Night on the Town

Today I had my first mixer. And it just happened to be with a bunch of librarian-wannabes.

Surprisingly fun, I'll have to admit. The girl I sat next to shared my birthday. Another was a self-titled "self-deprecating Jew," and I thought of Elaine (merely for the Jewishness, however). Two others were a nontraditional couple - a new phenomenon for me to encounter. Another didn't shave her armpits and was wearing a tanktop. Most of them had just moved from the East coast (Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, DC) and one was from the Oregon coast. They kept flashing eastside/westside gang signs around and I felt a bit out of place considering I was severely outnumbered, being from the Midwest.

No one could understand the appeal to living here. We don't have good snowboarding mountains or oceans.

No, I assured them. We have farms, fields, and lots of oligotrophic lakes. We have roads that don't make sense and lots of flat land. Skiers and snowboarders won't like it here.

They talked about Lake Tahoe for a long time. I don't even know where that is. But thanks to my birthday maps, I can find out later tonight!

I had diet coke, while others had beer. I just can't bring myself to take this step to "lighten up," as some call it. But among strangers...why? I'd rather drink among friends for my safe, happy times. With strangers, it's not worth it. Not worth the cost, the ease with which I communicate, or the time. Maybe I won't talk to these again; maybe I will. If we become friends, I might consider having a social drink with them now and then. Maybe. Though I rarely feel like it. The appeal has continued dwindling over the past year.

I had lunch today with an old, old friend - an elementary, middle, and high school close friend. Hadn't seen her since high school graduation, really. It was fabulous. She hasn't changed, which I found comforting today.

The final first that occurred today was locking myself out of the house. At the most inopportune time - meaning when above friend was dropping ne off after lunch. She then had to take me to the library on campus so I could use the internet to locate my housemates, get a ride home and a way into the house.