excursions!

Yesterday afternoon, I headed down to the front door, looked at the barricade of cuteness that Jethro likes to make when I want to go out (he'll sit in front of the door and give me the puppy dog eyes. The sad ones. It melts me and makes it very hard to leave) and headed out for a trip to Mississauga. I had plans with Ye Olde University Roommate, who is probably my bestest friend in the world. Last couple of visits she'd headed in to Toronto so it seemed only fair that I make my way out to her.

Can I just say what a good idea the visit was? Sometimes being unemployed turns me into a Hermit (well, I have some natural hermit in me, so it shouldn't be a surprise) and I don't see anything outside the dog walk for days on end. I look at cross stitch patterns and read books and blogs and news. I cook, and do dishes. I snuggle with the puppy and Bunny and sometimes even the cat. Some days the highlight of my social interaction is a conversation with the gentlemen at the convenience store when I go pick up milk (wearing Bunny's pajamas, my hair all everywhere and super gross because I just woke up and how am I supposed to have coffee if there is no milk????) This is a somewhat sad state of affairs. f

The solution is of course to socialize more. Cultivate my social network more highly. Push myself to spend more time with the people I love, even if I'm feeling hermetic and anti-social. Realize that even though spending money on GO fare to another city and coffee or dinner with friends is not in the budget at all that it is perfectly OK and that I'm better off putting a little money into social trips and outings and just taking care of me.

So we had a really awesome day. We went on a walk in a park, got coffee to warm up, went in three different malls and bought candy (I love the Bulk Barn) and clothes (a cute cardigan and a pair of jeans for a total of $18, because I need more than two pairs of pants that fit) and went out for dinner.

We talked. Laughed. Caught up. Talked about how her wedding plans are coming along (smashingly! I'm so excited for some of the great things that are going on there) and how I'm so incredibly laissez-faire about wedding planning that it's a little nuts. I got yelled at to REGISTER FOR SHIT (oh, you like those glass kitchen cannisters? REGISTER FOR THEM YOU NUT). We looked and laughed at some terrible prom dresses. Drank chai lattes. Ate sushi. Lost (and rescued) my phone. Talked about some politics that annoy us. Laughed at how both our fiances are in school and loving it. Reminisced about our party days, and Mackenzie Chown complex, and just in general had a great time.

I need to do this more often. In fact, I think I'm going to make a commitment to take some of this time off to actively visit more of my out of town friends. Spending the money hurts like crazy .... but seriously? I would so much rather have the time spent with the people I love.