*squeal*!

tonight was SO much fun! i got to the bar around 9:45 to wait for my new karaoke bud to show up... as i was having a drink and chatting with the bartender, the door opened... i turned to see if it was him... and in walked B, one of my girlfriends from college! (this is the girl i went to a wedding with last year, where everyone thought we were lesbians...). we both completely freaked out when we saw each other. she said to me, "hold on, let me say hi to some of my friends and then i'll sit with you..." after a minute, i turned to see where she was, and who was she talking to but the guy who had invited me there in the first place. after a second freakout, we all sat together and had an absolute effing BLAST. it was just the right combination of good people (the group i was with were just the nicest, funniest, friendliest people ever), good music (he has one of the best karaoke voices i've ever heard), and silliness (everyone was singing, even the bartender and waitstaff). it was just a ball. and the DJ actually gave me his card and asked me to come sing at some of the other nights he DJs at... how nice was that????

so, not only do i have an awesome new group of karaoke friends, i also think i've found my new hangout. it's a bit far, about 1/2 hour away, but i just felt really at home there. it's a tiny place, but it's cozy and nice and the food is supposedly phenomenal. the karaoke won't be a doable thing during a normal week, especially with my schedule, but i loved the staff there and i could totally see myself having dinner and a glass of wine at the bar on a random weekend. yay!

off to bed... almost 3am, i'm too old for this!

okay, seriously...

...i'm never going back to work. this is why i don't normally take vacations, because i get so happy i don't ever want to think of paperwork and obligations again.

slept in again today, and then headed off to the local tar-zhay, terrified, with my xmas shopping list. i really thought it was going to be an all-out brawl there, and bare shelves... but it was wonderful. only a handful of shoppers (granted, it was 9am), barely a wait in line, and i got all of the rest of my shopping done in an hour. YAY! ran a few more errands, and then had a great sushi lunch at the place down the street from me. took a 2-hour nap this afternoon, and now i'm all hyped up and energized and i wanna go out somewhere. but where??? ack! dancing? another karaoke night? perhaps finally check out brasil's downtown? the possibilities are endless...

i'm still grinning thinking about last night. seriously, i feel like i made a bunch of really good friends at karaoke. this one girl was so funny... she did "you oughta know", the bitter man-hating song by alanis morissette, as a total psycho... and actually went up to a guy at the bar who was with his girlfriend, and sang most of it right in his face. everyone in the bar just fell apart. and KB (how i'll refer to my new "karaoke buddy") was just one of the nicest, most genuine, happiest people i've ever met. he's totally taken me under his wing, today he invited me to 2 parties he's throwing over new year's (which, alas, i can't go to 'cause i'll be partying in boston). i am on a huge emotional high right now... i'm feeling more at home here, bit by bit.

i forgot to post this before... i got my little dude a xmas present a couple of weeks early... i figured since he's in a new 'hood, he needs some street cred... and what says "i'm a stone thug" like some bling?



so now he can hang with diddy and 50 cent, yo. he's so cute! i mean, um, dope.