In the Moment: Dinner Parties, New (Old) Art, Invitations

I'm not doing well at my Photo 365 project. I'm great at taking pics on vacation but not in everyday life. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes you can't photograph what you're feeling. Being in the moment is a challenge I have put to myself, and I think writing out those moments is a great way to commemorate my journey. I write the blog as a journal. Sure it would seem to make more sense to put it in a notebook, but something about doing it online keeps me accountable.

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon, I have new (very old actually!) art hanging on my walls that I found in an antique store, I'm reading an interesting book--Too Much Too Late: A Novel, and Joanie Mitchell is playing on my record player. My house super clean because I hosted my first dinner party (on my list of Do More in 2013) of the year last night. It started out with a few friends and a gourmet meal plan, but then the guest list grew, and I wound up having twelve people for a casual dinner gathering. 

In these modern transient times, relatively speaking, these are long-time friends. We're all in the same running club and have spent many happy times together on trails, camping trips, road trips, in hotels in other cities, and at parties. These are some of the most supportive friends I have as well. I don't necessarily cry on their shoulders when life is getting the better of me, but they have been my best patrons in my little theater and music endeavors, and they celebrate with me.

As each person walked through the door, I was struck by how lucky I am to have such great friends who put my event at the top of their list, even though it was somewhat last minute, and some of them even traveled a couple of hours to make the event! It was a great night of good friends just catching up, laughing, playing music, and even playing a few games. I needed this night. I needed interaction with good people who care about me and vice versa, and of course when you're with friends, of course one of the things you do is make plans for future events. Boy do I have some fun to look forward to this year, and being a year off productions will give me time to do that! I see more laid back evenings, a few camping trips, some barbecues, a possible destination wedding, and some great trails ahead. As in the case of my friend Michele and I who are sort of fitness buddies, we have new classes to try at the gym, and yes, we are excited about it! And Brian wants to try writing a song with me!

As I prepared for the party that day, everything that could go wrong went wrong. I screwed up most of the recipes, I tripped over my dog several times, I cut my finger open, I didn't have all the right ingredients, my oven quit working, and my sound system broke. With each new disaster, I somehow kept my cool. Once upon a time, I know I would have become overwhelmed and started worrying. This time I just thought, "Eh, they're not really here for the food." I just knew I wanted to offer up lots to them. And they were good guests and drank all the craft beer I offered, too! Oh, and not that I've made this a goal, but I did not drink any alcohol (I haven't drank any this year!) and had an excellent, lucid night and woke up feeling refreshed instead of hung over and sick. I have to say that being an adult is way better than anything else I've tried!


I also kept another goal of "preparing more delicious recipes." 

I made

 Irish Beef Stew (beef stock)
Chicken Chili
Seafood Stew (which turned pink, I suppose from the shrimp tails--quite a Bridget Jones moment in the kitchen!)

Ah, Bridget Jones! I read that book more than a decade ago, and I remember how drawn I was to her life and her friends and I so wanted experiences like that. In a way I did all those things, even took on the party attitude for a few years and dated the wrong man and went to Thailand on a moment's notice. But in the end, I'm doing exactly what enamored me to her--ruining delicious recipes for friends who all stood in my kitchen and said, "Don't worry about it! We're here to see you, not to eat your shitty food!" 

All through the day I've received emails and texts (ha! I don't think any of these friends are on Facebook--no wonder I like them so much!) thanking me for a great night, and someone else has already offered to host the next one, so maybe I've started a new tradition!

Now, as the day went along, it got even more interesting, as I received the following invitations:

A trip to West Palm Beach, FL, in Feb or March (with my partner to visit his brother)
A week-long trip to Aspen in March for skiing
A long weekend in Napa (or Sonoma or Russian River Valley) in February with Ralf & Jim
A weekend trip to Nashville to see a show at the Commodore.

I don't believe I've revealed to anyone a very dirty secret. I am a fan of the new show "Nashville." Yes it's a bit soap-y, but the stories are solid, and most of all the music is fantastic. Nashville is not just country. It is the indie music capital of the world, and being an indie music promoter, it might as well be my mecca.

And, today I received in email a media pool pass from Brown Bag Paper Tickets, which is like the Ticket Master of non-arena events. 

I'm keeping that list I wrote back in December close at hand. Weekends like this one inspire me and keep me motivated. Friday I worked my fun job at the craft brewery, and a local pop chamber band came in to perform while we served.  I'm already excited about what the week holds for me. For one thing, I'll be reviewing a new musical called The Last Five Years. I don't really like musicals. I think they're, well, dippy, and there's something about showtunes that just grate on my nerves. They sound cheesey to me. Well, this musical, I believe based on the description would be more along the lines of Once. Oh yeah, and I might be seeing a KISS tribute band with a friend at a local brewery.  

Also in addition to keeping up with my goals and dreams, I'm logging some good fantasies lately. Lately I am obsessed with touring with a band. It might be from just having finished Diamond in the Rough by Shawn Colvin. Yes, gotta keep those Rock n Roll Fantasies alive!

But back to those goals. I had wanted to create websites, real ones, not Facebook pages, for my production company and little music project, and I started one this week. I want to redecorate my bedroom. I want to buy a good camera. Must do these things!