Farewell, Friends!

Above: New Year's 2008

Our good friends Cassie and Hugh moved away yesterday, and I'm even more sad about it than I thought I would be. Even though they're only moving 2.5 hours away, and Cassie will be in town once a week for work, I am really bummed.

For the last two+ years, Cassie and Hugh have been our closest friends in Savannah. They lived only five streets away, and we spent almost every Friday night (and many a Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday night as well) hanging out with them, talking, eating, and boozin'.

I think that what's making me so sad is the knowledge that they're no longer right here, that I won't be able to pick up the phone and have instant company at Mexican or at Blowin' Smoke, and that the spontaneity of our friendship is gone. (Or so they think: I'll be showing up at their new house randomly for wine and chili cheese dogs.)

One thing that I love about Cassie and Hugh is that they are really in love. They have mutual adoration for each other, but not in an annoying way. Whether it is a glance, or just the way they talk about each other, or a handwritten note on the refrigerator, it is always clear that they love each other and that they feel like they're better when they're with each other.

I first met Hugh at school, on my very first day of teaching. Hugh and I slowly became friends, and after a few months I knew that he was super cool--even friend-quality cool. Hugh (along with many others) helped to guide me through the hell that was my first year of teaching.

Hugh is one of the smartest people I know. He is currently leaving a career of being a kickass English teacher to go to medical school. He's seems to be good at everything, from painting a room to giving advice to running. (Occasionally Mitch and I would see Hugh at the park when we were on a walk/jog. While we got around the perimeter of the park just once, Hugh would lap us approximately 12 times.)

During those months when I only knew Hugh, he would often mention Cassie. I learned several things about her: she likes Bert's Bees, she wouldn't let him pick out his clothes for the first day of school by himself, she is an amazing cook, she wanted a dog. Even though he always spoke positively about her, I had no idea how cool she'd turn out to be.

The first time I met Cassie was at the Shipley's Superbowl party. What I didn't know was that Cassie was more nervous than she had let on and had consumed an entire bottle of wine in about 40 minutes. I didn't know she was drunk. So when she made a comment about something called a "hanging uterus," I didn't know that it was out of character. It was at that "hanging uterus" (an odd remedy for gastrointestinal issues) moment that I decided that Cassie was cool. Months later when I brought it up, she was horrified to learned that she had shared such embarrassing information.

Cassie is a great friend. She's loyal, she's funny, she's just the right amount of bitchy. She's thoughtful, she gives great advice, and she's the best cook I know in real life.

She's also threatened to steal my son and rename him Smitch.

Many of my Savannah friends have moved on in the six years that Matt and I have lived here. This time is especially painful because I'm losing not one but two friends. Cassie and Hugh will be sorely missed, and our Savannah family will not be the same without them. Sad face.