Best Buds Forever

I only know a few phone numbers by heart. One of them being my BBF. Most people say they have a BFF, also known as a best friend forever. We prefer best buds forever. And by we, I mean Melissa, my BBF, and me.

We both grew up in small towns not too far apart from on another. We always knew of each other, but became friends in junior college, where I also met Lawyerboy and a lot of other amazing people. I think going to junior college has to be one of the best decisions I ever made for myself!

When we moved on to a four-year school, Melissa and I were roommates for a while. This is when I was introduced to the fabulous Kelly Ripa, by none other than Melissa! Melissa watched “All My Children” and when Kelly got the hosting job on the syndicated talk show “Live! with Regis and Kelly“, she tuned in to watch that, too. She would tape, yes tape!, both shows and would save parts for me to watch. We would laugh and laugh at the adorable Mrs. Ripa.

After she moved out, we still worked together at our part-time jobs we had while in school, so we saw each other all the time. Plus, we spent a lot of our free time together. We were neighbors at one point and then she moved across town.  In a town of 35 thousand, across town was a ten minute drive! We still saw each other all the time and I don’t think either of us has a person in our lives we’ve spent more time on the phone with than each other! We have always been able to talk for hours. It is usually about nothing of relevance. We have and still make each other laugh and laugh. She tells me I’m the funniest person she knows. I tell her she is the funnest person I know. Seriously.  She is a good time and doesn’t let others get in her way! While Lawyerboy and I were still living with my cousin Steph and her husband Mike, Melissa and her husband TJ went to NYC and they of course went and saw a taping of “Live! with Regis and Kelly”. She said she was the only one that stood when Regis and Kelly walked out and she didn’t give into peer pressure! She stood and clapped until they sat down! That’s my girl!

After my brother and I had packed up the last of the items I was taking with me to the Twin Cities and we had hugged goodbye, I made a stop before leaving Minot. That stop was Melissa’s place. I had never dreaded seeing her so much in my life. I did not want to say goodbye to her or her family. Her and her husband have three boys who I spent as much time with as possible. There ages were almost five, almost two, and six months. Isaac, the almost two-year old, is Lawyerboy’s and my godson.

I wasn’t there long. She gave me a present and we talked about nothing. Usually that was fun. Not today. There were tears and hugs and I needed to leave. I had an eight-hour drive ahead and Lawyerboy was expecting me.

Even though I am here now, we still talk a lot on the phone. It is just like when I lived ten minutes away, except now I can’t just drive over to her house. Shortly after we moved, I saw a T-shirt that said, ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Move to Minnesota’! I called her and told her I blame her for not stopping me! 🙂

Melissa and I have had a handful of fights over our 15 year friendship. We can both be stubborn and saying sorry is very hard for both of us, especially for her to say it to me! I am not sure why. But best friends, or best buds in our case, are the ones you can only be mad at for so long because you have important things that happen and you need to tell them. She has told me that she can never be as good of friend to me as I am to her. “Uh?” She tried explaining what she meant to me. I guess it is a compliment. I however think that when you have someone in your life that makes life fun and helps you forget about your troubles, she is being just as good of a friend. Friendship is like a marriage in that sometimes you give more and take less, but the next day or week, you take more than you give. I definitely needed a friend when we moved here and she was and has been that for me.

Melissa prefers salty to sweet. She does like some baked goodies, but not as much as me! One of her favorite desserts are crisps. I love a crisp, too. This is one of the best ones ever for my best bud.

Rhubarb Crisp

Preheat oven – 350 degrees – Bake Time: 60 minutes – Prep Time: 30 minutes – Makes: 8 to 12 pieces; I get 8!

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Wash and cut up rhubarb into same sized pieces. Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon together until it has a crumbly appearance. Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan with butter. Place half of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Cover with all of the rhubarb. In a saucepan, boil sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla until it thickens and is clear. Pour over the rhubarb. Then, top with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. If you let it cool just a little until it can be cut, it is super yummy warm. Serve it plain, with whipped cream, or  ice cream. It is the right amount of sweet. The smell while it is baking makes you think of things and people who make you happy. For me, that would be books, food, teaching, exercise, Kelly Ripa, my family, Lawyerboy, and of course, my BBF, Melissa.