The Dateable Dork

There’s something about an old college friend that you just can’t get anywhere else, you know?  The kind of friendship that will last forever, though all the crap life manages to throw at you, through all the new apartments and new jobs and new relationships and whatever else keeps on changing as the years go by.  College friends are friends for life.  When you’ve shared a dorm room the size of a small walk-in closet with someone, slept 6 inches away from them for an entire year because there was no place else to put the ghetto loft beds, stayed up all night with them studying, drinking, partying, or drowning your dating troubles with them over a bottle of peach Schnapps or a Schaefer Light… well, you just can’t form bonds any stronger than that.  Plus, they always make you feel like you’re 21 again, and let’s face it – 21 wasn’t exactly an ideal age, but it was a HELL of a lot of fun.  : )

I spent this past weekend with my old college roommate – a girl who I lived with for four years in undergrad, who made me maid of honor at her wedding (aww), and who I probably only see once every two years or so because we’ve put a bunch of hours and a few hundred miles in between us since our college days.  But oh, it was so great to see her again!  It’s amazing how much an old friend can cheer you up, and damn, seeing this girl again was exactly what I needed.  I feel so much more like myself around her than my local friends, particularly because – and you’ll love this – she’s a raunchy sex-kitten just like myself, and I can *finally* have a chance to talk without all the filters that normally shackle my true personality.  It was so refreshing to just be myself for a change!  Ahhh, like a much-needed breath of fresh air. 

We had a pretty low-key but fun/relaxing weekend.  Here’s how it went down:

I spilled my guts and cried a lot

I started crying on the way to pick her up on Thursday night, mostly because I hadn’t told her anything about all the drama from last fall/winter (including “the incident,” my subsequent mental breakdown, and all my various health issues), and I knew I would just break down as soon as I saw her.  It was so comforting to know that I was going to see her again – someone I feel 100% comfortable with and who knows me better than anyone else – that I just couldn’t hold it in any longer.  Going through all that bullshit alone was rough, and the thought of finally sharing all of it with her was really cathartic.  Of course, we both started screaming and crying on the train platform, and we proceeded to spill our guts over dinner.  It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  How nice that she listened and made me feel all better. 

We saw “Away We Go” and I cried some more

At Honey’s recommendation and the recommendation of a few other friends, we saw “Away We Go” – a new movie about life/relationships/family with John Krasinski (Jim from The Office) and Maya Rudolph (from SNL).  Peeps, go see this movie.  Seriously.  It was absolutely hilarious while at the same time very touching and heartbreakingly real.  I laughed and cried and laughed some more… and then cried for about an hour after the movie was over.  It focuses on the topics that hit me the hardest – relationships (or lack thereof), having children (or not having children), and dealing with the shit that life throws at you.  Also, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character is absolutely hilarious, and I think the movie is worth seeing just for that.  So go see it already!

I realized that I’m a total princess

Now, my dears, don’t get me wrong – I am so NOT a girly-girl and am usually most comfortable in a tank top and cargo pants – but this weekend I realized that, when taken out of my normal little world, I am such a friggin princess.  Case in point: Saturday night I went with my old roomie to visit another friend of hers who also lives in New York, and we wound up at a nature preserve in the middle of nowhere.  I was wearing my skinny jeans and heels and had my hair and makeup all perfectly done (it was Saturday night, after all), and this other girl was leading us through the woods to look at random wild animals in the middle of the night.  Dudes, I was not a happy camper.  Heels are not made for walking through the woods, and I was annoyed that my hair and makeup were getting rained on and that my cute little denim jacket was going to get all dirty.  The other two girls didn’t seem to have these princess-y feelings, so I kept my mouth shut, but when I got home I hopped directly in the shower and cleaned the mud off my precious faux-snakeskin heels.  Oh, the horror!  I guess you just can’t take the Long Island girl out of me – so sue me!  I’d much prefer sitting in a posh sushi restaurant with a cocktail and a push-up bra than hiking through the woods at midnight.  Whatever.  : )

The enormity of WW hit me like a ton of bricks

At one point during the weekend, my old roommate and I went window shopping and wound up trying on a bunch of clothes that were way too expensive to actually buy.  Everyone does this, right?  : )  At one point I was getting pretty excited and pretty into the whole shopping thing, and I was feeling pretty skinny that day… so I decided to do a little experiment.  I picked up a pair of cute pre-distressed shorts (and no, I would never actually buy such a thing!) and wanted to see if they would fit.  The shorts were a size 2, people.  Note that I haven’t fit into a size 2 EVER because when I passed that point as a teenager I was still wearing kid stuff.  I’ve been a size 4 my entire adult life and never EVER thought my body would fit into a size 2… but lo and behold, they fucking fit.  I almost flipped out in the dressing room, threw the shorts aside, and went for a pair of jeans.  Size 2 jeans.  And they fucking fit perfectly.  DUDES, you have no idea how fucking amazing that was!!!  SIZE 2, PEOPLE!!!  I swear, seeing myself in those jeans just pushed me over the edge, and I realized just how much my body has changed in the last few months.  I was on such a high (and still am), and my newly-slimmer body has inspired me to make some other changes in my appearance – like doing something different with my hair (embracing the curls) and actually wearing makeup to work (which I almost never do).  All humility aside, I look amazing.  And I’m damn proud of it.  : )

I survived eating out on WW

As a final note, my friend and I ate out at least twice a day all weekend, and I managed to stick to my WW guidelines the entire time.  Score!!  I’m getting a hell of a lot better at estimating points, picking the healthier items off restaurant menus, and asking the chef to prepare things without oil without getting embarrassed about it.  Not bad, my dears.  I’m starting to figure out how I can live with this, and that gives me some hope.

And one last thing…

…I really hated giving my old friend back to her husband.  : )  But, I’m very glad to have scooped her up for a few days.  I feel completely recharged, re-energized, and refreshed after her visit.  And really, isn’t that exactly what good friends are for?