How to Throw a Rave

This new year is bringing all kinds of new discoveries. I didn't know that I liked strawberry ice cream, for example. Actually, I'm not really into ice cream at all. It's all right occasionally, but it's really rare for me to say, "Ooh, I need some ice cream." But because I'm trying to manage the amount of chocolate anything I eat these days (which effort included throwing away 90 percent of the world's largest Cadburry Dairy Milk bar after FHE a few weeks ago because I knew the temptation would be too great), I tried something strawberry ice cream and thought to myself, "Has this always been here, waiting for my discovery and acknowledgment? Oh, how I love you! Strawberry flavor, will you marry me?" It was a pleasant surprise.
And not to be up in everybody's grill about food, but let me just say again that garlic is the best thing ever. I've been eating these garlic-infused veggies recently (carefully, of course, and with a healthy amount of tooth brushing and Listerine-gargling afterwards to avoid killing off my social life) and it feels luxurious. Add the Boca Burger and you're in fiber and flavor heaven. I don't have plans tonight, except to maybe catch a movie with my mom and then clean house (Saturday is booked solid, so I have to do my Saturday chores this evening), but I'm thinking of having such a veggie and soy feast tonight. Maybe this just goes to show I'm not as young and fun as I once was, but I think it will be delightful.
But guess what, guess what! I am still fun, only in new ways. While I haven't had the urge to go toilet-paper any houses recently, I am finding some good new adventures. On Wednesday, the girls and I went to Rudy's. I've been hearing about it for ages, so that's where we ended up. I must say, the food was good but the company was great. By the way, did you know that Rudy doesn't exist? I called one of the employees Rudy. I'm not sure he appreciated it. Whatever.
Anyway, during the course of the evening, Pammy and Lou and I discussed what one would need to host a rave. I don't think I've ever known anyone who's actually attended one-- though one of my old crazy roommates was an extra on "Touched by An Angel" and was in the rave scenes. That made me the resident expert. The girls and I feel the essential elements include blacklights and strobes, a secret location, glowsticks (by the way, I think we can safely add "Glowstick Dancer" to my list of immediate and inexplicable buttons-- like a boy with Chuck Taylors or a social cause, I dig the weirdos with the glowsticks-- go figure), candy necklaces and pacifiers (though I don't really know why), and Jell-O shots. Being nice Mormon girls, we figured we could make them with ginger ale instead of vodka, and we'd just all-out skip the ecstasy. And let's be honest-- who needs stimulants when you've got synth-popcore pumping, right? So that's in the works. It's odd, sure, but can you think of a better way to fill my time than planning such a shindig?
Oh, there might be one way. I logged some time at Borders with my new friend WJD (who I now suddenly wish had a second middle name, also beginning with a "W"), and having found a clearance pop-up book of celebrity scandals, I felt the evening was not a waste. Oh, also the company was excellent. Poor J, though. I was so immediately comfortable that I was even more talkative than usual, so he is likely planning on telling his friends, "What a loser!" Just kidding. Like I said, this was such a fun, comfortable evening. People should be friends like this. I didn't have time to get gussied up (which, I would like to mention, wouldn't have been for his sake, but for the sake of all the fancy-pants who have time and large discretionary incomes and mull around the Albuquerque Uptown), so I came as I was. Well, almost. I changed out of my homespun skirt (my sister told me that I was looking particularly like the Berries-and-Cream guy yesterday) and into warmer clothes. But I had so much fun discussing Steinbeck v. Hemingway, learning why I should give Sci-Fi a try, and getting suggestions about desirable music that I didn't have time to obsess. I didn't run into the typical terror, wondering "does he think of me as voluptuous or verbose? Interesting or inebriating? Riveting or revolting?" kind of analysis. I just had fun. Again, I think that's what friends are for. Hooray, J. You've made the cut. Hope I made his as well. It was refreshing to feel like myself without apology. I think I need more people in my life like that. Plus, it's always good for the self-esteem to hang out with someone cool.
Yes, yes, life is good. I wore a hat today because I didn't want to style my hair. And you know what? It's cute enough (goes very well with the aforementioned Amish shirt). I'm finding joy in planning a picnic on the plaza with the Polski fellas next week. I wake up happy every morning because I feel like I'm livin' right. And I get to eat garlic whenever I want. It's like I'm a backstage aristocrat. I do what I want, but get the perks of fine living. I'm glad I've chosen happiness.