Amusing Tales

Some days, I struggle with what on earth to write about, digging deep into the recesses of my memory banks for any story worth telling. Other days, I wake up with a list of amusing tales swirling around in my head, far too many to choose just one!

Today is definitely one of those days.

Bride-to-be, toasting with friends, old neighbors, Tower of Take-Home, teenage friends, outdoor music, possums and fast food… It’s a strange list, I know, but that’s what’s whirling through my brain this morning. We’ll see how far I get, and I promise I’ll revisit the rest another day. After all, apparently I have plenty of stories waiting in the wings!

I hustled to meet up with my friends for a celebration honoring Bethany, my old neighbor and our bride-to-be! Ten of us settled in for an evening of dinner, drinks and plenty of chatter, with a big, fabulous saber opening of fancy champagne on the ocean rocks to kick things off.

We ordered delicious food, ate and drank to our hearts’ content, and eventually asked for take-home boxes for the leftovers. At least four of us had ordered steak, so when the server arrived at our table carrying what can only be described as a Tower of Take-Home Boxes, there was absolutely no rhyme or reason as to whose was whose.

We all stared at the stack in horror.

It was essentially Russian roulette with leftovers.

I, of course, was the one to complain. I very directly let the server know how completely wrong this was...using very descriptive four letter words and all.  I love my friends and all, but… yuck!

Of course, the restaurant owner is a friend of ours, so we all decided to let it go and not make a fuss. But still… yuck. I'd imagine he'd be horrified if he knew! 

I have absolutely no idea whose leftovers I brought home, and chances are pretty good I won’t be eating them. Maybe Tim will be less grossed out by the mystery steak than I am. 

Other than the questionable leftover situation, dinner was delicious. Most of our friends decided to bail on Phase Two of the evening, live music at the Ratskeller, but, of course, I was all in!

Thankfully, I was able to ride with a friend, with Tim planning to meet up with us girls later for some music. I love the outdoor vibe there: the big bonfire blazing, plenty of room for dancing, and countless friends scattered everywhere we looked.

At one point, I glanced at the woman dancing in front of me and suddenly realized I was looking at an old high school friend! I hadn’t seen her since we randomly ran into each other on a cruise a few years ago. What are the odds? Sometimes a night out has a funny way of reconnecting you with people you never expected to see again.

The night continued to take surprising and fun turns, far too many to mention here, and, once again, we ended up closing down the venue.

Then came the drive home through the deep woods in the dark, complete with an unfortunate encounter with a possum who unfortunately for him,  didn’t make it across the road.

Again… yuck.

Tim wanted to stop at McDonald’s or Taco Bell before heading home, but once we made it back into town, he apparently let the car’s autopilot take over and forgot all about his late-night fast food mission. I didn’t correct him, and it wasn’t until we were safely inside the house that he realized he had been deprived of his midnight snack.

And so ended another wonderfully random night.

From celebrating a bride-to-be to champagne on the ocean rocks, mystery steak boxes, an unexpected high school reunion, outdoor music, bonfires, a possum and a missed Taco Bell run, it was one of those nights that reminded me why I love saying yes to plans. You never really know what stories you’ll come home with.

And maybe that’s the best part of life, some days hand you a story, and other days hand you an entire list of them.

As for the rest of the stories swirling around in my head this morning… stay tuned. Apparently, I have more to tell!

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” ~ Oscar Wilde