A Message to Julie.....

I love chocolate chip cookies. I don't know of anyone who doesn't, but I really REALLY like them. I don't eat them often, as I gained a few while traveling for Bio-Rad and am currently trying to work it off by training with David. On occasion, however, it is still nice to chomp down on a few (not too many, mind you) and reminisce about some of my happier days as a graduate student. What does one have to do with the other? Well, as I have already mentioned, I used to live in a house in Baltimore with my best friends Aaron and Julie Fraley. After I had lived there for a month, Julie's brother Mark joined us. Even though I was going through some of the most stressful times in my life, Julie and Aaron were there taking care of me. There is no other way to explain it. My connection to God and my connection to walking the right path started in Baltimore in a 3 story house on Hull Street. I had 2 rooms upstairs (a bedroom and what Julie euphemistically called the "rumpus room", a room where the boys could gather, watch movies, and play video games). Aaron was (and remains) the best friend a guy could have and Julie is probably the most amazing person I have ever known (sorry, Aaron, but you would have to agree with me here). Anyway, Julie is a great cook and also happened to be a great shopper. Every Sunday during football season, she would go shopping after church (never mind that she had been up for hours preparing her stuff for church like Aaron did), and Aaron and I would clean up after each service and interact with the youth. Invariably, many of the youths would come over to watch the Ravens game at our home, and Julie would always walk in with bags of groceries. Of course, being the nice guys that we were, we would relieve her of some of the, ah, choice items.
This brings me back to chocolate chip cookies. The supermarket where we shopped (SFW, formerly Metro) had the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. Their only close rivals were the ones made by Costco. Poor Julie would go shopping and get the cookies for everyone, but by the time she got settled and ready to rest after a long day, the cookies were mostly gone. Now, Julie is a cookie fiend like I am. We share that in common. Two weeks ago, I turned 34 years old. I was feeling kind of down (see the post), and except for Eric's purchase of a Shrek cookie for me and some wonderful e-cards from a few friends, there was no other celebration. I know that I am too old for celebrations, but still....
This past Thursday, I received an odd gift box via UPS. IT was cardboard and covered with Marvel Heroes stickers. Inside, I had gifts from my family, the Fraleys. Gail (my other Mom) sent me a wonderful gift, a $25.00 gift card to Best Buy. Winter and Noah, (Aaron and Julie's little ones) sent me a card and a wonderful picture of the entire family. I am looking at it as I type this entry. My buddy Aaron included a Justice League goodie bag (yes, exactly what I said) and some books on Johnny Unitas and Walter Payton, two heroes of the NFL. I also received a wonderful card from the adults.
Finally, we are back to the cookies. Also in the shipment was a container of chocolate chip cookies. These were similar to the ones from those Sundays long ago. When I saw that they were in there, I smiled. I knew who it was who was responsible for those cookies. Of all of the gifts I have received over the last few years, this one was probably the most meaningful. Keep in mind that I have received some pretty nice stinkin' gifts over the years (and my brother bought an iPod for me to boot this year, one of the best gifts I have ever received). I put aside everything else in the box (not even looking at the cards), bit into a cookie, and was transported to a happier time.
Thank you, Julie, for making my birthday something special. You are the best!