That was an awesome experience!!!

I just got in and I have to tell you this!

Remember how I said I was meeting a friend for lunch? Well, it's my friend, Tom. His wife, Kris, and I are really, really good friends, and I was crushed when they had to move away, almost as far across the country from me as they could be. (Was it something I said? *grin*) ANYWAY, they read this blog and have been watching my progress, but they haven't actually seen me in person since I started getting smaller. Tom is in this province on a job-related course, and so we got together today for lunch.

I told him I'd meet him in the market, so when I got there, I was scanning the crowd for him. I saw him before he saw me, and I don't think I will ever forget this moment. Even in my memory, it's in slo-mo.

I spotted him in the centre aisle and kept walking towards him. First, his face was kind of blank, as if he were aimlessly looking for me. Then, his gaze rested on me, I saw him decide, "No, that's not her", and then the look of shock and recognition when he realized, yes, indeed, it WAS me. The first words out of his mouth when he hugged me were, "I didn't even recognize you."

I hope you can somehow understand through these mere words what a completely mind-blowing and thrilling moment this was for me. To be virtually unrecognizable to such a good friend makes my eyes mist up just typing this. People tell me all the time how well I'm doing -- but they've been along for the ride. The icing on the cake was, when leaving the market, we passed a former student who also hadn't seen me in a while. Her face lit up and she said, "You look GREAT, Mrs. McLean!"

We had a great lunch at Vito's (where they have a "safe" menu), and then basically just hung out for a few hours. It was so much fun! The only way it could have been better would've been if Kris had somehow fit in his suitcase. (Apparently she had said the same thing to him before he left.)

After Tom and I said goodbye, Hubby and I went to get groceries, and I couldn't believe how recharged my batteries were. I ferreted out a few new things to try, and I put back the larger bottles of pop when Hubby questioned why I was switching from my usual "baby cans". It wasn't even a struggle.

I think I'm ready to keep going.