I woke up this morning thinking about my best friend growing up...

We have known each other since Kindergarten.
She was Queen of The Nerds.

Here she is in my bedroom.

Growing up we used to ride our bikes together, climb trees, dream about what we would be like growing up, and we analyzed everything together.
People, concepts, natural phenomena, human behavior...
Everything.

Trying on a dress at Pinup Girl Boutique in Burbank.
(My favorite dress store.)

We had a lot of adventures together.
And came out of them alive to talk about them!
She is a Music Nerd, I am a Chemistry Nerd.
Our Nerdery took us in different directions in life.
Her - Music career with the local San Diego ska scene + personal instruction
Me - Designing and creating molecules

She is also my favorite Pin Up Model, after Betty Page of course.

She took on the name of Melanie Monsters after I suggested it.
But really it was her Mother who used to affectionately call her "Melanie Monster!" when she was a little kid.
I learned some Tagalog growing up in her household, she learned some Spanish in mine and in a lot of other households here in California.
Tagalog was our secret language that we would communicate with each other in when boys would hit on us.

From left to right: Me, Masumi Max, Melanie Monsters.
(Masumi is Melanie's favorite Pin Up Model. Here we are meeting Masumi for the first time. Melanie was over the moon that day.)

These days we are inclined to talk about strategizing in reaching our goals.
Discuss the progress of our creative projects.
Inspire each other to be better stronger people.
Exchange information and resources.
Create art together.

Here she is, in the parking lot of Urthe Caffe in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles...

She had a child recently.
I've been absorbed with my life in Los Angeles.
Its time for me to visit her in San Diego.