I've recently reconnected with an Old Co-Worker Friend. We go back to the clueless days when our personal lives were a mess, and we bonded over relationships, coffee, and and The Vagina Monologues (that long ago). Well, seven years later and 15-20 lbs lighter, our personal lives are pretty much the same...

"...BUT we exercise more and eat better," she said the other night.

"It doesn't get any easier," she added. "We just learn to handle it better."

Well, that's kind of a bummer as I was hoping it would just get easier. Still, it's better than eating worse and gaining weight.

Just for today, I can see how much, or little has changed in my life.

"It was so depressing," said College Friend. "Everyone looked terrible. I didn't even recognize people."

"You made the right choice in living in California," said College Friend's girlfriend.

"People in California look younger..." I replied. "...healthy lifestyle mixed with narcism."

I didn't go to my 15th (damn, I'm old!) college reunion because besides the fact that it was across the country, I don't have much to say to 90% of people my age. House? No. Job? Nope. Husband? Hell no. Kids? Where would I put a kid in my studio apartment?

Skipping adult reality must be good for the skin...

"People looked like they were 50."

"It doesn't surprise me. People from college seemed 40 when we were 22..."

"It's like they were trying to relive college. Like it was the best time of their life."

When all else fails, at least college wasn't the best time of my life. We talked about our college days and how lonely they were back then, and how better things are now.

Just for today, I'm grateful for my life.

I spent yesterday with two friends who have known me since the days when we wore our white K-swiss, X-Large college sweatshirts, and another X-Large sweatshirt tied around our waists to hide our healthy-sized billowing behinds. No, wait...they've known me since the days when I wore Guido amounts of eye-liner and Wet n' Wild 528. No, wait,...they've known me since we belted out Lionel Ritchie from the backseat on our way to a John Hughes movie. Anyway, the point is that they've known me a "long-ass" time, as we used to say. I would love to insert "long-ass" or "big-ass" in front of every noun, but people tend to regard 38-year-olds who speak like 13-teen-year olds as unfit for adult conversations about organic arugula.

Now we're all fifteen pounds lighter and, at least two of us, more prone to show the shape of our behinds (though, as the weather has gotten nice, I've come to realize that it's pointless to adopt wheat free diet if you drink dark beer and eat frozen yogurt every other day). Still, middle age has changed since my mom started pushing forty.

I will see them them and a whole other posse of old friends at my 20th high school reunion. Help...

Just for today, I can connect with old friends.