Friendship and what it means to me.
A tribute to Stephanie

Friendship means a grat deal to me.  It means being able to say "I love you" to be able to joke, to spend time together and to know when you are needed (and sometimes knowing when you are not wanted).
I met my best friend in 1991.  Her name is Stephanie.
We had both returned to school to complete Year 12 ( well actually for Stephi it as Year 13 and I was doing Year 14).
Stephi had done Year 12 the year before and was doing it again to improve her score to get into University.  I had completed it in 1989 and was doing it again for the same reason.
I knew Stephi from my work at the Port Augusta Public Library.  She used to come in with her Dad.  They used to get armfuls, and I mean armfuls of romance novels.  I always assumed that they were for Stephi and her Mum.  I have since found out that her Dad reads them.  LOL.
When I got to school in 1991 the only person I knew (and not very well) was Stephi.  Actually I knew a lot of the people at the school.  I had been at school with their older brothers and sisters.  We hit it off quite well.  We came friends almost immediately.  I put it down to the fact that we are both as wierd as each other.  ;-)
Now as backward as Port Augusta (referred to from now as Port Yuck) is it was the first town in Australia, and possibily in the world, to have a Combined Campus.  The three High Schools in the town had combined their Senior (Year 12) classes to increase the options available to students.
Stephi and I were based at Port Augusta High School.  The school that we had done the rest of our education at.
Now I must say that Stephi had lead a very restricted life (read her journal and you will not think so) she was still very naive.  Many due to the fact she had spent most of her life wondering when her Mum was going to die.  Her Mum had spent a lot of time in hospital and Stephi had spent a lot of time helping her parents.
Stephi's Mum (hello Chris) thought that I was a bad influence on her 17 year old daughter (I was 23)  She also thought that I wanted to rush Stephi off to my bedroom and well you know.  ROFLMAO lots.  Honesty she did.
Now this is very funny as I am gay.  Stephi tried many times (as have I) to convince her Mum of this.  Her Mum gave up nagging her (but not believing her) when Stephi asked if she wanted photos to prove it.  That shut her up.  Of course it made me laugh.  Bit hard to get photos without a boyfriend.
Well we finished (and passed) school and then waited for our results.  We finish in November and dont get the results until the middle of January.  Long wait.
Well Stephi beat me at school (except in physics) and was accepted into Uni.  I missed out.
I scored 58/100.  A pass for Year 12 but not enough to get into Uni.  The minimum school needed was 59.  58 was the only score I did not want.  I would have preferred 57.  One point.  I sat there for 30 minutes looking at my results just saying 58 over and over again.
Well I wasnt going to Uni and staying in Port Yuck unemployed was not something I wanted to do again.  So I left.
However I nearly stayed.  Just to be close to Stephi.  Up until the night I got on the bus (and until I left town) I wanted to stay.  How dumb, stay in Port Yuck and then Stephi would leave anyway and go to Uni.  I realised this, and that is why I left.
I moved to Kununurra in Western Australia (3500 Kilometres away)
We keep in touch by letter.
Funny leters.
We used to write letters the way we would talk to each other.  ie, we would write something and then comment on what the other person would think.  It was great.  Although reading the letters walking home from work got me some very strange looks.  I am sure people thought that I was weird, walking along laughing as I read this letter.
We had some interesting letters and I started reading them to Mum so she got to know Stephi as well.  Well then Stephi started writing things like "No not like that Kay (my Mum)"
Many letters delt with Stephi in the United Sickos Asylum (well actaully the Uni of SA)  They were very funny.
One of my letters to her was writen while I watched the Adelaide Crows VS West Coast Eagles football game.  I gave Stephi a running comentary on the game.  She was greatful, she had not been able to watch it.
We progressed from writing letters to typing letters.  we used to send a computer disk to each other and we would read letters on it.  That lasted for a while, until Stephi's computer died.  We couldn't write to each other.  She didnt have a computer.  Mum said "Try using a pen and paper"  It hadnt accured to me.
When she first moved to Adelaide Stephi was living with family, her Aunty.  I had given Stephi a picture off of the Men of Rugby Calender and her Aunty asked if it was me.  How egotistical did she think I was.  Stephi's reply, "If he looked like that I would try to convert him"  We pissed ourselves laughing over that one many times since.
No body that Stephi knew would believe I was gay.
There were times with I thought I wasn't.  I thought I was in love with Stephi, I even proposed a couple of times.  She even said no once to the wrong question and we ended up engaged.  LOL  I love double negatives.
I realised that I was just missing her and we had a good laugh at it all.
Well nobody else stopped believing it.
Especially with the presents I used to send her.
For her 18 birthday I sent her 9 diamonds.  A set of 8 and a single diamond, 1 and 8 for 18.  She didnt get it. (Note to Stephi, DO SOMETHING WITH THEM DIAMONDS)
Gee didn't that cause a stir.  "When is the wedding" "Getting engaged soon"  Oh poor people.
When I left Kununurra and moved to Adelaide (ok so technically back to Port Yuck) I moved in with Stephi.  By then she was living by herself in a unit her Mum and Dad had bought.  We already knew we lived well together.  I had spent a month at her place on holidays and we got on well.  I love U2 because of those four weeks.  It was the only music she would listen to.  You learn to like something after listening to it non-stop.
Due to space restrictions I moved into my own unit and we used to spend as much time at her place as we did at mine.
She was still at Uni and I was working a full time job earning lots of money and we used to enjoy spending it all.  Very embrassing when the lady at the chinese take-away shop knows your voice on the phone.  Even worse when she knows you get it delivered to two different addresses and askes which one who want it sent to.
Stephi then dropped out of Uni.  (She her poetry page for details on that one)  Personally I think it is the best she ever did when it came to study.  Actually it was probably the only thing she ever did when it came to study. :-P
She was unemployed for awhile and then applied for a job through the CES (See my Wawwen for more details on the CES)  Well the arrogant people that they are ( I have proof about that, I have been called it a couple of times by clients) were upset when she lodged the application late and said "Well we will pass it on to the employer but it is up to them to look at it"
The employer interview in order of preference based on what he though of the people's resume.  Stephi had the first interview.  The employer told her "You're everything I have dreamed of"  and told her she had the job but he needed to interview the others just in case.  Oh what a laugh.  The mighty CES had got it wrong again.  I wont even mention what else they did wrong.
She got the job and started a 12 month traineeship.  A traineeship does not guarantee employment after 12 months but she is still there and has just recieved a pay rise.  Well done Stephi.  I am proud of you.
Her employer is Waltan Australia and click here to see their website designed by Stephi.
Whilst she was unemployed we moved into a house together and had fun living together again.  Not that it seemed like we had ever stopped
Stephi could only afford to live with me in the house as I was earning a good wage and was willing to pay for most things.  However once she started working we were rolling in money.  Even with take-away food every day.
I moved out.
Yes I moved out.  I left her to fend for herself.  On a traineeship wage (about $333 a week) and all.
Why.
I met my boyfriend.  It was great.  Actually Stephi tells me it was sickening but she is just jealous.
I keep paying rent at Stephi's place until she finished her traineeship, about 5-6 months I think.
What are friends for.  I couldn't just leave her there by herself could I.  It would not be fair.
Well I have moved again (into a house I have bought) and Stephi visits every second weekend.
Why???
Because she has to.  LOL
We pay her rent for her.  She works in an area where there is no bank and her rent gets paid into the bank.  We (being the nice people that we are, well actually my darling hubbie, hello Lance) pay her rent every fortnight.  The one thing we have done, to make her more responsible, is to make her bring the rent down when it is due.
Stephi has helped me design my web page, created graphics for me and generally told me how good it is.  Thanks Darling.  I love you lots.

Now for a bit she will hate.

She is wonderful.  Gorgeous.  Sexy.  Funny.  Smart.
However she lacks one thing.
A partner.
Please email her and ask her out.
But remember.  I will be watching you and I must approve of you :)
[email protected]