The Girl is happy. Frightened, but happy. She went to the doctor today and discovered that in her clumsiness, she may have severed a tendon in her left hand. She doesn't need x-rays or orthopedic specialists to tell her this. She knows the back of her hand like...well you know. She will visit said specialist Thursday. He will poke and prod and say, "Well you seem to have severed a tendon." Why does she need people on the outside of her to tell her how her insides are working? Just take her word for it and fix the damn thing!

The doctor was also perplexed by the Girl's unexplained hives. So, the doctor is also sending Her to a immunologist. He will poke and prod and say, "Why you have very sensitive skin which seems to be worsened by stress." She will smile while big red blotches bloom all over her arms and legs. He will send Her to an even more special specialist, who will poke and prod and scratch his head while She scratches hers. The Girl has grown accustomed to the itchy red whelps. They act as an early warning system, telling Her to run away from things which irritate Her. Also, they often serve as her only excuse for escape. What will she tell the irritating if the specialist cures her?

And the doctor gave Her the depressing news that She gained 7 pounds while in New Orleans.

So flustered was She by the doctor's 1,2, 3 whammy, that She had a blank roll of film developed. And She dropped a huge glass lid onto the floor. It shattered with such ferociousness that She found glass on the counter and behind a closed door.

Why then you ask is She happy? 3 reasons.

1. This weekend was Luke's birthday. Everyone went to The Chinese Laundry for dinner. Dinner was good, but the company was better. The next day, Sean and Luke took Her, The Boy, Harley, and David out on their boat. It was such fun. She is so lucky to be a part of her circle of friends. They are funny, smart, and just plain good people. Some times She loves them so much that She hurts when She thinks about it. The Girl cannot imagine a time when they won't all be friends. But She doesn't take anything for granted and savors each and every moment. She tries to be a good friend back. She is truly grateful.

2. The Boy. He loves Her. She trusts Him enough to tell Him that She is afraid. She gets crazy and He stays and rides the crazy out with her. And because she knows He means it, His staying is always enough.

3. She received a fortune cookie at the end of dinner tonight. She ate the cookie. She is very superstitious and believes that your fortune won't come true if you don't eat the cookie before you read the little slip of destiny. She uncrumpled hers: "Today is a good day." What more did She need?

The Girl has just returned from New Orleans, The Crescent City, The Big Easy....She enjoyed herself. She and The Boy went there to celebrate their first year of marriage. It has been a good year and, hormonal imbalances aside, The Girl is happy.

She loves going out of town with The Boy. And not for the reasons you would imagine. One city is, give or take a little, just like any other city to Her. She loves going out of town with The Boy, because He is transformed when He is out of town. The further away from home He gets, the lighter He becomes. As if He were escaping the gravity of Planet Worry. Blast off from Cape Couch and circle the distant moons of San Francisco or New York or New Orleans...But sadly They must always return, jettisoning their happiness in the atmosphere of looming Mondays.

But New Orleans was fun while it lasted.

They ate at Brennan's (the inventors of Bananas Foster.) Brennan's waiters are professional waiters. Waiting tables is not what they are doing until they can do something else. It shows. The Girl loved their elegance and timing and charm and efficiency. They appear out of no where do exactly what needs to be done and then disappear again. They wear tuxedos.

The Boy and The Girl also ate at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon Seafood (owned by the younger Brennan.) The Girl wore her smallest dress to dinner. A pale orange halter dress, it was little girl sherbert-y sweet and full-blown woman sexy. Vunerable and delicious, She tottered around in astoundingly high heels. The humidity left her no choice but to wear her hair curly and wild. A plastic orange bracelet encircled her wrist. She wore Watermelon flavored Lip Smackers and nothing else-at all. This added up to something no boy can look away from, someone who appears to be both a virgin and a whore. For the first time in a long time she felt beautiful. Boys turned to watch her walk by. The Boy mentioned this. She asked if he was bothered by it. No, he liked it. When they sat down at dinner, heads turned. She even caught one of the chefs staring from the kitchen. She laughed and waved. He smiled and sheepishly waved back. A long time ago She had forgotten that She was pretty and therefore ceased to be. That night she remembered.