Cristina asleep at the kitchen table at 4 am ...
Cristina - la reina de cumpleanos - at 8 am driving back from an all nighter in South Beach. I am KNOCKED OUT in the passenger seat feeling my age.
What the hell were we still talking about at 4 am? And I am in Miami - why am I wrapped up in a Dora comforter?
A live Columbian band in her dining room helping her turn the big 30.
Las dos DIVAS in South Beach. Happy Birthday Scheck! And Happy Last Day of Summer School!
Today was the last official day of summer school. While I said good-bye to most of the students on Thursday, and told them that they didn't need to come on Friday, some of them still came. I probably had the most students show up ... Clinton, Avory, Sanaa, Constance, Ja'chole, Brad, Victor, Kierra, and eventually Umang all showed up. Umang, the big dummy, had taken his SAT final exam home with him. Who does that???? Umang - that's who. So I called him, woke him up, and told him he had 30 minutes to get it to me before the 990 points was a zero and his B became a C. I figured his dad would bring him but that kid got on his bike and rode like the wind to get it to me. We know he was peddling like the nefarious Miss Almira Gulch (the Wicked Witch of the West) because we passed him on our way to take books back to New Town. Brad had 3 students in his car and I had 3 students in mine and we all saw him and it sent us all into hysterics. It was hard for me to get the "Dididididodo dididididodo" out of my head the rest of the day.
I was actually done ahead of time thanks to all my helpers, and was enjoying a beverage, the warmth of the sun, and a good book by 1:30 that day. I was sad to not be boarding an airplane to go to Miami but this year it just wasn't in the cards to go celebrate my bff's birthday. I was a god awful mess last year at this time thanks to graduate courses and an ex-boyfriend who like Voldemort, shall be the one who's name is never mentioned, and I didn't even call her. This means that next summer I must make it a point to get out there and do something wild and crazy with and for my girl.
One year for my birthday I flew down to Miami for the weekend and she surprised me with tickets to see Chayanne, Mark Anthony and Alejandro Fernandez - juntos en concierto. In all of my life this was by far the most meaningful birthday gift and biggest surprise I had ever been given.
The last time I was able to actually celebrate with Cristina was back in 2006. These pictures were still saved in our Kodakgallery and what a night I've had looking at and remembering all our crazy times. Today, Cristina, I celebrate you, our friendship, our children and our future. I give thanks to God for your life and His wisdom in making sure our lives coalesced as teachers, mothers and friends. My life is simply better having you in it. We have survived bad students, bad principals, bad relationships, bad dates and our friendship has stood the test of time and miles. Here's to you my friend - may God continue to bless the friendship of "las dos Divas".
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