Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was lost between earlier and now. My stomach absolutely kills at the moment, in that it hurts to twist or move or walk or do anything other than lie down and I've no idea why. That established, I'm going to sleep, or maybe read, or maybe look at the digital picture Alex took of Gm and I yesterday afternoon. Or, as a compromise, I'll snuggle down under the covers with my laptop, regale you with the tale of how the pretty pictures were taken, post them at the bottom and apologize for slow loading, and hope that sleep arrives at some point.

It was so beautiful! Spring is arriving in full force in Portland, so the days are full of brilliant amazing sunshine (I really don't think I can explain how gorgeous and liquid and clear and glassine the sunlight is here) that gives way to chill winds and rainshowers and cold nights that promise the warm layers of blankets on the bed will feel like love. It was so unbearably amazing that I had to go out in it, but when I went outside, I found out that it was raining, beautiful sharp bits of cold water falling in a soft rain noise way while the sun glittered off it. I don't think I've ever seen anything prettier than the green field and down the hill that Reed lives on over the river toward the city at the base of that halfway mountain. Breathtaking. So I stopped on my way (I was headed toward Hawthorne to coffee-shop and read my afternoon through in a change of scenery) at Alex, Steve and Gm's and we all walked out in the rain, happy and lovely. And we played on the rugby field for a while, Steve climbed to the top of the goal post and looked oh so cool, and Gm and I kissed from time to time and Alex documented the whole escapade with her camera with occasional shots of the sky and rain.

When it stopped, the sky was a bit grayer than before, but I continued on and not five minutes later, was being hailed upon! Little hard bits of ice like candy or rock salt, stinging down on my hands and ears and a bitter wind and dark gray sky. I turned around and hurried back home again, where within another fifteen minutes or so, all was clear and bright again. All in all, I don't think I've ever been more pleased.

Actually, my entire weekend was beautiful, for lack of a better word. Gm and I went out to a movie Friday night, then wandered around downtown since it wasn't that cold or late. We got gelato and looked at music and lost ourselves in Powell's (the seven city block bookstore) then sang softly to ourselves all the way back to the bus stop, chasing and hugging to beat back wind chill, then cuddling on the couch once we were back home and warm again. Saturday was another gorgeous sunshine day, so we spent most of the afternoon wandering campus until five, when his dorm was hosting a Valentine making party with glitter and feathers and construction paper and doilies and ribbon and free pizza, which we did until six, when we met at my dorm. At that point, we headed off to a little pastisserie (I cannot spell the word, but it looks close) and had the most divine little precious desserts! Utterly charmed, we brought back a couple for Alex and Steve, then sat about happily talking and exclaiming over whose dessert was better. Sunday was more or less devoted to work, except for the interlude in the sunshine. Late at night, we stole brownie mix from the adjoining dorm, borrowed a couple of eggs and a brownie pan, then ate the entire yummy concoction at one thirty in the morning. We figured that since all four of us were writing papers, the brain food was necessary, and I was really pleased with the situation as a whole. We sat on the floor around the hot brownie pan with a knife and forks, then laughed and talked and ate for a while until we all went back to working, but happier for the break.

So, the pictures. Apologies, but by now, they've probably loaded, since the entry took so long. I was rather enthusiastic about my weekend. I felt loved. Plus, I'm a sucker for Valentine's.

That's the two of us being overwhelmingly couple-y and sweet and the picture that eventually ended up edited as a Valentine's greeting on Alex's livejournal. Credit where credit is due: She took them all, and while these three are unedited, I believe, she's still the artist in our group and the creator of aesthetic appeal in this endeavour.

That's the two of us looking heartbreakingly sad- we're a much happier couple in real life. I've no idea at what point she snapped this picture.

Or this one, but the reason for that is more obvious. I like the two of us. I love him.