Friends: Part I

This is part one of a planned two-part rant. I say "planned" because chances are quite good that I will lose momentum and never get to part two. I'm beginning to feel a little under the weather and as I sit here typing this I am looking at a pair of Nyquil gelcaps out of the corner of my eye that keep calling my name. Anyway, back to the topic of friends. Last night I was talking to my friend Theresa, or maybe her name's Trisha, it might even be Tanya. I definately imagine it starting with a T. I don't actually know her name, but I call her "friend" because I see her for 10-15 approximately every other Saturday evening when I enter the video store where she works to rent a movie or two to get me through Saturday night without me having to constantly remember what a loser I must surely be. I have one really, really good friend. She lives over an hour away and I can't cut in on her family time too often or I feel bad, even though she doesn't make me feel that way. I used to have my own little family so I know when you have a child it's nice to do family time. I am dating someone, which is super awesome, but due to scheduling conflicts on the part of both of us, we only get to hang out once or twice a week. And even if there was a great deal more availability, you can't spend all your time together so soon or you might feel a little suffocated. So when I am not seeing either of those people, and my daughter is visiting the other grandparents (which lately has been every other weekend) I am forced to occupy myself. So Theresa/Trisha/Tanya is super cool to me and remembers my name and where I live and that I'm divorced and I have a 5 year old that is away some weekends. She looks at me not with the look of pity and judgement some people her age might give me (she appears to be in her 40's), but with kindness and joy. I really wish I liked people because I would totally like her. Maybe enough to even find out her real name.