It's really nice outside right now. It's 76 with a nice breeze. The air conditioner is turned off and we're enjoying the fresh air tonight.
I'm in good spirits. I was able to talk to Sara and Layni over the last couple of days. I also talked to my parents and Megan and Paul. I've still got a few more people I need to call and catch up with, and I'm hoping to get to them this weekend. It's been weird trying to figure out how to maintain friendships over the long distance. I'm not particularly good at it. Back in MN I ate lunch with Sara and Layni almost every day. It was easy to stay on top of things. And Autumn lived 10 minutes away. It was easy to hop over to her place and hang out for awhile. It's a lot different when you talk every three or four weeks. I've been wanting to pick up the pace of calling, and I'm half-tempted to draft up some sort of calendar system so I don't feel like I have to call everyone at once. I have to call person X every other Tuesday, person Y every other Wednesday, etc. Maybe I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed with keeping in touch with people then.
We got tickets to the ATG Christmas Party today. (ATG is where Zac works.) Yes, they actually call it a "Christmas" party. Apparently the Christians still have a majority on the Super-Fun Party Planning Committee. I am hoping that enough Jewish or Pagan folks get on the Committee someday so we can have a Hanukkah or Solstice party instead. I would find it deliriously entertaining to watch a bunch of Navy guys at a Winter Solstice party. They would be looking to get drunk while dancing to KC and the Sunshine Band as usual, and instead they get people in flowing robes, holding candles, dancing and swaying in the moonlight to soft drumming. I would pay serious money to go that party. (I don't know if there is in fact a Super-Fun Party Planning Committee, but clearly somebody the Navy puts these things together so there must be a Committee somewhere. And clearly they aren't concerned with the religious specificity of the naming of the event.)
I'm intrigued by the tickets which say that the attire for the evening will be:
"Crisp Aloha"
Now just what in the world is that supposed to be? A heavily starched, recently pressed floral shirt with a coordinating lei? According to Zac, who has been to Christmas parties in the past, Christmas parties are fairly formal affairs. What makes the Christmas party different than almost all other parties/balls/galas/dinners throughout the year is that the service members are not supposed to wear their uniforms. They get to wear civilian clothes. So lots of the guys wear nice suits or even tuxedos. Gals are supposed to be dolled up too. So I guess Crisp Aloha is supposed to loosely equate to Semi Formal. I'm tempted to arrive in a loud floral dress like those often worn by Samoan grandmothers just to see if I can argue that it falls under the letter of the law, if not the spirit. I don't think I have the presence to pull off such an aggressive outfit. I suppose I could wear my KALBD again, but seriously, three events? I think I might just have to go get something new.
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