It's Party Time...In About an Hour

My parents were in town this weekend, but enough about them. Let me tell you about my Valentines Day. A friend at work (yes, I am capable of making such acquiantances) asked me ever so generously if I would like to join her to her friend's party. Having not left the house for anything other than survival (food, exercise, movies, etc.) since moving here I quickly agreed (although I made it sound like I may have something else lined up and I'll have to check my calender). So, she told me that after she picked up her friend she'd swing by and pick me up and we'd be on our way to a party in Hollywood. Oh, and she said I had to wear black. Good thing I have a black polo for just such social emergencies.
So, off we go, two ladies in the front and a Jeff in the back. The ladies, having lived in the area for quite some time, briefly discuss the best way to get there. Just to join in, and to feel like I am contributing, I inform them that I just moved here and I don't know how to get anywhere, let alone the best way. They humor my comment with a quick laugh, but get right back to business discussing freeways, shortcuts, and their boy problems. Again I chime in stating I don't have boy problems, once again citing the fact that I just moved here. An awkward silence followed.
Good thing a decision needed to be made post haste. The silence was broken as we needed to choose between continuing on the freeway or taking the old proverbial shortcut? I sat in the back seat of this fine BMW anxiously waiting the decision. The driver was clearly distraught. Sure traffic is moving fine now, but this is LA…anything can happen (all this time I thought Tokyo is where anything can happen i.e. Godzilla). She makes her decision at the dramatic last moment and I can finally relax as we decelerate down the offramp. Ah, that's better. I feel so relaxed with the leather interior cushioning every subtle bump the road serves up. We should be there in no time.
After a little small talk about Chicago weather (that's the only thing people want to talk to me about) we're lost. Wait, are we lost? No, we're not lost. She knows where she is. Nope, she's lost. Very lost. She claims she never gets lost. She just did.
So, there I am, sitting in the back seat listening to frantic cell phone calls trying to figure out where we are (not the best neighborhood) and how to get to the party (Hollywood). To make things more interesting, the passenger in the seat so aptly named is extremely sensitive to motion sickness. When she doesn't have her head between her knees she has it sticking out the window. I quite enjoy it when she opens the window…the tension in the car is stifling and the cold air against my face is invigorating. We push on against all odds. We have our bearings once more. Then quickly lose them again. Then regain them! We think. Yes, it is confirmed we know where we…wait…nope. Yes! We DO know where we are and we truly should be there in no time. Onward my steed, show me the meaning of haste!
So, we finally arrive at our destination. We drive past it at least. We drive past it at least five times. Parking in the area doesn't seem to be very forgiving. Around every block it was the same drill: we pull up on a fire hydrent, driveway, or alley and get excited and then very dissappointed, excited, dissappointed, excited, dissappointed, excited, apprehensive, more excited, and then finally relieved. When we actually did park, the car was bathed in the flashing neon glow of an establishment that claimed they had girls, girls, girls, and there was something about nudity in there as well. I really didn't pay too much attention.
So, we finally actually arrive at our party. What should have taken 25minutes took 1hour and 15minutes and we're still the first ones at the party. So I go about meeting the gracious hosts and complimenting their place and making the same small talk again (that same small talk will be repeated numerous times throughout the night). Most importantly, however, I got first dibs on the heart shaped brownies…totally worth the trip. It actually was a good time though, I tend to downplay things.

Til Next Time.

P.S. My parents actually were in town this weekend. It was lovely.