What a gloomy day. I love it. After months of blazing hot sunshine that offered little to no relief from said blazing or hot, I'll take cool and gloom any day. But it kind of puts me in a mood, you know? This sort of gloomy mood, but the kind of gloomy mood I like. All contemplative and stuff. Like, I wanna curl up on the couch with a moody book and drink tea and talk about feelings with my cats. Of course, instead, I'm catching dinner with a great girlfriend, then heading to another's to yell and scream at the Packers game. So it's basically the same thing, right?

Friends, ah. I feel like I come around to this topic a lot around here. Maybe it's the time of year. Time of month? (Ha, likely). Or possibly just the time in our lives. But friendships are continuously a struggle. In the first part of this year I lost two great friends. Not, like, lost lost, they're still out there, fine and dandy, but I lost their friendship. One to a never-ending battle of head butts and the other to, well, I don't even know. She broke up with me, more or less. With a vague, businesslike explanation.

These things enraged me at the time, sometimes (OK, oftentimes) still do. But at the same time, I think, Darnit, I miss them. And I don't understand why they're gone. I recently sent an olive branch to one, and found it as formally dismissed as the friendship was. All I can do is shrug and realize I tried.

But I'm starting to notice another friendship faltering. I can't help but wonder, IS LIFE THIS HARD? Friendships? Me? I take it all personally, but I suppose that's what it is -- personal. Perhaps this is life's way of explaining the old adage that people come into your life for a reason. Doesn't mean they stay in it. Cute, life. You're so adorable.

All the more reason to hold onto, love, respect and nurture all the friendships I do have. That's important, people. Obvious, but important. You're welcome.

And in other news, I have taken into my custody a 40-inch flat screen TV with surround sound, a Nintendo Wii and a fancy, new entertainment center to house it all. Truth be told, it all belongs to Jeff, but he's not using it, so I'm currently playing proud mama. Let it be noted, I'm totally OK with this new role.

This weekend I'm tackling the North Face 50K with my good best friend Rochelle, then heading down to Chicago with my mom and sister to ogle over (now-hippie) Jason Mraz in concert. So not much to complain about there!

But before I bid you farewell, look! I won my age group at a tiny Wisconsin town's 5K last weekend. I WON A MUG. Can't nothing hold me down. Except, you know, all of the hundreds and thousands of people in large cities who can run faster than 24:06. But shhhh. SHHHHHHH. Don't ruin my goddamn joy, OK?

krittabug