When my girlfriends found out I was going to London, I got an email from Lara:
"Wondering if you would hypothetically be free on June 7th? And, if hypothetically so, if you could hypothetically reserve that night?"
I replied:
"He he. Hypothetically free. Night hypothetically reserved."
Lara responded a few hours later, and CC'd Betta and Cherisse:
"Great! That's great! And I've CC'd Betta and Cherisse, not for any particular reason-I know they like to keep tabs on your schedule."
For the next month, the "hypothetical evening" came up quite a bit in conversation. Annie let me know she'd hypothetically be joining the hypothetical festivities. On Wednesday I ran into Betta in the street and she promised she'd "hypothetically see me" on Saturday night. On Saturday afternoon, Lara phoned to ask me to play as a ringer on her all-lesbian baseball team the Davie Divas. When I regretfully declined (moving stuff to do), she cheerfully said she'd hypothetically see me later that night. I laughed and assumed SOMEONE would be phoning to let me in on the joke, and went on with my afternoon.
At 5 pm, I realized I hadn't heard from anybody. I was pretty sure the hypothetical going-away party was still on, but, um, was I supposed to be somewhere? And what was I supposed to wear? Oh well, I thought. Maybe I'll have a quick nap-someone is sure to call in the next hour or so and wake me up-they'd let me know the plan and I'd plan my ensemble for the evening (always important).
At 7 pm I woke up and realized I still hadn't heard from anyone. A little concerned now, I got dressed, and paced. 7:45. Hmmm. Maybe I should call someone. I dialed Annie's number.
"Where are you?" she said. "I'm running a little bit late, but I'm on my way."
"On your way where?" I said. "No one's phoned me to let me know what's going on."
"What?!" she exclaimed. "We're going to Lara's; she's cooking dinner, I'm bringing wine!"
"Well, no one told ME that," I said. "I'm at home!"
"That's crazy," she said. "Somebody HAD to have phoned you! I'll call Lara. Unless...oh no! What if I'm ruining some surprise? I'll call Lara and see what's up."
Annie phoned Lara and, from what I understand, the conversation went something like this:
"Lara, it's Annie. I'm running a bit late..."
"No problem," Lara said. "We'll see you when you get here."
"And, um...I just talked to Dani and I don't think she has any idea what's going on!"
"Oh yeah," Lara said, chuckling, "We've been bugging her with all this hypothetical stuff for the past few weeks, so she doesn't really know."
"But, um, I don't think she knows ANYTHING. Like, she's at HOME."
"WHAT? NO WAY." said Lara. "SOMEONE must have told her by now."
"I don't think anyone DID," said Annie.
Lara canvassed the room. As it turned out, NO ONE had remembered to give me the details of my send-off party. They were all sitting there waiting for me, though.
Lara phoned me immediately to let me know I was expected for dinner at her house, 15 minutes ago. We had a good howl about it.
The send-off, once I made it, was great. Lara, Beta and Cherisse cooked a beautiful dinner which we ate sitting in Lara's picture window, looking out at English Bay and across to the twinkling lights of West Van, and the British Properties. We drank loads of wine, talked, and studiously ignored the elephant in the room, that this would be the last time in a while that we could all be in the same room to drink wine, and talk about our top three flings, pushups, The Secret, and all those other stupid things you only ever talk about with your girlfriends. Annie and I only got a little bit weepy when the girls presented me with a framed photo of all of us at Cherisse's wedding last year.
It was a great night with good friends. The problem is, none of us want it to be the send-off. So we're all desperately making lunch plans and "REALLY REAL send-off" plans for laster this week. At some point, I will get on a plane and the send-offs will be over. I'm so glad to be making these last minute memories to take with me.
"Wondering if you would hypothetically be free on June 7th? And, if hypothetically so, if you could hypothetically reserve that night?"
I replied:
"He he. Hypothetically free. Night hypothetically reserved."
Lara responded a few hours later, and CC'd Betta and Cherisse:
"Great! That's great! And I've CC'd Betta and Cherisse, not for any particular reason-I know they like to keep tabs on your schedule."
For the next month, the "hypothetical evening" came up quite a bit in conversation. Annie let me know she'd hypothetically be joining the hypothetical festivities. On Wednesday I ran into Betta in the street and she promised she'd "hypothetically see me" on Saturday night. On Saturday afternoon, Lara phoned to ask me to play as a ringer on her all-lesbian baseball team the Davie Divas. When I regretfully declined (moving stuff to do), she cheerfully said she'd hypothetically see me later that night. I laughed and assumed SOMEONE would be phoning to let me in on the joke, and went on with my afternoon.
At 5 pm, I realized I hadn't heard from anybody. I was pretty sure the hypothetical going-away party was still on, but, um, was I supposed to be somewhere? And what was I supposed to wear? Oh well, I thought. Maybe I'll have a quick nap-someone is sure to call in the next hour or so and wake me up-they'd let me know the plan and I'd plan my ensemble for the evening (always important).
At 7 pm I woke up and realized I still hadn't heard from anyone. A little concerned now, I got dressed, and paced. 7:45. Hmmm. Maybe I should call someone. I dialed Annie's number.
"Where are you?" she said. "I'm running a little bit late, but I'm on my way."
"On your way where?" I said. "No one's phoned me to let me know what's going on."
"What?!" she exclaimed. "We're going to Lara's; she's cooking dinner, I'm bringing wine!"
"Well, no one told ME that," I said. "I'm at home!"
"That's crazy," she said. "Somebody HAD to have phoned you! I'll call Lara. Unless...oh no! What if I'm ruining some surprise? I'll call Lara and see what's up."
Annie phoned Lara and, from what I understand, the conversation went something like this:
"Lara, it's Annie. I'm running a bit late..."
"No problem," Lara said. "We'll see you when you get here."
"And, um...I just talked to Dani and I don't think she has any idea what's going on!"
"Oh yeah," Lara said, chuckling, "We've been bugging her with all this hypothetical stuff for the past few weeks, so she doesn't really know."
"But, um, I don't think she knows ANYTHING. Like, she's at HOME."
"WHAT? NO WAY." said Lara. "SOMEONE must have told her by now."
"I don't think anyone DID," said Annie.
Lara canvassed the room. As it turned out, NO ONE had remembered to give me the details of my send-off party. They were all sitting there waiting for me, though.
Lara phoned me immediately to let me know I was expected for dinner at her house, 15 minutes ago. We had a good howl about it.
The send-off, once I made it, was great. Lara, Beta and Cherisse cooked a beautiful dinner which we ate sitting in Lara's picture window, looking out at English Bay and across to the twinkling lights of West Van, and the British Properties. We drank loads of wine, talked, and studiously ignored the elephant in the room, that this would be the last time in a while that we could all be in the same room to drink wine, and talk about our top three flings, pushups, The Secret, and all those other stupid things you only ever talk about with your girlfriends. Annie and I only got a little bit weepy when the girls presented me with a framed photo of all of us at Cherisse's wedding last year.
It was a great night with good friends. The problem is, none of us want it to be the send-off. So we're all desperately making lunch plans and "REALLY REAL send-off" plans for laster this week. At some point, I will get on a plane and the send-offs will be over. I'm so glad to be making these last minute memories to take with me.