THE SEARCH FOR MR. ADEQUATE
Part 43 (for those of you who pointed out we had screwed up on our Roman numerals)

By Susan Silver

First of all, I am in a very happy mood as many of you noticed. I am so pleased that you write me with your comments about my state of mind
and that you, too, feel that the “plan” seems to be working. I hope you all are enacting your own plans for happiness as well. Feel free to use mine which you know is to go out at least once a day and do something. Also, goal-free…in that you are open to anything, not just focused on one result.

(Of course this plan really pertains to shut-ins as I am at times.)
Lots of parties last week and as I was walking with high heels to and from, I paid the price with a major backache. But the new masseuse took care of it.

I wore my cute new outfit which is a brown and beige plaid bustier with laces up the back, corset style, and a matching pair of mid calf pants…for those of you who miss the fashion reports of earlier days with me.

I got so many compliments from guys and whistles from cabbies, I am concerned it is age inappropriate. But a semi prominent female fashionista loved it, so I am going to continue wearing it. Even if I freeze.

Three parties, two in one night…and all the requisite food and drinks and I wound up sick on the weekend. Which for me, is not a bad thing. It’s the excuse I need to stay in bed wearing my blankee (robe) and read without guilt.

Although I must confess, I am not reading as much as I should or used to. It seems to take me forever just catch up with the newspapers and magazines. I have twenty books lined up waiting to be cracked and I actually turned off the TV and started one. Well, again, confession…I did put on a background music channel as I seem to need a little sound to keep me company. (It’s a living alone thing, I’ve been told by others who do so.) Since after sampling different things I chose the “light classical” on the channel, perhaps someone out there will let me know what the “heavy classical” is and what’s the determining factor to distinguish between them. I won’t give up my Mozart however.

So the weekend was just grand. I do treasure my private time and now that I’m out a bit more, I wonder how all of you people with full time jobs and/or families handle it all? To paraphrase a recent book “I wonder how they do it?

Poor Stan was really sick. Serious temperature. I think it’s from all the traveling and a little bit of stress. The relationship we thought was a keeper, has gone South. Literally. She got a job offer she couldn’t refuse and is leaving. I told him it doesn’t mean forever, but since he is really in the marriage and family mode finally…I think he’ll have to move on. And between you and me, I think she was too young.

A cute really young guy I sat next to at one of the dinner parties told me the formula for age related dating is the following: Divide by two and add nine. No! That does not work. Say a woman…any woman, no one in particular, but someone hovering around 50 divided by two…that’s 25 plus 9=34! I…I mean she…can’t see herself with anyone that young. Guys do it, but we know how jerky that is. I think 10 years younger for a guy is the limit. Except for George Clooney, of course. How old is he? No matter.

And speaking of jerky…the guy Lizzie had met and was going to lunch with broke the date and never rescheduled. She was really disappointed and now has come up with the idea of going to funerals of total strangers to see and meet men. I am not going with her!! I told her not to. What do you want from me? By the way a few prominent people that I did know have recently passed, and don’t look at me strangely when you see me at the memorials.

So, now, to the Thanksgiving feast. You know I’d invited six people who were strays and four of them dropped out and it was just Lizzie and me. So I invited a neighbor couple for drinks before and a new ladyfriend for dessert so it wasn’t totally pathetic and…just arguing about why Lizzie can’t come to the memorial with me to the people she didn’t know.

We ordered in the bird and stuff(ing) and I made a few side dishes and she brought the champagne. I admit it…I didn’t use the good good china and silver. I used the semi-good china and regular every day cutlery. I also used the medium valuable crystal. Just so I could put everything in the dishwasher.

Everything was going along swimmingly when one of the guests let out a shriek! She said ”I just saw an animal!” I came running out of the kitchen and said, “NO!! Please don’t tell me it was a mouse.” (Remember the score to now was mice 0, Susan 6 but the exterminators had gone over the place with a fine tooth comb and every other apartment and the problem had gone away, so I thought.) Well, it turned out to be a giant waterbug running along the dining room wall and those don’t scare me. We all tried to grab it but it fled under the floorboard.

So mass quantities of champagne were inhaled and then Lizzie and I attacked our food, and I do mean attacked. There was supposed to be some left over as I love the turkey next day. But nooooo. We pigged out and that is why I am now going to sleep and it’s only eight p.m.

Next week I will tell you about my Cinderella moment. Yes I went to a ball…well a gala dinner dance and met someone…maybe not the Prince, but I thought he was very attractive and certainly more than Adequate. We are going out next week but I won’t report that in detail. He made me promise. But what’s a few harmless tidbits between…Dear Readers…

P.S. One of the events I went to was a charity cocktail party for the most wonderful cause. It’s called The Pajama Program and it delivers new pajamas and books to kids in the Foster Care system. Some of them hadn’t ever had a new pair and one darling little girl didn’t know what they were! I am also going to volunteer to do reading with the little ones.

I don’t have to tell you how important it is that we find something we care about and give back, particularly we lucky ones. But this charity is really special in that one woman had the idea and has turned it into a worldwide
Organization! So one can make a difference.

If anyone out there manufactures pj’s…or children’s books, well you know where to find me.

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