Girl Dates.

I just had a girl date.

The thing I forget about when I'm dating someone is how important it is to have girl dates. It doesn't always have to be "girls night out" with pink martinis called things like "man eater" or slumber parties with pillow fights and manicures.

In fact it shouldn't ever be like that beacause that is gross.

Good girl dates are ones over pitchers of beer and nachos covered in failed new-year's resolutions. It's about a date where you don't have to say anything clever, or look particularily nice or make sure you're wearing matching underwear.

You just have to talk and listen and laugh and understand and revel in the fact that you're not alone in all the bullshit your life may seem to offer. And though you probably won't get laid at the end of the night, you can have a smile on your face and maybe figured out a thing or two.

I miss my girlfriends a lot these days and I have found myself propositioning female acquaintances, my boyfriend's friends' girlfriends, girls I work with, girls I "work out" with and just about anyone with a vagina in hopes they'll be my new best friend.

I even toyed with the idea of answering an ad on Craigslist in the "Strictly Platonic" area knowing that these girls looking for friends are no different than me...we're all just lonely sometimes and need a girl to listen to us because our boyfriends will just think we're emotional...or menstruating.

I'm new to this city and although I know a lot of people here, many of them girls, people in this town are notoriously busy. I made a date with a girl friend here and had to book almost 3 weeks in advance. I was in her "icalendar". I was part of her schedule like going to the dentist or getting a bikini wax. Neither of those being fun times. Definitely no beer or nachos there.

I have two best friends. Well, 3 if you count childhood friends. Well, 4 because now I don't want anyone to feel left out. In my 20's, let's say, I have 2 best friends. One is back home in Vancouver and one lives in Chicago. Neither can swing by for tea on a Wednesday afternoon or hit up Winners to buy things out of boredom. They are far away and I miss them.

My boyfriend is wonderful but even he, in all his sensitivity and awesomeness, probably wouldn't have watched "He's Just Not that Into You" with me. Instead, I watched it alone, on the internet, in the bath tub, drinking wine. And I won't lie... i liked it.

Last night I talked to Chicago for an hour and a half, the day before was emails to Vancouver (she's visiting soon and I'm so excited) but even technology and all its video chats, IM's and text messages, nothing really beats the late night talks with cups of tea and afternoon window shopping with take out coffees. And Sunday brunches with eggs benedict and too much hollandaise. And red wine stained musings about boys. And tear stained musings about boys. And grass stained musings about boys...and well, the theme continues.

I miss the girls who know every crack in every broken heart I've had and every word from every love song I've ever slow danced to. These are the truest friends I'll ever have and it's hard to find that connection and the time it demands now as the snow ball starts to gather down the mountainside of my youth.

We're just so busy. Well, some of us are.

Others have time to write about it.

But tonight I am happy to be full of nachos, new year's resolutions, beer and stories from a new friend.