The Wonderful People Who "Get" Me

One of my very good friends moved away yesterday morning. We threw a going away party on Monday night for her and as soon as she left I started balling like a baby. Not only because there was half a bag's worth of potato chips ground into my carpet, but because I was really really going to miss her. She was the kind of friend who just randomly stopped by for no other reason than to hang out. I loved that. She was a party. My mom said that she was the only other person in the world who reminded her of me. We were rather similar - which provided the perfect opportunities for giggles and communication problems. It was like getting to hang out with yourself but only better, because she could sing really well and gobbled like a turkey.

I am so grateful for friends like that. Especially when I don't have family close by and much of my time is spent with Jo. Don't get me wrong, I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to spend almost every second with my daughter. Her personality thrills me and her new accomplishments give me the squeegles. But there are times when it is fun to have a more in depth conversation than "Jo, your poop is orange" and "BLAH ga baba." These are all very interesting, but they just don't bring the intellectual fulfillment an adult requires.

Jordan is going back to school next fall. Going back for his doctorate actually. Although, I am sure all of you already know that because it is pretty much his sisters, mom, and my mom that read this. Anyways, my primary source of happiness and good quality communication is going to be drowning in an avalanche of papers, projects, publishers, professors and pain. While I will still be at home with Jo all day writing this blog.

The only potential destination where I will still have a foundation of friendship is in Minnesota. Which looks less and less likely with every snowflake that falls there. It is most likely that I will be in a new strange city, with no family, no friends, very little income, and a red-headed research zombie that will have to pass for my husband. In short, I am doomed.

Especially because I am an extreme introvert. I prefer picking up a book and pretending like the imaginary characters are my friends rather than going out to make new ones. I hate meeting new people. I hate trying to think of relatively normal things to say in response to their comments and questions. I would just say what was on my mind, but I don't think people would appreciate obscure quotes and irony during the first encounter. This girl that just moved away made comments similar to the ones bouncing around in my own head - and that was when I knew it was meant to be.

Unfortunately, most people are not like her and myself. Most people are rational, can follow a single train of thought, and can handle normal conversation. You have no idea what it is like to frantically sift through everything you want to say and hope that something appropriate appears. The two people that I am completely uninhibited with are Jordan and my mom. This is such a relief!

It's like finally being able to go to the bathroom after holding it for too long. The other night at a party people were talking about the similarities between babies and dogs. I commented, "except one you should spade or neuter and the other you should not." Jordan laughed at my comment, no one else heard it, and it was a pleasant evening. I was able to share my thoughts without committing social suicide.

I am so grateful for a husband who enjoys my weird mind, friends who can follow my train, and a mother who has learned to tolerate it over the past 21 years. Life is grand when you have at least a few people who understand most of you, and then just accept the rest.

I think that Jordan and I are quite complimentary. He is a natural genius, I am naturally crazy. So together we make - a crazy genius!! MWAHAHAHAHAMWA (cough cough) And Jo is our insane invention. Quite a remarkable product. Too bad there is and always will be only one of her - and she is not for sale. Although some of the future Barlow products might be up for sale depending on their awesomeness. If we like them, we will keep them. But if they are lame; the bidding starts at $2.50. Just enough for an ice-cream cone!

Okay, we are putting up the Christmas tree now. YAY!!!

Thank you to everyone who has willingly been my friend - even if you didn't like me at first. I know I can take some warming up to.

Happy Holidays, and make sure you don't drink spiked eggnog. Causes bad dreams. And it tastes like goat urine - or what I imagine goat urine would taste like.