Happy Birthday to Steb

I said I probably wouldn't be able to wish all my friends Happy Birthday on my blog - but I have the time today... and this friend is different. This is Debbie. Today is Debbie's birthday. And it's her first birthday far away from me in well, about 19 years actually. Deb and her new husband, Nick just moved to Hawaii. She's never lived farther than a drive from me since we met almost 20 years ago. Even through college we managed to celebrate almost all our birthdays with each other; and had I been able to stay up until 3am last night - I would have called her at midnight to be the first to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Not sure what's funnier here - us or the NKOTB poster? Spring 1991

If you squint you can see Stonehenge in the distance! March 2003

But we're all "growed" up now. Doing adult things like moving far away for a husband's job. So a phone call, an IM session and perhaps this blog post are all the celebrating I'll be doing with Debbie today. That's okay Deb - we'd never last very long out at a club like we used to do anyway! (at least I wouldn't - you know I'd get a headache.)

Shanghai, November 2002 (yes, date is wrong)

Celebrating my birthday June 2001

People don't always GET IT when I call Deb my best friend. She's more than a friend. She's like a sister. But perhaps even more than that since we don't [really] bicker like sisters or have [a lot of] those sibling rivalry feelings. She knows how I feel about something sometimes before I do. We dress alike without confirming it first. We even have the same speech patterns and mannerisms. (Someone asked us if we were twins once!)

We've come a long way together, Deb! October 2008

Happy Birthday to my bestest friend in the whole wide world! I wish I could be with you today - but I'm with you in my heart.