reconnecting.

This week I'm down in Fort Myers hanging out with my parents and brother for a week of reading books, laying by the pool in the intermittent clouds and sunshine, drinking Mirassou Pinot Noir, celebrating my dad's birthday and helping my mom weed the garden. It's deleriously relaxing and my body is reverting to my 8th grade self that wants to sleep all the time. Usually when I'm down in Florida I want to crawl into my hermit crab shell and not talk to anyone outside of the Ficker 5. However, this evening I have had the delightful pleasure of talking to a few great friends... including, but not limited to

Amanda Fair, previously Miller, who was married in early February of this year. I will always call her "Miller," though it kind of no longer applies, but also will always apply. Brickies, you know. Anyway, a great forty-five minutes of a few hearty laughs, catching up, and making dreamy plans for the future. A sweet conversation to fill me up for weeks to come with the presence of great memories and warmth from the days we lived together in the Brick House on High Street. What is it about a good friend and her voice that changes a moment from regular to sparkling?

Sam Boro, an old friend from high school, who is teaching Social Studies to inner city kids in Baltimore. Though his job is literally sapping the life out of him, he sounds like his old self. High school seems so far away from me, though it isn't. But when he said, "Hello?" this afternoon, I just laughed! Remembering his voice in countless wonderful moments from when I was fifteen to eighteen.

Kevin, in an e-mail. Told me he was writing, sipping coffee, which reminded me of the days he worked as a baristo (?) in this little coffee shop on Benfield Road in Severna Park. Told me about living in Boston with his beautiful Susan and thinking of moving to the UK.

Sam and Kevin pictured below...

And then Kaili, sweet sweet bestie, who makes me know I'm home every time I read or hear a word out of her mouth or mind. She made me get on video chat in Gmail, something I've steered clear of for fear of not knowing how to use it, until now. And we sat, she in her cubicle three hours behind me, and I on my mom's sofa under the oil painting of the egret. She showed me the nick nacks on her desk because, "I feel like I should show you things in my life." Including a doll with a unibrow, flowers made of paper and a pair of scissors with a plastic blue handle. She's coming to visit in June, with Ben, and we made plans for Mark and Ben to be friends. Fingers crossed.

It's 6:30 now and I'm listening to Explosions in the Sky off and on with some Patty Griffin and the breeze is coming in through the great sliding doors that wrap around the back of the house like invisible fences, listening to the palm trees bend back and forth feeling like today I am happy.