Four and a half hours

I picked up my rental car at 5:30 yesterday and 4.5 hours later I got to my parents’ house. I hit no traffic, but plenty of weather. Oy, the lightening, the rain, the fog. All in all, it was a safe and easy drive home along 41. Usually I opt for interstates and added miles, but with gas nearing $4/gallon… I thought shaving any miles off the drive seemed like a good idea.

After lunch, I’ll get back into my rented Ford Focus (four door, red, I love it) and head to

Indianapolis where a good college friend is getting married. Beth, who now goes by Elizabeth, was one of the first people I met in college, meeting her even before school started at one of those summer overnights. A lot of friendships were forged that weekend. Beth has the most wonderful laugh in the world. It is like counting, literally. She goes, “Ha, ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha” each breath of laughter one more ha than the one before, until we are all crying and laughing.

We rarely see each other, but it always feels like it’s just been a week. Sure we have a lot of things to catch up on, but we have a friendship that reignites in laughter every time. On her last visit to Chicago, we went to see Body Worlds and ate Jimmy Johns on the beach. On my last visit to DC, we had dinner at a fancy pants pizza joint and talked about boys.

Saying, “if anyone deserves a good husband, love and marriage, it is Beth,” seems mean to other brides. Everyone deserves love and partnership. But Beth, oh, how happy I am that she and her beloved are getting married. That this wonderful artist with the counting giggle has found a soulmate.

Someone that fills her requirements for life. Live. Laugh. Love.

Mazel Tov Beth! I can’t wait to meet the man you are going to marry this afternoon! Hooray!