You've got to have friends.......

Or so Bette Midler says -

A long time a go in a land far away - well, really, it was the spring of 1976, right here in Bellingham - but that seems like such a long time ago -( many of my co-workers hadn't even been born yet, for pete's sake...) anyhow, I digress -

My 3rd "Real Job" out of college was as an operator at an answering service. (first paying RJ was lunch prep at a local restaurant - second was lifeguard at the local YWCA - you can't say I didn't use my college education - all those swimming classes finally came in handy) - It was a fun job - if you like to talk on the phone that is (The Shepherd would NEVER make it at an answering service). We had the old style switchboard "cord boards" (you can buy this one on E-Bay - bids start at $999)
they were very efficient - you could even patch calls thru to someone - an early version of call transfer, I guess...

Sometimes when you work someplace, you make friends - some you keep for a few months after you leave (I left there to go on to my 4th RJ - working for a plumber - who was one of the customers of the answering service - what can I say, he liked how I answered his phone), if you are lucky, some you keep for a few years -

These two ladies have been my true enduring friends for about 33 years now! Oh sure, we don't get together as often as we used to - but, we try to make sure we get together on birthdays and a few "important" holidays. Earlier this month, it was Diane's birthday - so we made plans for dinner - Patti's turn to choose - and she chose IHOP - and as things happen, her birthday was also our old boss's birthday. We had just sat down and were perusing the menus when one of us said "Oh look, isn't that Ginny?" (our old boss) - Yes walking down the sidewalk towards the door of the restaurant was our boss from the answering service - - she had called Diane's home to wish her "Happy Birthday" and was told that she was "out to dinner with some friends" -
Putting two & two together, Ginny called Patti's home, and Patti's husband said the same thing - but he graciously told her where we were - so she hopped in her car and joined us! (here she is, in the pink shirt)

Well, we talked and talked and talked - they all talked about their children and grandchildren - I showed pictures of Sinda and our new lambs for this spring -


I've made some great friends here in the "blogosphere" - and some might even make it to the thirty year mark - but by then the three of us will have been friends for over 60 years - Whew - that would be splendid!


"Oh, You got to have some Friends
Something about friends, Just right friends
Friends, friends, friends"