Monday, August 31, 2009

Reclaiming My Living Room

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life.
Or maybe it was Sunday.
Or maybe it was Thursday.

Whenever the first day of the rest of my life was, it's here now.
So far, life without Velvet in the apartment is pretty good. Buzz Kill still calls a couple of times a day to check in which I don't quite understand, but he seems well intentioned.

Friday was a good first day of the rest of my life because my living room was filled with vibrant, creative, accomplished, positive people. One of the actresses is also a playwright with a show going up in the fall, Wonder Woman The Musical. Meryl, who wrote And Sophie Comes Too which we were celebrating that night, was also there. She writes a syndicated etiquette column called Ms. Behavior. And they were only two of the witty, talented collection of individuals drinking an excellent punch I made from lemonade, vodka, cointreau, Diet Sprite and tequila. The group was three quarters female, some were lesbians and some were hetero and brought their Significant Others, so there were three straight men there. And the two artistic directors of TOSOS II who produced the play were also there - both gay males.

All in all, it was a very different vibe from the slouchy, Old English 40 swilling teenage boys who have been dropping potato chip crumbs on my sofa.

Next weekend, Gigi is having a dinner party here for her 31st birthday and that will be all women. We may even have a sleep over. She told me the menu, but all I remember is tapas and prosecco.

My neighbor, the mousy accountant, is having to adapt to a different noise level since we play music, sing and dance. The boys played video games and watched Jon Stewart or dumb movies like Watchmen with the volume cranked up. As it happens, the actor who played the big, naked blue guy in that movie had a kid in Gigi's class last year. Jon Stewart did too, as a matter of fact. That's how it is when you're a preschool teacher in New York City. Years ago, Cyndi Lauper brought her kid to my art class at the Y.

I was listening to Cyndi Lauper the other night while I was getting ready and realized that the song She Bop is something of a feminist statement. When that song first came out, back in the olden days when MTV was new and I was an undergrad, nice girls barely even knew the word "masturbate." At least not in Texas. I believe that the girls at the boarding school the Rebbe Mohammed McCrory attended were very interested in each other's individual accomplishments in that area, but they were in Connecticut.



Here is Cyndi in Paris

After Gigi's party, I believe we can safely declare that the living room has been reclaimed for the grown ups and start planning the Gemini Party. It's been a while since I had a Gemini Party. This year it will be in October and I'm inviting all the Geminis even if they cordially detest each other. One of them has been threatening to toss the other off the terrace for hitting on her girl friend - but I expect that little contretemps has taken on a golden-rose tinge of nostalgia by now.

10 Comments:

Blogger Gail said...

Hi Trish-

Sounds like you are having a grand time - enjoying your reclaimed living room, filling it with artsy creative folks. :-)
I saw Cindy Lauoer "Live" at the Oakdale, - she was pregnant!! and opened for Tina Turner. Great show.

I am loving this weather.

Love you
Gail
peace.....

September 1, 2009 at 9:35 AM  
Blogger The Peach Tart said...

When you reclaim the living room, you reclaim the living room. The party sounded wonderful and I need to entertain more. Enjoy the new adult party space.

September 1, 2009 at 9:58 AM  
Blogger Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!) said...

I made from lemonade, vodka, cointreau, Diet Sprite and tequila.

That sounds sweetly deadly. What proportions?

We mainly do Margaritas as 'cocktails' out here, with different fruits. I had a mango Margarita last weekend which was delicioso!

Congrats on reclaiming your space. I suspect you're keeping Velvet's room intact, nest paw?

September 1, 2009 at 10:48 AM  
Blogger emily said...

Sounds like a great gathering of the feminine (and a few boys as well) - wish I could've been there. Out here, in what was until reletively recently mexico, we find tequilla to be a mandatory mixer in pretty much all things; smoothies, jello, mint reductions to be served over ice cream...

September 1, 2009 at 11:41 AM  
Blogger PENolan said...

Woody, it's about equal vodka to lemonade, then a splash of this and that. Emily, I wish you could have been there too. You and Woody are both having dental issues.
Gail, I had a feeling you were enjoying the weather and having your husband home.
PeachTart - After everything you've been through with your BFF's marital situation, you should definitely have a cocktail party.

September 1, 2009 at 5:26 PM  
Blogger jadedj said...

The mere mention of tequila, which I can no longer drink...damnit, waters my mouth and reminds of a near-death experience on a cliff in Baja many long anos ago. I lived...my head did not. The addition of vodka would have insured that I would not be here writing this in the now.

Sounds as if you are accentuating the positive.

September 1, 2009 at 6:43 PM  
Blogger themom said...

I managed to reclaim my living room for a brief time, then thedaughter moved back home, and they have taken over every room except the kitchen. My permanent roost is the kitchen table. Maybe if GREAT grandchildren come along - they will have their own place by then. Grr...

word verif: unhot (would that mean COOL?)

September 1, 2009 at 7:35 PM  
Blogger PENolan said...

JadedJ, I'm delighted that you lived to tell the story. Whew!
And Themom, you are totally cool ;)

September 1, 2009 at 7:37 PM  
Blogger jadedj said...

mom...you really want us to comment on unhot? nah, no, nein, nyet, never.

September 1, 2009 at 7:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will throw her off the terrace if she looks sideways at my sweetie.

Love,

You Know Who

September 3, 2009 at 11:56 AM  

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