Leisa Reid 0:01
Hey Besties My name is Lisa.

Tamara Kindred 0:03
And my name is Tamara. And we're BFFs.

Leisa Reid 0:06
Tamara and I met when we were about 12 years old growing up in good old Fairbanks,

Tamara Kindred 0:09
Alaska, and we've been best friends forever since.

Leisa Reid 0:13
That's right. And that's how we've decided to have some fun, friendly conversations with the bestest of best friends.

Tamara Kindred 0:18
We'll talk about how we became best friends, our experiences together and have other best friends on the show to share how they met.

Leisa Reid 0:26
Who knows you never know when you'll meet your next BFF.

Tamara Kindred 0:30
Now let's get into it. How I Met My BFF

Leisa Reid 0:34
All right, this is pretty exciting. This is our first I don't know business type thing together after many, many years, nearly 40 years of friendship. Welcome to the my BFF or How I Met My BFF podcast. Our first episode, I'm Lisa Reed, and you are Tamara Kindred. And we are best friends. And we wanted to make a podcast about best friendship, specifically, although not totally exclusively to the female, best friendship and having like girlfriends and how important our relationship is. And so you get a little insight into our life and what we've got going on. And then we're going to interview other best friends along the way along this journey. We're gonna have a lot of fun. So tomorrow, do you want to add anything?

Tamara Kindred 1:34
I'm very excited to finally be doing this with you, Lisa. I think it's long overdue.

Leisa Reid 1:40
I know we had our first our very first zoom call the other day, we shared our very first Excel sheet together, which you would think we're both in business. It's not like we don't have zoom calls or Excel sheets in our life. But that was a first for our friendship. So that's kind of cool.

Tamara Kindred 2:00
It was hard to zoom. You are like fun stuff like games, but not

Leisa Reid 2:08
all like FaceTime, or Yeah, well, one time we did it. I was on trivia one time. One time, and then I was yeah, we won't go into that. But, um, one thing that I was going to share with you that I've been doing this week is, well, two things really. So one thing I started this program, my friend had this conscious creation program and it's like manifesting and stuff. So I've been focusing on that. So I wrote out like my vision and then she does this really cool manifesting like meditation and you like, you know, imagine your your energy, filling up the room then filling up your house then filling up the state they live in and or the town and the state and the world and wrapping your energy around the world. So I've been kind of in this if you felt my energy being wrapped around you, you know why? Because practicing this week, that's kind of cool. It's something I've been working on and like attracting my ideal clients that I that I love to work with. And for me, it's like really it's like a spiritual connection with with those people because I feel like like, we're divinely entangled, you know? Anyway, so that's one thing, what's something you've been doing this week or something going on with the kids or anything? Chicken news, and each antenna has got a bunch of chickens, cats. So

Tamara Kindred 3:35
this week, it was so exciting, and had a long discussion with a couple of friends about where to find him chicken bedding. Very hard to find. So that was exciting. But no, let's see what has happened this week. Um, just, you know, I think the biggest one for me this week has been a full on back in school mode with kids. And in the morning, sometimes not every day, but the majority, I'm driving to three different schools and it can get a bit much I you know, I'm that's a lot of schools to have to drive around in circle, you know, follow the guidelines of everything. So, but I'm happy that schools back in. So I had to remind myself a couple of times that, hey, you know, I waited for almost over a year and a half for kids to be back in school. So that was a small price to pay. Yes. Yeah. And you know, and also at any minute, as we're finding out too, that you know, that could also fear one of your kids come home who's been exposed to someone with COVID or might have COVID themselves every you know, we're back at being in quarantine so I Um, well, it's kind of, I've just been trying to work on being grateful this week, as far as all my driving around goes,

Leisa Reid 5:09
I Yeah, it's, it's a good balance to have I, I was I'll remember I was gonna say I had two things. So the other thing, this is gonna sound crazy, but that's okay. We're keeping it real here on the How I Met My BFF podcast, scanning Italy, share with your best friend, but now everyone's gonna know. So I've had all these candles for many, many years, because you know, people give you candles and stuff. And then I just put them in a cupboard, and I never burn them, not because I don't like candles, I do. I just don't think about it. And so I have this cabinet full of candles, and my husband was recently out of town for about 10 days, so kind of got, like, Ooh, I'm gonna clean everything out. So I went on this candle mission and I have burned through so many candles this week, because I like five candles a day. I just let them burn. And I told my daughter, I was like, I have a new candle intention. And that is any candle that I get. I would madly be in love with the smell of it. Otherwise, I will give it to somebody else and will not keep it for 20 years. Gosh,

Tamara Kindred 6:15
I don't think I can keep can't like candles, go through my house. Like you know, you're

Leisa Reid 6:20
you're I know you're you're good at that stuff. I I guess because I don't know, I maybe I'd feel like when I was at work, and now I work at home. So I feel like really combined all day. And I'm home. But I would forget, but I'd want to light it when I come home and then I just forget and then they sit down for 20 years then. Anyway, so that was pretty funny.

Tamara Kindred 6:41
The Mark has to go to Ireland and you get it

Leisa Reid 6:44
because one has to go international travel for me to burn a candle apparently. Which is ironic because you think it would be the opposite that you want to burn candles. Right? We know we have one of those himalayan salt lamps. That's very mood, you know, appropriate. Okay, all right. So one of the things that we do on our show is what we're going to be doing is interviewing other best friends and we want to find out again, how do they meet? Why are they friends? What has kept their friendships so strong. So for our inaugural, very first episode, we're going to ask those questions of each other and share with all of you what, how we started becoming friends. And so, tomorrow, I know you probably remember, I'd love to hear your version of how we met.

Tamara Kindred 7:41
Well, I think you tell it with the most kind hardness but because I mean, I remember just because I did not do my math homework. And we were in the same math class and seventh grade. Yeah. Was it miss Bennet? Yes. Is

Leisa Reid 8:00
that it? You got it.

Tamara Kindred 8:02
Anyways, and I had seen Lisa for a couple of days. I mean, this was right at the beginning of school, and, and we saw it kind of by each other. And she always seemed to be the nicest. And you know, and I was pretty embarrassed that I hadn't finished my math homework and I actually do have a very good excuse.

Leisa Reid 8:28
What is the I don't think the excuse Well,

Tamara Kindred 8:32
I'm pretty certain if I recall right, are well I you know, lived far out in the woods and I think our snow machine had broken down that morning and coming into school before and I did not I had done the homework but I didn't anyways, I had gotten my homework lost in my you know, two and a half hour journey to get to school in the morning. So um, so anyways, Lisa was kind of have to let me copy our math homework so I could turn it in on time. And that's kind of I mean, that's where I remember the great beginning.

Leisa Reid 9:16
Yes. And you know, just to back up and or so everyone has a little bit of a concept of where we grew up. We grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, okay, now I lived in town in your residential area with you know, home, electricity and water and whatnot. Samara also had a home in town however, she had another home as well and that was out and when I say the middle of nowhere I am not exaggerating, right like really really farmer really far up that so far, like how many miles to get to the bus stop like to like, Oh,

Tamara Kindred 9:56
we're about 60 miles north of Fairbanks, but then seven miles miles off the road, but that seven miles was not always drivable, or no machinable or anything. So depending on the time of year, so on average have a take me about an hour to get from our house to the car and hope it start and then another hour to get to a truck stop a famous hilltop truck, stop that service pi. And then can we catch the bus or I'd catch the bus from there. And then another hour to get to school. And so, but in seventh grade, when we met, we had just moved out, or we had been at the property for a while. I had been homeschooled, but my I let my parents or I talked to my parents and to letting me go to school. And so that's Yeah,

Leisa Reid 10:53
yeah. And so just to end, and if any of you have never been to Alaska, it's no joke in the winter a I mean, it gets easily every year, I grew up 44 Different below. I mean, that was that was a pretty standard year, not every not the whole winter. But I mean, that would be kind of kind of like the coldest days. So you imagine snow machining in the dark? In 20, below weather Fahrenheit, you know, 40 Even at zero, it would be cool. You're literally like going through air, you know, seven miles, seven miles of snow machining. And that's just crazy. Right? So just to give you a little picture of the resiliency and the as Tamara looks are, you know, very pretty and sweet and kind and she is she is a badass. Because that's, well, it's true. That's just one example. But my my version of the story, and yes, that is true. We did cheat, I guess, technically. But I think we've I think we're I don't think the authorities are gonna come anytime. It was for a good reason for a good cause. So I had seen some merit in school, and she had double pierced ears, which I really wanted. And I was still wearing clip on earrings, because I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced. And that was a very big travesty. I could see my problems were equally, too, you know, my no pierced ears were almost the same issues that Tamara was dealing with, you know, oh, no, no, I'm just kidding. Anyway, not even close. But I She's just so cute. And so she asked, I think you may have written me a note, or something like that about if you could copy the homework. And I was like, of course, no problem. So I you know, we did that. Now, here's what happened after this is the the, like, the birth of the friendship, right? And this is in the 80s. And, you know, we wrote notes instead of texting, obviously, because that's what we did. But she wrote me the kindness Thank you know. And for you know, like, Dear Lisa, thank you so much for letting me borrow your homework. And I promise I'll never do anything like that again, or something

Tamara Kindred 13:18
very bad. Like, that wasn't a cool thing to have to do.

Leisa Reid 13:21
Right. But it was a very the fact that you were that considerate and honest. I was like, wow, that's really nice. Anyway, so then, we started passing notes after that. And we, I think, even had a crush on the same guy, but neither of us ever end up dating him on I won't name his name, but we never ended up dating that one.

Tamara Kindred 13:48
Yeah, I don't know who you're referring. Oh,

Leisa Reid 13:52
if I say it, it'll be very obvious, so I won't. Anyway, um, and then, you know, many, many years later, so that was at the age of 12. And now we're in our late 40s. And, and many notes later, and many things like that. So that is how we met. And that was the start of an amazing friendship. And one of our other questions is like, what do you call each other? Like, do we have nicknames for each other? Because I think we were so young. Our nicknames are kind of very useful. I don't really call you this, like, verbally but certainly maybe if I wrote a note or something or in writing, I would put it I think that's me because it's more like something I would do in in in writing but your nickname was tomato. I think yeah, we met right. Yeah.

Tamara Kindred 14:50
I had had that nickname prior to us meeting but and you paid it tomatoes.

Leisa Reid 14:56
I do. You I don't know. All tomatoes. Let me just be clear. I just I don't like raw tomatoes like in my sandwich or hamburgers or salads, but I do like salsa. I like marinara sauce. I like For Shatta

Tamara Kindred 15:13
well, it only will be okay now. Yeah, I

Leisa Reid 15:16
just don't just plain tomato. No. Yeah, anyway. And so then my nickname is lettuce, obviously because it complements tomato. Even though I would not ever order that on my hamburger. That's lettuce and tomato.

Tamara Kindred 15:33
And we still use them. I mean, you know, but just like it's it's like an endearment. Yeah, it's been with us for many years.

Leisa Reid 15:44
And I'm looking at our next question says when? Or how did you realize your best friends? I don't know if it was a I mean, I don't remember having like, Oh, this is the day that I knew that. But I know we started writing notes soon after that pretty regularly and I think it just naturally. It like it never stopped. From there. Like our friendship never.

Tamara Kindred 16:16
Yeah, I feel that. I feel well, my memory is that we definitely started I want to say we shared some type of music. I don't know if you? I don't know. I just remember that. We liked something similar as well. We started having lunch together. Yeah. And and then for me. I think it was it. Oh, and did we start a band together? Or I started my band.

Leisa Reid 16:48
Yeah, we weren't banned.

Tamara Kindred 16:52
anymore. Yeah. Um, but that you? For me just because of the awful car. My parents had

Leisa Reid 17:04
a very big like yellow.

Tamara Kindred 17:07
Alyeska truck. Yeah. Okay. My days. You didn't, I was just mortified of anyone seeing that car because they knew how awful it was. And you I think you saw it and you didn't make fun of me or the situation. And I just I, in my mind that was like, okay, yeah, you're, you're a person to stick with. So, in my seventh grade wisdom.

Leisa Reid 17:34
Yeah, I and I remember you, you didn't have a landline phone is enough to get your parents to come into town. But so you would have this babysitting job get this like, she's What 12 She's babysitting this kid kids, like every day after school, from you know, whatever, four o'clock to six o'clock or something like that. And so I would call like, I knew when she would be there. So basically, we're on the phone probably most the time. It's really responsible. Holy smokes, you know. So we would talk all the time. So, yeah. And then another funny thing I remember is that you We joined photo club together. I think this was maybe more in eighth grade, or I can't remember but we joined photo club, which I was in for a week. And then Tamara stayed the course and fell in love with it and ended up becoming like a professional photographer.

Tamara Kindred 18:39
Yeah, exactly.

Leisa Reid 18:42
This darker stuff has to come. I didn't really get I didn't get to the darker. Like, F stop. What? No, no, too many details.

Tamara Kindred 18:49
You don't want to mix the chemicals.

Leisa Reid 18:51
I didn't get to got hurt. I did. Well, I did take photo photography in high school, I think because I needed the record whenever I needed some kind of requirement for it. So I did do I did actually go into the darkroom in high school, and I still sucked at it. So I ya know, just way too many steps way too many steps for me. You're definitely really good at that. So one of our other questions is what is it about your friendship that makes it a best friend status? For me, it's kind of like the ride or die, which wasn't even really a phrase until recently of just like, this is the person that has ever you have my back. Like, no matter what I mean, we've both gone through divorces. We've both had kids, we've you know, we've had different jobs. We've moved weight. I mean, we've been through so many things, and it's just that constant. We have siblings and yet although we're close with our siblings, of course, our relationship is just a bit Like, pretty much. Well, you're, I guess now that I say this out loud, like the longest relationship I've ever had. You know what I mean? Like, it's kind of sounds strange, but I, yeah. You know, like, in terms of like a deep, intimate relationship, you know what I mean? Like?

Tamara Kindred 20:21
So? Yeah. True. That is true. I think, for me, I just can't imagine any part of my life without you, you know, so. Yeah. And what's, you know, of course, we've had to work at staying in touch and keeping, you know, but it's been easy. It hasn't been like, it's been a job, I'm sure. Some ex husbands but husbands would be like, what's been a job?

Leisa Reid 21:05
Like, to get that phone call?

Tamara Kindred 21:11
I'll talk to you to our No, but yeah, I just think I can't, you know, imagine life without you. And I've had to imagine life without a number of people. So yeah, I just, and I think, too, that we have also been through some pretty heavy things that I don't wish upon other people. But I think that also helps us, you know, maintain that string or in the, you know, that holds us together an unspoken just acknowledge that. You know, thank goodness, I'm in this life with you on earth, you know, or in the universe. And so, we could go into deeper, but I won't.

Leisa Reid 22:06
And I'll be revealed, I'm sure soon. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It's and that's, that's, I think one of the keys about having a friendship versus family is family, you know, you know, they're, they're kind of like, required, right? A friendship is optional. And friendship is like, a choice, in my opinion. Like, it's a choice. It's like, the chosen family. So I'm glad that we chose each other. One of our next questions is, what do you feel grateful about when you think of your best friend? Oh, my gosh. We just talked about but, um, I think, you know, this is different than when I was younger, but, and, maybe cuz I don't, and I know, this is probably similar for you, but we don't live in where we don't live in the place where we grew up, you know, so there's only so many people that know you are that know me. As a child, you know, I don't have and my dad's not alive anymore. And my mom, you know, was present in my life, but didn't necessarily see the day to day stuff, because we lived far apart. So there's not a lot of people who knew me then. Or know all the characters. It's kind of like, I love it. Like, you know, Howard. You know, everything about you all the skeletons, but all everything, all the characters and there's no like, I mean, re explain or start over or it's just always easy. Just pick up where we left off and and also just that we're able to now travel together and go to go to new places together, go to old places together. All of it. I know, we have so many different connections, which is what makes this fun too. It's like, oh, you've never like done any like, we've never done a project together. Minus maybe a

Tamara Kindred 24:15
little Mary Casten

Leisa Reid 24:18
Oh, my God, I forgot. Okay, this is our second business.

Tamara Kindred 24:26
We've done a couple Yeah. But yeah. The other one of our just our own not working for other people, I guess. Yeah. Well, we

Leisa Reid 24:34
did work at the fair that one year. That was pretty intense. You know,

Tamara Kindred 24:38
I have a friend about that. Oh, well, I don't know if you remember how it was. So we agreed. We each were working for $4 an hour. And it was so slow. And so they were like well, you know, we're gonna have to let one of you guys go because we can't afford to have to have you And we're like, oh, no, no, no, I don't remember. Yeah, we both agreed to work for $2 an hour so we could stay working together. Yeah, yeah, I'm

Leisa Reid 25:10
not remember that.

Tamara Kindred 25:12
i Yeah. And so we worked for $2 an hour for that whole week of the fair.

Leisa Reid 25:20
I don't think they were big fans of me. I think they were trying to get rid of me, but that's okay.

Tamara Kindred 25:24
Well, yeah, at least you were not into it. We'll put it that way.

Leisa Reid 25:32
They didn't appreciate my work ethic. Many of our complaints, but that's okay. Yeah. Anyway, that's so funny, I forgot about that. I'm

Tamara Kindred 25:46
grateful about. I mean, first and foremost, I'm just grateful. Like I kind of said before, that you're, you know, you've always, you're always there. So once again, I can't imagine you not being but I am grateful. Because we always laugh. We have very, I think, you know, we have time on our side and stories. And so that's a really lucky thing. Because we just have a history of just knowledge that other people you just can't, you know, create that again with. And so I'm grateful for that. And we have been very lucky to be able, not everything, there's still things on our list that you and I need to do together. But we've gotten to do a lot of things together. Besides, you know, live in Alaska.

Leisa Reid 26:42
Yeah, we definitely have I mean, we've we've traveled, you know, California, we've been together multiple times, and various reasons than Hawaii multiple times. And soon to be Mexico, our next adventure, or one of our next adventures, and Montana several times together, because that's where you live, and I live in California. So of course, those are two most probable. But yeah, I think that's another thing that's really cool is that even though we have the history, is that we are always making new history. Like even if I think back to this this year, or this, you know, year and a half a pandemic, we really made the most of it Holy smokes, like, and I won't go into all the things that we've done, but like, we have done a lot together in this last year and a half that maybe we wouldn't have been able to do or wouldn't have really come up if if if it weren't for that opportunity. So but yeah, definitely grateful for our our times of emotional support. Just hanging out and having fun, spiritual like we're connected like spiritually and we learned learn from each other spiritually and like, oh, this new book or this new thing, or you know, this reading or this is what I you know, my dreamed about last night. This is what have you think that means? Like, all those cool conversations and just being really different, but still in some aspects, you know, having different interests and different lifestyles and still connecting like, Yeah, always finding that commonalities is really cool. And that says, What do you wish for? For your best friend?

Tamara Kindred 28:30
Yeah, do I and um, do you want me to go first? Yeah. Oh, my goodness. I you know, of course, just above anything else to be healthy and happy. And I wish Monday she'll come to Italy with me

Leisa Reid 28:51
to drive on the cliffs and Amalfi. Well, or we

Tamara Kindred 28:54
could go by see, hopefully, but in a good way. Even

Leisa Reid 29:00
sick? No, no, but I'll go to Italy. I've been to Italy before.

Tamara Kindred 29:04
But now it's me. And I haven't been with you. And then, um, you know, I just Yeah, I just wish for success and happiness and for us to live a long life together, you know, as best friends is. As we move forward into our 40

Leisa Reid 29:31
Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, agreed. Like I and I, of course wish all that for you as well. And, and I wish that of course, my first thought was that you find a partner that is deserving of your love. And that is healthy and mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually healthy, per Then, if you have not already found that person, maybe you've met them and you don't know that you met them yet? Or maybe you met them, and you do know that you've met them yet. Very interesting. Oh, well, we'll keep the mystery alive. But, but I do wish that for you very much, because I know that's something that you desire. And I mean, dang girl, you've really you've got your home. I mean, there's a lot of things that I wished for, for you over the years, but you have achieved what you in many ways, have overcome a lot of those things and have achieved a lot of those things. But of course, just your happiness and getting to live your life and do your art and have a winery someday, maybe and go out there and make that wine and develop the land and or, you know, all the things that a winemaker does that I don't know. No, developing the land. All right, sorry. Sorry, land has already developed just get the wine out there. Right.

Tamara Kindred 31:14
Then you? Yeah, that's, yeah, it's fun. I think when you spoke to me about this whole concept of How I Met My BFF. And, um, I think, you know, one of the kind of, like, you know, in any relationship, you know, I think you and I are good about appreciating one another, and maybe you more than to me, I mean, yeah, but, you know, like sending cards or whatnot. But this is nice to just kind of, you know, like a just a reminder of how, because sometimes things can get lost, you know, like, not from Patan just busy. And so I like this concept, where it's just a way for friends to tell one another, you know, things that you know, but it's always nice to hear.

Leisa Reid 32:08
Totally agreed. And I, I like when we I know the suns in your eyes is okay. Um, yeah, it's funny that I agree in the sense of this friendship that we have. And as I've mentioned, the concept to other people always felt like, Oh, my God, I love my best friend, so much like, I want to be on your show and, and how they light up. And that relationship is so for me, and I know, for you so impactful, and important. And yet you're right, it's kind of like there's not really like this, you know, there's no traditions, so unless you create traditions, which, of course, that's in anyone's hands, but just societally, there's not like this. We're not getting married, you know, like, moving in together necessarily, maybe one day Golden Girls style, who knows? But, you know, it's just, it's, it's just a beautiful way to really acknowledge that special relationship. Oh, I'm excited. Yeah, I can't wait to see who we have on our show. I know, are at least my daughter's Johnson to get on the show. And I think you have a couple of daughters who are interested in being on the show. Maybe, maybe not. No, no one has to it's not. It's not required. But and then we have we have some other people who are interested, Tamara is trying to get away from the sun. If you're watching this on video, and it just worked. I think she finally got it.

Tamara Kindred 33:37
Okay. Yeah, in the results, and we have other best friends as well, that we that are part of our circles.

Leisa Reid 33:48
Yes, we do. Yes, it is not just lettuce and tomato. We do have other very close friends. And but we at one point realized that we couldn't have 10 people host the show. So we needed to like but yeah, we have, we have a couple other people that we want to bring on and bring all these other stories to you, and let the web start to happen and the honoring of this female friendship relationship. So we don't have a website yet, but maybe one day we will. And if we did, it would probably be called how I met my bff.com. But we don't have it yet. You can email us if you're interested at how I met my bff@gmail.com. We do have that. So we'd love to hear your comments. And thank you for listening to our very first episode. And you never know when You are going to meet your next

Tamara Kindred 35:03
best friend. Very true. But thank you for being my old best friend.

Leisa Reid 35:08
I love being your old best friend. All right, everybody. Hey bestie thanks for listening. If you like this episode, be sure to hit that subscribe button to get notified of new episodes and check out cool bestie gift ideas at how I met my bff.com.

Tamara Kindred 35:24
That's right. And also leave us a review those reviews help us out a lot and are one of the best ways to support us. Yes, and

Leisa Reid 35:31
if you have a fun story about how you met your BFF send us an email at info at how I met my bff.com We would love to hear about

Tamara Kindred 35:39
it. Definitely. And hey, maybe we'll have you on our next episode. That would be

Leisa Reid 35:45
awesome. Until next time, love your BFF