The Endless Round Of Holiday Parties!

Woohooo!

My social life is picking up!

(Another reason to love the holiday season.)

Next Saturday, I get off work at Ho(t)me(n) Depot at 3 p.m. (having arrived at work at 6 a.m.), rush home, take a nap, make dinner for my father, drive up to Beautiful Downtown Jersey City, and there I'll enjoy the company of my softball team, the Ball Breakers.

So. Cool.

I'll have to hit the road around 10:30 to head home so I can get a good night's sleep so I can be at work at 9 a.m. the next morning, but so be it. The party is being thrown by our team manger, George. I haven't yet been able to attend one of George's Holiday shindigs, but from what I hear, they're a blast.

So then, the next weekend, same deal (get off work at 3 p.m., rush home, nap, make dinner), then head over to Pottstown for the Christmas get together hosted by DogTopper and JPZapper. Yay! Yay! Yay!

Those guys totally absolutely rule.

Okay. Then there's Christmas, then there's New Years (be lookin' for the SingleTails year end wrap up! after this Annis Horribilus, it might be a doozie), and then, I'll be attending the fiftieth birthday party of Datt (of Datt and Male Fame) on January 12th. (Since it's all about Five-0, I'm gonna wear my police uniform!)

And that brings us right up to MAL.

Lately, MAL has dominated my thoughts. It's like a prison release date or something. Work day in and day out? No problem! Watch every penny denying myself so many wee little luxuries? Down with that, Yo! Going an entire goddamn year without romance? Almost there!

But on the way are four precious days in January. Four days of Not Working, eating in restaurants, maybe splurging on something for myself in the vendor mart (I'm on the lookout for a chunky belt buckle or new arm bands), and move through a numinous cloud of romantic possibilities. Four whole days!

I fear though that I might be running the risk of getting my expectations impossibly high. (And by "impossibly high" I mean getting laid, which often doesn't happen.) So gotta rein that in. Gotta just focus on just being there and soaking it all in. Just that sweet experience of walking into a crowded room and seeing a friendly face. Anything else is gravy.

Not that it won't tax my finances. Hotel + gas + tolls + sending Faithful Companion to doggie lock-up = about one solid paycheck. And then there's the logistics involved, namely making sure that my father has food to eat for four days when I'm away. And, finally, the emotional toll taken by my father's bitter complaining. Not that he doesn't do that whenever I leave the house for any reason whatsoever. I should be used to that by now. But I'm not.

MAL MAL MAL MAL MAL.

Five weeks away.

And oh yeah. I have got to get back to the gym. I haven't gone since my life fell apart back over the summer August or so. And dropped about fifteen pounds since then. Maybe wraith-like lean-as-a-snake thin will be what's sexy this year, but I better not count on that.

MAL MAL MAL MAL.