Things I Love Thursday

Therapeutic progress - Over the past week I met with my psychologist and my psychiatrist. My psychologist thinks we've been making great progress and my therapy is going down to once a month and my psychiatrist and I have decided to lower my dosage on antidepressants. So progress is being made and I feel better than I have in years. Fingers crossed that things keep going in that direction.

A visit from mom - My mom was having a crappy week. She's been super stressed and had way too much on her plate for way too long. So I got her to come up for a day. I baked some delicious sticky buns and we ate breakfast and she helped me do a couple of cleaning-type things around my house (cause she's awesome like that). We took a fantastic walk around the neighborhood including some great shopping finds at Gap and a spinach empanada and margarita at our favorite Mexican restaurant. That night we headed out to Quartino and had a lingering dinner served by my BFF and cousin, Alysia, who made sure we left full of wine and good food. The next morning brought an early morning breakfast at Nookie's and saying goodbye. It may have been a short visit but it was much needed for both of us.

Hot Mikado - Sunday afternoon, I got an invite to go see Hot Mikado at Loyola. I have done the original Gilbert & Sullivan twice and it definitely lands pretty high up my list of favorite shows. Hot Mikado is set in 1940s Japan and while most of the lyrics and general melodies are the same, the show is updated a little to match the music of the period. There were some truly incredible cast members and I have never enjoyed myself more at a college production. Remembering our loss of Craig made the experience ever so much more painfully beautiful.

Game of Thrones - Season 4 is off to an amazing start and I love our little band of viewers. I don't know how I made it through the season last year without these folks by my side but I'm so glad to be curled up on the sofa at Chez Tomczak with the friends I consider family every Sunday evening.

Finally recovering - I have had some kind of respiratory grossness for a week and a half. It's been absolutely destroying my ability to do anything but sleep and make it to the places I have to be and I've been pretty miserable not being able to hit my running goals. However, this morning I woke up feeling like I'd finally ejected the bugs and maybe I'll be able to get in a couple of miles this evening if it's not too cold. 

The teacher agrees - This week while reading about the social constructivist theories of emotion, I found myself head slapping multiple times in annoyance at the stupidity that anyone actually believed this shit. And then immediately panicking when I realized that wasn't going to be a particularly valid way of stating it in my advanced research seminar. Luckily, I didn't have to worry about it because my teacher got up and immediately debunked the entire theory and explained how much she hated it. We totally bonded over our mutual hatred of social constructivism. 

New eyes - My glasses and contacts are finally in at Pearle Vision. I cannot wait to pick them up this weekend and finally be able to see better out of my eye holes. 

Things I Love Thursday

well-meaning friends - Even though their concerns were over-protective and unneeded, I feel quite good that I have so many people that care enough about me to tell me when they are concerned for me.

cocktails - Last week was the first cocktail party out in the suburbs. Liquor of the night was rum and I put on a pretty dress, made some appetizers, and sat on a couch meeting new people and drinking dark and stormies. Yum!

dinner with Carolyn - After much too long, I got to head out with my dear Carolyn Saturday night. We sat in the Mexican steakhouse we'd been dying to try (Revolucion) and stuffed our face with guacamole and fantastic tacos and pounding margaritas. It was a lovely evening.

an afternoon with Ivy Jane - I feel incredibly guilty admitting that it had been three months since the last time I made it to see Ivy. I even missed her 2nd birthday. But I showed up,stuffed owl in tow, for a beautiful afternoon in the park with the whole Arehart family. The weather was glorious, my dear little friend had not forgotten me and named her new owl "Percy", and it was hard to leave after dinner. 

a week without homework - Having nothing to read or research or write for a whole week is sometimes the best gift a busy gal can get.

NaPoWriMo - It's April and I am once again writing a poem every day for the entire month. I really enjoy letting my creative side out of the cage every once in awhile.

running weather - I got in 2 miles before 6 am on Tuesday. There's a half-marathon to train for after all and it's finally not the worst weather in the world.

in-game feels - Oh, LARP. I intentionally made a character that wouldn't be particularly emotional. Lo and behold, last night found me sentimental and concerned and protective and angry all in the span of a couple of hours. Damn you, feels, you weren't supposed to happen to me.