Banana.

For a while I've had the thought that I need to do a segment on my roommates, what they've taught me and how my life has been made better by knowing them.  In order to maintain some semblance of privacy on their behalf I am using only the nicknames that I have for them.  Muwahahahaa.  Additionally I will try to keep my favorite qualities/lessons learned about each contained in the "dirty dozen". 

I have decided to start with Banana... for two reasons.  One, she has been on my mind the past couple of days and ... Two, because it is her birthday weekend and I am ALL about celebrating birthdays.  Here are my top 12 reasons for loving Banana's wee little guts:

1.  Banana brought to remembrance how much I love classic works like Pride & Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility; Jane Eyre; etc.
2.  Banana introduced me to all sorts of really cool film adaptions of classic works.  Bleak House anybody?  Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens.  Yowzas!
3.  Banana also introduced me to and instilled in me a love of Masterpiece Classics on Sunday evenings.  I don't know what my life was like before that.  Seriously.  And, they only come on for like 4 months in the year.  The other 8 months are like torture.  I stalk the PBS website frequently to see if just by chance they post a list of next years showings.  It's getting a little out of control.
4.  Banana knows how to pamper herself and shares my love of yummy smelling lotions and crazy colors for nail polish.
5.  Banana inspires me to crochet.  The girl can whip out a scarf like it is nobody's business.
6.  Banana likes to veg.  A girl after my own heart.  She graciously spent whole days doing nothing but watching back to back episodes of movies / tv shows with me.
7.  Banana likes vanilla diet coke as much as I do.
8.  Banana has an amazing capacity to be super animated about the little things.  Always makes me feel so good.
9.  Banana is hilarious... which is good, because I like to laugh.
10.  I covet Banana's hair and wish I could pull off her look.  Simply amazing.
11.  Banana is a P.H.E.N.O.M.E.N.A.L. teacher.  I could listen to her for hours.  Her brain is crazy cool.
12.  Banana is thoughtful and I have watched her as she has quietly sought out the one... the one who is missing or distant or just needs a vote of encouragement.  She has an amazing capacity to identify people who may just need someone to notice them or reach out to them and she does it all on her own.  I love about her.
13.  Ok, if this dirty dozen were a baker's dozen then you would have thirteen, right?  So, Banana knows how to ponder.  I'm not really good at that but Banana has got mad ponder skills.

Thanks for being such a great roommie Banana.  Happy Birthday!!  Love your guts.
-Mee