Dance it like you mean it...

It is at the request of my best-good friend that I write this blog. Erin Whitney Burnett, I salute you.

What words can I type that would properly pay tribute to my friend? What stories can I tell to accurately portray the impact that EB has had on my life. I’m…just…not… sure…

I start here. Picture it…2001…Georgetown College…cold rainy May (what?) day…auditorium basement classroom. The events of this evening led me to know that Erin and I would be friends forever. My camp team and I had just entered the gray and dingy classroom to spend yet another countless hour developing features for this crazy camp we had all just given our summer to called Centri-kid. I was out of place, nervous, uncomfortable, and sick to my stomach. Basically, I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and what kind of excuse I could make up to get myself out of this whole camp thing. My dear soon-to-be-friend Erin came in the room and sat down right next to me in the circle. Well, to make a long story even longer, Erin taps on the sleeve of her jacket and says, “I love this little guy!” Well, I thought that was a creative, not mention hilarious, way to pay tribute to her jacket and the appreciated warmth that it gave her! I knew we were going to be friends. I made a big fool of myself because I cracked up laughing right in her face after the comment. I couldn’t help it…I thought it was funny. I find humor in the small things.

I could stop right there with that story, but I won’t. What fun would that be? Here are just a few more reasons why I love that Erin Whitney is, as Forrest would say, my best-good friend.

- She has a grandpa named Wayne Leroy who loves to carry his camera and take/be in pictures. Also, when he goes to have the pictures printed out…only triple prints will due for him!

- Erin’s mom, Pegs, makes the best chocolate peanut butter snack treats in the world. Erin makes sure that she brings us some each time she comes to visit the Maples.

- In my former non-tech savvy days, Erin taught me how to use an iPod.

- Erin loves to watch her clothes “sud” up in the washing machine. She actually checks to make sure her clothes are “sudding” properly with the detergent. She also likes to smell her clean laundry as she folds it.

- Erin likes the slice…especially the flying slice.

- Erin can remember what outfit she wore to school on the 54th day of second grade or how long her hair was on the 16th day of her sophomore year of high school or what her sister said right before their 17th trip to Disney World or what year I got the new yellow comforter for my bed or what the father’s day card said that she got for her dad when she was 22 years old. It’s insane how she remembers details.

- Erin loves Cinderella…well, really anything that has to do with Disney World. When I say the word love, I am NOT understating her feelings for Disney World. I think she’s been there more times than I’ve been to the dentist and I follow the twice a year cleaning rule.

- Erin listens to me when I vent. She will also vent along with me sometimes. We love how smart we are about certain areas of life. We just don’t understand why other people aren’t as smart as us sometimes.

- Erin is going to write a book one day. It’s going to be called “He doesn’t want to date you unless he says, “I like you! Do you want to date?” I can’t wait!

Well, I guess that’ll due for now. I do hope that I have adequately expressed to my many readers how much I love and appreciate my dear friend, EB.

Erin, did I write a proper tribute blog? Alicia, your blog will be next. I can only do one per day. That’s my limit.