Fun on a crazy night

Last night, I went to Home Bar, and it was a madhouse, even more than usual.  When I got there at 10:30, the parking lot was completely full, which meant that I had to park a couple blocks away and walk there.  I'm not complaining though, as that just meant more walking time for me.  I'm starting to remember just how much I enjoy walking.  (Note to self:  Start looking for walking partners.  Seriously.)

After the chaos of trying to
order one of these, I needed it.

I digress....oh yes, the parking lot was full by 10:30, which never happens.  In reality, I don't think I've ever seen the parking lot full.  I've seen a huge number of cars there around midnight, but there's always a few spaces still available.  So when I get there, I stop by to say high to the guys selling burgers and hot dogs outside, as I normally do.  Then I headed for the front door, got waved through by security, got my wristband, and walked into wall-to-wall people.

There's usually a crowd at Home Bar on Saturday nights, and getting through the place often involves squeezing or crowding through groups of people, but doing so was significantly more difficult than usual.  And getting to the bar to get a drink took five to ten minutes.  That's not the time that I stood waiting for the bartender to ask me what I wanted once I was standing at the bar.  That was the time I spent waiting for the people in front of me to get their drinks and move out of the way for those of us behind them.  I ended up spending a rather small amount of time actually inside.  Between the crowd, the heat, and the noise, it was much more pleasant to stand on the sidewalk outside, which were also pretty full, considering the number of people who had the same thinking.

I think the amusing thing about all this was that last night was a night I kept running into people who are no longer in my life, specifically those people who are no longer in my life for good reason.  They'd come up to me (or I'd walk past them and offer a polite "hello" or a playful elbow to the abs in one case).  In a few cases, I'd stop because a brief conversation would ensue.  Then I'd move on, shaking my head and smiling at my renewed intention to continue to leave them out of my life.

In many ways, it was comforting because it reinforced and reaffirmed the choices I've been making over the past couple of years.  It was nice to be able to smile and (in some cases) speak politely with people who I used to desperately want -- and thought I needed -- in my life, and know that they would quickly fade from my life again and know that is a good thing.

Of course I think the real show of how much I've changed is my reaction to a new guy who said hello to me.  He ended up asking for my number.  I gave it to him, but I don't expect to hear from him.  And while I'm a bit disappointed, I'm also greatly okay with it.  I got the impression that he was more interested in scoring a free drink than in pursuing anything from me.  At least, that's the most reasonable explanation I can think of for his transition from "You're adorable and I want to take you home with me tonight" to "I need to get going, let me have your number so you can call me sometime."

Overall, it was a beautiful and tiring night.  I'm glad I've decided to take it easy today until I head back out to Home Bar later this afternoon (or maybe early evening) to meet some friends.