The very good, the sorta bad and somewhat ugly...

I'm back from Madison. If you've noticed my complete absence from blogging...your assumption that I was off making mischief with my friends instead of posting on the interweb would be a correct one. We spent hours together...sometimes in big rowdy groups making lots of noise and somewhat of a mess on occasion (the bad), sometimes getting ourselves into a bit of trouble (the ugly), but mostly, just laughing and talking and even a few tears were shed, but always together and always with love and support and friendship behind it (the very very good).

Honestly, my favorite part of the weekend was each morning, much too early considering the hours we were keeping, one of my now-in-real-life-but-until-this-weekend-internet friend would knock on my door with her coffee pot and pastry to start the day. We'd then go wake up our other friend and we'd pile onto the hotel beds in our pjs and talk and wake up together. It was the easiest time of every day. There was no pretense of looking good, or needing to make small talk or feeling awkward. Although many miles separate us, we are close and true friends, and for this weekend, we had the opportunity to be ourselves. Braless and barefoot, with wacky hair and hang overs and smelling of sleep and hotel sheets, we'd make ourselves comfortable, in that way true friends can and do without trying at all.

This morning, back at home in Boston, I was checking my email and my chat window opened.

The message was: "should I come over for coffee?"

I smiled to myself and brushed away a tear.