Michael, Michael Motorcycle

Mike and Jackie came to town this weekend and over dinner last night Mike said, "I read your blog the other day. I'm not mentioned at all." He said it as a joke, of course, but here, Mikey, is my homage to you:

Mike and I became friends our sophomore year in high school. This coincided with the year Mike's star was on the rise, so to speak. He wasn't yet THE hottest boy in school because A.G. was a senior and definitely held that title, but Mike was a close contender. I'm not sure what happened that year, but there was a strong coalescence of friends and the group of us became inseparable for the next year or so until the parents of one person in our little family decided most of us weren't fit to be friends with their daughter.

I was certainly not immune to Mike's long dark hair, "fuck-me" eyelashes (as Kurt used to call them), good taste in music and odd sense of humor. Somehow - I'm still not sure how I finagled this - I convinced Mike he needed to drive me to school. I have an October birthday so while all my friends were turning 16 and learning to drive in 10th grade, I had to wait until 11th grade before I could drive myself anywhere. Anyway, because Mike and I were friends I didn't think much of the fact that I got to drive to school and back with him every single day. I'm sure lots of girls envied me. Sure, I thought he was cute and all that, but he also starting dating one of my very good friends so instead of crushing out on him like I did most other cute boys, he simply became a very, very close friend.

Mike also had an older sister who had even older friends (i.e., able to purchase booze) making his house a great party house. His parents regularly left town and he had a pool. Need I say more? I learned how to play a lot of drinking games at Mike's house. *(Um, I've heard that Mike's mom sometimes reads this blog so if you're reading this Marilyn, I hope this isn't new news to you and if it is, that we're all old enough now that you can laugh at it).

Mike also had an annoying dachsund named Pepper that no one except Mike's mother liked. When she died none of us were particularly sad about it. (Again, sorry Marilyn)

Mike drove the Golden Nugget. No idea what kind of car it really was. It was a stick shift, it smelled like cigarette smoke and we used to listen to Smashing Pumpkins (Gish), Jane's Addiction (all of it), Red Hot Chili Peppers (pre-"Under the Bridge"), Soundgarden and Pearl Jam very, very loudly.

Mike, Ali, Kurt and I went to the very first Lollapalooza together. Looking back, I can't believe my mother let me drive to Orlando for an all day concert and spend the night in a hotel room with three boys. I love you, Mom, for letting me do that. Of course, Mom knew each and every one of them and knew we were all just friends but still.

I learned that Mike gets really cranky when he's hungry.

Mike and I went to senior prom together. By this time he and my friend had broken up (friend of the aforementioned ridiculous parents) and I was in a state of semi-crush. We decided that if we had no other dates lined up by a certain time we would just go together. I knew that Mike had his eye on S.D. who was breaking up with M.C. but had already agreed to go to prom with M.C. I was also in a state of semi-crush with M.C. but he pretty much still only had eyes for S.D. The worst part? Everyone thought S.D. and I were sisters yet here were these two cute boys making puppy eyes at her leaving me feeling like chopped liver. Anyway, went to prom with Mike, nothing magical happened between us and after prom he and S.D. started dating anyway. Figures.

Shortly thereafter we went away to college: me to Boston, Mike to Gainesville. He and S.D. broke up eventually and Mike and I started a really lovely correspondence - back in the day before email so there was still the excitement of getting a really terrific 4-page letter in the mail full of a friend's handwriting. I think we were on the verge of something more than friendship when he suddenly started dating one of my best friends who was also in Florida. I think at that point I kind of gave up on waiting around for him and turned to Boston boys for my crushes instead.

At one point Mike decided to live in a trailer in the woods of Tallahassee.

Many years have gone by since we were in high school and throughout those years Mike and I have drifted in and out of touch. We would always see each other at the holidays, we both ended up in Tallahassee at one point, I moved to Seattle with Rich, he moved to Austin then Boston with Jackie. He came to our wedding. Now that we are in New York and he is in Boston we have seen each other a lot more and it seems a new branch to our friendship is starting to grow.

In many ways he's still the same Mike although now he makes a mean cocktail, lives in a beautiful home light years away from his trailer in the woods, has a wife that cracks me up and has a sweet dog named Addie that everyone loves. Do you still blast Gish in your car Mike? Anyway, I love you Michael, Michael Motorcycle and I'm glad you are still in my life.