Everything Relates to "Friends", Part 1

I'll admit it. I'm obsessed with Friends and have been for years. Not totally over the top obsessed as in stalking the stars, but I have watched every episode dozens of times. And you know what I've found? Virtually everything relates to Friends in one way or another.

1. The most obvious example to me at the moment happened about a year ago. We were cleaning the grout in the kitchen with Sulfamic acid as we were getting the house ready to sell. Apparently, I had a relatively serious reaction to the acid - even to the fumes - and developed a severe rash over virtually all of my body. When talking to poison control, I tried to explain just how bad I was itching, but I just couldn't get the point across. Finally it hit me. It turns out the poison control lady was a Friends fan too. All I had to do was remind her of the episode "The One with the Chicken Pox".

In that episode, Phoebe contracts the chicken pox from Ross's son, Ben. Her 'submarine guy', ... (played by Charlie Sheen) hadn't had chicken pox either. In order to spend time with Phoebe during the two weeks he had in New York, he had to expose himself to the chicken pox and before long they were both covered. As we all know, the chicken pox itch. The next thing you know, they both have oven mitts taped to their hands to keep from scratching, but that doesn't stop them. They get the mitts off and scratch incessantly.

The poison control lady immediately knew what I was talking about and could understand the seriousness of the reaction.

2. We're having our fourth baby. We had an ultrasound last week that showed that this baby is a boy! After three girls, we are finally getting a boy! Now, we love our girls very much, but we have always wanted a boy. The vision that dances in my head is of Ross. In season one, his ex-wife tells him that she's pregnant. In "The One with the Dozen Lasagnas", she has an amniocentesis and they discover that the baby is a boy. Ross doesn't want to know until the baby is born, but everyone else finds out and Rachel accidentally lets it slip. Ross is ecstatic and runs around saying "I'm having a boy! I'm having *a* boy!" That's what I can see my husband doing in private (because he wouldn't want anyone to know how excited he is so he wouldn't do that in public).

3. Our youngest daughter's name is Emily. This isn't because Ross married Emily - on the contrary, that was one reason I wasn't totally sold on the name for a while. Anytime anyone says her name in a sing-songy way, I'm reminded of Rachel doing the Emily good-bye cheer in "The One With the Fake Party". I can hear her "Emily! EEEmmiiiilyyyy" as she cartwheels into her old room (that was Joey's room at the time) in her cheer uniform from high school. She then proceeds to finish completely embarrass herself in front of her crush, Joshua.

4. Speaking of Joshua, that's my nephew's name.

5. There was no Maggie on Friends, but it is my oldest daughter's name. Maggie Wheeler played Janice on the show and is one of the characters that I always loved. I was so glad when they brought her back near the end of the 10^th season and only wish they had brought Richard back as well.

Not convinced yet? Don't worry. There will be a part 2 before long.