Friends, so where do you fall?

Everyone has a core group of friends. Friends that will and have been there for you no matter what. You could have killed their cat and they would still love you... well maybe, I mean if I killed one of Kate's cats I am pretty sure she would hate me because her cats are her babies, but I think she would forgive me... shit, Kate would you forgive me? Man, ummm...never mind, she would forgive me, yah totally.

Anyways...

Everyone has a core group of friends. I have realized my "core" group of friends was far larger in college than it is now, but back then you wanted to fit in and be cool with everyone, so it didn't matter if Rando #1 had tuna fish breath constantly, because she was actually being friendly with you, and when your parents called to see if you were still alive you could say you had made a "friend". I have to say though, I did have some pretty awesome friends in college, but as time went on you realize you have less and less in common with people you couldn't imagine living without at one point in your life. There are many factors that contribute to this:

• distance
• life choices
• kids
• marriage
• job

Now none of these five things are bad things per say. But all five really put friendships to the test. Making time to talk to one another, finding things to relate to once you aren't around each other at all times anymore. I can tell you one thing, if you can go a full month without once picking up your phone to call, text, facebook, tweet, snapchat (you get my point right?) a "friend", they aren't a friend. Hate to break it to yah, but that is the truth. Now there are a few exceptions to this rule I follow. Actually that is not true, for me there is one. She knows who she is, someone I can not talk to for months, but no matter what, when we do speak it is as if no time has passed. But I digress...

Now with all the factors, aka life, I have condensed my excessive group of core friends. Doesn't matter if you have 20 core friends or 4, those friends will get you through the worst and happiest of times. Something I have noticed is that every group of friends is there is always "that" friend. You know, THAT friend. Well for me I have a bunch of "that" friends. I think there are different varieties of "that" friend. All of which I have encountered, and chances are some that you may read and think... " Hey that sounds like Sam!"

The Unicorn

Who wouldn't want to be the unicorn, right?! You know when you have this big old party planned out or a night dancing, you gather all your friends in a group text or facebook invite, but you stop at one name in particular. Should you proceed with the invitation? Or are they just going to never respond, or come up with some excuse as to why they can not partake. This my friend, is the unicorn. They are super elusive. 9 times out of 10 they decline or ignore your invitation. HOWEVER, when they do make it out to an event it is like all hell breaks loose. Just their presence is euphoric. 

The Drama Queen
This category is pretty self explanatory. We all have a friend that no matter what is happening, they will make it bigger and crazier. Most of the time the Drama Queen doesn't even recognize them self as one, and let's get this straight...Drama Queens are not always women...let me tell you, some of my guy friends has and have been THE biggest drama queens EVER.

The One-Upper
Oh you just got a promotion? Yah!? Well I got a promotion too AND a new office. Oh you are getting married? Me TOO, and I am having a baby! No matter what you say this person is always in "winning" mode. Nothing is safe around this person and chances are this friendship will be short lived unless they realize their obnoxious ways.

The Disco Globe
It's not a party until you turn on the disco globe. That is exactly what this category is, the friend that IS the party. No matter who you are with, what you are doing or where you are doing it...this friend makes it just that much more fun!

The Mom

Need a shoulder to cry on? This category is the way to go. A mom away from mom. Sometimes overprotective and overbearing, but they always mean well!

The Eeyore
No matter what, this person will always have a negative outtake on anything and everything. This friend constantly needs a pick me up and chances are they never work.

The Samantha
Everyone knows who Samantha from Sex and The City is, and chances are you have a friend that is this character to the TEE. "I can't color enough, I would color all day every day if I had my way, I would use every crayon in my box." 

The Prodigy
They have the "perfect" family, house, job, dog, car, etc. So with all this amazingness they have, they are usually really freaking nice and pretty to boot. I not so secretly envy this friend.

The Mouth
You will never confide in this person, but it is always nice to hear what they have to say...let's be honest here...EVERYONE likes some good gossip, don't pretend like you don't.

The Lifer
Someone you have been friends with FOREVER, and you talk about the times you will spend as little old ladies, on the front porch in matching moo-moos, rocking in your chairs laughing about all the crazy shit you did when you were younger.

The list could go on and on, there are so many different types of friends, some good, some bad. Regardless of their connotation, a friend is a friend. Some of them come in our lives to teach us a lesson, some come in our lives to have a lesson be taught. Some you think you will be BFFs forever and it only lasts a few years or so, and others you had no idea how important they would become to you. Friends are the family we choose. So, where do you think you fall in the friend categories?

Realizations

If you are under the age of 25, you are 21. If you are younger than 21 you are 12 and therefore you should be at home with your mommy and daddy. I am telling you, 21 year olds these days look so young! Born in 1992 and you can drink...LEGALLY? Then it hit me, like a ton of bricks.

They are not looking younger, I in fact, am getting OLDER.

Jesus Christmas! I remember when I was a 21 year old, wondering what kind of beer to order. Obviously it was between Coors Light and Bud Light, I mean I was 21...there weren't even any other beers on my radar. Lucky for me with my aging I have also introduced new beers into my life. Wachusett Blueberry and I are BFFs now, however it can be a love-hate relationship. Which brings me to my next realization.

Being hungover sucks ass.

When I first started drinking everything was great! I remember Tyler and his parties at his house in Hyannis, getting wasted off of 99 Bananas, making HILARIOUS life decisions and maybe even going for a dip in the ocean. I would stay up all night drinking my (because yes, I needed my own...duh) bottle of booze, sleep for maybe two hours? wake up, get some fresh air and a Dunkin Donuts egg, bacon and cheese on a bagel and call it a morning. I felt great! Wonderful! So full of life! 

Flash forward ten years and now after a "night" of partying it up (aka, two beers at a bar, okay I lied, two beers at home, I mean who has time to go out anymore?) I am so mother loving hungover the next morning I want to gouge my own eyes out with spoons to make the pain go away. What the hell did I ever do to you booze. We used to be the best of friends.

 And now this hangover I am talking about, it is NO joke. It is one of those "I hate my life" moments. One of the "What the FUCK was I thinking" moments. One of the "I swear to you God I will NEVER drink again if you make this go away" moments. And not only do I wish for a quick painless death for myself that next morning, but it keeps going. My hangovers are fueled by the mother effing energizer bunny. Morning, noon, night, the next morning, the next noon and you better believe me the next night. I am done. Comatose. And you want to know the hardest part? I am still mommy. And you best believe Cassidy and Zoey have found the most heinously obnoxious toy to play with.

I can't eat whatever I want anymore

I would have to say I was my skinniest Junior/Senior year of college. And you want to know how I kept my figure? Eating chicken fingers and pasta from alliot every night, drinking a 30 rack of bush light every weekend and never, I mean NEVER stepping foot inside of a gym. And to think, I thought I was so "fat" back then. Well getting older sucks. My metabolism has already changed immensely. Probably also due to the fact that I blew up like a overfilled tick when I was pregnant with Cassidy doesn't help either. When I talked to my doctor about it you want to know what he said to me? Peri-menopause. WHAT.THE.WHAT. Excuse me Mr. I have no idea what the hell I am talking about, but I am not even 30 yet. Yep. That was his response, which when I left his so called doctors office, I immediately called my mom to cry about it. And you want to know what she said? She just reconfirmed it. "Hate to break it to yah kid, but women in our family start going through that at a very young age". GREAT. AWESOME. love my life! 

However not all of my recent realizations are horrible. I have also realized that by the time both my kids are graduated from high school and on their ways to college I will be the ripe age of 44. Heck yes! And at that time I will be able to run free! I am hoping Ian and I can buy a house somewhere tropical and just leave all our worries behind. And I just had another realization, I am completely delusional. 

Mama Bear Nicholson

I always was a...hm, how to put this...confrontational person. Growing up I learned quick that only you can defend yourself. I have never had a problem speaking up for myself, or defending myself and my loved ones. In college I swear my friends would start a fight knowing full well that I was there as the "enforcer". Molls remember that time that incredibly obnoxious freshman girl who had bravado bigger than her booty? Needless to say, that freshman did not bother us anymore... Now I am not here to promote fighting, I think fighting should be the last resort to all conflicts. However my mother did always say "if you are going to hit someone, make sure you hit them hard enough that it will be the last", and that is something I always did follow. See Ma, I do listen to you! I have to say looking back now, I wish I had handled myself better...but hey what is College for right?

Now that I am a mom, that urge to defend my loved ones is even stronger. Ever hear of Mama Bear syndrome? It is real I swear. I always said if my kids have a problem with a "bully" or "mean girl" I will have no problem defending them, by calmly addressing those little shits, I mean kids, parents. I have to say I have been lucky with the lack of bullying so far. Granted Zoey is in daycare and who are we kidding, she probably is the bully of her daycare stealing all the kids snacks and laughing while running away (mental note, work on that). As for Cassidy, she is in pre-school and you would think there wouldn't be any bullies. I mean how hard is life for a five year old, right?! 

Well something happened at a kids birthday party I was at a while ago. I had a mom say to me "oh YOU'RE Cassidy's mom." Whoa lady, who are you and why are you putting emphasis on me being my kid's mom? She then explained how her son and Cassidy do not get along. How her son talks about the fights they always get in. First off, this was the first time I had ever seen this woman, let alone had a conversation with her. And right off the bat she is talking about how her kid has a problem with mine? How about this, look at your kid over there that has another little girl in a headlock body slamming her on the bounce house. Should we address that first? I just stood there listening to her complain how my kid and her kid have issues, not ever once acknowledging her kid has a part in this "issue" just as much as mine. 

It took every ounce inside of me not to say something about her son. As much as I wanted to say how sucktastic of a kid he is towards Cassidy, I decided to just nod my head, smile and walk away. I was super proud of myself, my first "conflict" with another kid's parent and I did not flip my shiat. 

Instead I walked away, found the little punks candy bag and ate TWO whole pieces. So HA!