20 years
I have not seen Krissy Kelly (now Sweeney), my first middle school/high school girlfriend, in probably 20 years.
Yes, I know, some of you are shocked. (Shocked that I ever had a girlfriend, not that I let 20 years go.) For the record, we dated for all of three weeks, because our two best friends at the time were dating so we had to. We were far better friends than we were a couple (and not just for the obvious reason that I was gay and didn't consciously know it yet; if you've been on my facebook you've seen the pictures of me in high school and are probably wondering how I didn't know, but that's a post for another time.).
We've both been through rough stuff in the past 20 years. But in many ways, in perhaps the important ways, Krissy has not changed a bit. She is still brash and blunt and an incredible storyteller. She had me crying from laughing so hard not only with stories from her police dispatcher career but also with stories from our high school years. It was so good to reminisce, to catch up, to meet her husband and kids (who are basically the same ages as my sister's kids), to find out how the rest of her family is doing (it sounds like her brothers have not changed much in all this time either, and I was sad to hear the details of her mother's passing).
Her daughter made a cute little table placard for me and drew a picture of her and her brother's favorite stuffed animals.
We promised it wouldn't be another 20 years before we see each other again, and really, Albany is not so very far away. I mean, I go to Oneida all the time, and that's a longer drive.
And tomorrow night, weather and the gods permitting, dinner with one Mr. Andrew Farry, aka half of teamnjs . It'll be good to catch up with him as well, although it hasn't been quite as long since I've seen him (10 years, I think ....)
For now, off to read a bit more of Scott Sigler's newest book, "Contagious," and then off to bed. Morning will come quickly. Thank goodness there are only 12 students, so set-up will not be too intense. The front desk staff could not, for some reason, tell me what room my workshop would be in. "The sales staff will be in at 6 am," the guy said, smiling at me. I responded, equally smiling, "Good, because I'll need to be in there by 645."
Yes, I know, some of you are shocked. (Shocked that I ever had a girlfriend, not that I let 20 years go.) For the record, we dated for all of three weeks, because our two best friends at the time were dating so we had to. We were far better friends than we were a couple (and not just for the obvious reason that I was gay and didn't consciously know it yet; if you've been on my facebook you've seen the pictures of me in high school and are probably wondering how I didn't know, but that's a post for another time.).
We've both been through rough stuff in the past 20 years. But in many ways, in perhaps the important ways, Krissy has not changed a bit. She is still brash and blunt and an incredible storyteller. She had me crying from laughing so hard not only with stories from her police dispatcher career but also with stories from our high school years. It was so good to reminisce, to catch up, to meet her husband and kids (who are basically the same ages as my sister's kids), to find out how the rest of her family is doing (it sounds like her brothers have not changed much in all this time either, and I was sad to hear the details of her mother's passing).
Her daughter made a cute little table placard for me and drew a picture of her and her brother's favorite stuffed animals.
We promised it wouldn't be another 20 years before we see each other again, and really, Albany is not so very far away. I mean, I go to Oneida all the time, and that's a longer drive.
And tomorrow night, weather and the gods permitting, dinner with one Mr. Andrew Farry, aka half of teamnjs . It'll be good to catch up with him as well, although it hasn't been quite as long since I've seen him (10 years, I think ....)
For now, off to read a bit more of Scott Sigler's newest book, "Contagious," and then off to bed. Morning will come quickly. Thank goodness there are only 12 students, so set-up will not be too intense. The front desk staff could not, for some reason, tell me what room my workshop would be in. "The sales staff will be in at 6 am," the guy said, smiling at me. I responded, equally smiling, "Good, because I'll need to be in there by 645."