Real Friends Also Help Build Stuff

Last month I talked about how real friends pick up where they've left off. This weekend I traveled 400 miles to help build a shed in my best friend's backyard. Yep, went to a "shed raising" on my long holiday weekend.

If you thought you were missing something because you didn't expect this side of me, don't worry. I'm really no good at home improvements, yet she insists on recruiting my help whenever possible. I wasn't the only helper there--thank goodness, or we'd still be there--as her handy dad traveled a couple hours to supervise, and this time I took my husband to visit, too.

By the end of the day yesterday, after we'd finished everything except the vinyl siding on the front and the shingles for the roof, I admitted to my BF that although I'm no good at this building stuff, if I didn't have her as a friend, I would ever have an opportunity to learn about this handy home improvement stuff. I don't think I'll ever need to be able to identify or hang J-rail again, but at least I can say I have done it. Even it was only on an 8 x 6 foot structure. Not that I really want to know about any of this stuff, but she does bring a new dimension to life.

Once, back in 2001, I brought a new dimension to her life. She called upon me and another friend to help her buy some nice professional dresses with shoes to match. She always looks professional, but she thought dresses in some cheerful colors would be a nice addition to her closet. Uhm...yeah...that was an afternoon that we still talk about. The dress part went pretty well, but by the time we got to the shoes we all needed a drink. As it turned out, she wore each of the dresses exactly once during the course of a year and then never again. I'm glad my influence rubbed off on her, even if for a short time. (Anymore, I'm with her on this anti-dress thing. I think I've worn ONE in the last year.)

Sometimes I do wish I had friends who had more of the same interests that I do. Sure, most of them have a few common interests in the things I do, but more often than not, they aren't as extreme in their interests. Or, I'm not that into their extreme interests, either. I suppose it's not so bad, though. We are all individuals who are tolerant and interested in each others hobbies. Keeps things interesting.