Feb 112014
 

“Do you know anyone from Kansas?”
“No, I don’t think so…”
“Well, YOU DO NOW!”

***

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My dear friend Alyson was in town on Friday. A blues band from Wichita, Kansas—Moreland & Arbuckle—were playing some shows in Pennsylvania and Alyson happens to not only be a fan of this band, but also friends with this band. So she decided to drive down from New Hampshire to follow them, which benefitted me since one of their shows was in Pittsburgh. There was not enough time to hang out before their show, but she stopped over when it was over, just in time to feed Chooch chocolates and then bodyslam him right before he went to bed. (He had honestly been pacing all night, asking when the hell she was coming over. It was adorable & annoying all at once.)

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Chocolates from the one and only Bobby Blitz Ellsworth‘s wife’s Chocolaterie! I have read so much about this chocolate from Alyson’s LiveJournal, so it was extremely welcome in my slobbering mouth. Chooch and I were practically clawing each other over it.

After a brief visit at my house, I followed Alyson back to her hotel, where we drank beautiful wines made by her friends Peter and Josh (a Fox Run Cabernet Franc and Lamoreaux Landing semi dry Riesling, respectively), ate more chocolate, and learned self-defense moves with 2/3 of the band, Kendall and Dustin. And then there was 3AM handwriting analysis. Some people do drugs in hotel rooms; Alyson does signature scrutiny. And this is why she is certainly, unequivocally one of the coolest kids in my book.

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Do.Not.Fucking.Ask. what is up with my Sloth-like appearance. I hadn’t been feeling well that day and by this point, it was like 2AM and….yeah, I have no excuse. IT IS WHAT IT IS, OK.

It’s not easy to put into words when a night is that great. Before our New England road trip last June, I hadn’t seen Alyson since August of 2008. And now here I was, hanging out with her for the second time in less than a year. I think that counts as one of those blessings that you people talk about.

I rolled into bed around 4:30 that morning, much to Henry’s delight, and proceeded to be a royal, sleep-deprived bitch all of Saturday because I just can’t hang anymore, you guys. Henry kept begging me to take a nap. But I am too stubborn for naps.

***

The funny thing about me and Alyson is that, on the surface, it doesn’t appear we have much in common. But the interests we do share, we share in a big way. One of the first common denomonators that presented itself back in 2005 was The Cure. Sure, a lot of people “like” The Cure, so that shouldn’t have been a big deal. But Alyson and I both fucking adore The Cure so much that I know when I say that sometimes it feels like my heart is inching its way up to my throat when I listen to them, she will be emphatically nodding in agreement, hundreds of miles away.

For years, we’ve had an inside joke regarding a former member of The Cure, Laurence “Lol” Tolhurst. So I made her this little painting to commemorate our friendship with a proverbial wink.

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Sometimes, the unlikeliest of friendships form; life is beautiful that way. Alyson has stuck with me through drama with mutual friends, great distances and personality differences. Thank you, Alyson, for your loyal friendship (and gifts of wine and chocolate, obviously)!

  2 Responses to “The Whirlwind of Alyson”

  1. That painting is amazing. You are so talented! She seems pretty awesome. And those chocolates look fantastical!

  2. ” just in time to feed Chooch chocolates and then bodyslam him right before he went to bed.”

    TOLHURST! What on earth ended up being inside that Kinder Egg, anyway?

    Thank you so fucking much for coming out. It meant so much, and so did the painting, which is due a rant. Some of the two most positive aspects of my life colliding in that room was so completely beyond awesome.

    I ain’t the only one sticking around and being loyal and shit; I’m counting three wars at the moment. Thank YOU. There are darknesses and lights, and you are one of the lights. <3

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