I have friends. No, really!

So, in the midst of a summer that's been hectic in the office and pretty busy overall with a grad class, graduations and weddings to go to, I needed a break.

Last weekend, I took off for five days and headed South for the third installment of the now-annual 237A Coddington Road Housie Reunion. We've done a wedding, a trip across the Alaskan frontier and, now, a relaxing five-day trip to lounge next to the pool cute, little Fort Mill, South Carolina.

I lived with four other people senior year. And, even though I've been out of college long enough to not know a single person going to my alma mater, two of us are married, two others well on the way down that road and one with a child, we still make it a point to get back together each year - even if only for a couple days.

We're all busy people (probably too busy for our own good) and we don't keep in touch very well. The girls do, because, well they're girls and they like to talk. But the one other guy and myself are pretty crap at it. I'll maybe call once a month, send out an email every couple and generally don't have much deep, meaningful contact with most of the others for the whole year.

You know what? It doesn't matter. As soon as we're back together, we fall right back into the old habits of talking about old times, catching up on the new and just being perfectly at ease with each other.

The five of us (well, now ten - we've doubled in number thanks to four signifcant others and one baby) are a family. Sure, we're scattered across both coasts of the US, talk mainly via short emails through the year, but it doesn't matter. Our hearts are always together - and that's a gift you just can't take lightly.

It was a terrific weekend - and I'd forgotten how special it was to be with everyone.

Here's 'til next year!