better!

I'm better! It's awesome. I believe I was healed by a magic free burrito from Chipotle. I've been feeling like myself since Wednesday.

Thursday night went to a goodbye party for some girls from the store at Heartland cafe with Ben. They are taking a road trip/moving to Olympia, and had requested mix CDs. I made a sweet one. I heart mixes. Then we went to T's bar for a recycling fundraiser that Andrea was heading up.

Friday I taught classes, Ben stayed home to get things done and ensure that his slight stomachache didn't become something worse. We had lunch at Milk & Honey. That afternoon I decided I wanted to go to Wauwatosa for a bit. Ben stayed in Chicago since his family was busy. I got home Friday night, had tacos and talk, saw Julia's pictures from London. Saturday slept in, did laundry, had Cranky Al's donuts, did crossword puzzle with Mom and Dad, ran some errands at the mall and got some new things with a giftcard I had, watched Rent with the family, ate pizza. It was just what I wanted. It was nice to be at home. It felt good to spend some time driving. From time to time, I have to cover some ground.

Got back to Chicago in time to see the Zincs at the Hideout. It was a fun show, a different kind of band than I'd ever seen live. I love the Hideout. Hung out with Julie B and Jason a little, got a bite at La Pasadita before heading home.

Worked today. After work Ben made awesome dinner: chicken and dumplings, garden salad, wine, espresso, chocolate hazelnut gelato. Then we took down our Christmas tree and cleaned and organized our downstairs a little bit. Ben finished the shelf he has been building for the past week or so, and our stereo stuff is no longer sitting atop American Apparel boxes from our move. It's on a beautiful, homemade, perfectly sized shelf with some movies, records, and books. It really helps to finish the living room. I am now obsessed with painting a couple of walls and getting frames for the rest of our posters to make our little house even nicer and even more our own.

Ben is very great! Also he is very cute.

I am rereading The Great Gatsby, which I found boring and pointless in high school, and which I now find full of precious gems of insight and delectable, savory bits of writing. It is like slowly eating a fancy chocolate bar. But it is also richly about humanity, about Americans, about trends and priorities. I am having fun with it and reading it like a special treat. I think I read it too fast in high school. Also, even though I thought I was very mature in high school, I was not grown up yet. It's very different reading it as a (still young) adult with (a teeny bit) more perspective on the world.