank is full-up again. Thank you, friends!