I’ve been sitting here at my desk for several minutes wondering just how I’m going to slide this topic into conversation and I have not come up with any really good ideas. So, here it is: I think I’m elitist. Gasp! No really.
We had two separate social activities this weekend: a party (if you could call it that) at our place and dinner at one of Andy’s friend’s families house; and these two occasions, if you will, really kind of highlighted this. I’m way judgemental (but I kind of already knew that) and I’m not sure whether its a good thing (survival trait) or a bad thing. It’s probably one of those things where it just is what it is and you try not to let it effect your life very much.
Either way, the party-of-sorts occurred on Friday night when one of our friends called and wanted to hang out. Andy went and picked up his friend and girlfriend, booze, and before long all three traipsed in the door interrupting my Sherlock Holmes read-a-thon. But I’m a social animal, however slight, so after putting Jasbaz to bed I joined them at the table and we prepared to play cards.
It’s just that every five minutes, it seemed that one of our guests wanted a cigarette, so we’d have to pause pouring drinks or whatever so that everyone except me could amble out to the sun porch and converse over the cigarettes and drinks. Fun. Now everything soft and plush out on the porch smells like cigarette smoke. I should know, I tried to snuggling down on our swing the next morning and had to get up due to the amazing feeling of getting second hand next day lung cancer. Sweet.
Now I try not to get judgmental but our guests were in that odd state of awareness that I wasn’t drinking so that I could potentially drive them home and seeing as how I was enjoying some really nice strawberry kool aid, that seemed to be all the conversation they could swing my way: “getting krunk on the kool aid?” “aw man, she’s knocking it back”. Before long I had one of those Hilary Duff caricatures in my head going “I WILL bash your forehead in if you make reference to my drink again. I’m clearly getting fucking wasted! DuH!” And when you are seeing Hilary Duff’s caricature in your head and sympathizing with her, you truly know that your evening has been shot to hell.
Anyway, we were supposed to be playing cards, Spades actually, and yet we only got through three hands before our male guest was seeing four cards more than were in his hand. It was bad. I mean, if we’re going to actually play Spades, a game that I really enjoy, can we at least make it all the way through? No? Then let’s play Rummy instead! It was just frustrating because Andy was all getting me excited that we’d play and then everyone’s brains but mine seem to seep out of their ears into their beverages.
It was frustrating. Especially since I had planned to drive them back home seeing as how I didn’t know the girlfriend that was brought over and I don’t like random people staying the night. Our male friend would have been fine seeing as how he’s crashed on our sofa many a time, but this chick… not allowed. I don’t know how to explain it other than I just didn’t like her. And when I don’t like someone, I don’t like the idea of them prowling around the house while we are asleep seeing as how we have my dear Nikon under this household and that household guests don’t appreciate being locked in the bathroom so that we can keep an eye on them.
Anyway, clearly that evening was not one of my favorites. And while I enjoy their company, I prefer it in small doses and only when combined with people who know how to conversate even when inebriated.
Sunday night was a whole different tango. We went with Andy’s brother to their mutual friend’s parents’ house and had dinner. And it was so nice. They served chips and dip, they reminisced, I learned lots of valuable gossip to ponder over when I get bored, they had a beautiful dog I could pet and that Jasbaz just adored, they served steak (they are the only people other than us to ever serve their guests steak and hot damn it is nice to have that reciprocated, especially when I have to DEMAND that Andy not share it with our guests when they come over when we actually have it, I swear he has the generosity of a Saint who is not concerned with survival of the fittest – but I am), they had such a nice patio.
I guess what I’m saying is this: we weren’t the ones who were the best off in the group. And do you know how refreshing that is? It seems like all the people we know in our age bracket are slipping dangerously into becoming trailer trash who steal each other’s money for cigarettes and booze. I mean, I don’t mind people treating themselves to either on occasion, but when that is your life? When that is the exclusiveness of your conversation and all you can do is gape at those of us who don’t participate in your habits? FRUSTRATING.
So, in conclusion I guess I have to say this, while I like our friends I do not want to follow in their footsteps and I do not want them over except for on rare occasions and in small doses. I read that in Cosmo. You surround yourself with people who emulate what you want to become and who make you happy. It’s positive networking. It’s just too bad that no one here seems to fit my criteria.
