62 New Friends
July 9, 2017 -July 8, 2018
In 1962, I met Kathy Flatley. We were in 2nd grade. I had just moved to a new neighborhood and knew no one. One of us had a pretzel and offered the other a piece. "OK", the other responded, "Want to be my friend?" And so a friendship was formed. Kathy and I went to grade school, high school and college together. We were college roommates. I was in her wedding. Our parents and siblings were friends. We have grieved together as we lost family members. Our families are neighbors at the cemetery. We are only three plots away form each other. So we will rest as friends forever.
I've made other good friends in my lifetime. But regretfully, I've lost 4 friends in the last two years to cancer. That's a lot of loss. I have to start making new friends. So, for this year's birthday goal, I am going to meet 62 people who could potentially become my friends. I just moved in to a new neighborhood and now is the time to step it up and meet new people.
1- Jeff- July 10- Day One of my project- I am sitting in the lobby of my building and Jeff is there, working on his new computer. He can't figure out how to set up his new system. So we talk computers. Then I listen to his tales of his new girlfriend, his gutter and window cleaning business, his yearly two month vacation in Costa Rico, his back surgery, his coffee preference and local bars. I think I will ask him to join me for a beer sometime at Taps, the bar around the corner.
2- Vinnie- he lives in my new apartment building. He's 32 and going through a tough divorce. It's the first time he has ever lived alone and some moments overwhelm him. We plan on going out for a drink some day soon.
3- Terri- she lives in my apartment building. I met her on the elevator. She told me she noticed me sitting on my balcony. Once she told me that, I realized she is the woman who always sits on her balcony as well. She's about my age.
4/5- Sharee and Gary- I met them at the Split Rail Tavern. We hit it off immediately and then we got together to go to a Free At Noon concert and a bike race.
6- Dave- August 12- he lives in my new apartment and he seems to be everywhere. Mostly he hangs at the pool but he wanders the building and talks to everyone. I heard one tenant describe him as "sort of like the mayor of the building." Anyway, he and I have decided to organize a crab bake in the fall.
7- Cynthia- August 12- I met her at a bike race and she's directed me to a book club at the library and a movie night venue. We are going to see To Sir With Love on Monday.
8- Joe- August- I don't think I'll be good friends with him but he likes to drink beer so maybe we will run out for a few beers from time to time. He is also interested in my beer blog.
9-Diane- she lives next door to me and she seems to be interested in my friendship. She's a widow and moved in during the summer.
10- Ginny Ross- I met her during a happy hour and it was loud so I think this is really her last name. But she comes here two days a week to babysit her granddaughter. But she wants me to join her for dinner sometime.
11- Paulo- he is the facility director here and he seems to be showing more and more interest in what I am doing. And he is an IPA drinker.
12- Gemma- September 9- Jimmy's new girlfriend. I really like her. I met her at Kevin's wedding and she has a great personality.
13- Ann and Lester- October 6- I met this couple at the Uptown Theatre and we hit it off immediately. I asked them if they wanted to go for a drink after the show but they had other plans. They did say they wanted to get together next time.
14- Kim- October 9- She is a medical doctor who comes to Great Dames events. We've become Facebook friends.
15- Judy- October 10- she hung around the coffee machine so she could small talk with me. She just moved in a few weeks ago. She's a recent widow and starting over. We are going to go out for dinner some time.
16- Marie- October 13- KT and I were listening to Trump on the TV and he was talking bullshit. We were complaining and she chimed in. Her husband and daughter are discouraging her from becoming political engaged. So we have agreed to meet and support our decent.
17, 18, 19 , 20, 21- November 4- I came down to the TV in the lobby and found 5 PSU grads watching the game. There is a Steve and a Phyllis and I don't remember the other names. But I've seen them around and our PSU bond will give us common ground.
22- Laura N- November 6- it's hard to believe that I can just call someone from Kathmandu on my phone. I called Laura as she is currently in Kathmandu and wanted to give me some ideas of what to expect when I arrive in Nepal in a few days.
23- Sue- November 10- we ushered together at the TED Talk event at Uptown. She is considering a move to Chestnut Square.
24,25- Nirmala and Jebin- November 15- Nepal- they will be my friends while I am here in Nepal.
26- Tenzin- December- Bhutan- I think we will become facebook friends.
27- Pam Hertzog- Nepal- January 4- I met Pam in China in 2015 but we never had contact after that time. But I think we will stay connected at this point.
28- Gail (King)- Feburay 12- she's another usher at the Uptown Theater but she lives in town. So it would be easy to meet up with her.
29- Lucia- February- she lives here at the apartment complex and she wants to be my friend.
30- Tom- February- He's Dom's friend and I've met him at parties but we never really chatted each other up. But I just spend a week at the beach in Florida with Dom, Jaye and him so I think our relationship will be different now.
31,32, 33, 34- March- Mark, Lee, Jon and Dana are part of the monthly Beer Club at my apartment complex.
35, 36- March- I met Bill McRae's wife, Pat, and her brother, Dan, for drinks. Dan and I had communicated with each other on facebook to discuss some of his work in Uganda. But we finally met.
37, 38, 39- April Beer Club- Ryan, Justin and Jill were among the 15 of us drinking beer together.
40- Will works at McKenzie's Brew House and we have been chasing each other up. Last week, he was talking to his marketing person about a food special idea and I just jumped in, interrupted them and gave them my two cents. And he has been talking to me since then.
41- Pinta- May 15- she is probably the oldest woman in my apartment building. I've seen her before and made assumptions that she's too old to be my friend. But then, last night, we ushered at the Uptown and I found her to be delightful.
42, 43- June- Deb and Ginny- they live in my apartment building and I've seen them around but I am now hanging out with them more regularly.
44- Ruth- she is disabled and happy to talk to anyone. She is profoundly deaf. She could be 30 and she is eager to connect with me.
45, 46, 47, 48- June 20- Linda, Jim, Dottie and Bob- I went to Cessie's retirement party and met her friends again but this time, I think we have solidified a deeper commitment to each other.
July 9, 2017 -July 8, 2018
In 1962, I met Kathy Flatley. We were in 2nd grade. I had just moved to a new neighborhood and knew no one. One of us had a pretzel and offered the other a piece. "OK", the other responded, "Want to be my friend?" And so a friendship was formed. Kathy and I went to grade school, high school and college together. We were college roommates. I was in her wedding. Our parents and siblings were friends. We have grieved together as we lost family members. Our families are neighbors at the cemetery. We are only three plots away form each other. So we will rest as friends forever.
I've made other good friends in my lifetime. But regretfully, I've lost 4 friends in the last two years to cancer. That's a lot of loss. I have to start making new friends. So, for this year's birthday goal, I am going to meet 62 people who could potentially become my friends. I just moved in to a new neighborhood and now is the time to step it up and meet new people.
1- Jeff- July 10- Day One of my project- I am sitting in the lobby of my building and Jeff is there, working on his new computer. He can't figure out how to set up his new system. So we talk computers. Then I listen to his tales of his new girlfriend, his gutter and window cleaning business, his yearly two month vacation in Costa Rico, his back surgery, his coffee preference and local bars. I think I will ask him to join me for a beer sometime at Taps, the bar around the corner.
2- Vinnie- he lives in my new apartment building. He's 32 and going through a tough divorce. It's the first time he has ever lived alone and some moments overwhelm him. We plan on going out for a drink some day soon.
3- Terri- she lives in my apartment building. I met her on the elevator. She told me she noticed me sitting on my balcony. Once she told me that, I realized she is the woman who always sits on her balcony as well. She's about my age.
4/5- Sharee and Gary- I met them at the Split Rail Tavern. We hit it off immediately and then we got together to go to a Free At Noon concert and a bike race.
6- Dave- August 12- he lives in my new apartment and he seems to be everywhere. Mostly he hangs at the pool but he wanders the building and talks to everyone. I heard one tenant describe him as "sort of like the mayor of the building." Anyway, he and I have decided to organize a crab bake in the fall.
7- Cynthia- August 12- I met her at a bike race and she's directed me to a book club at the library and a movie night venue. We are going to see To Sir With Love on Monday.
8- Joe- August- I don't think I'll be good friends with him but he likes to drink beer so maybe we will run out for a few beers from time to time. He is also interested in my beer blog.
9-Diane- she lives next door to me and she seems to be interested in my friendship. She's a widow and moved in during the summer.
10- Ginny Ross- I met her during a happy hour and it was loud so I think this is really her last name. But she comes here two days a week to babysit her granddaughter. But she wants me to join her for dinner sometime.
11- Paulo- he is the facility director here and he seems to be showing more and more interest in what I am doing. And he is an IPA drinker.
12- Gemma- September 9- Jimmy's new girlfriend. I really like her. I met her at Kevin's wedding and she has a great personality.
13- Ann and Lester- October 6- I met this couple at the Uptown Theatre and we hit it off immediately. I asked them if they wanted to go for a drink after the show but they had other plans. They did say they wanted to get together next time.
14- Kim- October 9- She is a medical doctor who comes to Great Dames events. We've become Facebook friends.
15- Judy- October 10- she hung around the coffee machine so she could small talk with me. She just moved in a few weeks ago. She's a recent widow and starting over. We are going to go out for dinner some time.
16- Marie- October 13- KT and I were listening to Trump on the TV and he was talking bullshit. We were complaining and she chimed in. Her husband and daughter are discouraging her from becoming political engaged. So we have agreed to meet and support our decent.
17, 18, 19 , 20, 21- November 4- I came down to the TV in the lobby and found 5 PSU grads watching the game. There is a Steve and a Phyllis and I don't remember the other names. But I've seen them around and our PSU bond will give us common ground.
22- Laura N- November 6- it's hard to believe that I can just call someone from Kathmandu on my phone. I called Laura as she is currently in Kathmandu and wanted to give me some ideas of what to expect when I arrive in Nepal in a few days.
23- Sue- November 10- we ushered together at the TED Talk event at Uptown. She is considering a move to Chestnut Square.
24,25- Nirmala and Jebin- November 15- Nepal- they will be my friends while I am here in Nepal.
26- Tenzin- December- Bhutan- I think we will become facebook friends.
27- Pam Hertzog- Nepal- January 4- I met Pam in China in 2015 but we never had contact after that time. But I think we will stay connected at this point.
28- Gail (King)- Feburay 12- she's another usher at the Uptown Theater but she lives in town. So it would be easy to meet up with her.
29- Lucia- February- she lives here at the apartment complex and she wants to be my friend.
30- Tom- February- He's Dom's friend and I've met him at parties but we never really chatted each other up. But I just spend a week at the beach in Florida with Dom, Jaye and him so I think our relationship will be different now.
31,32, 33, 34- March- Mark, Lee, Jon and Dana are part of the monthly Beer Club at my apartment complex.
35, 36- March- I met Bill McRae's wife, Pat, and her brother, Dan, for drinks. Dan and I had communicated with each other on facebook to discuss some of his work in Uganda. But we finally met.
37, 38, 39- April Beer Club- Ryan, Justin and Jill were among the 15 of us drinking beer together.
40- Will works at McKenzie's Brew House and we have been chasing each other up. Last week, he was talking to his marketing person about a food special idea and I just jumped in, interrupted them and gave them my two cents. And he has been talking to me since then.
41- Pinta- May 15- she is probably the oldest woman in my apartment building. I've seen her before and made assumptions that she's too old to be my friend. But then, last night, we ushered at the Uptown and I found her to be delightful.
42, 43- June- Deb and Ginny- they live in my apartment building and I've seen them around but I am now hanging out with them more regularly.
44- Ruth- she is disabled and happy to talk to anyone. She is profoundly deaf. She could be 30 and she is eager to connect with me.
45, 46, 47, 48- June 20- Linda, Jim, Dottie and Bob- I went to Cessie's retirement party and met her friends again but this time, I think we have solidified a deeper commitment to each other.
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