Getting To Know the "Kitties" Series: Karie

Karie
33 years old today (Happy Birthday!!)
I've known her for 23 years

Karie and I met on the first day of 5th grade.  We were seated alphabetically (Fletcher, Hill) and because she was nervouse Karie kept kicking the back of my chair.  By the end of the day I just turned around and said, "I'm missing my General Hospital!"  Yeah, as opening lines goes it may not be the best but it broke the ice.  Oh, and I did watch General Hospital.  I lived with my grandparents and Nana was an avid soap watcher!  I apparently got hooked over the summer break.  Anyway, from those words on we became BFF's!  We figured since we have the same first name we needed to stick together.

There was a dark time in 6th grade where we were not friends.  We were in different classes so that didn't help matters.  We just sort skip over this year and pretend it didn't happen.  The first day of 7th grade we shared a bus route and decided to ban together to conquor the great unknown of Junior High.  We had 3 of our 6 classes together so it was easy.

Devil's Martini 7/2008

Because of our name people started referring to us as Karie Rae & Kerri Lee.  To this day our old church friends & Karie's family still referr to us that way.

She's the mother of 4 beautiful kids, who just happen to be 4 of my favorite kids ever.  She's been married for 14 years.  She excells at one of the hardest jobs out there...a stay at home mom. 

The only physical fight I've ever been in with a girl was with Karie.  We were hanging out (far too much) and I have no idea what set us off but we were in my grandma's kitchen baking cookies or something and we ended up in a kicking fight.  I told her to go home & she called her dad but by the time Karie's dad came to get her we had made up.  I ened up staying the night at her house that night.  She lived right around the corner so it was less than 5 minutes.  I think her dad wanted to kill us.

She is part of the reason I got Parker.  To this day Karie has probably touched Parker a handful of times.  She's deathly allergic to cats.  For this reason alone Parker adores her and tries to love on her every chance she gets.  Karie accepts me even though I have "a zillion" cats and I accept her even though she isn't an animal person & can't pet my cats.  Or visit with out doping herself up & me furiously cleaning my place beforehand.

Christmas Eve 2008

She's the ying to my yang.  My better half.  My hertrosexual life partner.  She's the Matt Dameon to my Ben Affleck. She's a neat freak who thinks nick-nacks are clutter.  I'm messy and have an apartment overfilled wiht nick-nacks.  She's laid back and I'm high-strung.  She's a Cancer & I'm a Capricorn.  Yet somehow we balace eachother out.

When my grandfather died (we were 14 years old) I called her and asked her to meet me half way (between our houses).  As we were walking back to her house I blurted out "Pop's dead" and started crying.  Her reaction...to bust out laughing.  She'd never seen me cry & didn't know what to do.  It ened up being exactly what I needed. 

Disneyland 5/2011

When we were kids and we'd go on vacation together we'd always have matching outfits.  They were never the exact same but only because we had different colors.  People always thought we were fraternal twins since her parents introduced me as one of them.  To this day when on vacation we usually have an outfit that "goes" together.  It started out as an accident and we figured we needed to stick with traditions so...  It's not as bad as when we were in school but it's still bad considering we are adults. 

Most of my most daring and silly adventures have happened with her by my side.  People always assume I'm the bad girl in our relationship but she's usually the rule braker and has been the "devil on my shoulder" more than I have been on hers.  The first time I ever drank alchohol I was talked into it by her (and another friend) while we were in 9th grade.  Having said that she's totally a good girl and the trouble we got into was really nothing big. 


Drift 2010

We've been discussing getting a matching BFF tattoo for our 20th anniversary.  It's been an extremely LONG talk.  We can't decide on a design and my adversion to needles hasn't helped much.  I figure by our 25th...or 30th anniversary we'll have it figured out.

I was the maide of honor at her wedding and she was the matron of honor at mine and 9 months pregnant.  Her son, Jaden, was born 3 days later.  The poor thing had to be cut out of her bridesmaide's dress because the zipper broke (it was handmade) and my sister had to sew her into it 15 minutes before the ceremony.  If that doesn't prove she was my BFF then I don't know what does.

She's been my go to person after each and every one of my broken hearts.  She's totally my therapist and should probably get paid for it but doesn't complain because she doesn't.



At the Jack's Mannequin & Fun concert.

She loves music but doesn't have a clue who sings what and has no music knowledge.  She's game for any concert I ask her to go to.  If I ask & say it's good she goes.  She listens to any band I ask her to.  I don't understand how she can love music and still know nothing about it.  She's the total polar opposite of me in that regard. 

We're pretty spot on movie wise.  It's the one thing we usually click on and always want to see the same of.  Although, she likes more "man humor" movies than I do and I like more "big explosions & eye candy" movies than she does.   On those we compromise.  It always surprises me the humor she finds funny.  Most of what I call "stupid guy humor" movies I see are because of her.