lunch with mo

so you know you're having a bad day when a phone call from one of your oldest and dearest friends completely freaks you out.

or maybe it's just me.

...plus the fact that i had just gotten back to my desk from a particularly harrowing meeting, seen the blinking red light on my phone, picked up the receiver to check my voicemail, hit the message button, waited for meridian mary (the voicemail lady) to answer, noticed the number on my caller id, sputtered out a confused "hello?" and, magically — there she was.

"jason?  it's monick."

hooray!  one of my favorite people in the world, and someone who has known me through the good, the bad, the awkward, and the laugh-so-hard-it-hurts moments of my life.  when you nearly come out to someone on an intercontinental flight to germany during your senior year high school chorus trip and she doesn't judge you, you know you have a friend for life.

so we're way past the bizarre beginnings to phone conversations thing.

but i explain anyway.

her considered response:  "wow, that is weird.  wanna get together for lunch?"

monick lives out in los angeles but has spent the past few months in new york city for work.  you can read about all her adventures, including her forthcoming entrepreneurial exploits, on her blog.

of course, with good sushi and good conversation, lunch flies by.  on our way out, we get to discussing the travel guide entry she's writing for new york.  i suggest she draw from her blogspot entries and tell everyone, "avoid rats."

she rolls her eyes.  "jason, this is new york city.  rats are unavoidable.  if anything, i'd tell people, 'expect rats.'"

as we walk to the street corner, i commend monick for overcoming her own fears.  (note to self:  never read 1984.)  not surprisingly, within the next three minutes, monick and i, in our own patented and ridiculous way, steer the conversation from suriphobia to her dressing up as a mouse next halloween, marching down fifth avenue in a rodent-pride parade, and punching out a certain mascot in an orlando theme park...though not necessarily in that order.

see?  friends for life.

Posted by jason at September 14, 2005 10:30 PM