Amy

Amy is Amy's Ice Creams Amy. When she scooped ice cream with us we used to have to call her Freida. Amy is one of my dearest friends. I met her in 1985 when I went to work for her. Then I worked for her in the office and then I was the business manager. At that time she was Le Grande Fromage and I was Le Petit Fromage (don't correct my french, it's just for fun and effect).

Amy is a terrific athlete who can do anything. She's been a runner, a swimmer, a tri-athlete, a boxer... She is super-fit. Amy is very funny and warm. She has 2 girls and a boy. "Most women have notoriously bad taste in men" -said Wayne Thompson - and must admit I've thought this about Amy. But I think that it's Amy's ability to see the best in anyone - and not bad taste - that made her love people I didn't always like much. She is so willing and able to give people all her confidence. And that's really a gift. She is very happily married to Steve now. We used to refer to Amy's first wedding as the un-wedding, which I always thought was very funny. Amy, I hope you aren't offended by what I've written here because I love you so much.

That gift of seeing the best in people has made Amy very successful in business. And an employer of choice in Austin. She has exceptional instincts about things. She is incredibly smart. Amy attended Tufts and she got her MBA from UT in its Executive MBA program, which was intense. She didn't have to do that - I mean she ran her own business, it's not like she worked for a big company that was paying for it or would pay her more for completing the program. But she really drives herself hard. In business and athletics - in every way. I am way more lazy.

Amy's a Scot. You know what I mean, nudge-nudge wink-wink. She's cheap. Thrifty. Frugal. She watches the bottom line. She loves a bargain.

One time I spilled coffee on a lease agreement while Amy was out of town and I tried to just wipe the coffee off and leave it where it had been. Our landlord was a very wealthy middle-aged gay man who dressed impeccably and noticed everything. In other words, he was gonna pick up on that coffee spill. Amy came back and had to turn that lease in and asked me, what the hell happened? I was like, I thought it would be ok. We still laugh about that.

Amy really made it possible for me to meet many of my college friends or to deepen friendships that were just beginning.

Amy's daughter reminds me of myself as a child. Amy and I always promised each other not to become mothers who lived vicariously through our children and sat around a girl scout function talking about cheerleading outfits and hair bobs. I think we've kept our word.