enjoy...

Every last Thursday of the month, I have this networking cocktail event I have to go to, where basically one stands around desperately looking for people to talk to. I always end up experiencing an eclectic blend of local business folks, from funky old weirdos to new single gal pals. Last night, I got both.
Jerry runs the Crystal Fair and spoke at length for his desire to read my aura. Apparently, he has some camera that photographs one’s aura and then, one can have it analyzed or “read” by a trained aura professional.
Finding a graceful exit strategy for polite small talk is challenging. I find in these situations, I always seem to end the conversation with the highly annoying “Enjoy.” Why I do this is beyond me. Somehow, after business card exchanges and the appropriate “Nice to meet you”, I feel the need to raise my Chardonnay to the skies and through gritted teeth, say “Enjoy.” I’m so annoyed by my own dreadful habit, I find that I remind myself as I’m talking, “Don’t say enjoy, don’t say enjoy. God, it’s so lame. Don’t say enjoy.”
It never works. I simply can’t stop myself. I saw it in a movie once (Living Out Loud) and I no longer have control over it.
Soon after my escape from Jerry, I befriended Carrie and Kristin. They are hilarious, charming and tons of fun. Kristin owns a children’s store in Mill Valley and Carrie is the coach of my former swim team. She also teaches an aqua cardio class in the morning at my old club, and invited me to join gratis. I regaled them with tales of bar fights and they dished townie gossip. We have plans to hit the local hotspots next Friday. In fact, I just received the following e-mail:

Hey Beth,
It was so fun meeting you last night. Truly the funniest part of the event. So as I told you feel free to come on down to the club and we'll get you going in the water workout. Hope you day is going well and your event goes well tomorrow. We will have to think of a good plan to hunt down and destroy the man with a foul mouth from the duece you encountered.
We are behind you sister.
cheers,
Carrie

Love her! These girls are fabulous. I wound up the night by stashing free egg rolls in my handbag for the ride home while entertaining someone’s bored child with a tap dance routine I learned in 1989. I downed my shitty wine, patted my egg rolls like Napoleon checking his tots, raised my glass to the kid and said, “Enjoy…”