life done write

Last night was the long awaited Bitter Ball, put on every year by Alice 105.9, which just happens to be the radio station whose afternoon show I catch on my way home from work.

Last year, due to being a relationship, I was not able to go to said Bitter Ball. Which, I must say, I was wildly disappointed about even at the time. And this year, when they mentioned that it was coming up, I was all in.

My goal being to play my first ever game of spin the bottle. Which I did. And I am happy to report that it is a totally gross game and I have no idea who came up with it. At various intervals, the following totally gross things happened:

1) I went in for the closed-mouth kiss with my first spin-the-bottle-er and he went in with an open mouth, proceeding to slobber unromantically all over my chin.

2) Mara, my new fabulous friend, was forced into an awkward kiss with one of the drunker men playing the game. This involved him attempting to dip her backward, while basically molesting her face. Her comment, “oh no, that was so bad. That was so bad. that was so bad…”

3) One particular man on stage, whose charmingness both Mara and myself were spared from, proceeded to play grab-ass with everyone his bottle pointed at. Including another dude.

Despite all the love in the spin the bottle game, we did eventually move on to other activities. Like the Love Board, which allowed people to write notes to other people using their numbers (which were given to us at the outset of the night). Some of the gems included: #777, Nice Rack!, #986, Nice Rack! and something about a foot fetish and would some girl like to get it on because her feet were incredibly sexy.

As I wandered around the room, I discovered that every person I deemed interesting and attractive enough to engage in conversation was somehow staff of the event. My first victim: the marketing director. My second: Denver Post employees.

Having said all that, it was an incredibly entertaining night. I’m so in my element in those kinds of gigantic, people-expect-you-to-talk-with-them-randomly situations.

This weekend was my annual, fabulous, famous, amazing Naked Lady Party. For those of you who don’t know: that involves fifteen or so women cleaning out their closets and trading old clothes, shoes and accessories. It’s the cheapest way to get “new” stuff (and the most fun) that I can think of.

If you want to know how much fun we had, just look at the picture above. Enough said.

Once upon a time, at a 20s themed holiday party held in the early part of February, a number of very fashionable, famous and fabulous persons were gathered.

They had gathered, as it were, to gamble, drink, have inexplicable gun fights and flirt shamelessly with each other.

Suddenly, shockingly and to everyone’s exceeding surprise…

a completely famous and musically talented band, which has been hired to play the gamble-fest…

was suddenly and inexplicably killed…

…due to poisoned face paint.

Did I mention that people were shocked and dismayed?

But, because they were all very motivated type people, they felt that they should do something about this situation. So they began looking for clues.

And thinking very very hard.

They concluded that there were some very shady characters at this party.

But, in the end, it’s always the one you would never suspect — isn’t it?

However, though unfortunate, no one could prove his guilt. And, so, everyone went for pizza.

The end.

While reading through some old paper journals last night, I came across an old, fantastic idea. Something I’d stopped doing, for no apparent reason, and am going to start again.

Every year, starting sometime just before or just after starting college, I would do two things:

1) Make a list of What I Learned Last Year. This included such statements as “Even rock can be worn away if you run water over it long enough,” “an open heart will be broken: this is undeniable.” (The second one being a quote from a book called Radical Hospitality).

Each year I would make this list of important life lessons and from time to time I come across them and remember.

2) Make a list of Next Year’s Goals. Not really New Year Resolutions, as that seems cliche to me. But things I want to be, want to accomplish, want to see, etc. I found that–for me–making this list helps it come true. Because I take every presented opportunity and work to make them happen.

Having come across these lists from years past, I was inspired to make this year’s list.

I started with last year’s things learned, but that got a little depressing. Mostly what I learned last year is that I want to erase last year from the record. Unless, of course, I get some sort of special points for not walking in front of a bus when I lost everything.

So I moved on to my goals. And I thought I would share some of them with you. (Mostly so that you all can send me bottles of wine in the mail).

2010 Goals
1. Apply to grad school. Again.
2. Figure out the next steps in my career
3. Live with Roommate #1
4. See Luna fully trained
5. Foster puppies on the weekends
6. Be happy
7. Try at least one new wine each month
8. Leave the country again
9. Set no bounds to my affections; not allow myself to become shut off or shut down
10. Submit my book at least once per month
11. Be wholehearted
12. Paint my wine glasses
13. Bike to work once a week all summer; teach Luna to ride along

It is a quiet New Year’s Eve, spent inside the house with the end of one novel, the beginning of another, old movies, a very snuggly puppy (who, though snuggly, also happens to have puppy gas, which does put a little bit of a damper on the snuggling), a warm bed, lots of pillows and probably soon some tart, grapefruit-tasting New Zealand white wine.

I can romanticize it for you and say that it felt like the year should end quietly, inconspicuously. And the new year should swallow it up, as though this year hadn’t existed at all. Moderately poetic reasoning for staying at home. But the real reasons are these: 1)that I just don’t feel like going out. In part because I haven’t felt entirely well this week and particularly earlier today. In part because I’m tired and rarely ever get up the energy to leave the house past 8:00.

And 2)I do want to bring in Luna’s first New Year with her snuggled up against my face. If I can’t have a New Year’s kiss (which I never have), then I’ll have a New Year’s puppy kiss. If there’s anyone I want to spend the wee hours with tonight (if I am awake in the wee hours, which is always debatable), it’s that tiny, adorable Moon.