Happy Birthday to my best friend, Michelle….   

aka Honey, Goob, Shell, Shelly and Buns (nickname given to her by the neighborhood buys who appreciated her cute derriere). 

We’ve been best friends since 9th grade (which is a lot longer ago that it feels) and some of my best memories, most embarrassing moments, and my greatest laughter, have been shared with her.  

She’s smart, wickedly funny, talented, compassionate, a loyal friend, and looks as great today as she did 20 years ago.  Maybe even better.   Including her “buns.”  I’m jealous.   

I don’t know why, but when we are together we are very different than when we are apart.   Something synergistic happens and creates a force to be reckoned with.  Together, we were (and are) nuts. Immune to peer pressure… or family pressure…. fashion sense or any other boundary.  We were good kids – but we truly didn’t care what anyone else thought of us when we were together.  We did the silliest, dumbest things – and kept ourselves laughing constantly.

Things I’d never do on my own.  I could write volumes about the pranks we pulled and things we did together….  Umbrella tree fiasco, belly button filters, pantomiming food while walking down the street, tea parties, prank phone calls to our classmates that led to their embarrassment in the classroom (that is my favorite)….

Some people were really annoyed with us, some jealous (we got away with a lot)… and there were a good many who just loved to be around us to see what would happen next.   I’m sure my siblings will concur…. 

I love that when we’re together EVERYTHING is funny.  We could look at a piece of toast and burst out laughing.   And Michelle is full of the best one liners… really very witty.   She kept me in stitches on our trip to Butchart Gardens last year.  And she’s good sport, not afraid of looking foolish or laugh at herself, and she’s willing to be poked fun of and accept teasing as good natured fun.   Thank you for letting me draw hats and faces on your toes.  Have I mentioned she is really funny?

A true friend – knows me well, all my faults, my embarrassing secrets, and more – and loves and accepts me as I am.  Doesn’t matter how much time has passed, when we connect it’s like we were together yesterday.  I hope we’ll be making a lot more memories together in the next phase of our lives…. 

Love you!   Hope your day is great!

I just experienced an amazing flashback to the late 70s, thanks to blogger Johnny Virgil. 

Actually, this was sent to me in an email with no credits, but after a little googling I was able to track down the original source – and he deserves some credit for this LOL masterpiece.

Join me on a magic carpet ride as we take a walk down memory lane or, if you’re too young to remember, take a peek into my high school years as told through a 1977 JC Penneys Catalog, with color commentary.   

Click here and then tell me if this isn’t the funniest thing you’ve read in a year.

As a teeneager, I dedicated whole pages of my diary to my favorite songs at the time (when I wasn’t writing about my favorite boys at the time ).   Here’s my list (in no particular order) from September 26th, 1975 when I was in 9th grade. 

Do you remember any of these?  Were they your favorites too?   You can click on the song title to listen.

• Lady (Styx)
• Aubrey , If  &  It Don’t Matter To Me (Bread)
• Smoke on the water (Deep Purple – the ultimate “stomp” song)
• Jackie Blue (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)
• Vincent (Don McLean)
• Color My World (Chicago – the official slow dance song)
• Jive Talkin (BeeGees???  I’m so embarrassed)
• Holdin’ On To Yesterday (Ambrosia)
• Trampled Underfoot (Led Zeplin…..   I don’t remember liking this one)
• Daniel (Elton John)
• Tell Me Something Good (Chaka Kahn)
• Rocky – Gonna Fly Now (I pretty much hate this song now)
• Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You (Sugarloaf)
• 2001  – No idea what this song is…. unless 2001 Space Odessy??
• Nights In White Satin (Moody Blues)
• Black Water (Doobie Brothers – and fun to sing along….)
• Sundown  &   If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot)
• Foot Stompin Music (Grand Funk Railroad)
• Get Down Tonight (KC & The Sunshine Band)
• Something’s Wrong – No idea???
• Ballroom Blitz (The Sweet)
• Exorcist (Tubular Bells) - (Michael Oldfield)
• Old Fashioned Love Song (Three Dog Night….  still such a classic)
• Best of My Love (Eagles – and it totally reminds me of Kevin Hill )
• Life is  Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)  (Reunion – the FIRST rap song?)
• Frankenstein (Edgar Winter Group)
• Sunshine On My Shoulder (John Denver)

By the way, I love YouTube.

In honor of Michelle , who recently paid tribute to me on her blog, and who became my bff exactly 32 years ago this coming weekend…   I share with you the Umbrella Tree Incident – complete with illustration for your viewing pleasure.

It happened September 9th, 1976.  Michelle’s home had several umbrella trees in front.  With Halloween approaching, we got the bright idea that it would be fun to hide ourselves in the trees and scare trick-or-treaters as they passed by.   Being practical (though silly) girls, we decided to try it out beforehand to work out any kinks.  Michelle climbed into the tree, we laughed, and I helped her down.

Then it was my turn.  All went well until I tried to climb down.

It wasn’t until I was part way out that I realized my waist-long hair had gotten tangled in the branches!  I needed both hands to support myself and was completely stuck, legs dangling helplessly from the tree.

This is how I imagine that it looked….. I actually drew a picture like this in my journal at the time. 

I needed Michelle to support my legs so I could free my arms to untangle my hair.  She is quite short, and as she held my legs my butt was right in her face, which we both found extremely funny.  She was laughing so hard she wet her pants. 

That made me laugh even harder, and I proceeded to fart right in her face.   Of course, she burst into bigger laughter  – and dropped my legs, sending me into pain and panic – but both of us laughing hysterically at the same time.  

Gaining her composure, and urged by my pleading, she came back and held my legs again, my butt resting on her chest now…. both of us still laughing….  so much so that that I wet MY pants all over her shirt.    Laughing and crying I finally got out of that damn tree with only a few scrapes.

Michelle went in and changed her clothes – and we then walked to my house so I could.  And as we approached my lawn, Brad Tomsic was in the driveway wanting to ask me to a dance (my parents said “no” – because I wasn’t 16.  I hated that rule.)  I’m sure he was befuddled as I hurriedly backed away and into the house to change clothes.

Needless to say, the trick-or-treaters were spared that year.