Katie Beth Shirley: My Friend and Yours

I thought that it would interesting to do the occasional Bio on the Blog. After all, I like to say that you are your five best friends, or if you are lucky like me, that number could probably expand to 10 or 15. By giving you insight into my friends, you are also getting some insight into me as well. Besides, I adore all of my friends--each is unique and different and each one brings a little something special to my life that no one else does or can.

Katie Beth Shirley is my first bio- blog subject. She is receiving that honor because this morning, via G-Chat, we were discussing blogs and who had new posts, etc; and I asked her what I should write about next. Jokingly, I'm sure, she replied "Just write about me!" Now I'm taking her up on it, and she is nervously stalking G-Chat, waiting to see if I'm on to tell her I'm done. I've already received several instructions on what I cannot mention, but I am not big on censoring myself on the blog. I'm a fairly open person and at the moment, Katie is at my mercy (devil face).

Katherine Elizabeth Shirley was born on July 2, 1985 in Opelika, AL, but at the time, her family resided in Alexander City, AL! Her mother worked at Wind Creek and I love it. She was a naturalist and gave tours of the wilderness. This is where Katie's wild streak comes from. Her parents were actually married in Alex City and had their reception at Willow Point. At about six months old, little baby Katie Beth was relocated to Eufaula, AL, which would be the town she would call home. Little did she know...her Alex City roots ran deep.

Katie Beth pledged Phi Mu at Auburn University and was in the same pledge class as my friend and roommate, Brittany Lynn Bain-Stegall. I can't remember exactly what time of year it was when I first met Katie Beth, maybe it was second semester freshman year, but Brittany and I were going to pick up Katie Beth to go to a crazy Sigma Nu band party. (Those were the days.) Brittany first gravitated to Katie Beth, and as a result, I was destined to as well. I don't remember what we had on that night, or even exactly what all we did, but I do know that it is the night of the beginning of a very beautiful (crazy/nuts) friendship.

Today, most people who meet all of us in a group, automatically assume that Katie Beth is from Alex City, because she is friends with our entire home town group and is an honorary Alex City girl. She just fit in perfectly. Imagine how surprised we were to find out she lived in Alex City for a little bit! We have all always said, if Katie Beth had stayed in Alex City-we would have been best friends with her anyways. Why? She is just like us. I keep saying "we" and "us' and I'm referring to the home town crew. Her entire Eufaula high school experience mirrors ours. From wearing cheap tight clothes from Wet Seal and the Body Shop, to loitering in parking lots--ours was Fred's and her's was a BP, sneaking around and doing stuff we had no business doing...it's uncanny really to list all of our similar life experiences.

Katie Beth came home with Brittany to the lake for the Boat Parade that year and the rest is history. Jessica met her the first time that weekend and was like: "I freakin' love her." When she fell of Chimney Rock, and didn't even cry, I was proud and thought "That tough bitch is my friend!" Katie Beth gets right in on in there and has never met a stranger. When we would go out in Auburn, whether to a band party or to a bar, everyone there knew Katie Beth and she knew everyone there. We called her "the fairy" because she had to flight around and talk to absolutely everyone. We were not allowed to stand in one spot for very long, we had people to SEE! There were some great times at Bourbon Street and Sky Bar and I probably owe half of my friends on Facebook to hanging out with Katie. We spent many a night at her apartment Sophomore year over on Glenn, because ever practical Katie Beth needed to able to walk to the bar! There were some great away games that year as well--Tennessee sticks out (those cardboard Ronnie and Cadillac's) and of course, the ten of us that squeezed into that New Orleans hotel room I got us for the Sugar Bowl!

Then junior year Katie Beth moved in with me and Brittany. We went out every night and laid by the pool all day. Our biggest concerns were passing class, posing for Katie Beth's numerous class projects, and boys! We shared clothes, especially the butterfly t-shirt, food, tailgate spots, and laughs. We survived Wild Eye Bill that year as well :) Every day was Friday night it seemed, and for those last two years, that's exactly how it was.

One time Katie took us all home to Eufaula for Pilgrimage Day. It was really cool...she lives in a house that is over a 100 years old! There are alot of old houses in Etown and we got to take tours of them that day. Some of the streets were filmed for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. You can always count on a good time with Katie Beth. Some of my fondest (and I will go ahead and say most random) times were the nights when everyone was busy but us and we were forced to entertain ourselves. Often this would consist of us going out, just us, and jamming to rap music in the Honda. We would always manage to get into something...and we found out a few weekends ago that not much has changed! John and Brandon left us to our own devices at Katie's pool, while they played golf, and we got antsy after about 30 min and 2 beers. Well, there was a group of people beside us who looked like the types up for a good time, and when they produced a floating "Flip Cup"table...it was over after that! By the end of it, we were Beth and Lexie!

I am so glad that Katie Beth is here in Birmingham and that we are not just "college" friends. We can hang out anytime we want. With John and Brandon in town now, we are beginning to do cool couples things. *SIDENOTE: KB has a really cool, smart, hot BF.

Now, I will say this, Katie Beth is a habitual planner. She loves to plan things--she'd make a great wedding planner or funeral director. Sometimes, she'll ask me what we are doing four weekends from now, but it is ok. Instead of getting overwhelmed, I know she is just excited and wants to be sure we will be VERY prepared to have fun. Brandon and I already have a joint birthday party in the works and it is 2 years away! I will turn 25 and he will turn 30. So far this year, we've had a crazy wild camping trip and now there is a Game Night in the works. There is also a fishing trip, but we can never all agree on a weekend.

All in all, Katie Beth is a true friend you can count on for anything. I love her! (CrAzY fAcE)

*Picture coming soon