Let me define "old."
"Old friend" means--we went through the good and the bad together, and hey, we're still friends.
It's the who would have thunk that we would make it--but we did kind of friendship. The kind that you treasure in hindsight and still hold on to because you really do value that person. And although the right opportunity to express it has passed, you're not going to miss that second chance.
I kind of like "old friend," it has a kindling to it. It has history and present, and there's room for future.
It's also the last three letters of the word "gold," which I happen to think was birthed by the combination of adding "good" and "old" together, as in the phrase, "good old friend," or in other words, "gold friend."
I just hope my "gold friend" isn't offended at this phrase, and think it relates in any way to the fact that we're over 30. ;O) It was nice seeing you Em.