I have been in North Carolina for four years now.  It took me almost all of those four years to find a group of friends here.  (I made friends along the way, but not enough to make up a group.)  It was OK, because I still had my grad school friends (still do), but it's not the same when your friends are in Buffalo, New Hampshire, and California. 

Anyway, on Monday I had lunch with R and Stetson.  (Stetson is her son, who will be joining us in April.  Stetson is not actually his name, I just call him that thanks to a game we played at the baby shower.)  See, I owed her the baby ziti (I do not give baby stuff.  New parents always get tons of baby stuff.  Food they need.), and I told her I would give it to her when we met up for lunch.  (Her husband, overhearing the tail end of this conversation, "WAIT!  What do we have to do to get our ziti?"   I was not quick enough to come up with something really good.)  The waiter came to take our drink order as we were talking about her bellybutton.  (My friends and I will discuss nearly anything.) 

Tuesday, I had non-lunch plans, so I ate at my desk.  (I usually eat at my desk.)

Today, I met 2.0 for lunch.  We went to a cafe  neither of us had been to before.  The food was excellent.  We've been busy and haven't seen each other much lately, so it was great to get together.  We did not talk about bellybuttons, unfortunately.  We did talk about how she met her husband.  (Note:  I once greeted him with, "Hi, [2.0 spouse].  You have green hair."  It was true, but he probably knew about it.) 

Now, Cool Boss and I (along with some other people from the office) are supposed to go to the NC Botanical Garden at lunch either tomorrow or Friday, but the weather may have other plans.  Confidential to the weather:  Sunday is the Vernal Equinox, and also I want to start wearing sandals.