happy birthday danielle!!!!

I have had the ULTIMATE pleasure of knowing Danielle since my freshman year at Westlake High School. She was one of the "cool older girls" - she took me under her wing in drama class with creepy Mr. Ledwon - Danielle showed me what the upper classmen were up to (they wore a lot of short blue sequin dresses, matching Guess Jean outfits, a darryl strawberry jersey, boxers, a little wet seal & worked at Freckles!!!), took me to the raging parties (this is iffy), we spent many a night drinking Hamburger Hamlet pop or eating at Lupe's and learning our lines, we had one extra weird evening watching SNL & looking at modeling photos of Josh Morrow with Josh Morrow (young & the restless) in his tight sweat pants, millions of Dodger Games (she was friends with all the players), I accompanied her to a shady modeling competition in the valley, we had matching jeep wranglers, we hit the zoo to see a little albino girl looking at an albino snake -"Look Jenny! That snake looks just like you!", she visited Mia and me in NYC and threw up at the HBO commissary!, we stood in line at Letterman (she was obsessed) and she called me from her hotel when she was too scared to go out in the dirty city alone (I talked her down off the ledge). A few years later we found ourselves working a stones throw from each other in beautiful downtown Burbank - THIS IS WHEN THINGS CHANGED FROM CASUAL TO SERIOUSLY SERIOUS! We became inseparable! I found myself quiting my perfect job in casting to take a crappy job at Warner Bros. all because Danielle worked there (well, partly because I wanted to see what all the hype was about to have health insurance) - this was the point we really sealed the friendship deal and graduated to Best Friends - listen to how sick this is: we talked on the phone our entire drives into work, we snuck out on weird fake errands only to meet up and hang out on the mean Burbank streets, we called in sick on the same days (although Danielle called in sick WAY more than me), we IMed constantly all day, had EVERY lunch together (either at la scala, the commissary, western bagel or Lilys), We would take golf carts and wander the WB lot looking for George Clooney on the basketball court, we stayed late after work drinking coffee at some sketchy little shop (Dennis Woodridge?) and THEN, we concluded the day by talking on the phone all the way home from work! You can tell Danielle anything! - or at least I do and she seems to still accept me. Nothing is off limits! She is an AMAZING friend!!! She is one of the most up to speed people in my life and I have no idea what I would do without her. She has always been a rock for me. Danielle's family, especially her mom Suzette, has become my 2nd family. I love them! I have been to countless BFFs (Bacon Family Functions) and consider myself an honorary member of the Bacon- Garlock clan! the whole group is very encouraging and supportive of me, which doesn't hurt -plus they are super fun! We've had some wild nights on the town, some teary moments (very rare but if we ever start to go there we both break down), She had her engagement party at my house, I pinned her engagement ring inside my jacket and flew to Maui to be her wedding photographer/ bridesmaid and spend the beginning of the honeymoon with the happy couple - She has been at every party, birthday or important occasion in my life that really mattered- I can always count on her! I was standing outside the door when Presley was born! We probably both have skin cancer if you count all the times we have sunned together at a pool, we helped each other determine our most photogenic sides, She taught me that criss cross applesauce is the new indian style, She hates dogs (especially Walter), She's my publicist, She doesn't wear eyeliner, She can always convince me why it's a good idea to play hookey and join her on some sort of an adventure - whether it be driving to Palm Springs for Wheel of Fortune auditions(SHE IS SO GOOD AT THIS DORKY GAME!), touring the garden of innocence at the cemetery (way too many times to count- don't judge us), pretending we are pregnant to get baby loot at Academy Award gifting suites or faking our way into the biggest CAA party around for an US Weekly story! I have ridiculously fun memories with her, lots of sleep overs, vow renewal in maui, trips to vegas, dodger games, american idol, atlanta & NYC, a lot of Malibu moments - seeing Monday night movies (until the theater burned down), trifectas, late night texting, lunching at coogies, stalking Britney - I can always count on Danielle ordering my meal for me in her perfectly fickle way! Danielle is a FANTASTIC friend, very graceful, crafty, snobby in a great way, very sneaky, giving, is easily gagged (mayo or hair in her food = gaggy sounds),  is a skilled writer, she is fabulously summer chic, enjoys african chow mein, crock potting, will always get what she wants, turned down ryan seacrest for dates, she will take my underground super secret like of Chilis (only the Westlake one) to her grave, she hates mayonnaise and other white condiments, she is super smart, bold, clever, fun to be around, a go getter, freelances for us weekly, not the best multi-tasker (but that is part of her charm), she can return just about anything (even art that has been hanging in her house for years), an amazing mother of FOUR, she hates to wear sunscreen, she's not afraid of putting herself out there, she has recently become more of an emotional person (thanks to Oprah & her kids), she is beautiful, has had millions of moles removed, fun to ichat with, she used to be a good blogger, she is so sweet and thoughtful and I LOVE her to death! We will always be best of friends no matter what and I really can't think of anything better than that!