Where Did That Come From?

Inspirational song: Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)

We have an old friend in town this week. She is someone the Mr has known since he was a teenager, and she became my friend as well when she came to visit us the first time back before we were married. I haven't gotten to see her at all since the kids were tiny. We spent part of the day in Boulder, revisiting some scenes from the past, and we had a very fancy dinner at a restaurant there that specializes in locally sourced, grass-fed meats. It was one of those nights when you take pictures of your food before you eat it, and we played the game exactly like we were supposed to. The meal was superb. I would go there again, but I'd probably save up a few weeks before a second visit, maybe skipping fancy coffees for a while to lessen the impact on the budget. But it was absolutely worth it tonight.

We shopped a bit on the Pearl Street Mall, but we didn't buy much. It was mostly just a chance to give our friend a "true Boulder experience." The only thing I bought today was a yellow silk scarf I've had my eye on for a few weeks. It was at my favorite hippie jewelry store, where I always went every trip back to Colorado the entire time we were gone. I saw it the last time I was there, but I just wasn't convinced to get it. Today, I ended up not being dressed for the cooler temperatures in Boulder. Luckily, I didn't need to get a whole extra jacket while I was on the mall. A single scarf was enough to keep me from feeling a chill. I was even warm by the time we left the restaurant.

I don't know what led me to speak so openly about my whole diagnosis and major lifestyle changes, but I ended up unloading on our friend as we went to her hotel. I hope I didn't say too much, but I'm pretty sure that I did. I don't know what was different about this time. I released months of pent up emotions about what lupus means about my future and what I've now learned about the past. I think I owe her a reward for having to listen to me pour my heart out. The dinner we had before doesn't count. I am completely drained after telling her everything that I did, and I probably barely scratched the surface of what has been stewing in me since early February. Maybe she ought to sit on the opposite side of Mr S-P from me for the rest of her visit, so she doesn't have to hear any more of it. I would understand.