2002-06-01 - 11:42 p.m.

And then a man came up to our table, a big man in a baseball cap, dressed in labeled tshirt and shorts, and said, "excuse me ladies, but can you spare a dollar?" Lisa said no, sorry, and he said, "Why don't you fix your lipstick, girl?" And she went OFF.

'Oh that's a good way to get money from me, JACKASS, insulting me. What's that? It's a COLD SORE, I have a COLD SORE, ok? ' And he turned around and started walking back to us and she screamed, "GET MOVING! Before I call my boyfriend who's a COP and get your sorry ass arrested. TURN AROUND AND KEEP WALKING, you fucking big idiot. WALK!"

I just sat there with my mouth open, dumbfounded. And he did it, he kept going. I have to try this, I have to - I usually just ignore it. But it would feel damn good to let it out, I think. Anyway, the waitress came out and was commiserating, and Lisa was explaining that she's had this cold sore for two weeks, and she feels so ugly she can barely get out of the house, and the last thing she needed was someone to make a crack about it. We pointed out that he was very probably crazy, and you really can't worry about what the crazy think. This event launched into the litany of her insecurities, starting with a man, a homeless man on her block, who called her a fatass. She immediately began obsessively dieting and working out, until she became unhealthily (is that a word?) thin. And she told us that she asks her boyfriend to compare her ass to the women they know. "Is my ass is big as Ellen's? How about Jane's?" He asked her this morning if they could please please talk about something other than her ass.It's crazy. And I'm telling you, she is model beautiful. And nice. And funny.

So you see, I don't have to go to the gym after all. Doesn't matter how I look, at all, really.

And then I had a lovely and productive day, got a manicure and pedicure, bought a tuna sandwich for the homeless deaf guy at the library and dog food and biscuits for his dog, I went to a street fair and ate like an animal, sausage and peppers and grilled corn and a candy apple. Ran ALL my errands, went to yoga, grocery shopped, went to the Greenmarket, and successfully shopped for tshirts and capri pants. Packed up some stuff to send home with my Mom tomorrow, got a big bag of stuff together for Goodwill, went to an early dinner with a friend, and bought beautiful white peonies for my apartment. It was sunny and beautiful, and I resisted the lure of the Mr. Softee trucks parked every two fucking blocks on lower 5th. And now I'm home, in my pajamas, watching TV and making iced tea.

I need more days like this.

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