Well, since people have always been a huge part of my daily existence, I'm going to roll with that theme. Some of my biggest and best adventures have happened with friends.. Seeing as I already said that I have an amazing group of people here in "The Cities" I will tell you all how I met all of these amazing folks. But the beginning of every story is the ending of another, so let's start there..
I had been living in Fargo with friends for almost a year after the California "incident", and I didn't feel like there was much keeping me there any more. My relationship with Dane had ended, although we are still friends, the drama of the Fargo-Moorhead Derby Girls had caused me to quit, and my job wasn't anything to write home about. I mulled it over for a few weeks and then I started telling people that I was moving. I have this thing. If I tell myself I'm going to do it, it usually doesn't happen... But if I tell others I'm doing something, I HAVE to. I don't want to look like a liar and a big talker. I had my goodbyes with my roommate and her daughter, and a goodbye dinner with Dane. I said goodbye to my "best friend" Kimmie, we exchanged gifts and promises to visit and to always have a great adventures. So my friend Sarah came with her Jeep and a trailer and took me, and most of what was left of my worldly possessions and moved me to the cities. Of course.. On our way out of town, we ran to Dilworth, MN (literally right next to Moorhead) so I could get the tattoo I had been trying to get for months. So as I was closing a huge chapter of my life, I got a tattoo to commemorate the occasion. "YAWP" is what it says. Just one little word, but it has a huge meaning. It's from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself". The lines say, "I too am untamed, I too am untranslatable. I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world." I had decided after California, that I was going to live for myself for a change. I wasn't going to let someone else run my life or dictate how I should live it. I was going to YAWP everyday.
Before I had left, I had contacted an old high school friend, via the Facebooks. I asked him if he knew anyone renting a room in their house. I may have wanted to be independent financially and romantically, but I have never lived alone. Ever. It's always been in a dorm with 200 other girls, or with roommates or significant others in apartments. Just thinking about living alone in a city that is, basically, new to me was a terrifying prospect. At first, Bryan couldn't think of anyone, but one of his friends saw me post on his wall and contacted me directly. Apparently, she had been minutes from posting the room for rent on Craig's List and saw my post. She asked if I wanted to come see the place and gave me some details about the house, the arrangements and the like. I told her when I was coming down, and we set a date for a meet and greet.
I proceeded to temporarily reside in the house of my friend, (who is apparently not my friend anymore?) Sarah's house with her partner and their two dogs and foster dog. I took a couple buses to meet Eric and Bonnie at Cafe Julianna, on he prearranged date. I was early so I had a bar (I have a pretty excellent Minnesota accent, so saying the word "bar" makes me smile!) and a tea, and shortly thereafter Bonnie and Eric walked into the cafe. I actually can't remember what we really talked about, all I know is I was nervous and really in need of a nice place. So we walked down the hill to the house to check it out. Within seconds of walking in the door I saw Bonnie's cat Caixa. I have a soft spot for animals, and immediately picked her up and put her on my shoulder (like I would with a baby) and petted her. She was ok for a minute, but then climbed up the rest of the way and draped herself across my shoulders like a scarf, and just hung out there for the entire tour of the house. When I picked Caixa up, Bonnie gave me a weird look, which I took to be a bad sign that I had crossed a line somewhere. I was thinking "great... I grabbed her cat and now she has NO intentions of letting me live here." Turns out, that the look was more of shock. I guess Caixa (at the time) really didn't like people. ANY people. I like to think that Caixa clinched the deal for me, because I moved in the next month. Caixa and I have a love/pretend to hate relationship. But she loves me. Most of the time!
Bonnie is an incredible lady. She has vast amounts of energy and can party like a rock star. She is a foodie and I, while never a picky eater, have been introduced to quite a few new eats since knowing her. She's a classically trained percussionist, she teaches drum lessons, is in 12 bands (ok, 2 bands, but it seems like 12 sometimes!) teaches little ones at a day care and throws one HELL of a dinner party! She's an amazing friend and confidante, and I love her dearly. We've been through a lot together. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! I've been to more shows, and had more adventures with her in the last year and a half than I have in my whole life! We've had nights from hell, movie nights, discovered new awesome places to eat and linger and she's always up for shenanigans. She's also a good sport. We screw with her a lot and she takes it like a champ. She's kinda ticklish. And when I say kinda, I mean CRAZY ticklish. I wouldn't trade her for anything. She no longer lives in the house, and I sincerely miss my Bonnie time. There are a lot of moments where I think "I have to go show Bonnie!" or something of the sort, and then realize she's not here. Get us together, and the unexpected happens.
Eric's parents own the house we reside in. So he is my roommate, and technically my landlord. I have never lived anywhere, other than my folk's house, longer than I have lived on Ohio Street. He is also a classically trained musician, specializing in the Bass. He seems like a mellow guy, but that just gives him the element of surprise. This is the guy, who, calm as can be, will walk down the soup isle at Trader Joe's, hear a song he likes and stop in the middle to jam out and dance. He rearranges words in songs to include the names of the cats, to sing to them while he pets them. He's not the partying type, but if you get him going, it can be quite hilarious! He's the first one to volunteer to help when I need a favor.. Usually this involves vehicular favors, as I do not own one and sometimes getting places can be difficult. Hell, the guy drove me down to Rochester so I could see Alice Cooper last spring. He sat in a bar, by himself, while I was stuck in a mosh pit for 3 hours. I also have issues in the morning every now and then.. Meaning I am not awake until maybe my 3rd table sits down at work (I wait tables. Glamorous, huh?). So sometimes I miss my bus or set my alarm for the wrong time. Then I have to sheepishly ask Eric for a ride downtown. He just laughs at me and takes me downtown. I'll bet my roomie is cooler than yours.
Now these two are awesome people. And it's through them, that I will meet a plethora of other awesome people. The best part is, they are all different, and awesome in their own ways. I have never been in a group of such diverse human beings before. Usually people hang out because they work together, or they have something huge in common like acting, or church or knitting.. Our group isn't like that. Our group is pretty unique and special. To be continued...
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