christmas cocktails (holiday party #11)

It has been strangely quiet on the party front. I took a self-imposed timeout last week. I skipped a couple of social opportunities and the weather last weekend caused a party to be cancelled. I made myself stay home Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights to whip my house in to shape and wrap up some writing that was due. I'd gotten in to the horrible habit of setting my alarm for 4:30 in the morning to finish a piece that was due that day. And the house was so unorganized that I'm not sure that I would have opened my front door to company -- Mr. Right would have to stand on the porch.

The house is spic and span (at least to my liberal standards), lights are strung across the front of the house, stockings are hung (me and the cat) and there are vases of yummy smelling pine branches in every room.

More on Friday nights activities later, Saturday brought snow and working (as hard as I tried I could not turn shoveling and waitressing in to a party). Sunday brought more snow, a party cancellation and more shoveling. I do love living where I do. I managed not to drive Saturday or Sunday. I walked to the Newsstand Cafe both days (ummm, soup) and could walk to work Saturday evening.

Friday night I went to a comedy club with Kristi and her impossibly beautiful friend Jeannie. I'll admit to some trepidation. If asked I'd swear that I'm not a fan of comedy clubs. As it turned out I laughed harder and longer than I have in a long time.

We saw Donnie Baker and his band the Pork Pistols. We all have a Donnie Baker as a cousin or neighbor (especially you, Jamie Dawn). I also love the interaction he has with his band. One of Donnie's "things" is that "I'll tell you right to your face." Of course, you get the idea that his character is all talk. Donnie was talking about Kristi and said he's "say it right to her face." It was fun when she yelled "I AM here, Donnie." The show was really funny and they all did a great job. We stayed for the second set and on the way home (it really was on the way home) I stopped at the Red Key. AVS is in town and it was fun to catch up with him.

Monday night Kristi invited LuAnn and I to her house for a glass of wine (or a beer in my case) to meet her children and catch up. When I walked through the door I was greeted with cheers and cartwheels from these beautiful girls.

What a warm welcome! The girls showed me how to make a virtual house for Webkins and were charming and delightful.

I gave LuAnn these classy bee slippers and a bee tee shirt. Kristi travels a lot so I gave her a travel candle, cozy socks and a cool moisturizer stick. LuAnn gave us each an amazing old-fashioned looking mirrored frame, note paper and a candle. Kristi gave makeup brushes (I used them this morning in the car on the way to work...at stoplights only, I swear) and a Budda Board. It is a watercolor pad and stand. You paint the board and as the water evaporates so does the design, based on the Zen concept of living in the moment. I'm already having great fun with it.

Kristi has to be at work very early in the morning, so I always think that will force me to be sensible also. No such luck. The three of us made a sort-of plan to go see our favorite band, Soul Bus. Kristi decided that it was too late for her to go out, but her mom came instead.

You think that hanging out with someones mom would get you home early - again, no such luck, I walked in the door after midnight. The Morrow Kennels cup full of diet Pepsi got me through the 8:00 am Finance Committee meeting.