Then again, with one friend in particular, a five, ten, or even fifteen-minute wait would be a lovely change of pace. She's kept Girlawhirl waiting for close to an hour on several occasions, which has resulted in no particular order, the loss of a coveted reservation, a Saturday morning meltdown when a specific breakfast location had not been double checked and coffee was not immediately available, and of course the loss of Girlawhirl's own good humor.

Always arriving with a story about why she was delayed, but never with a heartfelt apology, Girlawhirl has a new tactic that she employs when meeting up with this particular Super Pal. After all, she doesn't want to spend the first half hour of what little time they have to share stewing.

Now she takes over the planning, making reservations and choosing locations. Reservations are made half an hour later than she tells her Pal, and locations are strategically chosen based on Girlawhirl's errand-running needs or by virtue of the fact that there's great window-shopping or stores that she's been meaning to get to nearby.

She shoots her pal an email with full details just before they plan to meet. This way she doesn't get the “what street is that restaurant on?” call 15 minutes after they were supposed to be enjoying coffee.

She checks in by phone throughout the waiting-it-out process. Not to be annoying, but to gauge her own time, because by now, she's in the dressing room of a store trying something on, or waiting to try on a pair of shoes.

And sometimes, her friend ends up meeting her at her new location, in the shoe department or beauty halls of the nearby shop. They might continue to shop a bit and then find a place to sit down and share a drink or lunch to catch up.

By incorporating a bit of her own agenda into the way she spends time with this particular Super Pal, Girlawhirl's found a way to enjoy some fun with her and not get dragged down by the waiting time.