The Friendship Follies

Shhh . . . I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Brian and I are what I would describe as fairly good friends and writing partners. We chat, we laugh, we tease, and we give each other advice and support BUT ...

wait for it ...

Sometimes we just don't get along!

GASP! Perhaps it's hard to believe, but it is indeed true.

We discuss argue points big and little, blog related or not. We have our own opinions and we're not afraid to speak our minds. Once we had a heated disagreement about the use of the word "too." I am not making this up, we really did. I believe I won that battle, but I bet Brian would beg to differ. Recently we've had some talks about keeping up with this blog. Although we both agree on how often we should post, we vary on the amount of free time we have available to do so. In other words, I have have much more time on hand than Brian does as he is busy starting up his own consulting business. (My hubby T calls Brian the silent partner in this blogging alliance, but I sometimes call him something else, ha ha ha!)

Like characters in a movie, a TV show, or a cartoon, we tend to bounce back from our differences, work together, and remain friends in the end. That's all good. Even better is taking a close look at some famous fictional characters who, like Brian and I, sometimes seem like unlikely matches who deep down truly care for each other. Take these three good duos for example:

2. Will and Grace: To be fair, there is one notable difference between Brian and Will - Brian is not a lawyer. No, no, that's not it - he's not gay. However, Will and Grace are a quirky couple of friends. If once upon a time Brian and I were roommates, I think we would have been a lot like them. In this montage from the show, I like how Grace seeks Will's fashion advice and he doesn't hold back his thoughts. The very end of the clip cracks me up too!



3. Harry and Sally from When Harry Met Sally: If you take out the fairly tale ending to this story when Harry finally professes his undying love for Sally, Brian and I are a lot like this pair of friends from one of my favorite movies of all time. In fact, I can imagine us having a conversation just like this:

Harry Burns: There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.
Sally Albright: Which one am I?
Harry Burns: You're the worst kind; you're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.
Sally Albright: I don't see that.
Harry Burns: You don't see that? Waiter, I'll begin with a house salad, but I don't want the regular dressing. I'll have the balsamic vinegar and oil, but on the side. And then the salmon with the mustard sauce, but I want the mustard sauce on the side. "On the side" is a very big thing for you.
Sally Albright: Well, I just want it the way I want it.
Harry Burns: I know; high maintenance.

And for the record, we both disagree with the premise of the movie that men and women cannot be platonic friends - my take on the subject, and Brian's point of view.

1. Dory and Marlin from Finding Nemo: On his quest to find Nemo, Marlin meets up with Dory who joins in the search. They do not always get along swimmingly, and at one point Marlin believes he should continue his mission on his own. Of course, Dory and Marlin stick together in the end just like us.

Catching Up

It's been almost two weeks since I last posted on this here Good Things blog. Geesh, I'm a slacker!

As for Brian, I will not call him a slacker, he is just very busy! After all, he does have a real, full-time job with deadlines, commitments, phone calls, meetings, commuting, pay, and a brand new office that sadly does not have a proper window.

Sometimes the busyness of life simply takes over, in turn, making the business of writing about life take a back seat.

But I'm jumping back in with this little catch-up post, highlighting three recent good things.

2. Good grades, good kids. Because I'm a parent, I'm proud of my children and I have to boast. They both received excellent report cards last week, and very good reports from their teachers at parent/teacher conferences, too. I suppose we must be doing something right?!?

3. A good check-up. I met with one of my many docs last week - Dr. B, the gastroenterologist, or GI guy. It was a good visit because everything is stable on that end (bah dum dum) which means no new meds, and even better - no poking or prodding tests. He's on time, has a good sense of humor and rapport, and he wears gym shoes, too!

1. Monthly support group. Once per month, I meet with a group of people who are also living with lung disease like me. I always look forward to our meetings because I'm surrounded by people who get it. They understand, they listen, and they offer insight and advice. There's also treats like coffee, fresh fruit, and baked goods - yum!

At last week's meeting, I encouraged my support group friends to contribute to our 100 Good Things 100th blog post which is coming up very soon - this Friday 11/11/11 to be exact. They shared many good things, and so can you! We have not yet reached our goal of 100, so we still need your help!

If you have already shared your good things, thank you so much! If you are so inclined to share some more, go right ahead. Invite your friends and family, too. There are plenty of good things out there, we just need to find them. If you have not yet shared a good thing with us, then we will simply think you are busy, and not label you a slacker like me ;-)

Send your good things to twothreeoneblog-good at yahoo dot com. Thank you!

Good Eggs!

I know what you're thinking - Oh, no! Grrrrrrn. It's another post about food.

But it's not.

It's about people. Good people. People who are friendly, helpful, and supportive. People who help me keep my health stable. People who lift my spirits each and every week.

They are good eggs! Which if you're not familiar with this old-fashioned saying means people of great standards, who have done something well, or pleased someone. Back in the day, when I would do a favor for a friend, her mom would say, "You're a good egg, Sue." At the time, I thought her compliment was kind of quirky, but somewhat endearing, too.

So my three good things for today are not things at all, but three groups of very good people!

They are the people at the hospital where I take part in an excellent pulmonary rehab program. What is pulmonary rehab? It's a place where people with lung disease like me can exercise, be educated, and find much needed support and acceptance. To me, the people of pulmonary rehab are like one big, caring extended family.

1. Top-notch medical professionals including awesome respiratory therapists (D, M, & K - you ladies rock!), nurses, and exercise physiologists. They all work together to provide a welcoming environment to all who enter the rehab department. They not only care for, they care about, all of their patients. That's a very good thing indeed!

2. My comrades-in-arms, or fellow rehab patients. We are different in many ways, but we share a common bond - lung disease. I could easily exercise on my own at home, but then I would miss out on the caring friendship and support of my fellow rehabbers. Like the RT's, they ask about you if you're not there. They listen to your latest medical woes, recommend doctors, and share coping strategies. They pray for you if you are facing a difficult situation. They make you laugh, and they are there for you if you cry.

3. The valet parking guys. Yes, these guys are good eggs, too. Since I have some limitations in my ability to walk long distances, these guys are a godsend. I don't need to worry about the weather when I can drop off my car at the entrance of the hospital, and pick it up when I'm ready to leave. They are hard-working guys who are friendly and welcoming. They greet me with a smile, and ask me how I'm doing. T says they're just so nice to me because they want a bigger tip, but I say they're well-worth it.

Three very good groups of people ~ all good eggs!