Sixty-eight, Names

It's getting a bit confusing probably keeping track of all my good friends. So here I am attempting a listing of them and with names that I chose not by asking them, but based on characteristics that come to my mind.

Valiben - My baby cousin. I love her.

Beatnik - We've known each other since elementary school and our mutual love for video games. He has a English deg...my bad, an English degree and as of this year is pursuing work with AmeriCorps for nine months before starting graduate school. He is the youngest from a family that has welcomed me into their arms as one of their own. I am proud to be called one of their brothers.

Lord Chaos - The next oldest brother to the Beatnik, his propensity to know all sorts of information is well documented by us and well-respected. His steadfast attitude has often been a rock for me during unsure times both during my undergraduate career and currently during my professional one.

Engineer - This is our Texan friend--Texan because he began his post-collegiate career at a job down there recently. I met him through The Beatnik during my middle school years. If there is anyone I can easily identify with at times, it is this fellow. Apparently we hated each other early on but neither of us recall this. Our similar left-brain thinking often leads us to talk to each other since we can quickly grasp the other's concerns.

Alaskan - She went up there for an exchange year and fell in love with the place. She went up to study bears and ended up studying bugs although she has yet to pursue a degree in Entomology. Still, it was wonderful and I even got a chance to visit her while it was cold and wintery with many feet of snow everywhere during the month of...March!

Roommate - Also an engineer by trade, he and I have roomed together since 2003 when I moved into his dorm room. These days we have an apartment and we live well enough with each other knowing each other's abilities and limits. He is strong in his faith as well as in his collection of electronics ranging from the expected television/DVD Player to the exciting multiple gaming systems.

Crazy Blonde - She too is a friend I made during my college years. She has one of the cutest dogs I've known who loves me very much. She's also crazy. My bad, she's willing to study crazies since she has or almost has her Psychology degree.

Chris - I know, it's odd that I'm calling one of them by name, but it will make more sense when I explain it a little bit. I met him during his sophomore year in college and he, for whatever reason, became a permanent fixture on our extra chair in our dorm room (granted we did have an open door policy while we were awake). After one semester of having him in, playing games with him, heading out for some dinner as a group, I returned from Winter Break and promptly called him Chris instead of his real name. I have yet to live this down, so here's some revenge.

The Kids - Two friends who actually met the Beatnik first since they went to college with him (he went elsewhere than the Engineer and I). They're actually approaching graduation themselves but seeing that they began college the year I was finishing...they're kids now and always. One is a calm, wonderful girl while the other is a hyperexcitable flexible boy. They provide us with lot of great joy, both of the nice, "That's pleasant" type and of the "I need to beat something to feel better" type.

BRS (Biker/Runner/Swimmer) - Yup, he's an athlete. And he's a classmate of mine. We have been helping each other pass our exams for the past year and a half and we both realize the difference studying together has made to our grades. He's a married man as of yesterday (Dec 30th) and I wish him well!

Hmm...I'm having a harder time with the next two in-as-much-as their pseudonames are concerned. [thinking]

Woodwind - We marched in high school band together. She played clarinet, I played tuba. I never let her live it down! Hehe, BRASS RULES, WOODWINDS DROOL! She is currently dating Lord Chaos and somehow keeps him in check sometimes.

Amish Girl - I'm sorry, but when I think of a description of her, this pops into my mind. Truthfully there is nothing Amish about her other than there is a drop of that blood that runs in her family. She is one of my more studious classmates at medical school and the one I know best out of all of them.

That is it for the major players. There are others and I'll come up with names as I continue my blogging adventures. I just wanted to take a few minutes to spell them out to those who might wonder who these random "good friends" are in my life.

Sixty-seven, Flop-flip

Glancing at the clock I realize that it's almost 3:30 in the morning. How times have changed where I'm the one going to bed and wake up really late while my good friends go to bed early and wake up earlier than myself. I used to take a book with me on sleepovers so that I'd have something quiet to do during the morning hours that I'd be awake while the others slumbered. Lately I just collapse into bed and awaken when someone else's alarm goes off or someone shakes me awake. Yup, things are different.

Goodnight!

Sixty-six, Six? Ooo, be Scared!

Today I came to the realization (based on a sample size n=3) that females have an inherent want to get attention all the time. Tonight I spent time with my cousin (3.75 yrs) and our family friends' daughters (8 and 5 yrs old). HOLY COW! If it wasn't one wanting attention, it was the other. If it wasn't one person trying to play a game with organization then it was another one destroying guest toys. I tell you it tuckered me out!

Sixty-five, Balding

"Why do you keep rubbing my head?"

"You have hair!"

Yup, kids do say the darnedest things. My uncle is heavily balding and keeps his head shaved clean. I'm lightly balding and still keep hair on my scalp. My baby cousin can tell the difference!

Sixty-four, Babo

"Is the Father Hindu?"

"No...he's Catholic."

For many years now Christmas spent at home included Midnight Christmas Mass with one of my good friends. Every now and then the other members that accompany us change but I go with him when I'm in town. Yeah, it's odd going to a Christian church for a ceremony honoring the birth of their Son of God (in my world, another avatar). But it's joyous as well in the same vein that going to Janmashatmi or Shivratri at the temples brings to me. There is some energy gained from large groupings of spiritually-minded people, whether Hindu or Catholic.

Sixty-three, YAY KIDDOS!

So tonight my baby cousin showed up at my home. She is all of three and three quarters old and quite playful. A couple of my friends came home at the same time as she arrived and we had a grand time entertaining her and being entertained by her. It really is a lot of fun playing with kids. Earlier we were at one of my friend's brother's place where there were two two-year-olds and two less-than-one-year-olds. Joys of joys they were!

Sixty-two, They're Back for the week!

I've missed my friends.

Sixty-one, The Eyes

So, I'll admit, I fall for eyes and face. Tonight was no exception as this little guy looked up at me beseechingly and I feel in love...again. Yes, this is not the first time this has happened. After growing up terrified of them (oddly enough I focused on dog teeth at the time), I met one or two here and there that were very well behaved and so cute. And, as most of my friends know by now, I have bonded well with a very cute beagle who is so much fun to tussle with. I hope I will bond with my Texan friend's pup as well. One of my friends loves dogs and cats (especially puppies/kittens) and he too instantly bonded with the newcomer from Texas. I expect the puppy (who is now with his family) to get uber-excited upon the arrival tomorrow of his master and best friend in the whole wide world. I also expect my friend to get uber-excited upon seeing his buddy again (possibly more-so than seeing his family and friends again). The truth is, I think that that is as it should be.

Sixty, Exams and Puppies

For those wondering, the one exam in question from last week's Block Day I passed with 1.75 points.

And tonight I'm somewhat freaking out since I'll be transporting a puppy sans owner. It should be quite an experience!

Fifty-nine, Authority

"Can you believe the blanket we've given to her? It's falling apart at the edges. I just tossed it aside. Help me get a new one."

We walk into the walking closet.

"See that one up there? The blue one? Pull that out, she can use that."

I pull out the blanket--still in shrink-wrapped plastic and lay it on the bed.

"Oh, this isn't even opened yet. Bring the other one."

I put away the blue blanket and pull out a brownish one. She opens up the zipper and I get whiff of blanket-factory-scent. Ewwww.

"Yes, this one will work. Go put this out on the bed for her."

I go off to lay it out when I realize it too is falling apart in one area. I take it back.

"What? Oh, it's bad too. In that case, just bring the old blankets from the top shelf."

I go off to bring the old wool blankets. My toenails always got caught in them when I was a kid and I hated them. Thankfully they weren't for me, but I shudder at the memory.

"Yes, I don't like these but they'll help keep us warm. Go lay this one out for her and then put this one away in my room."

I go off to the other room where our family friend is staying and spread out the blanket into her bedspread of three other blankets. As I'm fixing it up, I hear a yell,

"Are you coming back? There's this plastic still here!"

I hurriedly finish up and go back to put the empty plastic bags back into the walking closet up on the shelf. There's no doubt in my mind that while physically she'll be recuperating for a while yet, mentally she's back to normal.