A lovely week with an old friend

Many moons ago, I performed with the Glassmen Drum Corps based in Toledo, OH. Drum corps is basically professional marching band on speed. You can only participate until age 21, which gives the activity a very temporary and fleeting quality that makes it so much more special. The picture above shows a pretty moment during one of our shows. The girl in the center of the form is my drum corps "little sister" Charlie, whom I took under my wing in 2003 during her rookie year. She was 16 and brand new to the world of drum corps, so we forged a close friendship and have tried to keep in touch ever since.



Charlie (short for Charleve) visited our home for a week and I had a wonderful time catching up with her. She is moving to Argentina next year to dance professionally for a flamenco company, and I am so proud of her I could burst. She has been an incredible dancer her entire life and I know she will take Argentina by storm.



We spent the week taking in the sights and sounds of the Bay Area. We ran around Napa and Sonoma for a day, walked the dogs every morning so Bruno (my dachshund) could see the gophers that live nearby, drank in the eccentric environment of San Francisco, and went dancing at an 80's club that was a favorite of mine in college. Here we are rockin' out with Wii toys before heading out for the night:



Charlie is a really healthy eater so I loved having her around to share fresh veggie meals with. I never realized that you can drizzle EVOO with salt and pepper on anything and it will taste delicious. She and I are both anemic, so we tried to buy foods that were rich in iron. Brian laughed many times and said that Charlie and I are two peas in a pod: we're both deathly allergic to bee stings, and we are both anemic and always freezing cold. I'm glad to say that after a week of eating healthy fresh produce every day, I have maintained the habit and tried to eat healthy ever since.



I was sad to see her leave, but I know we will be in each other's lives for a very long time. My fingers are crossed that she will be able to make it to our wedding next year, and she has already volunteered her service as Bruno's handler at our reception. Bruno and Charlie spent almost every moment together and he seemed to regard her as a sibling and friend. When she left, he sat at her door and whimpered mournfully, hoping she would eventually emerge. I cannot wait to see how he reacts when he sees her the next time around :)