So, a few of my high school and college friends decided to get together and have dinner last weekend.
Color me surprised when the group organizer asked me to pick someplace to eat this time.
And I have to confess that I struggled for a good 15 minutes before making up my mind.
Mind you, I’m really that picky when it comes to local restaurants as a whole, but my go-to favorite was vetoed by my best friend.
So, we brainstormed a bit between the two of us before I offered the alternative choice to the organizer.
Luckily, it only required a few more refining questions about the venue’s offerings before we were all on board to enjoy a few hours of food and fellowship.
Strangely enough, this is the first time almost everyone from the group has been present to hangout since 2023.
We were only missing one of our usual folks, so I count it as a win.
Plus, we were all on the same page to have another game/hangout night before the end of summer.
I don’t know how we’ll coordinate it all given the way our schedules always seem to clash, but I hope we will.
After all, I’ve always found that in-person get-togethers are far better than digital ones.
I mean, that always hinges on the people involved, but I still mostly believe that anyway!
Plus, once summer ends and school is back in session full swing, I won’t have any time for much else beyond sleep until the end of the year.
Already, I’m trying to eyeball my calendar of events to find the best weekend to mark out and prepare mom to endure.
While it’s only for one long night, I know that having unfamiliar faces over tends to upset the delicate living balance we have with our dogs and cats.
The chickens aren’t bothered by strangers and really don’t have too much self-preservation anyway!
Besides, I know that mom and Mike will keep the dogs in their part of the house along with whichever cat or cats decide to hide in their closet.
We’ll just be taking up space in the big living room, kitchen and spare bathroom – maybe the pool if it isn’t too gross outside.
And honestly, for the most part, my friends are housebroken and clean up their messes.
I can’t say the same about the dudes my brother associates with when he comes home, but since his occurrences are more rare than mine, I think my friends won’t leave anything in a worse state than what they found it at.
Besides, we’re more about indulgent gaming fun rather than getting a noise complaint or setting the dogs off barking every hour.
Must be the age difference between my friend group and my brothers, I suppose.
Though, in the end, I’m always grateful for these friendships that have lasted more than 20 years and look forward to sharing many more years together.
Not to mention, if I can beat anyone at a video, board, or card game then I’ll be riding that high for at least a month afterward!