Grab a chair and a couple of root beers...

Had a really good weekend, even though it got colder than all get out Saturday afternoon. Winter's last blast, I hope! Anyhow, we had mucho rain Saturday morning and had to cancel all soccer games, and thus were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, rather than stuffing a granola bar into our faces and rushing out to the fields.

Saturday afternoon, we packed and went to visit an old friend of the Husbandly One, who was having a party/movie night at their home, and were showing "Screw-On Head," "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long" (which I missed, because I was in the kitchen being all sociable-like) and both "Boondock Saints" movie, which for some inexplicable reason, we watched in reverse order.

A good time was had by all. Including my kids.

No, they didn't watch "Boondock Saints." They (at least the under-10 crowd) were banished upstairs and to bed. Miss Priss mostly entertained the other over 10 kid by watching videos on the computer in the playroom.

I think I surprised the Husbandly One greatly by not either hiding behind a sketchbook, or my knitting (which is my usual way of handling a group of new people I don't know well, so I can sit back and observe until I feel comfortable, then ease my way into things slowly, ready to flee back to my corner at an instant's notice. Must have been a cat in a former life or something, I guess). Instead, I actually... hung out. With, you know, everyone. It was AWESOME!! I think I can say with complete confidence that I have never felt so comfortable and at ease with a group of people ever before in my life. It was like I'd known them for YEARS!! It was so WEIRD!! But... totally cool, really!!

And then, even MORE AWESOME than that? Yes, yes, there IS something more awesome than that, truly there is!!

I was sitting on the couch, and this small woman walked up to me with a hesitant smile on her face, and she said, "You look very familiar to me... I think I... I think I know you. Could you possibly be... auntbijou?"

I blinked, stared at her for a moment while my brain processed it, because I was SO prepared to say, "Maybe we met at U of H?" because she seemed awfully familiar to ME, too! Then my brain caught up and I smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I am!"

And she smiled and said, "I'm cyndtechgoddess"

It was a mutual squee-fest!!

What was really weird about it was I'd had this feeling all day that I was going to meet someone from my f-list at this party. I mean, from the moment I woke up, till I finished packing, then in the car the whole way, and when we walked into the house, I had this feeling. I just knew someone was going to ask me if I was auntbijou, and rather than feeling nervous or freaked out... I was completely cool with it.

I also had this completely solid conviction that I was going to see vicki_sine at this same party. I just knew she was going to be there, to the point that I kept looking toward the front door every time I heard it open. Our hostess was asked if vicki_sine was coming, and she said she wasn't sure, she hadn't heard from her, etc. But... I knew she would. So when she came into the kitchen, I joyfully shouted, "MUM!!" and ran to hug her. It was GREAT!!

I was a very happy Auntie, and I HADN'T EVEN HAD ANY ALCOHOL!! OR CHOCOLATE!!

cyndtechgoddess and I talked, and talked and talked, and squeed, and talked, and vicki_sine joined in (since she's the one who introduced us) and it was wonderful! There was a discussion about shoe-sex, and a pair of totally wicked and awesome spike-heeled thigh-high boots was thrown in the mix (OMG, they were PURPLE!), which made me lament that I can no longer wear high heels because my my Rice-Crispy knee, and they were both trying to convince me that I should be the next Erma Bombeck and write books about my kids (but with different names)... it was FUN!!

And yes, I know I'm babbling incoherently, but it made me very happy!

We spent the night, then left this morning to go visit my mom in her new house, which is also wonderful, and spacious and full of light, and just the right size for both my mom and my sister. Mom already looks stronger and less stressed, which also makes me very happy! She admitted to me a few days ago that she hadn't been sleeping all that well in the old house because she was constantly worried that someone would break in and hurt her. And, frankly, all of us were worried about that, hence the need to get her out, as well as worrying about some of the things she was doing. I suspect now that a large part of that was sleep deprivation.

It was good to see how sturdily built the house was, too. The risers on the stairs are nice and wide, not too narrow to step up and down, and the balustrade is very sturdy and easy to grip for elderly hands. It's also well lit, for which I am very glad, though Mom doesn't have to go upstairs, since her bedroom and everything she needs is downstairs. The upstairs will be the Flaky Sister's domain.

We took Mom to lunch, then hung out with her. The Blonde Sister came by with her daughters, M, and A, and I squeed a bit over M, because she just got engaged on Thursday (she and her fiance have been dating for four years) and wanted to show me ... "The Dress." And it is all kinds of lovely, and won't make her look like a ridiculously over-dressed doll.

And... we got home before sunset, which was also wonderful! A fun-filled and wonderful weekend... that didn't involve soccer! YAY!!!

*does the Happy Dance*