Character Profile- The Frenemy- Birthday Edition

NAME: Shines

NICKNAMES:  SFG (Shines For God), my frenemy

HOW WE MET:  I think it was 1999...NJ pentecostal conference...we were in the same car in route to  the hotel.  He was popping off his mouth about something.  I was wondering who is this kid with this larger than life/extremely annoying personality?  I asked him where he was from.  He said, "Oklahoma."  I was like "Whaaaaat?!?  I'm from Oklahoma!"  The rest is history!!

HOW WE BECAME FRENEMIES:  Although we met that fateful day in 1999, our paths didn't cross again until his brother and my BF decided they wanted to get married!!  BF has somehow conveniently arranged it to where I am friends with her entire family....her parents and sister, her cousins, uncles and aunts, and now...her inlaws!  Shines and I were paired to walk together at BF &Dains wedding...That day he became BF's new little brother...and mine!!!  The one I never asked or signed up for...Next thing I know, he was asking me to borrow $50 so he could go to prom!!  Over the years, he continued to be a thorn in my posterior...and then one day he introduced me to the lady love in his life...Merly, and asked me to be their wedding planner!  Little did I know that Merly and Shines would be more than my clients... but they'd spend their entire first year of marriage in my 1 bedroom apartment!  Merly has also become the referee of the monthly spats that Shines and I seem to get into!  

FAVORITE MEMORIES:  Hands down...the memory that will go in the history books will definitely be the Christmas Eve blizzard when Shines and I were stuck in the snow for nearly 12 hours.  How we did not kill each other that day...I will never know. 

He also helped Sheba throw my 40th birthday party...and professed to everyone that day...that even though we fight all the time...I'm his sister!

The time we went walking at the local high school, walked 4 laps around the track...walked all the way back to my house, only to realize, I dropped my key somewhere along the way.  We had to re walk all the way back to the high school, around the track...finally found the keys laying on the ground on the middle of the track!  He nearly pummeled me that day!

Shines and Wins (his little brother) fart initiated me into the family.  Ehh...that's my LEAST favorite memory!!

FUNNIEST MEMORY:  When I first found out I had a mass in my stomach...I called Merly to talk to her about it since I had been complaining about swallowing for weeks.  She, in turn, told Shines.  After careful consideration...he told her to tell me not to worry....the mass was probably just a donut hole that got stuck!  I can never look at donut holes or say donut holes with out cracking up now.

MOST ANNOYING MEMORY:  Shines and I went to go tour the church where he and Merly were going to get married...and the receptionist said, "You and your mother are free to go look around."  Clearly...he'll never let that one go.

BIGGEST FAVOR:  He got me my job at Paycom!!  I wondered why he didn't talk to me on my first day at work though.  He said, "Sue, I'm the quarter back.  You're the band nerd."  Now you know why we're frenemies?

BEST QUALITY:  I will say...out of all my friends, Shines is the ONLY one that I fight with...I mean, knock down drag out yelling at each other fights.  But, we have always been able to turn things around...even though it sometimes takes months.  LOL.   Underneath all that...err, muscle...there is a very big heart.  He cares way more than he should and does anything to help...not just me...but all his friends...and especially me.  He always tells me he's going to raise his baby boy, Jude to grow up to cut his grandparents grass for them...and Sueny's!!  During this time that I've been sick...he's gone above and beyond the call of duty...making sure I have groceries stocked, eating leftovers in my fridge before they go bad, fixing things around my house, making sure I'm entertained with malayalam movies, google chrome, and an extra TV for my room, and always trying to give me financial advice. He's been more than an amazing friend...but an amazing brother!  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRENEMY!!