Tis the season in a small world

Saturday night was my first Christmas party of the season. The locale was great- literally just down the street from me... mind you it was cold last night, and well my hair was looking far too good to ruin it with a hat. Unsure of what to expect, seeing as I only new the host and hostess and no one else... or so I thought, I was looking forward to the opportunity of meeting new people, which is always a good thing to do don't ya think? So I show up, gift and food in tow, as there was a pot-luck and gift exchange (nothing like buying a gift for people you don't know!).

Once I arrive, I open the bottle of wine that was to get me through the evening, and while doing so I think... hhhmmm (the sound I make when thinking) some of these faces look vaguely familiar. Go figure, their names are oddly familiar too. Hold on a minute! I've shown up at a party and am about to get drunk with people who I didn't think I knew and I've quickly figured out that I've actually already partied and gotten drunk with these people before! Holy Flashback Batman! ~ as I get (re)introduced to a guy who I think I may have even exchanged numbers with (needless to say neither of us ever called the other after that particular party).

Oh heaven's this is going to be an interesting evening....

So we all start eating once we think everyone's arrived, probably about 30 people or so. A mixed group of folks who don't all know each other so the icebreaker question of "why are you here?" more politely asked of course in "so how do you know the host/hostess?". Which of course in my instance the answer was the somewhat awkward "well I met them through my ex". So a few of those exchanges later and a few plates of food, and lots of wine it was now time for the gift exchange. Not all partcipated, but it was a nice thing, easily coordinated with a gift being picked from under the tree, whoever brought that gift picks a name out of the hat of the recipient. Of course some gifts even though selected randomly, ended up being given to the right person which made for some great laughs.... so about a dozen gifts later, the hostess is excited that my name is actually the last one in the hat, so I get the last gift... well for frick's sake, the gift I brought was the only one left under the tree! What are the fricken odds! Not only that, but the unwrapped-about-to-be-regifted-gift that I brought is something that I can't even use since I already have two of them (you can understand why I'm not saying what the gift was seeing as it's going to be regifted...)

The party continued on until the wee hours of the morning when we moved onto a pub(s). A lovely evening was had...

A recap of small-worldness at theis party:
1. previously partied with percentage of the people in attendance
2. another guy there played in my softball league
3. another guy who was there, his dad and step-sister lives in my tiny home-town of Kingsville

So anyhoo for the first Christmas party of the season- I must admit it was pretty great!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... now that the first party of the season is over, I guess I better start decorating (and shopping, and cards etc)