Meet the Cast Monday #15: ND Friend

I am SO excited to introduce you guys to my amazing friend, who I refer to as ND Friend on this blog. We have an interesting story.....we went to school in small towns about an hour and a half away, but got to know each other through FFA. Then we graduated high school and sort of lost touch...only facebooking occasionally on a birthday or something.

And then, I think God must have decided that if we weren't going to reconnect, He would take matters into His own hands. Because He knows me, he used college football. Remember my amazing trip to the Notre Dame football game? Well, that was our excuse to reconnect and we've been constant friends from then on! ND Friend is seriously one of the sweetest, kindest, most amazing people that I have ever met in my life. I am so beyond grateful to be able to call her my friend. With that.....

MEET ND FRIEND

What was the best part of going to school at Notre Dame? For me, the best part about going to school at Notre Dame was the way in which faith life tied in so closely with academic life, social life, and everything in between. From prayer breaks at the Grotto during study days (students milling about at 2 am and the Grotto literally ablaze with burning candles representing 1000’s of dear-Lord-let-me-pass-this-test’s), {I told you that was an amazing place previously!} to 10 pm Sunday night Mass in the dorm chapel with 150 of your closest friends (all in their pj’s), to the “Jump-Mom!-I’ll-Catch-You” statue of Jesus at the base of the Main Building, the faith component of campus life was palpable and contagious (in a good way). I’ll never forget walking into the Basilica for the very last station of the Campus-wide Stations of the Cross on Good Friday as the choir sang “Were You There When they Crucified My Lord?” acappella from the choir loft—For me, the beauty of the faith became real and powerfully present to me on that campus. And, even during the most homesick, stressed-out, overwhelmed moments, or during times of celebration, there was always a chapel and a peaceful place to find calm and have a little conversation with the only One necessary.

Oh, and there is that little element that Tiffany and I like to call “Notre Dame Football…” {Why yes.....yes we do. In case you missed it, you can read all about that little element here!} Tell us about your favorite restaurant in Chicago? Oooo. Tough question, Barbara Walters. Why are you doing this to me? I think this is called the ringer. Okay. I guess I will have to go with the Bongo Room, the famed location wherein pretzel pancakes were imagined, created, and used to test the worth and spontaneity of potential boyfriends. {Stick with her....if you missed that blog, you'll understand in a minute.}

The Bongo Room, even upon first mention, seems like a she-she/frou-frou place—I get it. I know downhome country boys aren’t so wild about she-she and sure as heck hate frou-frou, and Bongos don’t do anything for a man in a Carhart or camo jacket. But, here is a litmus test for all of you tough boys: My father, a direct descendant of John Wayne, practically adores (if his vocabulary included that word, I’m sure he’d use it) the Bongo Room. Test finished, results not in your favor. Anyway, the Bongo Room is filled with such heavenly concoctions as Red Velvet pancakes, Crab Eggs Benedict, Cinnamon Brioche French toast, Bananas Foster flapjacks, and other menu items shipped in direct from the land of milk and honey. It’s in the South Loop of Chicago’s downtown, and it’s worth every block you have to walk to get there (right, girls?). {She's not lying, we treked halfway across the city and I've told you before, it was worth every last step! I had pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese frosting....to. die. for.}

Speaking of that, you made Pancake Boy famous on the blog .....did I leave anything good out of the story? {If you missed it, trust me.....well worth you time to click here!} I’ll tell you what you left out: Pancake Boy’s valiant effort to redeem himself—a bit of the story that has happened since the time of that fateful, epic-fail-of-a-weekend. My honest assessment of Chicago weekend with Pancake boy was “No way no how what on earth was I thinking,” and I think that was pretty clear by my not-so-generous description that was immortalized on “Figuring out the Plot.”

However, a couple of weeks after the crash and burn, Pancake Boy called me, sweetly wanting to chat, having “missed talking to me,” in a really apologetic, regretful tone. (Aside: I am embarrassed to admit that these types of “aw shucks” comments, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, severely impair my judgment.) Of course, the topic of Chicago came up, to which he claimed in his best SE Texas accent (which I do love), “(My name in a slow, twangy, two-sylable drawl), it wasn’t YOOO. It was Chicago! I couldn’t handle that city. Me coming to Chicago and trying to have fun was like a claustrophobic person trying to have fun in a closet.” Hmmmm. Interesting. And, blah blah blah, rest of the story, we still talk.

So where does that leave Pancake Boy and I? Still at an impasse? I am not sure, but what I do know is this: for better or for worse, there’s no way I am living a pretzel-pancakeless life. We’ll see how the rest plays out. {I told you she was awesome, no? Seriously I just love this girl to death!}

Tell us about Word on Fire and the Catholicism Project! Well, I am glad you asked! I would love to, as it is about my favorite things. Long story short, Father Robert Barron is the brains behind the operation—he is a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago whose class I took when he was on sabbatical at Notre Dame for one semester (sophomore year). This particular class was unlike any class I had ever taken, and as a result, I went on to major in theology. I kept up with Father Barron after that, following the release of his subsequent books, DVDs, CDs, his podcasted sermons, etc.

In 2009, I moved up here to work with Fr. B and the Word on Fire team, whose “mission” (so to speak) is answering the call of Pope John Paul II to evangelize through the new media. Father Barron gives the Catholic voice in response to current events, cultural phenomena, and the like through this website portal, on You Tube, and now, through the 10 part DVD series that will come out this fall called "CATHOLOCISM." I will let this two minute trailer speak for itself. For as much as I often wish I was home on the ranch, I love this job every single day. {Be sure to check out the Word On Fire Blog.....you can even catch some blogs by ND Friend herself as well!}

What is the best vacation that you've ever taken? Best vacation I have ever taken. Hmmm. This is a separate question from the best roadtrip I have ever taken, right? And it is different than my favorite place I have ever been? Okay, when you look at the whole package, the best vacation I have ever taken was… oh, who am I kidding. I have noooo idea. I have loved them all. Even the ones that just went to the northeast corner of NM from Fort Worth, South Bend, or Chicago.

What is your favorite part about being an aunt (to the most adorable baby ever!)? Oh my gosh, I could go on and on. Let it be known that you made the claim, “most adorable baby ever,” but since you did, I am allowed to wholeheartedly agree, right? My favorite thing so far is that little smirky smile he gets on his face when he’s feeling cheerful (which is quite often, that little Charlie Brown) and I walk into the room. “Does he do this with everyone?” you ask? That is beside the point. The point is, when he smirks and rings those little rubber band wrists because he is so excited to see me, I melt all over the place.

And, I try to find ways to sneak him little bits of sweets to shamelessly keep this little behavioral trend going strong. Don’t tell my sister. I also just adore seeing his personality develop. That must be amazing as a parent to see your child start to become this individual human with unique responses, character traits, talents, quirks, expressions, etc! I know it is pretty cool to see as an aunt. What is one (or more) item(s) on your bucket list? One time, a friend of mine asked me this question, and I immediately responded with “eat cookies everyday and never gain a pound.” {We are so meant to be friends.} Yep, I did. I was promptly reprimanded and reminded that a bucket list is not a magic lamp wish.

So, I am grateful to have a second stab at this question. Minor misunderstanding, really. My bucket list has “live in Savannah, Georgia” on it. Probably this item is a bit silly and superficial, but I am in love with the South, and particularly Georgia. I love the hospitality, the slow-talking, the sweet tea, the peaches, SEC football, the plantations, and the proximity to Paula Dean. One more item that I just recently added is to do this pilgrimage that I heard about through the filming of CATHOLICISM on this island in Ireland called Lough Derg. It is a three day penetential prayer retreat, and as difficult as it is, it really sounds amazing. I don’t know if I could do it, but I am going to keep it on the list for a while.

{As y'all know, that is usually my final question, but I had to add one more for ND Friend.....}

What will you be doing on April 18, 2011? Only one thing I know for sure: eating an ENORMOUS hamburger. With really fried fries. Heck, maybe even a 44 ounce drink with diabetes-inducing amounts of sugar. {You want to know what she left out? I'll tell you what she left out....that she is currently, as we speak, running the BOSTON freaking MARATHON!! That's right, my friend is a rock star. To read about her qualifying run at the Chicago marathon, click here...be sure to read about her shirt!}