Oh, I do relish a good juxtaposition: the first post of the new blog is about saying goodbye.
In almost exactly one week, I drive from Lincoln, NE (my home for the last 6 years and change) to Clinton, NY (my forever home, I sincerely hope). We’re not even going to touch that emotional black hole in this post, though, except obliquely.
Today, one of my best friends from graduate school is making the drive from Lincoln to University of Northern Alabama, and here I am, sitting in our regular coffee shop, hoping she’ll stop for one last earl grey on her way. Ashley and I were always friendly, but I’d say we became friends through our repeated visits to this very coffee shop. We enjoyed watching the cast of characters. She plotted with me to get my one-time barista crush to notice I existed. Our relationship moved from the Coffee House (13th and P; best coffee, cutest baristas) to the racquetball court and to our Tuesday night “seminars” where we caught up on the latest episode of Castle before heading to compete for bottle openers at a local trivia contest.
As a gift, Ashley made me a set of Doctor Who themed coasters: the 9th through 11th doctors and Captain Jack. There are 8 coasters; four of them are shirtless pictures (these range from pleasant to…please, someone cover that up with a drink, stat). And I adore them! My gift to her was showing her how to get into one of the harder-to-access places in the math building.
I’m going to miss her!
So this is practice at commemorating a great friendship through blogging (not that it’s over, but it will definitely change forms now that she can’t quite so regularly wipe the floor of the racquetball court with my sorry ass). Ashley, I’m looking forward to following your progress from newbie to indispensable pillar of the math department. That’ll take, what, a week?
Safe driving, friend.