A Break-Up How To:

I've never been good at break-ups. I see those people who can take it in stride, handle it with grace and give all their final thoughts with eloquence and poise. I tend to cry. The emotion bubbles to the surface every time, and there's no use in trying to keep it from coming. Large tears rolled down my cheeks and onto the bed. I hugged him goodbye, told him that I loved him, shut the door and called Leah. 20 minutes later, my break-up itinerary began:

7:30pm - Break-up

7:32pm - Call Leah, "I need whiskey, now." She's in the car and on the way.

7:34pm - Play phone tag with Beth on the East Coast. Finally catch her and commiserate. Thank god for girlfriends.

7:45pm- Leah arrives with Lauren, we're off to Dona Tomas for margaritas, homemade tortilla chips and salsa and the obligatory whiskey for me.

8:10pm- Whiskey arrives. Chips are consumed, carnitas are ordered, girl talk ensues.

8:30pm- Starting to feel a little better, I order a mojito just to be sure.

9:30pm-Back to my place with Leah for a glass of wine, a shower and sleep. Thank god for girlfriends!

Next Day

7am- Really feeling like lying in bed all day would be best. I force myself to get up, skip the shower and head into work. Sitting at a computer all day is not good for a break up.

Noon- Cheeseburger from Amanda's. Now this is more like it.

4pm- Leave work when the tears start to fall again. Hit the gym. No seriously, I did! 40 minutes of elliptical work and 20 minutes of weights makes me feel like a new person. Leah calls, "Zeitgeist?" It's a beautiful sunny day, finally feels like spring. I'm there.

6pm- after a shower I head over the Bay Bridge to Zeitgeist. There's a line around the corner. Fuck spring.

7pm- Finally in Zeitgeist. Order a hefeweizen and share another hamburger. Thank god for hamburgers!

7:30pm- Brian arrives. My friends start to help plot various ailments they'd like to bestow upon the now ex-boyfriend. More beer. This continues for most of the night.


Saturday! I hit the gym again! Then it's off to the Albany Bulb with Amy and the dog. You can't help but feel good on such a beautiful day, with the skyline of San Francisco shinning in the sun. I gather the ingredients for Brian's Birthday Cake I plan to make later. The Salted Caramel Cake! Then it's off to Leah's to make the cake and have some dinner.

Sunday- Monterey Aquarium Day. We put a small dent in Brian's cake and head down to Monterey. It's a spectacular day and the aquarium is incredible. We're having a great time. Taking Highway 1 on the way home I look out at the sunset over the ocean and think how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place and have such wonderful friends. I feel like crying, but not because I'm sad.