(*This post will just barely make it onto your birth day, T. I'm sorry I failed in the birthday department this year. I feel rotten.)
Happy Birthday to one of my dearest friends, Sweet T.
When I think of you, I recall any one of the following moments (or a million others not included in my life-documentation). You are such a precious part of my life. It feels like I've known you for 37 years instead of just 351 days.
Remember when...
...Cameron got pooped on by that bird on the way to the park on the Fourth of July?
..."where's my chalupa?" at Playa Cancun?
...you just wanted to sleep at Belmar when we went to watch the sunrise with George?
...you took me for a ride on your bike/airplane thing and then it broke...but we got to look at that neat dirigible?
...we used to go to IHOP with Jer in the mornings?
...we went to Cam's game and that bee kept bugging George but didn't even come around you or me?
...you were Tanley. (For the record, this might be my most favorite picture of you ever.)
...you and Carl made me do stupid things in the caf and then take my picture?
...we went to the beach and played and sunned and read that book about strange things (and on the way home you found that shell in your suit...which I still have in my car, by the way)?
...we laughed at poor Jer trying to make that bracelet, sang along with Celine and made plans for the new semester?
...Ian pointed the camera at you, said "Do the Jecca smile!" and you came up with this right away? (Priceless.)
Well, I do!!! How could I forget?!
I love you, T. Happy Birthday. <3
So there you have it. I had an awesome weekend. I didn't want to come home. I might've cried just a bit. (Ok, ok. I cried enough that my manager commented on my puffy face the next day at work. I can't help it. I wouldn't cry if I didn't love them so much and miss being with them. Oy.)
The smell of wood and laundry takes me to Stanley-Land. I am surrounded by family, pups and love. Someone's looking for something. Someone's calling for someone they can't find. Mama's offering to make me something to eat, and I'm grinning from ear to ear.
The smell of winter is a wonderful thing. I could never describe it; it's impossible (but it's amazing). Whenever I smell winter I am taken back to my freshman dorm room at PBU. Renae and I are sitting, listening to music and "doing homework". I smell winter (because we keep the window open all year round). I tell Renae. She doesn't understand. We are bonded forever.
The smell of Vurt and cigarrettes puts me back in the presence of a dear friend. We are riding in the car, talking, laughing and probably drinking Starbucks. We make it a regular thing, because it's more than good in theory.
The smell of Polo takes me back to Sunday mornings as a child. My father wore Polo cologne and made cinnamon buns for us before church. I can't get enough of the smell. I hug him and bury my nose in his neck. (This technique proves to be most effective and is used later in life to identify and remember especially important people.)
The smell of grass mixed with a certain humidity in the air transports me to track practices after classes in high school. There's a whole lot of messing around and not a lot of practicing. I think I know everything about the world and how things should turn out. I am blissfully mistaken.
The smell of Comet cleaner takes me back to summer days of old. I'm sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Ma's slicing strawberries and sprinkling sugar over them. We'll have strawberry shortcake for dessert after a day in the sun at the beach.
...Cameron got pooped on by that bird on the way to the park on the Fourth of July?
..."where's my chalupa?" at Playa Cancun?
...you just wanted to sleep at Belmar when we went to watch the sunrise with George?
...you took me for a ride on your bike/airplane thing and then it broke...but we got to look at that neat dirigible? 
...we went to Cam's game and that bee kept bugging George but didn't even come around you or me?
...you were Tanley. (For the record, this might be my most favorite picture of you ever.)
...you and Carl made me do stupid things in the caf and then take my picture?
...we went to the beach and played and sunned and read that book about strange things (and on the way home you found that shell in your suit...which I still have in my car, by the way)?
...we laughed at poor Jer trying to make that bracelet, sang along with Celine and made plans for the new semester?
...Ian pointed the camera at you, said "Do the Jecca smile!" and you came up with this right away? (Priceless.)
