Christmas Parties

The weather in Northern Virginia this morning is hideous: thick fog, chilly temperatures and drizzling rain. Time to think of something more pleasant...like Christmas parties...

Christmas is a time for good cheer and getting together with friends...or with the folks from work, which isn't necessarily the same thing. Office parties can be fun, but are fraught with danger. I remember an episode of the classic TV series "Murphy Brown" in which the character of Murphy Brown (played by Candace Bergen, on whom I once had a major crush) was ruefully remembering the office Christmas party at which she "...got drunk and faxed my chest to the west coast." Miss Cellania has a wonderful collection of good and bad office party stories here...my favorite is the "Office Party Apology."

But holiday parties don't have to be disastrous, although all the makings are usually there (strong drink, mistletoe, and people in a celebratory mood). Our holiday hallway parties in the Pentagon are generally happy, yet sedate affairs at which we get to see the generals and colonels who are usually yelling at us behaving with cheerful bonhomie. Usually, by the time Christmas is over, we're all partied out.

Agnes and I had the pleasure of attending our favorite Christmas party this past Friday evening - the one at our dance studio. This is a nice party because everyone dresses up and brings a potluck dish and we can enjoy an evening of dancing and good cheer.

Here's how Agnes and I look when we're cleaned up and lookin' spiffy:

And another one of us caught in the terpsechorian act:


From my perspective, it's always nice to be able to dance with beautiful, well-dressed women to whom I'm not married. Like our friend Jodi. Believe it or not, her husband took the picture...


A festive pose with our friend Mary Lou. Her son took this picture...


We had a very nice group together for the party...here's the photographic proof that we all clean up well when we have to!


It's always nice to see a few beautiful ladies out dancing. Even when they do it without the men!


And finally, it's always a pleasure to have my picture taken with a beautiful and talented lady like our friend Katy.

So...

Christmas parties don't have to be train wrecks in progress!

Well, it's off to the races again - we're going to visit with our granddaughter Leya for a few minutes, and then I have to zoom out and do the grocery shopping for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners...no sense in waiting until the last minute, when I can do it all at the almost-last minute. But don't tell anyone, because I'd hate to lose my Gold membership in the Procrastinators' Hall of Fame.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo