Today's Fabulous 40th Birthday shout-out goes to another Jim from college, but we had most of our adventures together post-college, when we re-connected at 25/26 (note, I was 25 to his 26, just as I am 39 to his 40 :))to become NYC roommates.
Jim was the perfect roommate. 1.) His male presence made my parents feel slightly better about their daughter living in a third-floor walk-up next to an abandoned lot, with a front door covered in graffiti and crow-bar marks. 2.) He was a young lawyer who worked long hours, giving me space when I wanted it. 3.) And he offered to pay more rent than I did (very appreciated as this was around the same time that I once went to dinner with friends, not with bills in my wallet, but with a large bag of loose change in my purse).
My favorite Jim memories from that era include New Year's Eve 1995 or really the wee hours of New Year's Day 1996, Yorkville Brewery: Jim peeling me away from someone not quite worthy of my company, saying politely to the much bigger guy, "she has to leave now." Jim accidentally kicking my leg out from under me while dancing at a wedding, leaving me with a broken elbow, although he did cut my meat for me for the next week. And my other favorite, Jim returning to the apartment one Sunday saying he'd just run the NY Marathon - he hadn't trained for it, but had volunteered to run a couple of miles with a blind Japanese runner (he speaks Japanese). By mile 13 he felt pretty good, so he just kept on going.
So, Happy Fabulous 40th Birthday to Jim...may he always just keep on going!
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