he's a little man in an old cat's body

Today I had one of the nicest days I've had in Boston in a long time. It began with my very, very last Symmetry Class (also known as my very, very last math class...ever), during which we prepped a little for the final exam which is weighted just as much as any other test we've had yet. The great thing about her system is that, of the many grades earned over the course of the course (heh) consisting of three exams worth two grades each (including the final), our single section grade (essentially our homework grade), and the term project worth four grades, she averages the best 10 of those 11 grades. First exam was a B+, second is an A (a 98% to be exact), my section grade will definitely be in the A range, and my project is entirely accurate and creative enough to earn a solid grade (B or higher) so what I'm saying is my final exam isn't all that important. So. That felt awesome to realize. After Symmetry I grabbed a turkey bacon subway sammich with Emma and drove her to South Station so she could get a bus to visit her friend, and then drove promptly to Physical Therapy for my knee which was pronounced very healthy and only in need of a few flexibility exercises. Finally, a great prognosis! He said I'd even be alright to run starting today- that I wouldn't do any damage it just might get a little inflamed. I won't, but it was so encouraging to hear that news. I worked a crossword puzzle while we went through the routine. I worked out a little afterwards on the elliptical, after which I raced home to nab a shower, and then rush back out the door to pick up Jessica (my new awesome OA friend who may or may not have been in utero with peter and I). We ended up going to the Chestnut Hill Mall and doing some shopping for a dress for her Masters Degree ceremony; we've got very similar taste in clothing, and share the same distaste for shopping and people who like shopping. She's cynical and talks program but from an experiential place rather than just a literary place; I love how utterly screwed she is with her relationships (very familiar), how self-deprecating she is in darkly witty way I appreciate, and how her blatant honesty about what's going on in her head makes it very welcome for me to share honestly what's going on in mine. We share the food obsession, the body image crazy, the desperate desire to make people see us for the intellectuals we think we are, and the very much recognized character defect of craving validation, and needing to be the center of someone's world in order for getting out of bed in the morning to look worthwhile. That, and she's reading Eat, Pray, Love and she's weeping and underlining the same parts I had. Maybe that books written in such a way that everyone is gripped by those parts no matter what your damage is, but I don't really care. I'm loving spending time with this new friend. When we were getting tea at this luxury tea shoppe we agreed that it was kind of ridiculous how excited we were about each other's friendship. Like, giddy. It was a great feeling. After shopping I dragged her to a Barnes and Noble for a new book where I picked out A Prayer for Owen Meany and then I dropped her off at her meeting. THEN I went to Full Moon, my favorite favorite restaurant to take my book on a date http://www.fullmoonrestaurant.com/
I love it because their food is fabulous- love the salad of roasted beets,arugula and goat cheese crostini. It's gourmet quality foods like polenta, italian sausage, handmade raviolis, soups, beets etc prepared in uncomplicated ways at reasonable prices. I like being in that atmosphere because it's anything but pompous. As you can tell from their website it's meant to be a family restaurant- and it is; they've got a kids play area, crayons and butcher paper over the tables, good quality wines written in colorful chalk on the walls, and a handful of silverware in a mug on each table. There are always families with young kids there, little ones toddling around and the occasional baby screeching, but to me that just makes it feel like a really safe place to be. And the food is so much more delicious and interesting than any restaurant with that kind of atmosphere. I love taking my book in there and eating slowly and looking around me and reading. I especially love their chocolate pudding cake that I almost always get at the end because it's served with killer homemade whipped cream (not over-sweet, in fact almost perfectly unsweetened). I love it. I love treating myself to dinner there. I always feel good when I leave. And I happily tip very well.
After dinner there I shot by Hollywood Video and picked up a dvd called 'You Kill Me' in which Ben Kingsley plays an alcoholic hit-man who has just joined AA, and now I'm sitting at my desk, wondering whether I should watch that, or this weeks episode of The Office that was just put up on NBC.com. I think I'm gonna go with the movie. Also, I did something today that was almost as out of character as when I decided to take a Dance 1 class and found myself on stage in front of the entire school in blue spandex. I disabled my text messaging. Dad always makes comments about my constant attachment to my phone, and how apparent my anxiety to be in contact is. Mom remarked when I was home this last week about ho much less present I am when I've got my phone near me. Terri's endorsed me throwing my phone in the river on more than one occasion, and Jessica's agreed to drown her phone with me should I ever be so bold. She wasn't, however, ready to give up her text messaging and I admit I felt pretty proud when I told her I'd done so. I've been reaching for my phone all day, feeling that anxious rush of 'did anyone want to reach me? is anybody thinking about me?' only to realize that my anxiety was unfixable by phone, and that there were ways to attend to it that were right in front of me, that involved my actual life that's happening right now, like actually talking to Jessica while she was in front of me, or finding a swing set, or actually tasting the chocolate pudding cake rather than trying to carry on a typed conversation while I scarfed it. And I liked knowing that I couldn't medicate with instant validation, and had to slowly think through my impulse to get in touch with anyone just out of my own discomfort. I felt much more present today. Hope that lasts.

Tomorrow I've got plans to help Kate mulch her garden in the morning (I dunno if that's a verb but I also don't really know what it means so I'm gonna drop it) make some muffins, and then we're gonna see how her kayak and canoe hold up on the river. Then I'm gonna hit up a yoga class. Maybe I'll even try Full Moon for lunch. Though it's more likely I'll just buy some fuji apples make myself a peanut butter and fuji apple lavash wrap and watch the episode of The Office I'm foregoing tonight. Okay. I'm wearin the blue plaid PJ's mum got me, gonna make a quick call to Terri, flop into bed, and flick on this movie.