An Ode to Michaella

- I don't even know what an Ode is, all I know is this girl deserves a frickin medal. But I don't have one. so this quasi-ode will have to do -

Kale. Mk. Mom. Michaella. MikayJ. Meeekaaaayyylllaaaaa. Miquan. Meek-i-el. the list goes on, but I simply (and secretly) refer to her as my little Guru. Maybe she knows that, or maybe not but this chick is my Guru Goddess.

From early on we were destined to befriend one another. It all started when I joined her and her little junior-high-girl-group for a swim at some rec center. From the start I knew she was a powerful little tween because she wasn't as out-there as the others, she wasn't as loud and obnoxious and was generally guarded - later, I would learn it was because she thought I was going to infiltrate her group of friends and ruin EVERYTHING (ah the minds of junior high girls). But my secret desire to be BFFs with her would not be stifled.

High school came and we found ourselves in different groups. She was naturally friends with all these hot athletic soccer-playing ladies (in particular this one ballet-dancing blond, but more about her later) and I was just the loud girl who screamed in gym class when the ball got too close. But it was there, despite me not liking her blond-best-friend, and despite me being jealous of her uncanny ability to flirt with boys (lets be honest, I'm still jealous of that trait), I knew I wanted to be friends - and guess what? SHE DID TOO.

(The early years circa Sophomore year)

We beat the odds and somehow ended up fabulous friends. It probably started when we began having late night phone conversations that lasted till the wee hours of the morning. I'm not kidding, it would start with a simple "hey do you have the reading assignment? and would turn into a 3-hour chat sesh about anything and everything. We also somehow always ended up in the same math and science classes which was convenient because we would then be in the same group for projects; which never really worked out - napping, T.V, talking about boys, eating, and gossiping was always far more important than creating a Rube Goldberg Machine or studying for an exam.
We did Prom Committee together, we were always on the "decorating committees" for dances and assemblies and when planning for these events, we both understood that it takes at least (bare minimum) 2 hours to get your hair done (personal-preparation was always an all-day event). She understands and loves attention to detail and all of the cheesy-romantic-cliche girl stuff I secretly enjoy as well. Plus, she's the only one who will pay 10 bucks to see the lamest romantic comedy with me. "We are the girls that these marketers target their products to".Michaella and I have a common understanding. We can tell each other about our crazy borderline-neurosis-behavior because there is a 99% chance that the other party has done/thought it. For example:
- talking about our ideal wedding color-scheme, bridesmaid dress length ("Oh and don't even worry, of course you'll be a bridesmaid"), number of guests, wedding season (pending when the proposal is of course), AND just in case we ever need to know: the kind of engagement ring we want...."because obviously, my future fiance would want to ask you for advice."
- (sorry for this one in advance) confessing that we have indeed Google Maped (Street View mind you) where someone lives..."oh so that's where they live....wow. now I know, its like I've been there!"
- Admitting that it took an hour and a half to pick out this outfit because "the shirt says 'I didn't try' but the jeans and bracelet say 'but I'm still appropriate for this occasion' ".... sometimes the outfit-decision-making-process involves sending one another pictures of said outfit options.
- Calling one another for advice on the response to a text-message "because it HAS to be perfect!"
- Traveling to Hollywood Video to rent Twilight, just to discover its closed, calling three different people to ask where another video store is, searching for a pirated copy on the internet, asking people if they know anyone we can borrow it from, and FINALLY succumbing to purchasing a $13 dollar copy off of iTunes... "because we just HAVE to watch it NOW" "this purchase is totally worth it, oh look! there's even exclusive iTunes bonus features!!" *out of all of these embarrassing facts, that one is the most embarrassing*
- Going downtown on a Thursday at 12pm to see the new Rob Pattinson movie...and crying at the end. (it was a good movie...I wont even front. super sad.)
- Admitting that instead of doing your homework you watched 4 hours worth of Instant-Play T.V shows on NetFlix.
- Being OK with saying, "sorry, but tubing behind the boat is not fun. it's painful. so we'll sit here and watch"
- Watching Brave Heart while doing crafts at home on a Saturday night....old ladies in training.
-She understands my utter love for fabulous lyrics and will sit and listen to "the best song in the world" and then actually converse with me about said lyrics...rockstar
Michaella is selfless- she is always giving, super grounded, gorgeous, intelligent, hilarious (even though she doesn't think so), mature, honest, empathetic, and one of my fave facts, is that she actually listens to books on tape. Namely Harry Potter. She makes dinner for our friends "just because" and once made a whole spaghetti feast, complete with salad and garlic bread for a Christmas gathering.
I call her a Guru because she is has got to be one of the best advice-givers I know. She is like therapist-Michaella (which can probably be a blessing and a curse) but more than that, she can literally READ YOUR MIND. She knows my secret thoughts and calls me out on my ulterior motives. Sometimes I think I should be more guarded with my thoughts because Lord knows, Kale will figure that shit OUT. There have been times (every time) when she's asking me for advice and I literally feel inadequate because her advice to me is always so damn good I could never measure up! Lately, when giving advice to others, I have found myself thinking, "what would Michaella say?" and suddenly my attempt at advice doesn't seem so lame. *aww*

(deep in some conversation. Duluth-style) (i actually just think she's pissed a picture was taken, but just go with it)

We still have our hour-long phone conversations and we meet for lunch dates which turn into day-long hang outs where all we do is go online (Chatroulette...what?) and we still plan outfits for even the most mundane things and we watch hours and hours of One Tree Hill. And even if I don't see her as much as I used to, I still get texts saying "thinking of you". We can talk about religion, politics, sociology, psychology and anthropology and be genuinely interested in each others "fun facts". Shes a good egg, that Kale.

This Ode has turned into more of a love letter, but I'm ok with that. Michaella often plays the role of the mediator or mom (as we prefer it) and as moms go, they sometimes feel unappreciated. So this little ode is me giving a holler to one of the truly fabulous people in my life. Thanks for all you do doll face...namely putting up with me. ♥