Badgers and Gophers

It's always kind of fun and weird when you meet a old friend in a new place neither of you really ever expected to be. My Canadian friends will recognize a certain curly-haired Bell High School grad in this photo below:



As we discussed today, who knew that one day Kristina and I would both end up being mid-western housewives for a spell in our lives, let alone at the same time? Kristina and Ian and their daughter Naeva live in Madison, Wisconsin, just an afternoon's drive away from here. They were in the Twin Cities this weekend and so we met up for lunch and a very, very cold walk afterwards.

There's something great about seeing someone who has known you a long time... before you were someone's wife (at the university), or someone's mother (at the preschool)... Kristina and I stood at that bustop on Corkstown Rd. waiting for the #166 just about every morning of high school. There's just something about an old friend, a comfort level that stays, even when you've lost touch a bit. You can just pick back up where you left off. And we did.

I'm often pensive after these sorts of meetings... there's something about catching up, all those questions you have for one another - how did you get here? what do you think? do you like it? where will you go? what will you do next? These things make me start thinking, what DO I think? and reflect on how exact I did get to this point in my life... and what would I like to do next? After a bit of thinking this evening, I have determined that yes, I do believe myself to be pretty content (alhamdulillah)... yes, I do enjoy being a mother... yes, I like Minneapolis for the time being... No, I'm not ready to go back to work. When I was asked that I think I said something like "well, I think I've just lost so many brain cells... I mean when I meet people... I mean I'm so tired I can't hold an intelligent conversation... It seems like it would be too hard..." Okay! Not going back to work! Clearly! You think I could pass a job interview with verbal skills like that!? Laughable! :)

Anyway, it was great to see them and see their gorgeous daughter Naeva, who I think prepared Ozayr and I a bit for what we can expect with Hafsa later on... They are headed back to Canada this December, and we wish them luck! We're a bit sad that they are going just after we got back in touch, but I'm already looking forward to the next time: who knows where we will meet again? and how many kids there will be?

Here's our little Bell High Where are they Now? shot...



...and our new school mascots...