Commencement concluded

I am graduated now. I have a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. And, amusingly, I can't seem to get the beginning of the opening number from Avenue Q out of my head. ;-)

It was a really great weekend. My parents came up for the ceremony, and they and Jared and I did some fun things. We went out to dinner Friday night, and then took Mom to the Dreitzer Gallery to look at the senior show. Jared hadn't seen it either at that point, so it was good that we went. She was very glad to see Kindness's painting of me, and unsurprisingly her favorites were him and Ernest. I've always said Ernie's style reminded me of hers. ;-)

Saturday we went to the zoo! I love going to zoos, 'cause I love looking at the animals-- it kind of renders me into a little kid. It was so much fun being out with Jared, gushing over animals. And then we came home and prepared a big dinner. Bernie's parents were also in town for his graduation, so Bernie wanted to have a big dinner getting friends and family together. We made chicken marbella, mint-citrus wild rice, spinach salad, French onion soup, and mixed berry pie. I liked Bernie's mom and dad a lot, and I got to teach Jared to roll out pie crust. :-) The other guests consisted of witticaster, zapf, the Daves, and bronzite, who in case he had any concerns WAS both helpful and charming, not to mention made a favorable impression on my parents. ;-) All in all, it was a really nice evening and I had a very good time.

Sunday was graduation. My mini-commencement and the main commencement went well enough, though they were both a bit on the dull side for my tastes. I probably would not have gone if my mom hadn't wanted me to, but it wasn't so bad. Jared was wonderful to be willing to sit through it all for me. Afterward we collected my brother, who spent msot of the weekend hanging out with friends, and went to a lovely dinner in the North End. All in all, a most excellent weekend.

I took Jared to the airport to go home today. Here we begin our third summer apart. We've done this twice before now so we've pretty much figured out how to make the distance not feel so far, but I am sad as always to have to be apart from him. We spent the last week in the same house together, and it was really wonderful. But now I must be strong, and make time to talk to him every day, and plan times to visit over the coming months.