Hubby and I have a bad habit of waiting until the last minute when it comes to weekend plans. We think about them during the week, even discussing friends we would like to see. For some reason we just don't pick up the phone. Saturday arrives and as we drive to dinner we ™ll say, We should have called so-and-so . Too late now, huh?
It's not that we don't want to see our friends. Actually, we think about them a lot. We just get caught up in the frenzy of the week. Lucky for us we have some friends who are last-minute-planners like us. This has worked out quite well, as we can (and have) literally called them from our car on the way to a restaurant. If they are free, they ™ll jump in their car to join us. They ™ve even done the same with us.
Take New Year's Eve, for example. Hubby and I had been discussing the holiday since early December, wondering if we should throw a party, either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. We were so tired, both of us fighting colds and traveling for work that we just let it slide. Plus, as Hubby pointed out, who would want to come to our house on New Year's Day? We are among the few in the world without cable or satellite, so most of the football games would be inaccessible at our place.
(Side note: We have GOT to get cable at some point. Even the nomadic tribes we saw as we traveled through the Sinai had satellite dishes attached to their tents.)
So we planned nothing for the holiday.
New Year's Eve-Eve hit and I was overcome with the fact that “ again “ we had no plans. Zip.Nada. Nothing. The previous year we tried going to a movie, only to discover that people pre-plan their New Year's Eve and the good movies sell-out early. So depressing.
Determined to have something to do, I bravely dialed our last-minute friends offering dinner at our house if they were available. Since my kitchen is mostly for re-sale value and I don't cook much, this is a big deal. They counter-offered, asking us to join them at one of their favorite restaurants. Sweet! New Year's Eve plans that included dressing up for a night on the town. I envisioned a mandatory shopping trip for a new outfit or at least new shoes. This party gal was going to rock a great look for the evening out.
Come to find out that, like us, our friends had planned at the last minute too. Dinner reservations were at “ are you ready “ the late hour of 4:30. Late, that is, if you consider this a New Year's Eve lunch. We accepted the offer, with visions of us celebrating with the over 65 crowd. (I ™m pretty sure everyone with an AARP card has to eat before five; I ™ve heard it's a law.)
We dressed up anyway and headed out. Much to our surprise, the restaurant was packed with people like us “ young and ready to party. Apparently all of us waited until the last minute for our New Year's Eve plans.
We had a blast. Ate and drank and laughed with our last-minute friends. We rocked our sparkly outfits and partied like it was 1999. We finally emerged from the restaurant, full of food and delighted with our fun evening. And it was only seven-thirty. We still had time to catch a movie or simply watch the ball drop on TV while laying on the couch in our jammies. Disclaimer: Hubby would like me to tell you he chose gym shorts and would not be caught dead in jammies . Whatever.
On the positive note “ we spent a wonderful early evening with friends enjoying a fabulous meal. We were done early enough to avoid the crazy drivers who decide to party in their cars on the highways. It was the best of both-worlds; we went out yet were able to enjoy time at home.
I hope this year is the best of both worlds for all of us “ great career or a new job, and great home life too. Happy New Year, everyone!
© Tami Cannizzaro 2012 All Rights Reserved
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