Well, yesterday got started off with a jolt. I refused the snooze button and got on my day. I read the “hot on hotmail” article, Are you better off single?, which set quite a theme for the day.

It was a nice day at work. My scheduled lunch with Mitch was minimized to a 15 min starbucks run, but we still got a chance to discuss some matters. By the end of the day, I became wildly motivated & focused, but sure enough, that was short-lived. I have this quirky dynamic with mitch that demands each of us to take every opportunity to insult the other. We seriously have this same conversation multiple times a day, usually spurred by one of us eavesdropping on the other’s conversations:

“Are you mocking me?”
“Yes”
“Jerk”
“Jerk”

I told him we need to find a new word, but he enjoys that “jerk” is our word. Keywords for my own reference “you know…alpha xi or xi delt…something hip!”.

Well, I was just chilling out after work, talking to him & Jim. We got to talking about movies and Mitch recommended Swingers, so I stopped by blockbuster and picked it up, along with Singles. I may as well have had “single” stamped on my forehead at blockbuster, but the counter man praised my choices—that’s always validating.

I watched Swingers—cringed at the answering machine scene and laughed at how true the whole movie really was. After that, I tried to doll up a bit and head south for my new ritual of Friday night improv. It was hilarious, as always, especially when Rick made a Swingers reference.

1: “Did you get a hold of Alcatrez?”
2: “No, I left a message…Alcatraz calls me back then I call them back and it goes back and forth like that….crap, i probably should have waited 2 days”

I seriously almost fell out of my chair.

It was really nice, just the side table by myself, laughing my ass off, not really knowing anyone and having a grand ol’ time, without drinks mind you. I talked to the improv guys a bit afterwards and announced I was aiming to become their groupie. I was promised a t-shirt if any ever come to exist. And then, as I moved to speak to some of the other guys, that’s when the night really became interesting. The following conversation ensued:

Jeff: So how’d you get drug to this?
Me: well, I’m a friend of a friend of rick’s
Jeff: Isn’t everyone?? But which friend?
Me: Mitch
Jeff: Oh, yeah I’ve met him. He’s cool.
Tommy: Doesn’t he have a farm?
Me: yeah…
Tommy: Yeah I parked my car at his place for a weekend.
Me: yeah, I’ve done that too
Tommy: yeah except you do it every weekend
Me: *completely confused look*
*Tommy & I exchange awkward pointing hand signals and say “umm yeah…” several times* *Try as I might…i just didn’t get the joke and I thought, at that moment, I realized the difference in humor b/t a professional & myself the amateur…but then*
Tommy: I mean…because you are married to him
Me: *chuckling…thinking he’s joking* haha umm no
Jeff: Well, I’m gonna leave this awkward situation
Tommy: But you were here with him last week, weren’t you? Gosh, I’m sorry…I thought you were…
Me: *realizes he was completely serious* yeah, I was here with a bunch of people from work
Tommy: Oh, so was that other girl he was with his wife?
Me: no…he’s not married [not that I know of…] but that was ashley, a fellow climber…his girlfriend is abby…
Tommy: oooh…yeah I’m really sorry for *that* awkward moment…I just thought…

And so then, after that, everyone casually drifted away and avoided talking to me!! I was doing such a fantastic job of trying to mingle too. I even tried to play off the moment by saying “nah we just work together” and the guy was like “ooh oh” and we gave each other a friendly elbow nudge. Nevertheless, I was left there…awkwardly standing alone in a comedy club doorway, so I did what I had to and left. I walked down to Old Point Tavern, determined not to give up. The place was packed. I couldn’t even secure a stool at the bar. My Swingers-inspired go out & be a single girl drive was all going to waste. And so I walked back to my car and drove home…debated stopping in Broad Ripple but my spirit was broken.

All was not lost, however. I gave myself a nice pep talk on the way home. “God dammit, Mindy, you tried and you should be damn proud. You did good. You did real good, kid.” :) The really bad news of the night was that the improv group is taking a break, so my new ritual must be broken already.

I have been invited back to the Pirate Ship again this year, so I may be venturing up to Lafayette to partake in some gambling & good times. We’ll see where the wind takes me.