Tag Archives: friends

Day 128: Dale & Leslie

Posted on May 8, 2015 | Leave a comment

Dale grew up a few blocks away from both houses I lived in in Mechanicsburg, PA. We went to the same schools and played on the same baseball team. After graduation, we went separate ways and I lost contact with Dale. Then came Facebook and we were in touch – well sorta. Facebook is kind of a pseudo connection.

Day 128-2

My thank you note in front of a print that I bid on and won at the auction. That’s the Georgetown harbor in 1865.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to get a Facebook message from Dale on Tuesday asking if I was free on Thursday – he had a few extra invitations to a charity fundraiser in DC – two blocks from my apartment no less.

It was a lot of fun. The event was nice, I got to meet Dale’s wife Leslie, his boss Mr. Bunn, and hang out with another high school friend, Justin. I’m thankful that Dale reached out – it was a great night and I enjoyed spending time with old friends.

Day 128

Dale and Leslie,

It was great to spend time with you on Thursday – the gala was a lot of fun. Thanks for thinking of me and extending the invitation to join you. I get back to Mechanicsburg a couple of times a year – it would be great to get together on one of those visits.

Thanks again!
Reed

P.S. Please pass on my thanks to Mr. Bunn as well.

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Day 117: Robert

Posted on April 27, 2015 | Leave a comment

My friend Robert lost his father recently. As is the case more and more, I heard the news on Facebook – which is always an oddity for me. You want to show support but don’t necessarily want to “like” it on Facebook. So I decided to drop him a handwritten note.

Day 117 tequila

I got this shot glass at a going away party for Robert when he left DC a few years ago. Seemed fitting to us it today.

Robert was back in Louisville, KY this weekend with his family as they came together to celebrate his father’s life. And while I felt sad for my friend and his family, I could see through the photographs that they truly celebrated his life. And if his father is anything like Robert, he wouldn’t have wanted people to be sad, he probably would have preferred everyone to take a shot of tequila and get back to contributing to our community (unless that involved driving!)

So…here’s to Robert’s dad!

Day 117

Robert,

I’m so sorry to hear about your father. I can only imagine what a wonderful and interesting man he was. It’s never easy losing the people we love the most and I hope that it somehow comforts you to know that others are keeping you in their thoughts.

Lots of love to you and your family,
Reed Sandridge

 

 

 

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Day 115: Adriana and Mauricio

Posted on April 25, 2015 | Leave a comment

mbrasilThere are a few people in Brazil that I would like to send letters to this year – here is the first one.

In 2003 I moved to Brazil to start a subsidiary operation for the company I worked for at the time. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding experiences of my life. Part of what made it such a memorable experience was the people.

Mauricio joined the company 12 years ago and was not only a terrific professional, but also a great all around guy. He and his wife Adriana later moved to Washington, DC and I got to know them both better while they lived here. I occasionally get to see them when they visit DC or I go back to Sao Paulo – but it would be nice to see them more frequently.

Day 115

Adriana and Mauricio with their running team

Adriana and Mauricio with their running team

Adriana & Mauricio,

Greetings from Washington, DC. I hope that my note finds you both well. I probably should have tried to write this in Portuguese, but I will save you the painful experience of reading all of my errors.

It has been 12 years since we first met in Sao Paulo. It was a very special time in my life – living in Sao Paulo and working to build Comptel in the Americas – we had a very special team. I haven’t been part of a similar one since.

Things are good here. I’ve been focusing a lot of time on the Year of Letters and a new venture that I am launching that takes art from talented artists who are experiencing homelessness and turning it into commercial products that will give them a revenue stream. It most likely won’t be enough money to fully provide for them, but it will hopefully help them in their journey of finding housing and reentering the work force.

Maria Helena and I are working together again – now at World Wildlife Fund. It’s been fun seeing her there and everyone I meet says how great she is – of course. We don’t work so closely together, but from time to time we’re in meetings together or we just get coffee and catch up.

I don’t have any plans to travel to Brasil right now, but would like to at some point in the not too distant future. How about you guys? Any marathons in the US that you will be running this year? Even if your races don’t take you to the US, you are always welcome here and have a place to stay.

I miss you both and hope that you are doing well.

Abraços,
Reed

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Day 110: Matt and Erin

Posted on April 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I can think of few ways to spend free time better than with good friends. Last Saturday evening I visited with Matt and Erin, great friends and terrific hosts who enjoy tasty food and boozy concoctions as much as I do, so an evening with them centers around their dining room table which is boiling over with homemade salty and savory treats with the likes of homemade butter and delicate Italian truffles. Their charming Woodley Park apartment feels more like 1950s France than modern-day Washington, DC.

Erin pushes food while Matt, who usually doesn’t last more than a few hours before the need for sleep wins him over, stays awake by making cocktails and assuring that everyone is good on drinks.

saffronThey had just returned from a trip to Greece and brought me a thoughtful little gift of red saffron – which I’ve never had. Saffron is a curious spice. I’ll never forget the first time I went shopping for it. I couldn’t find it and asked a store employee for help only to be told, “Oh, saffron, we keep that in the safe of course. It’s worth like a $2,000 a pound.”

I appreciate their thoughtfulness and look forward to having them over and making them something delicious with it.

Day 110

Matt and Erin,

Thank you so much for having me over on Saturday. As always, it was a lot of fun. And thank you for the Greek red saffron – that was completely unnecessary but very thoughtful and much appreciated. I’ll have to have you over and make something with it. I’m thinking this would add a delicious touch to fusilli pasta with zucchini and pine nuts.

Day 110-3See you soon

Reed

P.S. Matt, all my respect to you for staying up as late as you did – that may be a new personal best!

 

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Day 107: Laura

Posted on April 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

The other day I came home to find a manila envelope completely dominating the space in my tiny mailbox. It was hand addressed to me and had what seemed to be way more stamps on it than it probably needed – it wasn’t heavy, it was just larger than normal, about the size of a restaurant menu.

Day 107-2Inside it was a note from a friend of mine along with a small package of unrecognizable food and a dollar bill. The note said, “This dollar is yours to keep if you eat this dried fruit patty. Looks delicious….give it a try!”

Well, on one hand I was happy to have someone looking out for me and sending me nourishing food – on the other hand I was a bit skeptical of eating anything that involved me receiving money in exchange for eating it. I mean, why would you need to give me money to try something unless it was awful.

So imagine a small dense patty made up of semi-hard fruit bits. I didn’t just ease into it with  tiny nibble, I full committed and took a healthy bite. After the first bit made contact with my tongue I for some reason felt compelled to look at the packaging to see what the expiration date was. There was none. Nope, because this thing could last for centuries. I had to chew for quite a long time…it’s good practice if you’re trying to teach children to chew 20 times before they swallow. There’s a certain grittiness to it that I couldn’t quite discern and the ingredients didn’t list sawdust, so who knows what it was.

I’m keeping the dollar.

Oh, and if you want to send me things, go ahead. See if you can top the mystery fruit patty.

Day 107 

Dear Laura,

Thank you for taking the time to drop me a handwritten note in the mail. While a few people have sent me stationery, you have the distinct honor of being the first person to do two unique things with your letter.

The first is sending me food and the second is sending me money – both are things that I enjoy very much, so please accept my most sincere thanks. I am eating the mixed fruit snack as I write you this note (sorry if the paper got a bit sticky). I’m not sure I have ever had anything quite like it and I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Assuming I don’t fall deathly ill from the mixed fruit snack – we should find time to meet up. I miss you guys.

Reed

P.S. As per the terms of your note, I am holding on to the dollar.

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