"do you believe in rock 'n roll and did music save your mortal soul?" -Don McLean, 'American Pie'

Okay, so how many of you have witnessed the American Pie dance? You know, the one that D and I would make any and everyone who wandered into our apartment sit and watch? Every lyric had a specific motion, and there was even some girl-on-girl action ("can you teach me how to dance reeeeeal slowwwww?"). A few years ago, we tried to record it and upload it to YouTube, but we didn't get a very good recording. Otherwise, I would link you to it and you could either view it for the first time (an experience!) or relive it (memories!).

This week (well, week as in 'until next Thursday'), each of my posts will be labeled with a song lyric that D would notice. This is not as easy as you would imagine. D is really into country and oldies. I know country and oldies, but I guess they don't inspire blogs as well as other genres. But I did spend ungodly amounts of time with her from about 1999-2002, so I've had her music drilled into my head. I can do this.

Also, jerk, I have some Love Shack lyrics on here, and I know that you know that song. Stop whining in my comments.

So, I like when I write entire posts about important people in my life. I think that the three posts I can remember were one about Biggie, one about Louis, and one about my mom. So, in honor of the platonic love of my life, this post will be about D, in all her glory.

D is beautiful. She's one of the most intelligent people I know. She was my first personal atheist. (Lowelli was my FIRST atheist, but I didn't spend long periods of time with him in person). She says what she thinks when she thinks it.

I didn't like D anywhere near as much as I do, when I first met her. She was polite, but distant. She hung out with these two clingy girls from the floor we lived in. I liked all three of them, but they were a definite triangle. But during the summer between freshman and sophomore years, she would write me letters from way up in tiny Coral, Michigan. I was touched, but what I didn't know is that D is a mail whore and writes cards and letters to anyone who will send them back to her. Sophomore year found her in all of her honors classes and living in an honors dorm. It found me taking creative writing and literature classes and partying more than studying. At Christmas sophomore year, she gave me a little gift. Again, touched. I was like, "Wait... D. Oh, she lived by me. That was nice of her."

When Staci and I were planning on moving in together the summer between sophomore and junior year, Staci invited D along to live with us. I was skeptical. Did I know her enough to live with her? What would it be like? But move-in day found D and I laughing and having a great time. And when Staci took a night job in Toledo and spent all of her free time in Columbus having sex with people she met on some yahoo chat room, D and I bonded even more. We become closer and closer, while she worked orientation for new freshmen on campus and I worked in the financial aid office. I don't even remember what we did all summer. Watched movies. Went to Dairy Queen. Read books (of course we read books). And when Staci took off for Columbus permanently and stuck us with the rent, we gathered up all of Staci's shit and threw them onto the balcony for the elements to deal with. And that included the grape jelly that Staci needed us to buy and never used. D and I were also volunteering at the rape crisis center for many hours a week. I started volunteering at the Humane Society and she helped me too. We were attacked by rabbits! :)

Junior year found D back on campus, and me partying big time when Texass and Ash moved in. That started, truly, the clubbing and drinking. That was the year that I was in love with Bill. I couldn't even look at anyone else because I was so "dedicated" to that asshole from The University of Toledo. But D and I remained close.

Senior year, I lived in a house off-campus with C-Sue, racecar and Emi. D went to Washington D.C. to be an intern, and C-Sue and I went down to visit her. That spring, D came back and there was the thing with her and racecar and C-Sue. That summer, D was graduated, and she lived with me in the house. It was the BEST. SUMMER. EVER. Again, I don't know why. Why was it so great, D? I was working at Panera. And that kid's camp. And you were working at the kid's camp, too. We performed American Pie a lot. D had a fling with a big, dorky frat boy from the U of Akron. I had a fling with... well, a number of people. It was post-Bill and I was depressed. We hung out with the Prof a lot.

Then D was graduated and went off and got a job as a domestic violence advocate. I had one more year to go. She came down to visit me lots from her job in Michigan. We stayed close. And then, I got my job in Marysville and she decided on grad school in Minnesota and we moved. But we're still close. We talk at least once a week. She was my maid of honor and I was her only bridesmaid. She's the person I can call at my best times and my worst times. We somehow see each other in person at least twice a year.

I don't have close female friends - I never have. But I can't tell you how lucky I was to meet D and become her friend. She's caring, loving, protective, bitchy, spirited. One time, in Minnesota, when she was first dating BikerBoy, I visited her. We watched a bunch of Sex and the City's and then we watched The Notebook. We were laughing and giggling at the movie, and then at the exact same time, we burst into tears. We sobbed and sobbed and then laughed.

Okay, now, I don't pray, but let's all close our eyes and imagine her husband getting that job in Dayton for next year. Imagine me living just an hour and a half from D! Heaven.

I love you, D. :)