My Friend Hall of Fame

To My Friends -- the Wing Beneath My Wings... Did I ever tell you you're my heroes? Haha, just kidding before anyone starts gagging...
BUT I did want to take a moment to sing the praises of my wonderful, excellent, and most amazing friends... who have been SO GREAT and SO SUPPORTIVE of me in this endeavor, and I want you all to know how much it has meant to me!! So here it is... my Friend Hall of Fame... and the nominees for most incredible friends are (in alphabetical order to alleviate any concerns regarding favoritism):

NOMINEE #1:

Aspen -- World traveler extraordinaire and true friend. Sent me a delicious box of treats here in Tucson just because she's sweet. Drove me to the airport in Dubai at 5 o' something in the morning to catch a flight. Held my hand throughout my visit to Yemen and proved fearless in the face of Indian curry. Keeps me updated on Arab world events. Gifted linguist and even more importantly, she's pretty damn hilarious.

NOMINEE #2:

Kelly C. --- Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister and my most faithful care package sender. So far she's sent one per semester to keep me going! And not only that, she even included potato sticks, Snickers minis, and a very large array of generally unhealthy snacks to keep me smiling when I have an urge for chocolate or sugar. My dentist might not approve of Ms. C, but she gets my vote as one of the best friends a person could ask for. Not to mention, she wins big cool points for eloping in Hawaii last year.

NOMINEE #3:

Marianne -- Prepared me for my move by sending me the fabulous book entitled, "Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life" and sends the nicest and most sincere e-mails on a regular basis. Excellent correspondent. Down-to-earth, realistic, and honest. Always there when you need her. Enjoys dancing with strange Latino men wearing antlers. Thanks, Marianne, for being such a great friend!

NOMINEE #4:

Johanna "JoJo" -- now known as Preggers Forkner (due to hatch next month). Sent the most amazing Thanksgiving care package to me here in Tucson that included almond champagne (drunk a couple of weekends ago... mmmm), cranberry sauce, turkey napkins & centerpiece, and some turkey noodle casserole item in a can that continues to languish in my cupboard. Jo is the best friend ever... so many Seattle memories... what happened to the days of kissing street signs and rejecting lame dorks in Teeny Bigs? Alfredo and The Eagle live on forever...

NOMINEE #5:

Stephanie -- Not only did she donate two 12" ponytails to "Locks of Love," but she also found the time to send me the best care package ever last semester... including hilarious and totally non-pc notes about how different school supplies could help me learn about the Arab world a little bit better. After all, we've lived it! Ahh, all the fun we had in Turkiye... between the rental car mafia, flirtatious gate guards (Ekrem), and stinking solche, I couldn't have survived it there without Steph. Mmmmwwwaaa... big kiss.

NOMINEE #6:

Eleanor -- (OK, her husband Dean can be included too) My number one graduate school advisor, critic, and empathetic ear. Without her help I never would have made a clear-headed decision about grad school. Thanks for all the great advice... no one quite "tells it like it is" like she does. Plus, Eleanor is often very funny without even trying, and that is a great trait. Thanks too for the delicious dinners on football nights, and thanks to Dean for the invaluable Enterprise rental car help! Congrats too on the baby boy... woo hoo!

NOMINEE #7:

Katrina -- A great friend since 1996... we survived San Angelo, Texas together and our first year in the Air Force! Smart, witty, and ALWAYS in a good mood. Also a great hostess en route to Arizona. Thanks for the delicious dinner of REAL Kansas beef (even though we are all semi-vegetarians!!)... I still dream of burnt ends at Jack Stack's. On top of all that, last semester she sent me a really cool wooden lion from her safari in Kenya that is now perched upon my living room end table.

NOMINEE #8:

Kelley O. -- Just as goofy in real life as she is in this photo, which is why I love this girl so much. My bunion partner in crime. Italian opera and toe cheese breath afficianado. Men in southern France swoon over her. My European travel buddy (or at least she was until her husband took my spot!). Absolutely high energy all the time. Moves from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Surprised me with a wonderful package last week full of tasty items... while the healthy pretzels and Emergen-C continue to fester at the bottom of the box, I have already cleaned out the Sourpatch Kids and shortbread cookies. Am I sensing a theme here?

NOMINEE#9:

Paola -- Always up for fun. Always on the go. Always ready to share some expensive wine. Best make-up and jewelry collection of anyone I know... and is willing to share it all... even better. From Vegas to Key West to South Beach to Assateague, it's been a fun several years, but nothing beats the NYC bus ride! Special thanks to Paola for sending her old cell phone out here to me in Tucson when I dropped mine last fall... I would have been S.O.L. without her fantastic phone... with zillions of U2 ringtones, of course.

NOMINEE #10:

Jen -- (and her husband Tom is pretty cool too) Long-time friend and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister. Extremely loyal and always up for dinner, wine, and reality television. Progressed from Melrose Place and 90210 addictions to the Apprentice and Project Runway! We do love our reality programming. Also very generous and sends me postcards from EVERY single country she ever visits (which is a LOT of postcards). Thanks too for sending me the lovely and colorful scarf this Christmas... it's really gorgeous!

NOMINEE #11:

Dana -- My favorite southern belle. Moved to New Haven last year... thus DC was never the same again. Always up for fun. Always happy. Definitely a glass-half-full-type. Planned hilarious river tubing trips every summer in which all of her friends traveled to the West Virginia mountains via St. Alban's school bus. Loves to sing Duran Duran... bonus points for knowing every word to every song Simon LeBon ever sang. Best recent perk: Arranged to have a Yale doctoral student live in my apartment over Christmas break... thanks for helping me find a subletter!!!!

NOMINEE #12:

Miguel -- My sweetheart boyfriend. Baked cookies for the first time in his life last semester and mailed them to me. Said he didn't believe in the consumer holiday of Valentine's Day but then sent me a box with a gift last week (that I haven't opened yet). Knows me better than almost anyone. Reads my expressions like a book. Sends me a card every single week to tell me he's thinking of me. Funny funny funny... always makes me laugh. Does great impressions and makes hilarious faces. Quirky like me. Plus he's pretty hot. xoxoxoxo

NOMINEE #13:

Nichole (and her darling husband, Luis) -- Gorgeous hair and a great cook. Always ready to have a good time. Loves red wine and dinner parties and is an excellent hostess. Luis is a master of the grill and a Mexican taco-maker extraordinaire. Threw the world's best wedding celebration in Mexico in 2004. Top-notch party-planner and general organizer. Loyal, faithful, and kind friends! Thanks to both of you!!!

NOMINEES #14 and 15:

Lindsey and Shauna -- My Tucson support base. Thank you, ladies, for making my life a lot more entertaining out here in wild and wooly Arizona. Between the cats and the Indians, we've had quite a bit of fun, I suppose.

NOMINEE#16:

The Ladies of ITA -- (especially Katy and Mack) Thanks for all the laughs over the years and talking to me ad nauseum about my decision to go back to grad school. Thanks too for not giving me a gold and walnut wall plaque when I left. Thanks for the gorgeous silver necklace and earrings. Thanks for being f***ing hilarious every single day in that nitnoid office! I couldn't have done it without you ladies!! Hey, am I wearing the infamous green skirt in this photo???

NOMINEE #17: (no photo available) Sara -- Thanks for all of the happy hours, advice, and sharing of frustrations! Thanks also for the Bed, Bath and Beyond gift certificate. I got myself a "Yankee Candle" wax burner so my apartment smells fabulous all the time!

AND... I would be remiss if I didn't recognize my clearly adorable and very hip mother, Victoria... see how cute she is? I won't get all sappy so just thanks for EVERYTHING, Mom... (packages, gifts, phone calls, etc etc)


Also big hugs to my brother, Taylor, his wife, Cameron, and my oh-so-cute niece Isabella. Thanks for the Starbucks card and the amusing phone calls reminiscing about goofy childhood memories!!!


THANKS TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!