Shabbos and Formal

All in all, in interesting couple of days. THe summary: Shabbos: services, dinner, shorr's birthday party, chinchillama's surprise birthday party, services (after ahving gotten up at 7:55, thought it was 8:55, rushed like heck, only to see my clock just as I was about to rush off, realize my mistake, and take a nice relaxing hour of reading and the like), lunch, talked with chinchillama and then thevortex (I'd been meaning to nap, but like most Shabbat afternoons- that didn't happen). Mincha, maariv, and I scooted back to my room to dress and the like. Dave picked me up, and we went to formal. Just got back. Up early tomorrow for the play.

Formal was an interesting experience- enjoyable, I think. It reminded me just of the ambivalence I felt about such events in high school- the dressing up is fun, and it was lovely to do so with Dave- he's very good at being a gentleman, and the company in general was quite fun (they put all the kosher meals on one side of the table, so the folks I actually really knew sort of clumped together there, and Dave and I got htere first, so we plunked ourselves in the middle). But the combination of the formal clothing and attitudes with the sort of music that htey play and the sort of dancing that most people do- it's just incongruous, I think. I suppose that when I see formal clothing, I still expect ballroom dance of some sort, or at least one of the more dignified sorts of folkdance- somehow I could see a hambo, but not say a polka. And of course it was too loud.

The other interesting balancing act was the date versus spending some time with friends aspect. Not sure I ever quite found the appropriate balance- at the beginning while we were eating it wasn't a problem. THen since we weren't really dancing, I spent a while wandering around and going to fix hair and stuff with Naomi and Dana, but Dave got lonely. So then I spent most of the rest of the night mostly just with him, although we danced with the other folks from our table for a bit. I guess at first I tried to treat it as a dance party- in which one sort of wanders at will, especially when the dances they're playing aren't ones you like. And well- the last dance I went to of this sort at all was 11th graqde, and my date and I mostly sort of ran around with Will and his date. Go figure. It isn't a social interaction pattern that I've had the experience with to master. Not sure if it's worth it. It was fun- but I didn't quite know what to do with it all.

I also had some very interesting realizations about a few people and their interaction patterns. Some things really take one by surprise. Steve, you know who you are.

Tomorrow's the play. After that, actual thought, perhaps.

Shabbos and Formal

All in all, in interesting couple of days. THe summary: Shabbos: services, dinner, shorr's birthday party, chinchillama's surprise birthday party, services (after ahving gotten up at 7:55, thought it was 8:55, rushed like heck, only to see my clock just as I was about to rush off, realize my mistake, and take a nice relaxing hour of reading and the like), lunch, talked with chinchillama and then thevortex (I'd been meaning to nap, but like most Shabbat afternoons- that didn't happen). Mincha, maariv, and I scooted back to my room to dress and the like. Dave picked me up, and we went to formal. Just got back. Up early tomorrow for the play.

Formal was an interesting experience- enjoyable, I think. It reminded me just of the ambivalence I felt about such events in high school- the dressing up is fun, and it was lovely to do so with Dave- he's very good at being a gentleman, and the company in general was quite fun (they put all the kosher meals on one side of the table, so the folks I actually really knew sort of clumped together there, and Dave and I got htere first, so we plunked ourselves in the middle). But the combination of the formal clothing and attitudes with the sort of music that htey play and the sort of dancing that most people do- it's just incongruous, I think. I suppose that when I see formal clothing, I still expect ballroom dance of some sort, or at least one of the more dignified sorts of folkdance- somehow I could see a hambo, but not say a polka. And of course it was too loud.

The other interesting balancing act was the date versus spending some time with friends aspect. Not sure I ever quite found the appropriate balance- at the beginning while we were eating it wasn't a problem. THen since we weren't really dancing, I spent a while wandering around and going to fix hair and stuff with Naomi and Dana, but Dave got lonely. So then I spent most of the rest of the night mostly just with him, although we danced with the other folks from our table for a bit. I guess at first I tried to treat it as a dance party- in which one sort of wanders at will, especially when the dances they're playing aren't ones you like. And well- the last dance I went to of this sort at all was 11th graqde, and my date and I mostly sort of ran around with Will and his date. Go figure. It isn't a social interaction pattern that I've had the experience with to master. Not sure if it's worth it. It was fun- but I didn't quite know what to do with it all.

I also had some very interesting realizations about a few people and their interaction patterns. Some things really take one by surprise. Steve, you know who you are.

Tomorrow's the play. After that, actual thought, perhaps.