A college friend of mine is going to be a first-time grandparent soon and wants to suggest baby names.
Names. Funny thing about names ...
I have a group of friends, and, coincidentally, we're all redheads. Back in the day, we dubbed ourselves the Redhead Club. (Sorry, Gen Zers, we weren't Gingers. This was the 1990s.) We'd call club meetings as a reason to dine out, drink wine and share girl talk.
After going out, we'd convene in the third-floor apartment on West Cornelia in Lakeview that Beth and I shared. The dining room was our favorite spot. The room was papered in a garish 1940s floral, but we liked it because it had two doors, which we'd close tight. I don't know who we thought was listening, but it made our gatherings seem like a grown-up sorority or something.
We were all single. So, conversation often revolved around men.
"Who's your perfect guy? If you could have anyone right now?" Beth asked as I uncorked a bottle of Merlot. "I mean a quality guy. Not a jerk."
"I don't know. Your landlord's pretty hot," Lynn said.
"Nope," I said. "Doesn't meet the criteria, he's a slob. Don't you remember he was still living here when I moved my stuff in. Seriously dude, when your lease says May 1st, it means move your nasty crap out, on May 1st. And get real, I'm not sleeping in my bedroom, without a freakin' door lock, while you, a total stranger, are sleeping the next."
"We get it, Nordy. But he had that nice Springer spaniel," Lynn laughed.
"Dog smelled. Forget him. Let's break it down to the two coolest guys on the planet, you have to pick one, Brad Pitt or George Clooney," Beth said. (Remember, this was the '90s!)
"This is all hypothetical, of course," Lynn said.
"Really, I'm thinking I'm on the next plane to LA to stalk George," Beth laughed.
Then I remembered that Florida sales conference for my job. A "motivational" speaker always brought in for the first day. Team building and all that crap. He asked our group, "If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?"
He started opposite me in our U-shaped grouping. I had to listen to responses like "Abe Lincoln," "Albert Einstein" or "My dead grandparents." I mean, nothing against those people. But honestly, trying to outdo each other to impress the boss. Lame.
When my turn came, I said Brad Pitt. Because seriously, Brad. Pitt.
Fast forward, club meetings are rare. Marriage, moves, kids. But now, I'm living in Hinsdale with my husband and our son, Bradley, Brad for short. LOL!
- Lisa Seplak of Hinsdale is a contributing columnist. Readers can email her at [email protected].
