Nortorious

"You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing." - Charlotte A. Cavatica, Charlotte's Web

I've been in a funk the last few days and it's not hard to figure out why. My friend moved away.

Those of you who read my blog faithfully know that I have a friend Lenore who lives across the street.

New readers, meet Lenore. 

What you may not know is that I met Lenore just last year when I first moved to Sugar House. Christine and I were relaxing in my backyard, watching our kids play in my new hot tub, and in blew three kids I had never met before in my life. They promptly jumped in my hot tub and became instant friends with Aidan and Christine's two kids. That's how things roll in Sugar House.

A few minutes later a woman with vivid pink hair entered the backyard, obviously looking for her children. Once she saw they were safe and sound, she plopped down on the blanket, and started talking to me and Christine. As they say, the rest is history. Lenore moved to Wilson Avenue from California three weeks before I moved to Wilson Avenue from California. She is a UCLA grad, an English professor, and a mother of three. Most importantly she is whip-smart, funny, and has three great kids for Aidan to play with.

From that day forward, Christine and Lenore became my Utah sister wives, minus the creepy undertones. They became Aidan's emergency contacts at school. If I needed a babysitter, I just texted them both and sent Aidan to whoever answered first. If Aidan went missing, I didn't even worry until I checked both of their houses. We started a book club. We trick-or-treated on Halloween and egg-hunted on Easter. We had Friday afternoon "office parties" on Lenore's porch and Breaking Bad nights in Christine's basement.

It was everything I dreamed for my family to have good friends that lived next door and across the street. The Leave It To Beaver fantasy that I thought only existed in books and movies.

Christine left, Lenore right (now with teal hair) 

Friday afternoon Porch Parties 

Then came the flood. Semi-literally. A sewage pipe burst in Lenore's basement and forced Lenore & Co. to move out of their house across the street. Lenore was eight months pregnant and homeless, and I was despondent over the loss of my neighbor.

I know my loss is small compared to Lenore's, but to me it still feels like a blow. I have not had a permanent home since leaving my parent's house fourteen years ago. I had seven different apartments in those fourteen years and none of them was a forever home. When we bought our house on Wilson Avenue, I allowed myself to picture what it would be like to watch Aidan make friends that he would have through elementary, junior high, and high school. I know kids grow and change, forging new alliances and growing apart. But that doesn't change the fact that they can say they've known each other since they were kids.

I don't mean to be overly dramatic about the situation. Lenore is one of my best friends in Utah, and I hope we keep up our adventures even with a 40 minute drive between us. But I will miss her kids knocking on my door everyday with the familiar refrain, "Is Aidan home?" I'll miss trick-or-treating on Halloween and running across the street every Friday evening for a cream soda. I'll miss texting her to see if she has an egg when I need one for a recipe and walking to Blue Plate for lunch. I'll miss pulling her kids on sleds to Fresh Market in the snow and making snow angels on the way home. I'll miss jam sessions on her front porch and backyard barbecues. I'll miss her quirky tendencies like distributing meth candy to celebrate the finale of Breaking Bad (It's just blue sugar!) or sending her kids out trick-or-treating on half-Halloween (April 31st). I'll miss talking about books with someone who loves them as much as I do. I'll miss Lenore.

Jam session at Lenore's

Book club

Mostly California kids enjoying their first real winter

SuperBowl Party! 

Aidan, Mimi, Jude, and Silas trick-or-treating

Easter egg hunting

Christmas lights at Temple Square

Dueling piano bar baby shower

Lenore, I'll miss you, but I know wherever you go, you'll make amazing friends and take your community by storm. In fact, I'm sure Lehi's cool factor has already skyrocketed since you moved there. Don't be a stranger and promise me that our hangouts won't be "catch-ups" but actual conversations. **Virtual hug**

p.s. Christine, don't even think about moving away. I can only handle so much.