Adios Amigos

Last weekend we said good-bye to our closest DC friends, Vaughn and Bernie. Steve and Vaughn went to UT together and Bernardo came into our lives when he and Vaughn met 10 years ago. These guys have been our family in DC. When we moved to Fairlington they lived across the street, about 180 steps from our house, and for years we had dinner together every single Sunday night, switching between their house and ours. Vaughn was the best man in our wedding and he and Bernie have attended every birthday party for our kids and been true uncles to the boys. They have made noise about leaving the area, but we never took them seriously...until a month ago when Vaughn returned from an interview with Yahoo in San Francisco with a sense of excitement. We nervously joined in the excitement with a mix of envy and sadness. Vaughn soon accepted the offer and within weeks he was gone. We had a going away party for them last weekend and it was bittersweet, for sure. Gone were the days when we were doing shots and I was making late night phone calls to who knows where. Though Bernardo did us proud and tipped the tequila a few times in our honor. And, much wine and beer and food were consumed to toast these two fine people and wish them well. Word has it that Vaughn has made it to the West Coast in time to report to work tomorrow morning. With the introduction of Facebook, text messaging, email, and blogging, they won't be more than a click away. But, I already miss them dearly and will long for the day when we can exchange real hugs again.