Have I made it in Perfectville, My first invitation to a Perfectville Christmas Party

When I received an evite from a Perfectville Mom in November, my assumption was that it was another invitation to spend money at a stay at home mom's new venture into selling jewelry or handbags. Opening the evite only to decline and get it out of my inbox with 286 unread messages, imagine my surprise when it was our first invitation to a Perfectville Christmas Party. I let out a loud whew hew, and tripped over my heels on my way to grab my blackberry to email my husband the great news. (note: email is the only way I can get a response from my husband during the work day. He does not answer his work line when he sees my number nor turns on his newly purchased in 2009 first cell phone, but I digress......)
He was equally excited about the invitation as we had both been working hard making new friends in Perfectville. For those of you who do not know, Perfectville is made up of tens of thousands of wonderful men, women and children who were raised here, went to various colleges in state and out, and then returned to either live in the same home where they were raised or purchased another home a couple of blocks away from their parents and siblings. (read: close knit community, of fantastic people who have no need to make any additional friends)
Being the unorganized working mom that I am, I enter the date of the Christmas party with glee in my lotus notes calendar, GREAT I think, nothing else scheduled that Saturday night. So imagine my disappointment when my mom calls the following week to change the time of our family holiday party from 2 to 5 pm on the very day we are to attend our first Perfectville party. The Pville Party begins at 7, oh no, what to do?
No worries, I promptly email the hostess that my husband and I will attend but will be arrive an hour or so late.
On the day of the party, we are dressed and ready to go. We leave Perfectville at 4pm for our family Christmas as it is at least an hour to the nearest relatives home. Our plan, get there by 5pm, spend two wonderful hours with family while daydreaming of meeting our new BFF's from Pville!
Party and time with family wonderful, check
Kids spending the night with grandparents, check (and did I mention AWESOME)
Gas tank filled for the hour drive back to perfectville, check
time to grab a drink prior to party entry, check
We are on our way..........We are in! FINALLY!!!!
A little nervous and anxious we arrive for our entry into our first Perfectville Christmas party. The host and hostes greet us at the door. They are two of the most 'normal' people we've met since moving here and find out later this is because they too are new to the Perfectville life. While my husband and I are true newbies to the area ( a little over a year) the host/hostess have been here for a little over three, an eternity, I think, in Perfectville time.
They are gracious and busy and attending to all of their guests. Thank goodness my husband and I actually like each other, because the only time we are approached by another party goer is when a woman spent 5 minutes trying to figure out my maiden name because she swore she knew me from grade school. When I finally spilled the beans that I was not who she thought me to be as I did not grow up in Perfectville, she promptly exited our conversation. And I thought I was on my best game, guess not!
So how long are we required to stay at the party of the only couple we've met recently who we consider 'normal'? My husband and I agree an hour but end up staying longer because we had beer to finish and great music to groove to.
When we had finally had had enough of each other's company we decided to leave the party with no additional friends! Feeling a little defeated we started for the door, and although defeated on the 'new friend front we decided it was a good night for none the less.
On our way out I am trapped in a conversation with the woman who thought she knew me and two of her friends because my oh so sweet and talkative hubby is engaged with the men in the group. And then it happened, our eyes met from across the room, we both had the same look, the look of longing for something new, something that familiar and yet so comforting look, the longing of something new...............
Before I knew it, I was swept away with the feeling that I had finally found the one I was looking for...................Could it be I just met my new BFF in Perfectville??????????????
More to come........................................................................................................................................................