I was requested by one of my friends and collegues to write a blog about him. While I'm not certain I can write an entrie blog about just him, I decided this is a good opportunity to talk about friendships I've formed that were forged both unexpectedly and purposefully.
While Ryan was not my first restaurant manager to become my friend, he's definitely one of my most vocal and stubborn. I truly adore him and we've become good friends from where we've started. When I first took over as his restaurant accountant (RA) he gave me a horrible time and made my life hell. Ryan was needed and being Italian very loud and constantly yelling at me for something that he wanted/needed from me that I could never seem to get to him fast enough. I finally let the Italian side in me out one day and yelled back at him for being a brat. We've been friends ever since. His store was completely remodeled almost two years ago now and when they had their Grand reopening I went. It was about a thirty minute drive and I brought my two boys with me. It was a good time and nice to meet him in person finally as well as some of the others in the store that I had the oppotunity to speak with on a regular basis.
We joke that we are now one anothers boo's, as we are both in commited relationships and he also doesn't date "white girls" as he puts it. HAHA He sends me pictures of his kids as do I and we check in with one another on how our families are doing and what may or maynot be new in our lives. I am no longer his RA since I've begun working part time, but it doesn't stop him from calling me and asking me too look into things and adjust things for him. I don't mind since he's my friend and it's an opportuniry for us to catch up.
So as I mentioned Ryan isn't my first RM friend. My very first friend came in the form of Matt from Ohio. He called to tell me that he'd recently won the title of Restaurant Manager of the year and he wanted to thank me for helping him whenever he needed it. He also said that he'd be coming to Syracuse later in the year and we agreed to try and meet up face to face as I'd been talking to him and been his RA for almost a year at that point and we also discovered he and I were the same age. Matt's very best friend is Molly another RM that I was gradually becoming friends with courtesy of Matt. Some how a conversation came up that I enjoyed baking and between the three of us decided that we were going to have a bake off. We also decided, as conversations grew more interesting and more often, that Matt and Molly should come visit us for somthing different and fun. So Matt overnighted me some chocolate chip cookies, which I have to say were quite delicious, and the following weekend they were coming to visit so I'd make them mine when they got here. There isn't a person on the planet who didn't think all three of us were nuts for forging this friendship and that they were driving from Ohio to NY to meet a girl that didn't know other than over the phone. And how crazy was I that I was going to hang out with them and have them come here not knowing what type of people they were other than a couple of RM's I'd talked to on the phone at work and via text.
They came and it was truly and awesome weekend. We went to Dinosaur BBQ and the next night we went to dinner and Kareokee and it was truly a riot and filled with loads of laughs. I also had another friend who came along that was a co worker of mine at the time, Alicia.
Alicia and I had such a riot with them we decided that we were going to go out there. So Alicia and I took a Friday afternoon off and drove to Ohio. What a weekend!!! The weekend was a whirlwind, large in part because we actually stayed at Molly's house and we had a DD for the night. We did kareokee again and dinners and canoeing and bonfires.
My relationships with Matt and Molly have become stronger over time and Molly and I have helped one another get through some difficult times and I can't help but think we were brought into one anothers lives for that purpose. Matt has also been through a lot and I don't know that I was as there for him as I was Molly, but I did make sure he knew I was here if he needed me and that is something that still stands true for them even now.
When Ryan called me and told me that he'd been online and saw my blog posts I was actually surprised. I was even more suprised when he asked me to write about him. HAHA He did request that I wrote soley about him and I wasn't sure I could do that, but since he put the idea in my brain I decided this was an excellent opportunity to write about my closest co workers who became freinds and how thankful I am to have them in my life and how much I appreciate their friendships.
Cheers! XOXO
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