Nick & I metup with our favorite warrior Karen for a proper hang before she leaves us for 3 months on her G3 trip.  I ran so damn late (fucking uptown trains take FOREVER to come, I swear) but when I got uptown Nick was just barely getting there too, so I was relieved.   I’m always worried Nick will be furious at me when I’m late, which is silly b/c he’s not like that at all.  I guess it’s just b/c I know I’m never on time, and when I’m running late for something I put together myself, I become hyper aware of my tardiness and fear that this will be the last straw.  Anyway, I hopped out of the subway @ 79th Street and heard “Chris!” and it was him.  So cute.  I still do a double take sometimes at the fact that he’s here in Manhattan with me. 

We hit the ATM and made our way over to the 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe, where Karen was waiting for us.  I LOOOOVE that place, can’t believe it just sits there quietly and nobody’s ever raving about it.  Took Nick there about a week ago and he’s crazy about now; I think all the archways and candles and the waterfront seating looking out over the Hudson makes him think about Spain.  He and Karen gota pitcher of beers, cuz they’re butch, and I double fisted pina colada’s while we waited for a table. 

It was so good to see Karen, she was kind of tipsy/slaphappy from her company booze cruise party earlier.  Nick got great news about stuff at work that day, and so had I, so we were all in a great mood.  Karen sorta got me all raw and emotional when she started telling us much she values us in her life, how crazy/God it is that she and I even became friends in the first place, and how much my relationship with Nick inspires her.  We reminded her about the ladybugs story from Under the Tuscan Sun  — there’s this story a woman tells about how she used to exhaust herself looking for ladybugs when she was a little girl, how she’d crawl through the grass searching for them, and when she’d give up and just take a nap she’d always wake up and find them crawling all over her.   I once gave Karen copy of the movie when she was going through a rough time, some lovesick stuff.  I told her about the Ladybugs story and gave her a little carved elephant sculpture I bought @ Pearl River, so she’d remember.

I had a great time tonight.  And I just love watching Nick interact with ppl — he’s so intelligent and thoughtful, I’m very proud to call him Mine.  :)  He thinks highly of Karen.  I’m going to miss her so much — we’ve been talking a lot lately, especially about work — but I know she’s got this journey to take.  Funny how this whole mission of hers was inspired by that day we all had brunch @ GARAGE and Nick lent her a copy of Eat Pray Love to read.