jay | on a less tense note...

I had an interesting (for me) experience at a gathering on New Year's Eve, where I only knew a handful of people... a very good one, thanks to endorphins and a bit of alcohol and a favorable setting and nearby support. Had I not been dependent on someone else for a ride home, the evening might have gotten even more interesting... (smile).

It must be the formalwear effect. As it was, I joined in rowdy songs, had lively conversations with complete strangers (even *Republican* strangers ;) danced until my feet hurt and flirted happily. Passing eye contact... talk... touch... dancing... another touch, later... closer dancing and steady eye contact... mostly nonverbal communication. It was fun. :-)

My siblings were surprised... they hadn't seen me unreserved and nonquiet before.

patgreene was repeatedly asked how much I'd had to drink. Only two bottles of cider, spread over three hours...

Early on, there was de facto gender segregation... the males stood around talking about sports and work and politics, the women looking over impatiently and getting quietly smashed in that slightly-fatalistic fasion that I associate with Southern belle-dom. Of which there were numbers present ;-).

Once the dance floor opened (converted garage, it was at someone's home) the groupings were mixed-gender and more fluidly evolving. At midnight, we put on funny hats and blew noisemakers and kissed and hugged and drank champagne and went back to dancing. Whee!

Here's a photo (out of context for this post, granted, but I didn't have a high-speed connection in Florida) of Pat and the kids visiting the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary on Tuesday: