The roomies together! Khrissy and me on our trip to the Magic Kingdom, May 1996...

Khrissy is one of my friends from high school, though if you'd told me when we first met that we'd be rooming together our sophomore year in college, I would have looked at you strange, because I didn't know her all that well. She and I grew a lot closer in college (thanks in part to Sam Hull's Acting for Non-Majors class), and as a result are now roommates in an apartment in Gatorwood (and I bow down in homage to you, diva, your room is just too awesome! :} ). I count Khrissy as one of best friends I've ever had... she is the best roomie, whether it be listening and helping when I need an ear (no matter how much of a "fartknocker" I can be) or setting up a candelight dinner for my boyfriend and me (I'll love you forever for that one, dude)... I hope I return it. What's really great is that I can be my childlike "dreamer" self around Khrissy (living with your "head in the clouds" is COOL, right? ;) ) -- and she'll join right in... Uhhh, like, thanks, chick, for like, being such a kool friend and stuff...

Hey, write her!

Jay Brian Michael Magee

I couldn't resist this one; it's SO Jay... hamming it up on the sofa in my apartment -- actually got a picture out of him! -- May 1996...
Of course I put your full name... what, you expected different? =)

I can't describe what Jay and I are. The two of us defy an explanation. By the rules, we should have given up on each other a long time ago, but it seems that with us, the rulebook will never apply... =) I've known Jay since my second hour in Gainesville, and it's weird to think he wasn't part of my life before then. It's been some ride since, as either of us can tell you -- with the two of us, everything's a struggle -- but we recognized something special in each other, and we've fought hard to keep the bond between us. It hasn't been easy on either of us, but Jay and I will always have that connection. He's taught me so much about myself, about what love -- of self and others -- is, and a whole lot more. I count him as more than just a friend; he's become family, sort of a "big brother" to lean on when times are tough and to play with when things are going great. :) He's very special... and he will always be. Thanks, Jay -- for the tough times and the "most excellent" ones (like the basketball matches; I'll kick YOUR ass next time! ;) ), for always listening, for your strength when I've called on it so many times, for the guidance when I've needed a direction, for the friendship and the caring, for keeping with me even through the hardest days (we've made it this far -- truly an accomplishment =) )... and most of all, for being you.

His homepage was also one of the models for this one, though it's had a major revamp done from the original... Check it out for one damn cool page! And if you want to write him, be my guest... =)

Lee Ann Hench

Lee Ann veggin' out on the sofa in my apartment, summer '96...

Okay, I admit, Lee Ann is not really a Gator... she's in Chicago at North Park College. But she was one of my best friends in my two years of high school at Our Lady of Good Counsel -- the place we not-so-lovingly called "Good Kennel," our wonderful all-girls Catholic school... and we were two of the few sane people in that insane place (or was it the other way around, Lee Ann? The voices want to know! ;) ). Even though I moved to Florida, the two of us have kept contact the whole time I've been here -- our e-mail record and phone bills prove it. =) I found a kindred spirit in her, and we have some nutsy memories, but they prove to be a source of a lot of laughter ever time we reminisce, espcially of chem class sophomore year (hey, chica, looking good on my search for a comforter... might have just found the best one after all the ones I've checked out. I've been cold so long -- since the old one fell apart on me -- and all I have to say is it's about time. Warm nights are definitely back! ;} ;} ). Today we're still close friends, even with the distance, and that won't ever change. Miss ya, babe... I had a blast with you here this summer, and I want you back here SOON! Maybe permanently, right, if you switch schools? (Hint, hint... ;) )

And here's a link to write her...

Mary Parkhurst

Mary is another of my close friends here at UF. She and I met through Newman Club, the Christian organiztion on campus based in our Catholic church, St. Augustine's. We really didn't start chatting much until the 1996 Spring semester, but let me tell you, we made up for Fall! ;) I love Mary dearly -- she is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I know, and she's a caring and empathetic listener. She's also quite fun to be with when school's out and the college kids play... :} Thanks for being a great friend and a great listener, Marybeary!

Marty Brink

Marty and I met senior year of high school, but we didn't become friends until close to the end of the school year... Looking back on that, I wish it had been earlier, because Marty left that July for the Army, and he's at this point in Germany on his tour of duty. He's a true friend, and I miss him, especially when I need a guy around who understands what I feel -- Marty's one of those rare guys who a girl can relate to easily. The two of us are so alike it's scary sometimes... Here's hoping he comes home safe. He's a friend that I want around for a long, long time. =)

Marty just got a page up -- take a look... and okay, his e-mail address has changed for the third time (I tell ya, I can only count on his gzero.com account), so I hope this link still goes through... I think he changes e-mail addresses as often as his regular one. ;) But if you want to take a chance that this address is still working =) and write him...

Michelle Radowich

Michelle's senior picture, 1995...

How could I forget Meech? I found my longtime animation-obsessed soul mate in her... =) The two of us were thrown together under crazy circumstances -- a father-daughter bowling tourney four years ago where neither of us had bowling partners. We ended up talking, and became friends from there. What really brought us together, though, was our mutual passion for the animation series Voltron... =) Let's go Voltron Force, Meech! Hehehe... both of us are currently indulging our passions for drawing, so she and I will hopefully be seeing each other in the field. But until then, we'll always have a lot to talk about between Keith, Lance, Simba, Justin, Amber, and all the rest... here's to animation lovers!

Jessica (Not-My-Sister) Hawthorne

Not-my-sister her senior year, 1995...

Jess Hawthorne is another one of the friends I had from my days at Good Counsel who I've kept in touch with through my move. The nickname Jessica-Not-My-Sister comes from an old sleepover when my little brother came in calling for me, and when Jess and I both responded to the name, Phil replied, "No, not you, Jessica not my sister, Jessica my sister!" Needless to say, it stuck, and that's what we call her. Jess is another one of those rare kindred spirits, and definitely beings out a more daring side in me when I'm around her. (Case in point, girl: that one time at the carnival at St. Pascal's when you got me to go on that rollercoaster thingy... only with you, O persuasive one! :) ) Though I don't get to talk to her as much as I'd like to -- especially now that she's away at college at Illinois Wesleyan -- when we do get talking, the two of us go on laughing at GC, life, and a lot of other things. She's a loyal, wonderful friend, and I definitely miss her.

Jason Griffin

Jase in my dorm room (he's going to kill me for putting this one on the Net) May 1996, right after finals...

Jase is a person I'm blessed to have as a friend. I've known him for almost a year now, but he's one of the most caring and geniune people I've ever met.. This was another friendship made by my weekly jaunt to the JWRU Wednesday night bowling league (I swear, that thing is notorious =) and now, thanks to Jase and Jay, I'm tangled in it myself! ... with my 91 average :P) We've both been through a lot the last year, and it's brought us closer together. I now count him among one of my few close friends, and probably my closest in college... he's such a teddy bear at heart, and those are the ones I'm most drawn to. =) He's also been my surrogate big brother lately, and a protective one at that. I'm glad I have him looking out for me, too. :) This is another "we can talk forever" friendship -- on the phone or in person -- that has caused us several sleep-deprived nights, but in the long run I don't think either of us really minds much. =) He's always given me an ear, even with the most repetitive of problems... if he were my shrink, he'd be rich by now. :) Oh, and Jase is a Bulls fan -- very cool to have someone to root with! ;) Thanks for listening and caring, Jase, and for always being there... and someday we'll catch up on the sleep we've lost to conversations. :}

Check out the Sithlord's domain... and here's a link to write him at...

Scott "Simba" Garron

Scott and me at MGM, September 1996...

It's funny when I think about it: Scott and I met over the Internet... his homepage caught my eye. =) I found out he was one of the ops on the IRC channel #LionKing. I finally got a hold of him there, and we began talking often. He came to Gainesville in July, and we got to meet each other after all that time on IRC... and he was everything I thought he'd be and more. We spent HOURS talking to each other and hit it off even further... we have an amazing connection; we have so much in common it's frightening sometimes -- but as he would say, it's kewl. :) The rest is history. (For the real story, click on the pic of us above.) Scott is a year younger than me, and he's from New Jersey. He's as into animation and Disney as I am, maybe even more so in some instances -- as you can tell by his nickname from IRC, he really loves The Lion King. He's also looking into animation as a career.Scott is truly someone special, and he will always be.

Check out Simba's den -- and if you want to e-mail him, here's the link to do it...

Aarron Canino

I can't say any more that Aarron and I have only met once -- I've seen him another time since then... so it's twice. :) The first time, though, was at one of my many infamous visits to Wednesday night bowling at the Reitz Union... what's funny is that even though we never talked much then, we hit it off enough that when Aarron had to leave UF for a year, he and I have continued what we started that night. And we've gotten to be much better friends in that span of time. Aarron's one of the sweetest and most sensitive guys I've met. He's another teddy bear, and always very willing to lend an ear (proof positive in the fact that one time on Talk we were on for hours, and I mean that -- then recently, we had a three-hour phone call. :) )... I'm hoping that when he comes back to Gainesville, he and I can further our friendship. He's someone special, and you don't find many like him.

Check out his page... and if you want to write him, here...

Jess Noggle

Jess-not-my-sister-not-my-sister (guess how she got the nickname =) ) our senior year, taken 1994...

Notice a pattern here? I seem to be drawn to others with my name... =)

Jess was one of the first people I became friends with after I moved from Chicago to Florida. She's one of the most genuine people I know... she was the person to draw me out of the isolation of being the "new kid" and bring me into a social circle. She taught me a lot about friendship. We went our separate ways after high school, and I wish I knew what she was doing now. Last I knew, she was at the US Coast Guard Academy, but... I haven't heard from her since last Christmas break. Hey, Blondie, I miss you!

Amee Patel

Amee and I have known each other since my junior (her sophomore) year at River Ridge, though we got to be better friends my senior year. We had AP French together that year (we were two of the three students in that section), and we have plenty of silly memories from the skits we did... (Amee, c'est toi vraiment? OUI!!!! ;) Madama calls! Je suis tombee, et je ne peux pas me lever!) I've always been able to talk to Amee about anything, and she's an awesome listener (she can be so patient) and she's taught me that living a little more to the wild side of life can't be all that bad... plus some other useful advice. (Though Amee, it may be cool for him to teach you, but this time, I'm the one with all the experience -- guess I have to be the teacher :) ). She's at Dartmouth college right now, and I haven't seen her in a long while... you can bet I miss her. She's a true friend.

The Man Himself

One of the people I haven't mentioned yet -- as someone reminded me -- was the #1 Friend of all: God. Religion is an important part of my life; I recently went on my first Alpha retreat this spring semester, and I plan to go to the sessions that will enable me to become a member of Alpha Team on the next retreat. I'm currently involved in the choir and Newman Club at St. Augustine's Parish in Gainesville.

One of the things I've begun to learn is the truth of "letting go and letting God." My mom's favorite phrase is, "Put yourself in the Hands of the Man and let him shelter you." Sometime's it's hard, but it's necessary when life's too overwhelming to handle myself. God is the best friend of all -- He loves me with love like no other.

Here's a look at some of my favorite passages in Scripture; these are cool words, trust me!