Happy Birthday Risa-Roni!

A day late and a dollar short. Oh, and your present is going to be late. But here is a blog to bring you complete and utter happiness!
Marisa is one of my oldest friends. I don't mean old because she is now a thirty something....and a whopping two and a half weeks older than me--nanny nanny poo poo!
Anyways, Marisa, or Risa, Ris, Risa-Roni and I go way back. I am beginning to feel a wee bit not as young as I used to be when I can say that I have known this fiesty red-head for over 25 years. Her, in addition to my friends Olivia (Liv, Livers) and Melissa (Mel,Melly-belly)are the ones that have known me the longest that aren't family--well, officially. Marisa, Melissa and I all grew up in the same neighborhood---in a Suburban track home hood called Panorama. Now, I lived on Zion Road whereas Mel and Ris lived on Teton Road. This is only important to know because unfortunately for me, all the cool kids lived on Teton. It was the party street for the 5-10 crowd. They got to ride bus 14 while I rode bus 23. But we became friends nonetheles. In my group of girlfriends that formed growing up, we all had special connections between us. My special connection with Marisa was that we were both tall and gangly as kids. We were always the kids in the high water pants that were never EVER long enough because we grew so damn fast, especially in the legs. The other girls could wear these dainty little outfits and Marisa and I would have our pants cut right to our ankles at any given time. We would be the type of girls that when someone would ask us how's the weather up there we would probably "skeech" (GJ word for Gleek) on them and tell them it's raining.
It's interesting that we all are turning 30 this year. What amazes me is that I have stayed in touch with all of my very first friends from Panorama and Wingate Elementary (all in all there are about 6 of us). We all hated it as teenagers but Grand Junction was probably one of the better places to grow up. It wasn't such a small town that you knew everyone and everyone knew you. But it isn't such a large city that it would have been unsafe to go exploring and "get lost" every once in awhile. Those first friends have become family to me. I keep in touch with them like I would a relative. It is not always regular contact but when we do talk either on the phone or in person, we can pick up where we left off and it's like we never missed a beat. Last year at our ten year reunion our group of girls got together before the big event. Amazing that such a variety of individuals was and continues to be friends. We have scattered throughout the country; some are moms, some are married, some go adventuring around the globe. However a pure moment of bliss for me was being with my extended family and knowing that those individuals were laregely responsible for my happy childhood, even during the teen years of torment. And yes, Mom, I said largely....my family gene puddles, I confess played a role as well.
So, happy birthday to my lifelong friend, my sister, my co-conspirator. You may be thirty but I look forward to knowing you for the next 25 years and beyond.
I love you!