H2J2

Meet my BFF since 1989..Heather aka Spike.

We became fast friends when my family moved to Burlington, IA the week before I started 6th grade...1989.  We moved because my dad was going to pastor the church that Heather and her family attended. If I remember right, Heather's dad MADE her call me so she could befriend the new pastor's daugher since we would be going to the same school.  I'm sure Heather was less than thrilled about this but she did it (thank goodness because I was really kinda bitter about having to leave the friends I'd known all my life and move to a place where I knew no one) and the rest is history.  We were inseparable from then on. Our names became pronounced together "HeatherandHolly" and everyone knew where one of us the other would be also.  Both of our parents basically took on an extra daughter.  It was awesome and I can only hope that my daughter will find her "Heather" someday.  So you can imagine what a tragic, heartbreaking, event it was when 5 years later my family moved from Burlington back to Des Moines, where we'd come from.  Neither Heather or I took that well, at all.  But we remained BFF's, talking on the phone, writing letters back and forth and visiting.  And we've somehow managed to do that ever since.  We've been in each other's weddings, had babies together (well not TOGETHER but you know what I mean), and been there for each other through some really rough times.  The great thing about Heather and I, is that no matter how much time passes between seeing each other, we pick up right where we left off.  Of course, now instead of which New Kid we love the most or which house we are going to egg, we talk about our husbands and our kids and other adult like stuff.  Ok, ok, we still talk about New Kids and egging too.

Anyway, because it had been an interminable amount of time since we'd gotten to hang out together, that's what happens when you live 3 1/2 hours apart, we declared a Saturday in February as HJHJ Date Day.  Ironically enough, our husband's name both start with J too.  Sidenote:  Heather and I have already set up an arranged marriage between my Ryder and her daughter Rylee.  They're both blonde haired, blue eyes, adorable, their names sound cute together and they're only 3 months apart in age.  They get along really well too so it's a match made in heaven.  I'm sure Rylee and Ryder will agree with us someday and who cares if they don't this is about Heather and I! 

So we both dumped off our kids and drove the 1.5 hours to the halfway point between our two cities, Iowa City.  We really didn't know what we were going to do for our date day/evening because we're not really clubbing, bar hopping kind of people and in a college town those are the standard forms of entertainment. 

So we did what any respectable couples would do, we went ICE SKATING!

I told you things got crazy!

Actually, before we got down (literally) on the ice we showed Heather and Jody (her husband) the ins and outs of eating at Buffalo Wild Wings.  These things take tutors and if there's one thing GI Joe and I know about it's Buffalo Wild Wings. 

At Buffalo Wild Wings we sat next to Ashlee Simpson.  I'm sure she was in town getting away from the stress of her recent divorce.  We know what it's like to be hounded by paparazzi and well meaning fans, you know since we're kind of a big deal and all, so we left her alone to enjoy her meal in peace with her friends.  You're welcome Ashlee or the Ashlee lookalike, whatever. We enjoyed great food and conversation but mostly enjoyed not once having to say, "Chew with your mouth closed," or "Quit poking your sister with your fork," or "for the love of pete, use your inside voice!"

After dinner things really got out of control when we headed for the ice rink, which happens to be in the mall, which happens to be perfectly viewable for everyone walking past it.  Listen, I'm all about being the center of attention EXCEPT when the attention involves laughing and pointing while I'm flailing on the ice.

We got our skates and off we went. 

The person working the skate window gave us all "figureskating" skates.  Turns out the sole purpose of figureskating skates is to cause the wearer excruciating pain and to wobble about on the ice praying not to fall.  After a few times around, ok so maybe for some of us it was more like ONE time around, we traded them in for "hockey" skates which are thicker and sturdier and make ice skating slightly easier.  Even with the figureskating skates on, we made an interesting discovery.  The discovery was that Heather's husband was a regular Scott Hamilton, gliding around the ice, skating backwards, and just being an all around SHOW OFF.  :)

We practiced some figure skating routines for the 20?? Winter Olympics..

Clearly, we're going for the gold here.

And then Heather and I determined that real Olympic athletes are only on the ice for about 10 minutes to perform their routine so then we did this...

While Jody and GI Joe practiced their Men's Double Figure Skating routine...

I assure you they were holding hands and gliding gracefully around the ice just moments before this photo was taken...or not.

After a 45 minute brief ice hiatus Heather and I did what any Michelle Kwan prodigies would do, we got back on the ice and showed them how it was done. 

But then this happened....

You can see the fear in my eyes

Oh the pain

And just like that my ice skating career was over.  I know how you feel Nancy. 

But unlike Nancy and Tonya, we're still friends. 

 And now that I am posting this blog and looking at these pictures, I realize that we did it completely backwards, which is basically how every plan we've ever come up with over the course of our friendship has gone.  Canoeing down a river in MIssouri?  We did it backwards and came in WAY behind everyone else.  Our plan to egg The Jerk's house?  Backfired and we wond up in the cop shop. Our ski trip?  One trip down the bunny hill=one trip to the ER.  Seriously.  Why would this be any different?!?

But we'll just consider this is the Nancy seeks revenge on Tonya reenactment. 

H2J2 Date Day/Night=an ICY success

Many more to come, we may even let the kids join us sometime, you know so Rylee and Ryder can start the wedding plans. 

Lylas Spike (and Jody)!