A sonnet for Steffi-love

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Play this song---it will go with the story!

Alright, I really don't know how to write a sonnet. Memories of grade 11 english class would have me remember 14 lines and that is about it...perhaps something about iambic pentameter..? Anyway, this post is all about one of my closest of friends, and one I've known the longest, Stefanie, or as I have simply called her since high school--steffi. Or Steffi-love.

Stefanie and I have known each other for almost ten years coming up. We met in high school through mutual friends who used to sit together at lunch tucked into one of the corners of the hallway above the school library on the second floor. Some of my fondest memories include her, our friends Meg-Pi (Meg), Karlos (Karl), Teresa, Barbie and a few others who came and went. As it would go, Steffi was probably one of the quiet ones next to Teresa and Barbie where Meg and I were the loud ones. Karl at the time just didn't know what to do with himself I think, surrounded by estrogen. Teenage hormonal estrogen at that.

There was not much I knew about Steffi in the first years we met except that she was tall (do you see a trend here?) around 6', loved horses and had one named Meena, and was partial to the math and sciences. I remember this because I was not partial to math and science, in fact I was the only resident social science nerd of our bunch. Well except perhaps Karl. Meg would eat her tuna sandwhich, while I drank my bottle of coke (which was my lunch that day...horrible I know), and they would all gab about calculus, logrithmic equations, blah blah blah. I'd listen for the first few minutes then run off to one of my favoured teachers and sit with them for lunch to talk about my future (post-secondary school that is). Now when I look back on it. N-E-R-D! I swear they made fun of me while I was gone.

So at one point Steffi, Meg and I ended up in Math 11 together with a Mr. Liewen. He is famous for allowing only water in his class--unless you drank coke. Score for me! as well his famous line Math is fun even on a Sunday! Uh-huh....even on a Sunday. My memory becomes foggy throughout high school except once we hit grade 12. Steffi and I hung out a lot. She got her drivers license before me--in the graduated licensing program it's called an 'N' and was granted limited use of her parents green Neon. Ha!

Remember this bad boy????

It was affectionately known as the 'gutless wonder' but we have many memories in that car. We went to prom together as a group. My date was a satan-worshiping portuguese confederate rebel with a poof of curly black afro hair. Only me. And Steffi at the time was with her boyfriend Mike who was, shall I say, a midgit compared to Stef. Watching them dance was hilarious. Karl and Teresa and a girl named Janelle joined us. It was joyous as we went to prom in a firetruck as Janelle's dad was a chief of firefighters in the city. Prom was interesting...particularly when we met the limo driver who was a 75 year old retiree and could not drive to save his life--or ours! He ran a few red lights, and drove on the wrong side of the road. If I recall correctly, the limos tape AND cd decks were both broken and the fabric of the roof was torn on the inside. Some prom.

The summer after grad caps were tossed in the air (I didn't toss mine as I didn't want to lose it ha!) we were pretty inseparable. We'd drive to Port Coquitlam to see friends, go to Buntzen Lake until 4am. We'd often go for breakfast on weekends at 7am because at the time I was working graveyards at a gas station and by 7am I was wide awake. Steffi was nice enough to accommodate ha! We'd go to Whiterock and listen to bands like Nickleback. The summer, though, was to be short-lived as she was accepted into the pre-vet science program at University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. It was so far away and I didn't know what I'd do without my Steffi around. As soon as we graduated Meg was getting the hell out of dodge (Abbotsford) and moved to Burnaby with her Aunt and Uncle and cousin. She also would strive for bigger and better and more access to manga, anime, sushi and bubble tea.

When Steffi left I planned immediately to go visit her during Christmas when she stayed with her parents who moved to Toronto to be near her (so sweet). I went out a few times through the years to see her. Eventually it turned into 6 years that we had not seen each other. Life really does get in the way. We always kept in contact though.

Fast-forward to 2008 and I am applying to school in Ontario. Waterloo to be precise which is only 3-4 hours drive from where Steffi was currently living in Brighton with her folks. At this point she has graduated as a Veterinary Technician from Seneca College, Meg is in the last year of her Dental Hygienist program at Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Karl is off in Japan teaching English. He graduated from a private Christian university in Manitoba with a degree in International Studies. I was in Newfoundland finishing up my Degree in Geography.

I end up being accepted to Wilfrid Laurier University and once again Steffi and Dawn are reunited over Mongolian Grille. She's working hard now to buy a house in Guelph. Rob and I are moving to Guelph this September for the last year of my Masters. Steffi will be working as a Vet Tech at one of the many Vet offices in Guelph. I feel like it's come full circle now, so it's kind of peaceful. I am grateful to know I have had her in my life for this many years. She's one of the ones I can talk to about anything. She's kind-hearted, sensitive, strong-willed, determined, lovely Steffi. She has a heart of gold and I wouldn't trade her for a million of Michael Jackson's original records.

Like Danni, here are a few things that remind me of Steffi and again in no particular order:

• Horses
• Glasses frozen in the freezer for milk: When I'd visit her home, in high school, her dad always had a frozen glass in the freezer for his milk. Ha! I don't know why I remember that.
  
• Olivieri Pasta: I think she lived off this while in school.

• Wendy's: Her family's favourite of the fast foods.
  
• Nickleback's Silver Side Up CD. We used to blare it in her Neon whilst driving toward Vancouver. Their first single in particular "This is how you remind me" throws me back to 2001.
  

• Toronto
• Canadian Club Whiskey: I think I was intoxicated with this stuff when we were all 17 at Meg's house.
• Video games in particular Final Fantasy and Resident Evil..oh and Zelda.
  
• Mike's Hard Lemonade: we toasted to this when Steffi was leaving.
• Anime: Slayers which we used to watch at Meg's house incessantly.

• Darude: Steffi really got into trance and electronic music in 2001 and this was one of her favourite artists at the time. You're listening to it up top now.
  

Steffi....this is how you remind me, HA! I love you lots, you're a great gal and so much fun to be around. I hope we're friends until we're grey and using walkers and still checking out cute guys.
Here's to you Steffi and getting your own house! See you in September :)

Steffi and I at her 26th Birthday in March.

YOU ROCK!!!!!!