Friday Five-11/4: Hanging out

Here's to another Friday...

This week's theme: Hanging out.

1. Where did you hang out with your friends when you were a teen?

My best friend lived just a couple houses down the way from me growing up. So for the most part we spent a good portion of our time together hanging out at each others home. Usually up in rooms listening to music and just chilling. Occasionally homework would get done. But I am pretty sure there was more yapping going on than anything. When she finally got her license we would hang out at the mall down the road from us. I think the owner of Sam Goody.(does anyone even remember that store anymore??) got to know us pretty well back in the day.

2. Where did you hang out with your friends when you were in your twenties?

In my early twenties, I was still living with my parents, and that friend still lived down the way so once again we were still hanging out. The mall seemed to be a fabulous place back then because we continued to go there, despite the fact it was actually kind of a crappy mall. By the time I was in my mid twenties, and dating my husband the friends house became more of social events, and we moved to the local billiards where his friends-and sort of my friends now?-played on a local pool league. As I entered my late twenties-which wasn't so long ago, my hang out became Caps hockey games.  

3. Where do you hang out with your friends now.

It seems now that I am in my early thirties, hanging out with friends, gets to be few and far between. Life gets in the way, friends move. You start a family. But every now and then we still try to find time. Usually its still at a good old Caps hockey game, and its with my mom, who I consider a friend anyway. And that mall, doesn't seem as appealing anymore. Now if we do get together its at one another's house, or out for dinner...as long as we can find a babysitter.

4. What great hangout memories do you have?

Every great friendship has one. A story, a memory.

• taking a class at the local community college. It was for History, mid semester the teacher puts on this song to explain the decades. 'We Didn't Start the Fire' by Billy Joel. I know every word, and so happened did the girl beside me. It was the song that bonded us as friends.
• In high school, the best friend from down the street and I decided to play in muddy rain puddles on afternoon. We looked like fools but had a blast doing so. I think thats all that matters.
• After hockey games, we would go to IHOP and have a late dinner. I wrote a piece of poetry on the whim one night while we were waiting for my husband. Later I had to turn it in for a English class, and it won the college's poetry contest. All because we were goofing off and I just wrote. It took me 2 minutes
• As I mentioned, Sam Goody's got to know us pretty well back then. The bestie and I were regulars. The year I turned 19, BSB's Millennium came out two days before. And there was this whole display...we hung out long enough for the owner to give me the display as a present. I'm pretty sure I didn't think life could get better at that moment.

5. What ingredient makes hanging out better sometimes than others. 

I don' t think there is just one, and most of the times, the best times are when nothing really happens at all. Or are unplanned. But having friends there, food, the bond between the friends and the memories always seem to make for an incredible time.

Question from Friday5.org