"AUNTIE" ONE FRIED

Our dear friend, Sarah was just here visiting us from Seattle. It was wonderful but the weather couldn't have been worse. In fact, we're fairly certain the weather in Seattle was sunnier, warmer, and drier. Luckily, our friendship is old enough and sturdy enough to withstand even a week of being couped up in either the living room or the cab of the SUV, with a 14-month-old toddler no less.

Sarah and I met the first day of college in Vermont. We became room mates later freshman year, along with "Auntie" Maribeth and "Auntie" Katja. Sarah and I moved to Seattle together in 1990, Katja came a few months later and Maribeth a few years later. Sarah was the one who said, "I think you and Jack would make a good couple," which actually had not dawned on either of us yet. She lived with us and was our maid of honor.

She got the nickname "One Fried Sarah" when she visited us as newlyweds in Arizona. Jack signed the guestbook at a Bisbee silver mine, "Jack and Mary & Our Friend Sarah" except his handwriting was such that it read, "One Fried Sarah."

So through the years two things seemed clear. One, just because you became friends when you were in college and remain close to your college girlfriends over the next 20 years, does not actually mean time stands still. We felt painfully aware of that this trip, and both of us old girls ended up ditching the au naturale look for the fully-made-up natural look befitting most 40 year olds.

The second thing is even when you have a toddler that renders your house a perpetual wreck, your pace that of a glacier, and your hostessing skills completely nonexistent, your cronie doesn't admit to minding. In fact, "Auntie" One Fried feigned enjoyment, which Vanny and I found to be positively infectious.

On the day the sun broke, we made a break from the cab of the car to explore the pier. Nanners was so excited to show "Auntie" One Fried the pebbles, cigarette butts, and gull feathers stuck between the timbers she could barely contain herself.

Check out the video:

When the squalls started again, we hit the road so little VanNannerkins could get her daily nap: the whole, whopping 60 minutes of it. She woke up when we got to Cambria (listening to our kiddie CD made by friend Cambria). We were just in time for the Farmer's Market and we all needed lunch. Nanners was a big hit: she did not deny any admirers a greeting. Who said 14 month olds are shy? It took us an hour to cover 50 yards. "Auntie" One Fried observed VH1 approaching people for some interaction and noted, "She doesn't have that stranger anxiety most babies her age do." No. She sure doesn't.

See her here, sampling cherry pie. Later she ate cilantro-avocado hummus on pita bread, and domus. The vendors commented on her sophisticated palate. Oh yes, Vanners is an adventuresome little eater.

VH1 was sporting her new monkey backpack, which is really a poorly disguised leash. Its long tail enables Van to drag an adult with her wherever she wants to go.

Funny enough, we bumped into Baby Maya, who also had a monkey backpack and the same orange stroller Vanessa has, plus she was decked out in spots and stripes. A kindred spirit, indeed (or else her mom is like me). Nanners rushed right up to taste Maya's cookie, thinking, perhaps, she was a mini vendor. But Baby Maya was 20 months old and not really digging on the whole sharing scene. She had to ask V-Dog to step off.

The drive home was particularly beautiful, as the sunset was tangled up with storm clouds and rain. We saw not one, but two rainbows. Surely signs of a pot of gold for each of us.

When it came time for Sarah to migrate north again, the rain let up a bit but the wind was relentless. We didn't realize at first that windy weather was the reason for Sarah's 4 hour plane delay, but, while killing time sightseeing at the Mission, we thought, "Gee, listen to that wind!" Vanny was in full explorateur mode: concentrating on the rustling trees, varied ground surfaces, and scores of stairs. She dragged "Auntie" One Fried along like an apprentice.

Here is a video of "Auntie" One Fried and another of the wind...

You may notice two things about today's blog photos. One is, Vanessa doesn't offer up a cheesy grin for the camera. We did get to see that little smile dimple and hear her chortle quite a bit, but when she is out sightseeing, she is concentrating on taking it all in. The second thing is there are a lot more pics of Van's mama, since "Auntie" One Fried knows how to run the camera, too.

Daddio was off to Boston for a competition while Sarah was here. Sarah, who is Milo's Dogmother, took over Daddio's role as primary zookeeper. Max and Milo slept all over her whenever possible.

LATE BREAKING NEWS! "Auntie" Michelle and "Uncle" Pete and urban cousin Graeham welcomed their baby twins to this world. Babies Amelia and Juliette were born suddenly at 34 weeks. They are in the NICU, but apparently doing fine. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Congratulations to the whole family!