LYLAS

Next challenge:  Find a picture of the person you've been closest with the longest.  Wow.  Talk about memory lane.  Aside from the obvious family, the two friends that stick out to me are both in the photo below.


Yes, the 80's were that blue.

 This photo was taken at Roller World in Arlington, TX.  In this very building I received my first ever trophy, learned how to play Centipede, and saw baby Jessica get pulled from the well.  Every Thursday night was family night.  According to the official "Roller World" rule book, the family rate could include up to 5.  We were a family of 4, but my BFF Lareasa was normally our family member 5.  She is standing next to me in the photo, top row first from the left.  We did everything together.  I spent most weekends spending the night with her or her with me, if I did not get homesick.  We both had Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader coats, we were pretty sure everyone confused us for the real thing.  Every summer we would start each day at the door "Can Lareasa come out and play?" and we would end everyday, "I'm never playing with you again!"  One of my most vivid memories was announcing to her that she was not allowed to come to my birthday party.  With our mom's being best of friends, word got back to my mom.  Needless to say, my mom was less then impressed.  She cancelled my party all together.  Lesson. Learned.  Through the years, we never left touch.  We were in each others weddings, and we were there for the birth of our firstborn sons.  Over the years, our mean 'ole husbands moved us apart, but we can always pick up right where we left off.  She was there the minute I needed her when dad was dying.  She and her family were one of our most frequent visitors.  I'll never forget on my trip back home, exactly one year later from the day my dad died.  Coincidental, we had a mutual friend pass away.  She was on the other side of the building, and I did not even know she was there.  When the usher sat us on the front row, next to the casket, I had to leave.  I could not mentally be there, so I walked out to the hall with the overflow crowd.   She must have seen me leave from the other side of the church, and she almost beat me to my seat.  I crumbled into her arms, without a word, she knew exactly how I felt.  I get emotional now just thinking about that.  The word friend seems so lacking for things like that. 

Akem, next to me in the photo (top row 3rd across) stands my BFF Tammy.  I know what your thinking and yes.  Yes, I chose her to be my friend because of her cool bangs and super sweet glasses.  Everyone who knows me well has heard me talk about Tammy.  We were friends while we were kids, but it was not until we were in our teens that our friendship really took off.  She was always pining after Chris Moore, but it was while they were on one of their "breaks" we really hit it off.  I remember we had some fun times riding in her blue bomber.  She would always bring me Junior Mints while I was hard at work up at the movie theater.  At summer camp, I also remember shooting her with popcorn kernels through my straw at night and sneaking out the window of the cabin to shoot water guns at people walking by.  Did I mention that we were the counselors?  Good Times.  As newlyweds we would spend more days and weekends together than apart.  We would all meet up at someones house after work and do absolutely nothing.  She actually cried tears of sadness when we told her the news of our firstborn.  She eventually recovered from the news, and has been there 100%.  She has been there in the best and worst of times.  I feel like I've and a lifetime of bad times already, and she has been a rock.  I can tell her anything and everything with ease, she completely gets me.  Aside from her poor taste in shoes and Bath and Body scents, she's like the sister from another mother.  Boy, do I love these ladies.