Happy Birthday, Partner

"Partner"... it's such a loaded word. It used to be simple to define, and usually implied some sort of business relationship. Now when you use it people stop asking questions because their minds are bogged down with images of homosexuality ("...I thought she was married...") and political correctness.

This is one of the many reasons why I take such immense delight in calling Amy my "partner." Whenever I'm talking to someone unfamiliar with us and our friendship and DamestarBaby and all that, it goes a little something like this:

Them: "so, what have you been up to?"
Me: *(how, by the way, are you supposed to honestly answer that question?) "well, besides raising two kids and running a business, not much."
Them: "OH! you own a business, what do you do?"
Me: "I co-own a business, with my partner, Amy. We make kid's clothes."
Them: *(trying to keep their cool) "Wow! That's awesome, you must be busy!"
Me: "You have no idea."

Jokes aside, I can't find a better word. "Friend" isn't enough, "best friend" is like bragging, and I'm just not serious enough to say "business partner." So partner it is, and as a bonus I get the perverse satisfaction in leaving those obvious questions unanswered. I like to use innuendo at every opportunity. This is why I'm not very good at sales and marketing. I digress.

So, she's my partner. In crime and otherwise. To me, this means she's my support, my equal (maybe at my best & her worst), my confidant, the mirror that reflects back honestly, the person I can safely lash out at & with whom I can be comfortably silent.

Oh, and I'm gushing because it's her birthday today. The big 3-0 (is that rude?). We threw her a roller skating party on Saturday, so she wouldn't have to compete with St. Patrick.

But in the good Irish tradition, I've had my share of Guinnesses in her honor today as well (don't drink and blog!). So here's to Amy! who I am lucky to be able to follow around on all the trails she has blazed before me.

I hope the view is as good from up there as it is from back here.