Break Out the Root Beer...Lauren's Gone!

Brian and Lauren have an interesting relationship to say the least. I think it all started over two years ago when Brian answered the door or phone and was less than enthusiastic in announcing her arrival/call. Nothing personal, he was just tired that day. After a bit of chastisement from her about not being excited to see her, Brian stepped it up a bit and it's been going on for well over a year. Whenever Lauren calls or comes by the house now, he greets her with a smile from ear to ear and a ridiciously excited and boisterously loud, "LAUREN!!!!!" Trust me, it woke the kids from their naps upstairs one time. It's loud and exuberant. Sort of makes me laugh too and I'm sure it makes her feel sooooo special.

Since the kids get along so well, they have had many a dinner at our place too. I'm not much into beverages, so Brian has had to manage his own stash since our wedding day. He always has two sodas in the fridge chilling for his enjoyment. Cold drinks are important to him. I mean very important. I even received a compliment once that made me laugh. Someone once told me that they liked eating at our house because we always had "superbly chilled beverages."

Apparently, Lauren is of the same persuasion as Brian. She enjoys a superbly chilled beverage, root beer in particular. Brian also favors his root beer (and his beverage chilling system). Since the standard stash typically includes a single root beer and one other flavor, it became an arm wrestle of sorts who got the root beer when our dear guests dined with us. Brian, being a chivalrous fellow, typically gave Lauren the root beer. When Lauren and I had lunch together, Lauren knew to ask before she partook of the coveted drink, lest Brian return home from a long hard day at the office and only could find a nasty, putrid, room temperature root beer. Between the three of us, over time, it became our little inside joke. Brian and I would laugh when she wasn't there that he was going to have to hide them from her in the vegetable drawer to make sure he had one when he wanted it or sometimes he'd ask as he restocked the fridge if Lauren would be coming over soon so he could put in extra so as not to mess up his system.

Alas, I seem to be going through friends like I did college roommates (nine roommates in a two bedroom apartment over a short 11 month period). Lauren, like most my other good friends, moved last weekend to the far away land of "Fair Oaks Ward." That's far in Mormon talk.* Very far. Heck, it's a different stake. In fact, we may never see each other again. Ever. You know what I mean. There's no hope. Another close friend, gone to the wind. In my attempts to again, look on the bright side and keep a positive attitude about my loneliness, all I have to say is, "Lauren, we'll miss you. Now break out the root beer, she's gone!"

*Mormons typically go to a congregation based on geographic boundaries, so everyone in the congregation lives close together. So, rather than "church shopping" when we move, we just find the closest congregation then your church friends end up being your neighors too. Lauren will go to another building and our paths won't cross as often as they used to when we could walk to each other's houses...but she'll only live 5 miles away. :)