Me: In other news, Instapot is awesome.
Jeaniene Frost: I was reading this while tired and under-caffeinated, so at first glance, I read “Other lessons learned this week: Instant Pot is awesome” as “Other lessons learned this week: Pot is awesome” and thought “OMG, she is LOSING it! Must call her asap!” 🙂
My best friend mobilized to save my career, because she thought I lost my mind and posted about doing pot on our professional blog. I am so touched!
So in today’s topic: tell us a funny thing your best friend did to save your bacon.
It’s great to have a friend who will take instant action when needed!
I mean the dispensaries were declared “essential” so they are still open.
My best friend pulled a splinter out of my foot that had gone really deep! Meanwhile, I was whining and moaning like a baby.
My best friend saved my wedding. Or at least my feelings about it. 6 days before my wedding my fiance was hospitalized with kidney stones and we thought we would have to cancel it. And while I was very, very worried about him I was also super preoccupied with the wedding and the 125 people flying into Chicago during the winter who would be arriving momentarily. I was getting to be a little much and feeling like my wedding was ruined. This is where my best friend stepped in and gave me the talk I needed. You can’t change circumstances, but you can ruin your wedding freaking out about things you can’t control. This is one of the most wonderful moments of your life and it isn’t ruined unless you let it be. Fix your brain right now. And I did. And my husband made it down the aisle and we had a wonderful wedding, sandwiched between multiple surgeries. It was a good start to our life.
We’re playing games at night – Uno and Mario Kart- as a way no not to lose social contact, because all of us were going crazy due to the cuarqntaine ????, and we tease each other, and complain about our works, which help us maintain a sense of normality, I think. What would life be without friends ????
Sorry, I’m distracted by the photo. I think that’s Jeaniene on the far right, you, then Gordon, but who are the other people? Inquiring minds want to know. 😉
Never mind. I squinted and could make out the cards in front. From L-R: Molly Harper, Pamela Palmer, Rachel Vincent. Only name I’m not familiar with is Rachel Vincent, so I don’t think I’ve read her stuff.
opposite me. The only name I read is Rachel Vincent. Read her Pride series
Did anyone else notice who is not smiling? Is that their game face?
Not really related, but I’ll share a funny from my 4 year old (I don’t get out much ????).
Him: “Do you know Row, Row, Row Your Boat? ”
Me: “Yeah. (Proceeds to sing the song)”
Him: “No. It’s row, row, row your HO, gently down the STREET.” (Said very seriously as he was trying to teach me the right way the song went.)
At which point I start laughing and looks at me like I’m crazy. ????????
OMG! I would have died!
My best friend would definitely show up with the shovel.
+1000. The bestest kind of friend!!
We were married in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Pre trip research showed a health food store and bakery. We arrive and it was out of business. It was a small wedding with only 15 people at a villa we rented. A lot of changes and substitutions due to availability – no big deal – go with the flow. However I really wanted a small vegan wedding cake for me and 1 other attending vegan. There was already a non vegan chocolate cake for everyone else.
I expressed my disappointment to my fiancé, now husband, who mentioned it to my brother. Brother called his then new girlfriend (now wife) who looked up recipes as the villa did not have an internet connection (2007). The recipe seemed suspect with a ton of sugar in it. Another guest, a long time family friend and cook extraordinaire helped adjust the recipe.
So four people came to the rescue so I could have a cake on my wedding day! It was full of love and delicious. ????????❤️????
Four of the people in that picture are helping me maintain my sanity right now. I may need to check out the other two.
On a related note, they tried closing the coffee shops here (NL, so it ain’t coffee) and it lasted less than 24 hours. Now they’re doing takeaway.
Have you seen Mike Birbiglia’s special, The New One? If you have then:
I SAVED your BEST FRIEND’S life!
If you haven’t you should. It’s hilarious. But here’s the clip
https://twitter.com/birbigs/status/1200562062264549377?lang=en
When I’m with someone she knows I can’t get away from fast and have a ton of things to do, she calls me with a now emergency to save me. ???? I don’t even have to ask she just knows. ????
While doing an internship at Planned Parenthood I had a cervical cap placed in me and I couldn’t get it out, so my pal/colleague who has very long fingers had to do it! I was so very embarrassed, but everyone had a good laugh, even me. We are still very good friends though we live thousands of miles apart.
Not so much my best friend, but being a best friend. My best friend once told me that what she liked about me was if she asked “Do these pants make me look fat?” I would always tell her the truth.
According to my family this is freaking hilarious. Stopped at my mom’s house. She and my grown sister were in the bathroom trying to unstop the toilet. They were busy pouring all sorts of home remedies down to no avail. This had happened before and the problem had been at the clean out. It wasn’t completely blocked but it was evident there was a problem.
Me: Have either of you checked the clean out?
Them: No
Me: Have you called anybody?
Them: No
Me: OK, let me grab a ballcap it’s pouring out there. STOP flushing the toilet. Do NOT flush the toilet again.
Them: OK
I change out of my heels & suit. It’s now pouring. As I finally get the cap off somebody decides it’s a good idea to give it one more flush. What goes up must come down. The resulting gusher just doesn’t hit me in the face. I’m bent over and it comes down on the back of my head. I’m trying to wipe it off my face and see 2 heads disappear from the window. The stench is overwhelming. It’s all over me, my shoes are squishing. Go in the bathroom to see my Sis hiding behind MOM screaming “She told me to! She told me to!” Mom’s pointing her finger at me trying not to laugh. Then the final straw. They started laughing and gagging while they told me how badly I stank and that ‘I’ should have called a plumber. Full body hugs were accompanied by their screams.
So they intentionally did that to you? That’s more horrifying than funny. I’m so sorry.
No they actually meant well. It’s just that when they get together all common sense is sucked out of their brains. They go from 2 highly intelligent, caring women and become 2 of the 3 stooges. The rest of the family agrees. ????
Omg, you ABSOLUTELY had to share the love!
You are definitely their best friend, because they’re still alive. Me? I’d have…
“She made me do it”?! Full body hugs at that point seem oh, SO appropriate! Yes, those were well deserved screams of sweet revenge! That’s hilarious 🙂
Love my Instant Pot. I did make a mistake and got the small one. I do steel cut oats in it and make a big batch and freeze it. I did rice for the first time without it sticking and burning. The best is mac and cheese. I’ll never fix it any other way again.
For an easy recipe, take a brisket, about 3-4 lbs, put a small bottle of apple juice in the bottom, liberally season the meat with McCormick’s seasoned meat tenderizer. Cook on the meat setting for 2 hours. Instant release, remove to meat and let it rest. Fill the pot full with fresh cut up broccoli and cauliflower, add 1 stick of garlic & herb butter on top, cook on meat setting for 1 minute. As soon as it pressurizes, turn it off and quick release. Take out the veggies quickly to avoid them being soggy.
Easy and delicious. Pork roasts also work with the apple juice, I haven’t used the veggies on them yet.
I hadn’t been successful cooking dried beans until I bought my Instant Pot. When I first got it, I tired every recipes I could find. My husband commented “Just because you can fix something in an Instant Pot doesn’t mean you should.” He also believes the only thing that should be made in it is cheese cake!
I am notorious for being horrible with names and faces. No amount of effort or trick I’ve ever tried has helped with this. If I’ve known you for 20+ years and I run into you out of context, I still might not recognize you. My friends know about this embarrassing problem of mine, and have covered for me my entire life.
Someone walks up to me “Hey Jules! How are you?”
Me: “Hiya! I’m doing good thanks, how are you dear?”
Any of my friends -She said DEAR, that means she has no clue who she is talking to. – Friend prompts me with the person’s name, or if they don’t know them, they proceed to introduce themselves and ask the person’s name.
Thus, I am rescued from trying to explain this weird problem I have (which most people very mistakenly believe means I don’t care about them).
Face blindness, perhaps? It’s one of those commonly uncommon things, like being red/green colourblind.
I.e. Prosopagnosia. It’s a real thing, not your fault, and embarrassing as heck. From a fellow sufferer, lots of sympathy. Most of my friends and extended family know I have it and help by finding the funny in it. I’m 50, and two of my cousins, sisters to each other, still introduce themselves, even though I’ve been able to tell them apart for 30 years now. 🙂
I’ve never met anyone else with this! THANK YOU! 🙂
I’m not too bad if I see someone where I EXPECT to see them and I’ve had several months of exposure to their face and name. But if I run into them out of context… Yeah, I never know who they are. I’ve had this happen with a few family members too. I figure them out pretty quick, but I think that’s more their voices than their faces.
I can’t recognize my own face in the mirror. I mean, I know it’s me, but I know it by logical deduction…. Face blindness sucks.
ME TOO! The friends do the same thing. I recognize the face, but the name is gone. Once or twice I have even forgotten my own name :(.
Great blog! Thanks for the fun!
Sometimes, if they talk to me long enough, the sound of their voice can help me remember their name
I don’t know if it’s the same exactly as I have an ASD but I don’t notice/remember what people look like and it takes a long time for them to ‘stick’ in my head. I met a man when I had my dog, he was talking to me, knew my name, knew my dog, chatted to me for about ten minutes then I suddenly burst out with “oh, you’re Rocky’s owner” – he didn’t have his dog, I hadn’t recognised him despite two years near enough daily acquaintance. More embarrassing I blurted it out loud, I fake recognition really well.
I have ASD and have difficulty recognizing people especially out of context. I worked at a company where there were 3 female Vice Presidents that I dealt with on an irregular basis, all approximately the same height, weight, hair color and dressed in a similar fashion. I copied pictures from their badges into a file I looked at before going to meetings, would study the photos before the meetings and still had trouble deciding who was who. What I really hated was being stopped in a hallway by one of them and being asked for updates and not knowing which project they were referring to.
I hosted my sister’s wedding at our house and had planned various dishes for a reception afterwards that I could handle. (I cook very, very little.) The night before the morning ceremony, I announced to my BFF (who lived over two hours away) that I was going to make her famous recipe for Swedish Meatballs that night. I had the recipe, the ingredients…but not the skill. I was in serious trouble but was blithely unaware of that fact. BFF recognized the danger instantly and drove two hours so that she could show up on my doorstep that night unannounced. She stayed up with me all night cooking the amazing Swedish Meatballs, then left at six in the morning to head home. (There were reasons she couldn’t stay, but that is a different story.) She KNEW I was way over my head and jumped without hesitation into those dark waters to rescue me. My dearest friend now sings with the choirs of heaven, but she will always be my BFF.
My sister (and BFF!) pooped for me at the hospital after a c-section, so I could go home. The nurse had to be shown the evidence in the toilet of my room. lol
When I was about 8 weeks pregnant, my husband had to go out of town on work. I was at work, and started bleeding. I called my doctor, who sent me home and ordered an ultrasound. My best friend, who was studying to be a nurse, came to get me and take me.
In the ultrasound, the technician got very quiet, and then called in a doctor. The doctor took a look and said “I’m very sorry, but we can’t see anything – you need to call your doctor about what comes next”. I was… rocked. And my best friend? My best friend got up, walked around the table, put her hands on her hips and said “No one is leaving this room until you do another ultrasound, transvaginal (that’s an internal one)”. The doctor started to protest, and she moved so she was in front of the door and said “You didn’t hear me, no one is leaving. Get it done”.
They did it.
And there, tucked in a lousy spot, not at all where it should be, and smaller than expected (they’d miscalculated my conception date) was a snug little embryo, growing away. I had not had a miscarriage, I just had a terrible plant (and boy did that cause other issues later). So, the best thing my friend did for me was keep me from a)losing my mind and b) from having the medication that WOULD have caused a miscarriage. There’s a reason she’s my kiddo’s goodparent.
Not sure if that’s a typo, but I like it – goodparent.
It works either way. ????????
Nope, not a typo. We’re not really religious (somewhere between agnostic and atheist, with some cultural Jewish stirred in) and, as my husband said “Kiddo doesn’t need folks to teach him about God, but to help him be good? I’m all about that!”. So, kiddo has goodparents – and she’s one of them!
Your best friend is AMAZING.
My best friend has a shovel
I am particular about my laundry ever since DH decided to help one time and shrunk three of my sweaters and turned our cream colored towels pink. Don’t touch my laundry and everybody gets to live. We had a house guest for a week. On Saturday my DH and I had an obligation and had to leave the house for several hours. She asked if she could do her laundry and I said “sure no problem” and showed her how to operate my machine. When we got home there was a small stack of folded laundry on our bed. Deep breathe. DH said “shit” and took step back. Our house guest who had followed us into our room sweetly said, “I hope you don’t mind but I had such a small load that I thought instead of wasting water I would do your laundry as well” She went into my room and into my closet and took my laundry. Deep breathe. Behind me under his breathe DH was chanting (let it go, let it go, let it go . . . ) I took a deep breath and said “thank you that was very thoughtful but as I told you the machine automatically adjusts the water level.” DH gave a big sigh and squeezed my shoulder. Deep breathe. I decided the dog needed a walk so I snapped on her leash and grabbed my cell phone and headed outside. A block away I called my best friend (who knows me so well) and told her what had happened. When I finished there was silence. Very softly my dear friend said “is she still alive or do you need an alibi and a shovel?”
That’s the sweetest!! I hate when ppl touch my laundry. I don’t even like to touch my laundry. Ur friend rocks
And that, right there, is what they mean when they say, “Friends help you move; real friends help you move bodies.”
+1!!
After a similar event (substitute Mother – in – law for guest), I went for a walk, got a block away, called my BFF and all I said was “Min” (her first name) and got the immediate response “deep breath. Hold on, I’ll be there in 3 hrs with the shovel. T (her husband) can be our alibi. Now. What did she do?” Since she was living almost 4 hours away, the 3 hr time period was understandable. LOL
We were walking thru the woods at the edge of town. There are deer carcass scattered here and there. I know we have coyotes but I’m beginning to suspect we have a coywolf pack. My best friend was ahead of me by about 25 feet when we heard something in the bushes…
He ran back and hid behind me and barked until the cranky porcupine crossed the road, saving me from the vicious beast.
I have a couple of human best friends too…at the moment we’re all hiding in our houses and texting each other about knitting.
My work spouse used to save my job all the time. Our boss’s boss would go on and on and ON about his previous industry, while telling us not to talk about that industry. One day in particular, I lost it and demanded to know why he left that industry if he loved it so much. Work spouse interrupted to change the subject, and probably my job.
My best friend quarter-backed at my wedding. My 16 year old sister had been fed a steady stream of alcohol by a cousin and was floundering on the floor causing a scene. BF grabbed her arm authoritatively and said, “the floor is no place for a bridesmaid.” And had her escorted home.
My fiance convinced me not to violate the 100 mile radius travel restriction the Navy put me in. Since I just reported to my new command, getting caught would have been problematic. He’s the lawful good type. I’m chaotic/neutral good maybe…
Sorry I meant that not just I am in the 100 mile travel radius restriction. It’s all the active duty who are restricted to local area travel.
I meant not just me in particular being stuck in the 100 mile radius- it’s all the people at this command. I’m not in any particular trouble!
Around about 1998, my middle brother was epically awesome for me. For a few of my teenage years I was often unwell and either hospitalised or bedbound (better now). I loved Terry Pratchett and he was doing a signing nearby I’d wanted to go to for weeks. Of course I was too ill. My twelve year old brother secretly bunked off school, took some of my books and queued for three hours to get them signed by both the mighty Tezza and Stephen Briggs AND he even got their photos taken for me. I recovered to such a lovely surprise, but he was in trouble for skipping school!
I was raised in an abusive home. My best friend (she’s 3 yrs older and we met in schools hallways while both of us ditched class) pretended to be my tutor for YEARS to get me out of my house. She kept me sane. She would invent excuses all the time to occupy me and was always available when I needed to get out. My parents think she’s the reason I graduated. No she’s the reason I’m still alive. Thankful every day God put her in my life.
What a wonderful friend. I grew up in an abusive home. I know how huge a deal it was, having a friend giving you a way out. I hope you live a much happier life now!
My bestie of 42 years once had to explain to my then boyfriend that, no, I wasn’t sick Nor was I angry at him, I was on my period (and that the most helpful thing to do was leave me alone for a day). We were in Junior High and she’s still my best friend!
We were packing up our house after 13 years in place. We were trying to do as much as possible to save on cost on this long distance move and time was short. And I collect china. Oh boy, it was bad, We were exhausted. Plans were falling apart. I was practically in tears. M&M, my two friends arrived at 8AM after driving over 100 miles to help. They stayed and they packed like pros until 8 at night. They took the trash with them to save us time and trouble. The next morning I was able to walk through the house and see each room’s contents packed . When I unpacked a thousand miles away there were funny notes in the boxes. Bacon, and sanity saved.
Not funny, but endearing.
I had moved 3 hours away. My oldest has ASD and mental illness issues. One day she went missing, she wasn’t on the bus to her facility. I freaked out, as is appropriate I believe. Was checking with neighbors, making calls. School was doing a search, we were about to call in the police. While this was going on I posted on Facebook because I was feeling hopeless. Friend from old neighborhood offered to jump in her car to come take care of my other kids. Yeah that’s love.
My daughter was found a little bit later by the school doing a room to room check. She’d decided to stay after school for help from a teacher without letting anyone know, and couldn’t hear any of the announcements they did calling for her. Scary time for us, but fortunately not dangerous.
Me: Innocently reads favorite blog.
Me: Reads blog.
Me: Chokes on coffee and slides out of chair giggling manically.
I needed that this morning omg lolol
My husband died suddenly while we were on vacation and if something like that has happened to you, you know your brain stops working in a PTSD reaction. My best friend flew from Boston to my home town so when I returned home I wouldn’t have to walk into my house alone for the first time with everything just as we left it to go on a happy vacation.
Then I realized my major credit card had my husband as the primary and me as the secondary cardholder. I had tons of points I wanted to use for air fare to bring in family for the memorial service but the credit card company said they had to speak to the “primary cardholder” to redeem points. My best friend’s male partner called all the companies masquerading as my husband; we sat at the dining room table, and when they asked him the security questions, he would say things, like, “I’m sorry, bad connection, are you asking me my first pet’s name?” I would hastily scribble DUKE on a piece of paper and hold it up. “Duke!” said my friend, with authority. On and on it went, with me writing down first job, high school name, mother’s maiden name, etc.,
and him brazening out everything else.
They did many more things that got me through and I will love them forever for taking care of me at a time I didn’t think I could go on.
Two different friends and two stores.
I was badly bullied in 8th grade to the point where I was being followed and physically assaulted outside of school. New girl in town didn’t appreciate bullies. She witnessed this happening one day, jumped them from behind and then ran the other way so they would chase her instead. We are still friends. Don’t lose quality friends, they are worth so much
Back in college I broke up with a boyfriend. He didn’t take it well and kept calling me. We were out and he called me at least 3 times. She took my phone on call 4, answered, and told him “nobody likes a stalker” and then hung up.
We’ve been best friends for almost 20 years now.
My husband, who is also my best friend, pulled a tick out of my eye while standing in a flooded swamp, and also didn’t yell at me when I threw a scorpion at him by accident.
Barbara
WTF?
My best friend literally broke into my house to drag me off to a Psychiatrist appointment she made for me, after I had decided to never leave my house again and refused to interact with the outside world (even my phone was off) for 6 months. I was very depressed. She dragged me off pretty much by the hair, shoved me in her car while I was wearing my unicorn pyjamas and flip flops, with my oily and dirty hair/face, totally looking like a crazy person and drove me to the doctor and stayed during the session while telling the doctor everything I had been doing and my history. I could only nod and agree with everything she said, which was the truth. I felt like a little kid with her mom talking to a doctor on my behalf because I was too useless. Which was a fact at the time. The Harvard educated Doctor’s face was priceless when she entered his office literally towing me behind her, especially when he saw my attire. I was over 30 years old at the time. If I had been 18, it wouldn’t have been so ridiculous.
She even scheduled the next session for me and said if I didn’t go by myself she would get my two other best friends and they would carry me kicking and screaming if necessary. I decided it was in my best interest, and a lot more dignified, if I complied with her demand. So, I went again myself and kept going for about two years until the medication he prescribed (he kept changing it since nothing worked) me almost killed me. My blood pressure dropped so low that I’d have died if my Gran’s nurse wasn’t around to help me. If that had happened after my Gran’s death, since I now live alone, I’d would have died. Hence, why I’m not fond of medication. It has never worked for me.
Anyway, this got depressing really quickly. It was suppose to be funny and now looking back it was. The first part, at least. So, thank you, Fran! She’s an awesome friend! <3
My best friend once came over to my house and cooked a roast chicken dinner for my husband and me when I was sick with a nasty flu. It was just what I needed to get on the road to recovery. In addition, I gave her my bank card and PIN number and she got cash out of the bank for me. I knew I could trust her. (Yes, my husband could have cooked, but he was working a lot of hours and couldn’t get home at a reasonable time to prepare a meal.) She didn’t get sick either. Thirty-three years ago, we already knew how to social distance.
My BFF mailed me a box of sheep. I keep having life dramas of the very bad kind + teens. So she filled a big box with fluffy stuffed sheep and mailed it to me. She said she wanted me to see smiling things, for a change. It worked!
Off to re-read the Edge, because the sheep and I need company!
Well, to be honest, both are awesome (pot and instapot). The cannibis cream I use has helped tremendously with my shoulder after a bad injuryband surgery.
That said, my green thumb bff from high school was helping me with my huge produce garden and the ‘premium’ soil I had delivered was terrible. So she stepped in and got me a giant load of compost for my birthday. Yup, 2 truckloads of poop. She knows me well. Best bestie bday gift ever!
I was living with my great Uncle when he passed away. I had to move out in a hurry because I couldn’t afford the rent. I booked a moving truck but they came too early and I didn’t have all the stuff in the boxes, so they refused to take it all. To this day, I don’t know where my friend got the trailer from, but he just moved the extra stuff while I cleaned and I was just finishing mopping the entrance hall when the agent pulled up to do the exit inspection.
I don’t have a story of my own but I love this one that I found on twitter a couple of years ago.
https://twitter.com/sheilakathleen/status/1005116845240848385
I miss read this, sent screenshot to friends, and they to miss read. It was a happy diversion.