The Worst Day; The Best Friend

Yesterday was an awful day. I was teaching and, because of the rains this week, I was a bit under-prepared. I just kept avoiding it all week. Finally, Friday night, in the pouring rain, I got out in the shop and packed kits and then loaded up the car. I stood in one of my storage sheds staring into one corner...knowing something was missing...but what? Soaked to my undies and freezing cold, I gave up and went in the house.

Saturday morning, I was all ready to go - just a few minutes late - when I got in the car. And my procrastination hit me square in the forehead. Last Monday, I had noticed the jeep was turning over way too much to crank. I put that on my to do list for next Monday. But yesterday the car wouldn't wait; fully loaded with class supplies and completely dead.

I ran into the shop and called the BFF. She was still in her pjs. The panic gave me an instant upset stomach. I ran into the house.

Back to the shop to unload the car, I placed all supplies on the curb - or so I thought.

We got to class and started setting up and I realized a crucial box never made it into the car. The BFF only asked for my security gate code and left.

The students arrived and, improvising, I taught the class bass-ackwards: last part first. It was then I realized why I stood in the shed, staring into the abyss. I had not packed the colored celophane for making candy roses. Knowing the BFF was on the way back, I improvised again, using sheer ribbon instead. Hey, it worked!

The BFF arrived while I was futzing with roses and simply unpacked that missing box and even set up a late arrival. Finally, I was showing them how to decorate the cookies.

It was then I realized one student had a severe mental deficiancy. I had demoed placing double stick on an acrylic block, attaching the stamp, rolling out the icing, inking the stamp. This student put down her tape and rolled the icing right on top of the block! And FREAKED when it stuck to the icing! Periodically, she would step away from the group and hold her head while walking in very tiny circles! The BFF just took care of this girl, helping her with everything and giving her space when she needed a circular pace.

While I was teaching, the BFF cleaned all my tools and all the tables and even started loading her car. I treated her to burgers and shakes and then she drove me home, exhausted.

As we left warm and sunny Glendale, my hopes of a refreshing walk were dashed. No car to get to the creek and, as the BFF pointed out, there was a dark cloud over Sunland. Outside, it was a good 20 degrees cooler. As we pulled up to the shop gate, to add insult to injury, it started to hail!

We threw everything in the jeep - the closest shelter in the storm and my BFF drove home and back to her life.

I don't know if eveyone has a BFF like mine but there are so many times she has simply wowed me with her kindness. She goes above and beyond on a regular basis. I often joke that if I get into heaven, it will be by default of being her friend. And then I realize, I must have something fantastic in this life or some other to have been gifted a friend like her.