An email to Michele from 2006, 15 years after we hung out together in Seattle. Now it's 30 years since we hung out in Seattle.

Hi there, 

 It’s been a little while, but I think about you and hope you’re doing well. Isn’t it crazy that it’s been almost fifteen years since we hung out together in Seattle? 

I’m ok. Tom is good. 

We just got back from visiting my mom and dad in the Utah desert. They retired a few years back and they are now volunteer park rangers. They go from park to park for 3-6 months per gig. They love it, but keep getting bizarre bacterial infections and unusual injuries resulting from life in a cabin in the wilderness. 

Petrified Forest Desert Scene

Recently, My friend Erin invited me to a polo match. (yes, this all connects, hang with me here). 

I never attended a polo match before, so I asked her if I should dress up like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Interestingly, she said yes. Everybody dresses like that at polo matches. 

So I went to TJMaxx and for $12.99 bought the hat with the biggest brim I could find. I swear it’s as big as a pizza. 

Tragically, the day of the polo match, Erin’s husband wound up in the ER with some knee injury, so I never got to break in my hat. 

It all worked out though because I wore it hiking in the desert when we went and visited my mom and dad. Not only did it keep the sun from baking me, but it was also very stylish. 

The giant polo hat performs in the desert

 You might find this information useful sometime in the future. 

 Anyway, please let me know how you are. 

 xoxo

Note to self, written somewhat later in 2006: In hindsight, this email is like one of those awful newsletters you get around the holidays that are sometimes in the third person. 

Here's my new rule: Always save emails written late Saturday night and re-read them before sending.