A Small World After All

As many of you already know, last night was the first of what I'm sure will come to be quarterly Chicago Blogger Meet-Ups. As I was an hour late to the party, I figured I could also be late with my recap.

Right. Cause I'm THAT organized of thought lately. More like...I had a headache this morning as a direct result of fun had at the Chicago Blogger Meet-Up so I decided to take a nap, work at the Boring Store, go into the office and watch Brothers & Sisters instead. But I have been thinking about it. Thinking about them too:

D- Our Organizer and resident XY
PB & Razz
Nilsa
Jenn
Joy
PlacesNeverPlanned
Angelaboration

I've really been looking forward to this ever since Susie, D and I hung out last month. I am definitely at a point in my life where I have a family of friends that I could never part with but then I do wonder how I will ever meet new people if we don't expand on this circle. Think about it: reading blogs is just advanced pre-screening for friends anyway. I don't read anyone I don't like. And let me tell you, particularly after last eve, we are what we write. Same intonations and everything.

I worked for a lot of the afternoon yesterday and then treated myself by catching up on some posts and icing my ankle (sports injuries make me want to puff out my chest). Then I decided to check the Evite again to remind myself who I'd be seeing (have to make sure I'm all caught up, of course). Sugar. Starting in a half an hour. Hmmm. I was sitting at work in my sweaty workout clothes from the morning, not exactly the picture of polish I was hoping to convey over martini samplers. RUN home. Text D so he knows I'm not bailing and start a firestorm of loose-end ties.

On my way to Waterhouse I started hearing the conversation in my head that I'd been hearing since I RSVP'ed and several of last night's appeared to have had similar thoughts.

What if I'm not who they think I am?
What if they're not who I know them to be?
What if we run out of things to talk about?
Will it change things?

I am, they are, HA and yes, it probably changes a lot... for the better. For starters, there is no better icebreaker than chocolate and cocktails. PB&Razz has these chocolate yummies that...wow. I'm waiting for her to post the recipe so I can link it up.

Beyond that, it was musical chairs of questions unmasked on the internet. And I felt like a kid in a big big candy store, moving from conversation to conversation trying to connect all the dots. Man alive though, I would never have imagined some of the obscure dots that were hanging out there.

Nilsa and I have a history of Thanksgivings in the same small town on the Cape, work out at the same gym (how's THAT for motivation?), and well, she gives hope to the jaded with her Sweets.

I live two blocks from D, PBR and Fancy of Big Time fame.

Cheryl/Places and I are both PR girls on different sides of the biz. Although she has my daydream Masters and I am nowhere near done picking her brain about it.

The biggest bombshells of the night all ended up coming from PBR. Ready? Buckle up.
- We were in the same sorority. It's a big one so this isn't THAT strange.
- We both advise different positions for this sorority at Loyola. She is on the House Board with two girls who were ahead of me in my own chapter (and who I may have idolized just a bit). Getting stranger...
- We were invited to the same birthday party via a work friend of hers in the fall and would have met there had I been in town.
- And my personal favorite... she knew of one other person from my obscure southern hometown. Don't worry- it was the guy that took me on my first date (when I had this black eye). He was also a member of the Crew. As in the wedding I JUST came back from. She took said boy to a (our?) sorority date party after meeting him at freshman orientation.

Yes, friends, the world is really THAT small. So I had some more Jack&Diet to celebrate. By the time the famed Chalise arrived to an ecstatic D, it was time to give them some catch-up space/ keep up the debauchery and Belly's.

PBR and I were on a quest for tall boys. The universe delivered in the shape of a 6'5 former college football player who lost his pinky ring under our table. He told us he had lost 150 pounds and couldn't get the ring re-sized because it served as a reminder not to do that again. OH this was after he spent about 3 minutes trolling around under our table. Good thing I went with tights.

Needless to say, we will need to set a clearer intention next time, but who can clearly set anything when the credit card minimums have put us into a 6th round of cocktails? I got home, apparently made a Lean Cuisine and found my tights in bed next to me in the morning. Hmmm.

You get the idea- the idea being that these little functions could easily become a staple for me. Did I mention how thrilled I am to now have two great friends in my neighborhood?

As for next time...anyone up for a Trivia Night? I found the GREATEST calendar!! Thanks again for a fabulous evening, dears!