We had a visit today from the Badami's. Jason and Dalea were the best man/maid of honor in our wedding. We all met while in college. They sorta got me and Kelly together; yep, if it wasn't for them, we might not have gotten together. We've been able to maintain our friendship throughout the years and enjoy the times we can all get together. They were in town for a family get-together and stopped in briefly with their three kids. ***Quick note: scary that we have friends our age with three kids. Even scarier that one of those kids is eight years old.
In addition to helping me find the love of my life, Jason also introduced me to another great love: soccer. If he hadn't asked me to play indoor soccer with him our freshman year, I'm not sure I ever would've played. I can't imagine not playing soccer.
We became close friends at the end of our sophomore year. I'm not sure what brought it on, but it's been a great friendship. Some of the best stories I know involve Jason. I don't have enough time to share them all now, but if I share a few, you might understand why we click.
- Jason had a vision of the coolest dorm room ever. He went through the dorm gathering all the mattresses he could find. He emptied out all the furniture and filled the room with wall-to-wall mattresses. I wish I had a picture, but Jason was proud jumping on his 20'x16' bed.
- Jason thought of the idea of a "good-luck squirrel" for our soccer team. He skinned a squirrel and carried it around in a cereal box to every game. And it actually worked. So the next season, while in the midst of a losing streak, he knew another squirrel was needed. He had a friend kill one and didn't have time to skin it until we were on a road trip. He chose to do it in a Days Inn parking lot. The people driving by must have been wondering what he was doing skinning a squirrel in a hotel parking lot at midnight.
- Jason and I roomed together the last semester before he got married. We had this book shelf that spanned across the room. Jason found the perfect accessory to the shelf: a basketball rim. I thought it was funny until I came back from class one afternoon and discovered his modification. Jason used duct tape to make lines for a basketball court. He made court rules [you had to play while kneeling] and invited all the guys on the floor to play. We didn't sleep much that semester.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. From nicknames to flea markets, it's been a ton of fun. It's good to have friends like Jason.