Happy Birthday Gorgeous

Acquiring ‘friends’ on-line can be incredibly easy. It’s all part of the ‘Facebook’ syndrome. Most however are fairweather friends, they come and go like yesterday’s newspapers. In reality if you are very lucky you might end up with two or three good friends here. However, if you are incredibly lucky you might end up with a wonderful friend like Nicky.

It must be three years ago now that I bumped into Nicky in what was then the Lit Lounge. Prior to that we had said ‘Hi!’ a couple of times in the ‘Girls’ Room.’ Hard to believe I know, but back then my first impression was of someone a little bit shy. She transpired to be a young American girl who was homesick for Scotland. We paused and we chatted about music, guitars and cars. I had no idea back then what a beautiful and lasting friend she would blossom into.

I call her Gorgeous and she is, but that appellation can be misleading, she is also a woman of true grit. Never one for courting cheap popularity she is unswervingly loyal and true and always there for you. She is the quintessential ‘Home Girl.’

I have had some truly ugly moments here, moments when my ‘friends’ slipped silently away into the netherworld of cyberspace, became ‘invisible’ and even fuelled the gossip. Frankly I could not have sustained them without the love and support of Nicky, who has always stood by me through sunshine and shadow. In fact she is the only person I’ve met here who has ever talked about ‘honour,’ which speaks volumes for her integrity and honesty.

My happiest moments, on-line will always be sitting with Nicky and Jess together in conference to the earliest hours of the morning with tears rolling down our cheeks from laughter. Like the song says: ‘Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat, I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that.’

Less well known is that Nicky can bite and is gifted with a devastatingly dry wit, and anyone unwise enough to interrupt Nicky in mid flow runs the risk of being advised to ‘go and play in the road and not interrupt when the grown ups were talking.’

She is also obstinate and when you get to know her well incredibly bossy (did I mention her small boobs?) but I love her to bits and I am proud to have her and Allison as my friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS!