So Glad She Was Born.

It’s Momo’s birthday today!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMO!
(More on that later!)

As I skimmed through the thousands of assorted pictures I have stored in my computer (aaaand backed up, thankyouverrrrymuch) to find a good one of the two of us, I reflected on our friendship of more than six years, which in internet time is, like, FOREVER, and I came to some realizations, too.

Realization #1: When choosing from all the pictures ever taken of the two of us, I will almost always fall back on the one that was taken in the summer of 2009 at the bar across the street from the Sears Tower during the epic three-dollar Patron Margarita afternoon we shared with Piper and Mishi. For me, that picture represents the almost-beginning of our friendship, and it’s one of my favorites.

Realization #2: There are TONS of photos of the two of us, but very few that both of us would find acceptable. As it is, I can tell you that the gloriously wonderful picture of us from 2009 that I love so much makes both of us sigh heavily and think about how much younger we looked and how much lighter we were back then. Also, when it comes to pictures in general Momo is always pointing out her supposed under-eye bags and I’m always trying to crop half of my arms off before posting said pictures and, well, let’s just say that whenever a really good picture (or even a moderately good one) is taken, we both rejoice. Right after we sigh over the age thing and the weight thing or the supposed under-eye bag thing or the arm thing.

Realization #3: We suck at selfies. Mostly. One notable exception: the tiny hat Oscar party picture. That one’s super cute. But mostly? They’re terrible. Related: I have a habit of trying to get a selfie of the two of us when we are getting ready to say goodbye and I’m just not sure when I’ll learn that “near-tears” isn’t a really good look for photos because I keep trying it, and Momo keeps exclaiming, “DON’T YOU DARE POST THAT PICTURE!” I should have my selfie card removed.

Realization #4: Our friendship took root in social media and has a strong (and unique) foundation in meat and $3 Patron margaritas, but over the years we’ve built on that with all kinds of other madcap adventures and hijinks (in no particular order, sort of, and this list is not all-inclusive):

* Clown noses
* Two blogged versions of The Fantasy Amazing Race, now with more ballet and potpourri
* Napkins on sweaty foreheads (okay, just one sweaty forehead)
* Embracing the pain
* Ben Gay Wagons and Melisa wagons and all other kinds of wagons
* Quoting “Working Girl” (me) and “Dumb and Dumber” (her) even when the other person had never seen the movie
* Late-night Wisping
* The debate over whether one should say “bye!” when leaving a text or Facebook message conversation (she should)
* My picking her (and Ali) up from the side of the highway on the south side of Chicago that one night
* One’s nearly-botched attempt at purchasing a subway card in NYC while the other one laughed and laughed (ahem)
* Crazy laughing
* My being wide awake and COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ready to help her out in the middle of the night should she have fallen over while working under the influence of Ambien in San Diego
* Post-workout T Rex arms
* Thighs! Not things!

* The debate over whether game tokens are still cool (They are.)
* Together, nearly melting into the sidewalk upon stepping outside in Austin to walk from the hotel to the BHFood closing party at Stubb’s, and accidentally taking the long way all the way around the hotel due to brain fry
* Walking together all the way across the eastern half of Manhattan after I swore we’d totally be able to find a cab during rush hour on a Friday
* Crazy laughing
* My dragging her on a fourteen-minute walk (was too fourteen minutes, Momo!) through Miami when she was tired and complaining of leg pain, which turned out to be the as-yet-undiscovered blood clot in her calf and now I feel bad bad bad about it
* Sitting on a Miami rooftop at a party with her and Liz while Momo worried that we might all die before getting back to the hotel
* Late-night popcorn eating and…laughing laughing laughing
* Acting like a favorite aunt and insisting that Momo allow Ali to drink as much pink lemonade as she wanted, and teaching Ali that telling her mom how pretty she is can help her get away with just a little more than usual because flattery from a tween/teen is confusing to a parent (it totally worked)
* Sage tucked into a shirt for hilarious pictures that was probably never actually used for smudging her house as it was intended
* Crazy laughing
* Momo rescuing Flat Sue from the Social Fiesta party in NYC after she got, um, left behind by someone.
* Sigh.
* Oh, and working together! Sometimes with crazy laughing! SO GOOD.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, by the way.

Of course, reading back over this list I’m marveling a little bit at how much danger there is when we’re together. Huh. But I digress.

Momo, even though today is your birthday, I celebrate you and our friendship daily. I hope you have a birthday that’s as special as you are (SO SPECIAL! SO GOOD!). I hope this begins a super-awesome year for you. Heck, I hope this begins a super-awesome rest of your life for you! You deserve every happiness.

Happy birthday, my friend. I love you!

(BYE!)