Sometimes you gotta applaud your friends

Disclaimer: if you're not directly involved in my life this entry may bore you, but then again, it might just remind you of what you see in your friends that makes you love them.

People go to the theatre and give standing ovations to the actors onstage. We cheer at sporting events for our favorite "gladiators of the gridiron". We go to rallies for political causes and attend fundraisers for charities. We give our all and are quick to encourage people we don't even have a personal relationship with. But sometimes it's worth it to stand up and applaud your friends - in my case it's very well deserved.

This past weekend Jess walked 50 miles. That's 5 - 0, folks. Fifty. As in the number of cents in the rapper's name. Oh yeah, she did that. Here's her blog entry about her experience at this year's MS Walk. She's really something, that Jess. She has a big heart, she has almost as big a smile. She's cute, she's spunky, she refuses to high-five, she likes football and loves Michigan State. She's a blonde bombshell of a woman who never gives up on anything, whether that be her friends, her health, her education, her boyfriend - whoops... fiance, her family, her job, her nutball puppy, nothing. She rocks. She deserves a little shout-out and a big round of applause. So, *clap clap*, for Jess today, her little legs are sore from doing a great, great thing this weekend.

Then there's K. K is awesome. She just is. And here's the cool part, as I've mentioned before, she married a very awesome dude. I like him. I like him a lot and it's so great. The man and I got a thank you card from them yesterday for the wedding and get this - K and T had both written in it. Guys hardly ever write thank yous. They just don't. I realize there are exceptions, but on the whole, hetero dudes don't get into the thank you notes as a rule. So, when I opened up that card and saw that K & T had both put in their 2 cents it made me smile from ear to ear. I called K to tell her how happy I am that she married such a good guy and I called T to tell him that I really appreciate the thank you and that he's so good to my girl. He liked that and said I should call more often. It was really nice to talk to him. He's the perfect example of the once rowdy teenager who took a little more than his share of risk who grew into a very responsible, loving adult who still keeps some of that wild side on reserve. That's a big part of why K loves him so much.

DC-J is continually cracking me up. I didn't get to know her very well at all when I was still there, but in helping K get ready for her wedding we talked a lot more and I got to see just how cool this chick is. She's smart and witty and has the dirtiest mind this side of the Mississippi. Not to mention that she knows just how to work that fantastic rack of hers to her advantage every time. I think that's something to be admired. Ha! Plus, she really helps K stay sane in DC. She's a great friend to her and for that I love her even more.

Then there's NYC-J. She's working her ass off in a production studio right now - actually she's shooting today - but she's been in the studio for about 3 weeks non-stop getting a commercial ready. How awesome is that, right? She's producing, she's taking acting classes, she's writing, and she's feeling more energized than any other time in the last year and I'm so happy about that. She deserves something great. She deserves a break and a pat on the back and a big hug. The girl has been through hell and back and now the sun is finally shining on that pretty face of hers again.

NYC-S is kicking booty as usual. She's been in the recording studio a lot lately, getting her next album together. I saw the photos from the shoot for the back cover and they're amazing. She's super cute anyway, but there's something about these photos that really brings out her inner light. It's super cool to see on film. She's going through her own ups and downs as of late, but she's coming out on top and I know she's going to have a really wonderful high holiday season this year. I hope she made her fabulous challah for Rosh Hashana last night. I miss it a lot.

*sigh* I love my friends. I know that they're fantastic people and they encourage me to be the best me I can be - and most of the time they don't even know they're doing it. That's what feels the best.