Screw Harry Potter, it's SJ's day!

You know those friendships that are really for convenience– either you grew up together or your parents are friends? Or those friends that come out of having grown up in the same neighborhood or town, or from being forced to live together in college? How about those friendships that seem to linger on long after you’re really getting anything out of them?

On the flip side, have you ever met someone and said to yourself, “we’ll never be friends”? Were they perhaps wearing such a crazy-looking shirt (to a job interview, no less!) that you knew your styles were too different to get along? Did you ever start your friendship off with a night that had a haunted house, free food, two wardrobe changes and more men than you knew what to do with?

I have. As wacky as it sounds, that’s how I met the fun, fabulous SJ at work a couple of years ago. And how our friendship began.


Really, we look like our styles go together well. Either that, or we both figured black was a good party choice.

But friendships aren’t built on only one night of fun. We found we had a lot in common, including taking our jobs as reporters very, very seriously.


This is us taking our jobs so seriously, we stopped by the newsroom on Halloween. Yes, it was Halloween. If it was a normal night out for us, I would have been wearing a shorter skirt and SJ would have been showing a lot more cleavage... and that lollipop would have been a Cosmopolitan!

I think one of the secrets of our friendship has been a similar spirit of adventure and a willingness to try almost anything once, regardless of how goofy it makes us look. I mean, I’m really wracking my brain for examples, but I’d have to throw out wearing wacky hats to the grocery store to buy chocolate sauce and whipped cream as an example. Now, what was I saying about not being afraid to look silly?


I’m not actually sure who we’re supposed to be. I might be the Virgin Mary and SJ's Joseph? Or maybe some Greek figures. Who knows? We just liked the idea of poking our heads through the holes!

Our friendship over the last six or so years has been full of a lot of tears. Actually, I think most of the tears were the kind that start dripping down your face when you’re laughing too hard to stop. Although there was one time when we managed to make each other cry for most of a trip to the ocean. But even those were from talking about good memories. I still prefer the laughter to the tears.



One of the best things I got to do with SJ was marry her… um, I mean, be there while she got married. And I’m looking forward to having her there at my wedding. I’m planning on giving her a pretty good seat because, let’s face it, there wouldn’t be a Pretend Husband if it weren’t for her cooking abilities, which made us poor, single folks prefer to spend time at her house instead of another night in front of the TV eating Taco Bell. Oh, and the Setback games were pretty fun too.


This is one of my favorite photos. And just today I noticed SJ’s in it too!

So you might be wondering the reason behind this sappy post in honor of the girl with the best shoes, as SJ is known in these parts…


Even in a bridesmaid’s dress, she manages to sneak in some glittery shoes!

Well, there is a reason for toasting SJ today (this post wasn’t meant only to pick on a teenage wizard just trying to impress Hermione... oh, and save the world). Because, Lordy, Lordy, SJ’s 30!!!

Happy Birthday, mon amie! I plan on sticking around for at least 30 more years (we’ll be the old ladies sitting on the front porch of the nursing home with tiaras on!) and my wish for you is that they are filled with love, laughter, tears from laughing so hard, more laughter and fabulous shoes! As your husband often tells you, you don't look a day over 35!


Happy Birthday, SJ!!!