FORMER Party Girl?

Sunday evening the two boys and I were priviledged to be invited to a crawfish boil at Oldest Boy's best bud's house. I have only eaten crawfish once in my life but I LOVE me some seafood so I was NOT missing it, despite the rain.

I haven't been to many social events lately where I wasn't related to at least a few of the other party-goers so I was a bit rusty on my social skills. That, and the fact that I will never, ever drink a beer while driving my kids anywhere put me a little out of my element. I was practically a wallflower for most of the party.

I sat in the living room for about the first 20 minutes after helping a little in the kitchen. I should mention here that Best Bud's mom is an Ironman Triathlete who also coaches other runners, triathletes, and marathoners. She used to intimidate me (OK. She still does but it's gotten better since I know her a little more now). I knew that a lot of her running/training buddies would be there, too, and I've met a few of them at different birthday parties for her son or other events.

One of two things happens when you spend any amount of time with these type of athletes: A) You begin to feel so inferior in your pathetic 20 minute aerobic workouts and resistance band training that you try desperately (ALWAYS to no avail) to steer the topic away from running/swimming/biking or B) You look around at the other folks and realize that (mostly) to look at them, they don't look like marathoners/triathletes/ironmen. No, really. They look just like me. And then you get all crazy and start running and the next thing you know Best Bud's mom is offering you a training program for a half marathon (I didn't say I was GOING to run one, just that I might. Someday. In 10 years or so. Maybe. Probably not. Maybe.). Appearances can be deceiving.

As I was playing wallflower in the living room a woman walked in. No, not a woman. A real-life Barbie doll. She was stunning and she had beautifully made desserts and side dishes in a designer carrying bag and she was dressed to the nines. Naturally, I immediately hated her. ;) Then I started listening to the conversations (about the LONG runs) and found out she was training for a marathon and had just completed 18 miles that morning. This did not endear me to her any more at that particular moment. And then the food came out (incidentally, do you KNOW how much food approximately 100 people - 75% of whom are endurance athletes EAT?!?! A WHOLE FREAKIN' LOT!!) so I got busy stuffing my face daintily eating barbeque ribs and salmon (side note: The salmon was outstanding!!) when Barbie started looking for a place to sit. I slid over to make room on the couch and then realized that my napkin (which is really required when eating ribs) was nowhere to be found. Y'all, she split her napkin in half and shared. We chatted and guess what? She was probably the nicest new person I met all night. And then her husband walked in. He was, to use a Pittsburgh term, a jagoff. I have never seen someone treat their wife with such open rudeness and disrespect as he did her (at least in this kind of setting). And she just kept being so sweet to him. I? Would have left. WITHOUT him. She clearly deserves so much better than the shmuck to whom she's married. Appearances can be deceiving.

All-in-all it was a decent evening but I was wishing the other half of my family had been with me. Also, that I had realized a bit sooner that all of the fun, social people were hanging out by the keg/crawfish table. That would be why we stayed 45 minutes longer than I had anticipated. Once we found these folks (and the boys discovered the live crawfish just waiting to be scooped into boiling water) we were much happier campers. Best Bud's mom introduced me to a triathlete from LA (No, not my blogging friend, Mary) and she helped me out with the seafood table and entertained me with her training debacles. Even endurance athletes make mistakes. Appearances can be deceiving.