She's just as gorgeous, cute, and nice as she was back then. She's one of those girls who is just so pretty that some women hate her, if they're so inclined. I've always liked her, ever since middle school. She's just too nice not to. She told me some things about her thoughts and feelings during school that shocked me. She said she was very insecure. What!?! She was/is gorgeous, and I told her so. I mean, we both wore bikinis to the senior day thing at Sun Valley Beach. I always thought she was much more comfortable that day than me. I was very self-concious, not only about my body, but about being so pale (and in a black bathing suit, no less). She said there were some messed up things going on at home back then that had contributed to her mental state, too. She said she's much happier with herself now. I am, too, even if I'm not a size 2 anymore.

The last time she and I got together was right after we bought the house in '97. I had gained weight and was depressed. She said she could tell and worried about me. I'm in a much better place now.

I still can't decide if I want to go to the reunion. I probably will, I guess. I'm sure Jeff won't go, though. My friend said her husband was not too keen on going, so maybe we'll go together. We both are curious about who's 300 lbs, who has a dozen kids, who's in prison, and who stars in pornos.

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I broke down and bought a $49.50 pair of Gap jeans I've been coveting since last year. I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for them. I had tried them on 3 different times at 3 different malls. I asked if they'd ever be on sale. I looked for cheaper knockoffs. No luck. So Friday we go to the mall to eat at our favorite restaurant now, The Big Easy. Mmmmm, collard greens & red beans & rice. So on the way I said aloud, "I guess I could get them with the state tax refund money we just got." Jeff said, "You're going to talk yourself into it, aren't you?" The thing is, I'd talked myself in and out of it a dozen times already. I'm usually not this wishy-washy. If I want something, I usually get it (within reason). It was just the principle of the thing. Yeah, the jeans looked great on me and were soooooo comfortable (dark rinsed stretch jeans from the Gap, by the way). But $50? What got me was the fact that I had a pair of Gap jeans I got at a consignment shop for $7, though they weren't stretch or dark. I guess I shopped at thrift stores for too long, or I'm a penny pincher like my dad.

Has anyone heard of Fa�onnable jeans? They're French designer jeans and cost about $295 a pair. I guess $50 isn't so bad. And besides, I also bought 3 pairs of shoes at Payless this weekend. Now that's thrifty.

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And as I expected, the week is already dragging along. I'm excited about our trip to Charleston, though. I'm already gathering the stuff I'm taking with me in one place. I'm sure I'll be packed by Wednesday, being anal-retentive girl� and all.

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When the weather gets warmer, my appetite lessens. I can feel it already, and it's a good thing. Not that I eat a lot anyway, but eating less can only help me lose a few pounds, along with exercise. Now, if we could have an actual season of spring before it gets to the 90/100 degree days...