#62, Spider.

Spider was a cop whose beat included the high school where half of my friends went, as well as the "continuation school" where myself and a few of my closest friends went. He was The Coolest Cop Ever, that any of us had ever met... he would roll his patrol car up to where a bunch of us were loitering, but instead of telling us to Move Along, we would all have a friendly chat instead. Often these conversations included his informing us of rights we didn't know we even had, such as asking an officer's name and writing down their badge number. i hope there are more out there like him.

#61, Darcy.

Hahahaha Darcy, you were the dark-haired heartbreaker who worked with my sister at SeaBreeze market near the Berkeley marina... you were so wry, and rockabilly. Once, we drove out to Crockett just to sit and have drinks at the bar where you worked. She had such a crush on you! i had one too many and played "And it Stoned Me" by Van Morrison on the jukebox like three times in a row: i think the bikers wanted to kick my ass. But i was feelin' it man, feelin' it. Where are you these days? Keep on keepin' on.

#60, Melissa.

We worked together at the Meadows. you were almost ten years my senior, with a warm, inviting smile, skin that had seen lots of (but not too much!) sun, lots of laugh lines. You were sort of a down-to-earth, bicycle-riding dog lover (Greta!) who knew how to work hard. Very even, pleasant personality, and we discovered that we had a lot in common musically, one day when we started talking about Patti Smith. You burned me a couple of her albums, and months later we found ourselves driving down to Santa Cruz (with another girl from work, more your friend than mine) to see a PJ Harvey concert. That night was so, so much fun... your boyfriend was smaller than you and always seemed cranky when i would see him at the bike shop, until he found out that i knew you, and soon we were chattin' it up all the time. Eventually it turned out that you had developed breast cancer, at a very very young age (mid thirties). i moved away shortly after that, and looked you up online to make sure that you had made it through.. and you had... Best of luck to you, Melissa. Hope you are still riding your bike.

#59, Simona.

Simona, you were a small thing, but with a certain ferocity that simply could not be argued with. How old were we (thirteen?) when we barfed (on purpose) in the school bathroom together? You had been in ballet at some point, and looked almost Native American, with your brown skin and long, black hair. Your family was a mystery and you lived in a house unlike the rest at the top of a hill. You always wore leggings and i could sense that you were somewhat desperate for someone to talk to, but i couldn't totally click with you. also, you had perfect teeth. hope things are good.

#58, Vanessa.

In 7th (and some of 8th) grade, Vanessa was one of my best (and only!) friends. Her main character trait was hilariousness. She had squinty eyes, brown hair with long bangs, a huge smile, and a big nose. i used to sneak out of my house at night (sorry, mom) and walk the two miles up to her street, which had a sneaky little back alley behind it, much unlike the rest of the streets in our town. i would sneak into her room through the window. Looking back, i honestly can't even remember what we did in those wee hours, except play dress-up and go for late night walks. Once she and i did a class project together, and she taught me how to soak a piece of paper in tea and then bake it in the oven until it was all warped and singed, which made it look like an absolutely authentic old document. She gave me a crinkly, flowery babydoll dress that was one of her prized possessions, because i loved it so much. Her house had hardwood floors and always smelled like potpourri. Her mom was French and had a beautiful sexy accent. They had a Welsh Corgi that they spoiled to all hell, and Vanessa taught me how to play the piano (they had one in their living room, of course). i wanted to have their life. Once she and i were at a park in Berkeley on a summer afternoon, and she made me laugh so hard that i actually peed my pants. i had to walk all the way home (instead of taking the bus) with a sweater tied around my waist. Wow, admitting that is both more and less embarrassing than i thought it would be.

#57, Shawn.

Shawn spelled his name the girls' way, which was awesome. He was my sister's friend, through Heather, really. Always wearing a black baseball cap, plaid flannel and light-colored jeans, although the band t-shirt underneath would change often enough; usually a metal theme. Always a pack of cigarettes (Camels?) and a Zippo in his pocket. Shawn smiled a lot, smoked a lot of pot, and had quite a drawl from an upbringing somewhere in the midwest. He worked at an aquarium in Albany (CA) for a long time, and had been married and had a kid a few years before we met him. His daughter's name was Stormy, which frankly is one of the most beautiful names i can think of. He had fake front teeth, from jumping off of a roof into a pool, and missing, when he was a teenager. Ouch. He had no sense of smell because of gas rushing up past a faulty gas cap (the tank was between his legs) when he was motor-biking somewhere once. It went straight into his nostrils, with force. He eventually moved to Montana after visiting there with my sister at some point. He had 2 kids with the younger sister of the girl he initially lived with for years. Drama, drama! Such a nice guy, though, Shawn. He did a lot for people. Can't think of a bad thing to say about him, really. Miss him a lot sometimes.

#56, Jesse G.

Jesse was another of my mom's friends when i was in high school, although he was more like a friend-of-a-friend. Thank god, too, because i don't think i would have been able to stand it if he had been around any more than he was.
Easily 6 and a half feet tall, and with a springy mop of curly brown hair, Jesse was one cocky mutha. He always wore jeans and some kind of gutsy jacket, to go with his rockstar persona. Problem was, Jesse was a drunk. A mean one. And a frequent one, unfortunately. He would often be the person passed out on the couch in the morning, and i know that some of you know what i mean. He was loud and obnoxious and arrogant. Once, i was in the bath, and suddenly the bathroom door comes flying open (it didn't have a lock) and in swaggers Jesse, drunk out of his mind. I freaked out, grabbed the shower curtain and tried to cover myself up, screaming at him to get out, get out. But he didn't. "Relax...." he said, "it's nothing i haven't seen before." and proceeded to empty his bladder while i cowered behind the shower curtain. Good times.