Girlfriends

So I went to see the cousin and that was fine. I guess we can't make up for the fact that we have very different philosophies of life. Blood can't make up for everything. It was interesting to see her though.

As we were catching up with kids and such, I asked her, "What do you do for fun?" She replied that she has a full time job and is raising two kids and doesn't have time for anything else. I honestly didn't know what to say after that. I mean, that's what I do too. A lot of us do that. We still have fun. At least we try to have fun.

Turns out I don't understand women who don't have girlfriends or hobbies. Knit and Tonic had a posting recently on how she felt sorry for a woman (a neighbor?) who didn't have any hobbies. Boy-child pointed out that in an interview John Waters basically said hobbies schmobbies, find yourself a passion. Ok, I can live with that; many hobbies take on a life of their own and become obsessions.

A co-worker asked me a while ago, when my mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's, what my mother's "thing" was. I asked, what? She said, "You have your knitting, what was your mother into?" I replied, "Partying." (co-worker laughs uncomfortably here), "My mother loved to socialize." A lot of that was with girlfriends over the years, although really mom loved to be around people no matter what. (There was almost always good food. And often cards. And frequently booze.) Even my mother-in-law noticed, when she was in town once and met a bunch of my mother's friends, how the girlfriend bonds in my mother's circle were very special.

I get lots of girlfriend emails - here's a favorite:

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have.

To the cool women who have touched my life. Here's to you!

It is good to be a woman:

1. We got off the Titanic first.
2. We can scare male bosses with the mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.
3. Taxis stop for us.
4. We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing.
5. No fashion faux pas we make, could ever rival the Speedo.
6. We don't have to pass gas to amuse ourselves.
7. If we forget to shave, no one has to know.
8. We can congratulate our teammate without ever touching her rear end.
9. We never have to reach down every so often to make sure our privates are still there.
10. We have the ability to dress ourselves.
11. We can talk to the opposite sex without having to picture them naked.
12. If we marry someone 20 years younger, we are aware that we will look like an idiot.
13. We will never regret piercing our ears.
14. There are times when chocolate really can solve all your problems.
15. We can make comments about how silly men are in their presence because they aren't listening anyway.