I met her just about 21 years ago, Summer of '86. She was a FOAF. Then I hung out with her a bit in the company of mutual friends. A good friend invited her to a gaming session, and she’s attended ever since. She met her first husband in my apartment. Unfortunately, I took the wrong train to her wedding and so I missed it. But I made her second wedding. The food was delicious, and the band rocked. I was one of the few of her friends invited up to the wedding suite to party with her. (The real party started after we left, I hope.) After all of our gaming friends left own, she and I still played. I remember having to help her up off of the floor when she was about 16 months pregnant. Her husband turned from party animal to Nicest Guy in the World. Their children are beautiful.
The husband’s mother is getting on in years, so she convinced them to buy a house. They got quite a nice little place – with an inground swimming pool, no less – for $119k. In, of all places, Pittsburgh. shudder
I spent the day with her on Saturday. All day. And a little time with the husband and kids, and a couple of other friends. They move out today, and move in on Wednesday.
So Cheryl, goodbye. And Chip, Cori, and Nolan. You’ve been great friends. Best of luck in your new life. Come back and visit.
Well, I sympathize, but I’d rather you hadn’t shaped the post as a eulogy. The woman is in Pittsburgh, not dead of a horrible wasting disease. (Yeah, we could make a Pittsburgh joke here, but I’ve been informed by reliable friends that it’s actually a decent place to live.)
ON the bright side, you can go to Pittsburgh to visit and spend some quality time with them, since the only reason to go to Pittsburgh would be to visit them.
Wow, I thought your OP was going to end with her dying of cancer. Dude, it’s only Pittsburgh. And we have these modern conveniences called phones and computers and whatnot to stay in touch. It’s really not all that hard.
I hear that the medical care in Pittsburgh is fantastic. I have every confidence that the doctors there can figure out how she could ever be 16 months pregnant.
Are you that far away, you can’t visit her? Is she a friend or a friend??? Were you secretly emotionally involved with this woman? Write her emails, send her pics of you and your new adventures and take the train.
[/snarky hat off]
You seemed to have quite an emotional attachment to this woman, do you have an SO?
Just that it’s not like she died, which was where your OP sounded like it was going. She moved to a large American city. She’s not in remotest Outer Mongolia. Really, it’s possible to stay in touch with friends even after they move away. That’s all.
Yes, it was misleading. Sorry about that. But I think you were whooshed a little there. I was being unkind to Pittburgh.
But apparently that area has the finest schools in the state. They’re happy about that. And while Cheryl is unhappy about being so far from the ocean, she psyched about buying a cheap house with a pool.
Da Burgh ain’t that far away. I can make it in about 9 hours from Worcester. (I was bright enough to leave after college, but some friends weren’t.)
I will say that there are two reasons to visit (besides your friends): Phipps Conservatory and The National Aviary. (Right now, Phipps has a special exhibit with Chihuly’s work - well worth a trip on its own.)
I must be coming off as really needy in a lot of threads lately. I’m really not that way. But my social life has experienced a lot of upheaval lately, and that makes for delicious posting material.
