make new friends

just kidding.

I was thinking about what milestone I would need to reach in order to consider this an achieved goal. I have friends all around the world now, some I maintain constant contact with and some I am close to even if we only touch base once in a while.

In June I had 10 different activities before I even left Seattle, and now back in Glasgow I’ve gone shopping with Lil’P, had drinks & chat with Dermot & Sarah, went to an outdoor theatre production with gypsiewriter, am having coffee with ember tomorrow, a photoshoot on Saturday, and brunch with Kim & John on Sunday…

I guess when I habitually participate in 5+ separate activities (with different friends, of course) in one month, then my social calendar is full and this goal has been a success.

Where were all these young fellas when I myself was young?! I’ve always been attracted to the older gents, but now that I myself am, erm, wiser I find the young ones are flocking to me—and I’m starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

Not that it’s stopping me from having fun, mind you.

Sunday was a “girls day” outing, and I had an absolute blast. We hit a couple specialty shops (don’t ask), strolled along Broadway, stopped for a Dick’s burger, and finished off the afternoon having drinks and appetizers in town. It was so much fun being chatty and catty and supportive—SO different from a day out with guy friends.

I made two new friends on the first day at school! This whole social thing is getting to be a whole lotta fun.

I went to my Seattle Scottish “club” meeting the other night, and a new member that joined leads the junior piping band that is currently in fund-raising status so they can attend the competition being held in GLASGOW.

I struck up conversation with him and then I volunteered two of my photos, matted and framed, for the silent auction. He asked for my website info (argh! MUST finish this shit asap) and plans to promote me.

After the meeting, several members normally adjourn to the pub (rightly so) but I usually beg off with a weak excuse. Since Sally was home taking care of a sick ET, and MaryAnn is basking in the warm Ixtapa sun, I was on my own and vulnerable to peer pressure and inevitably found myself in a tiny inn cosuming a bottle of hard cider.

Didn’t get home until after 1am, but I really enjoyed conversing with new people.

I went out last night to meet a friend for drinks at the usual karaoke haunt. I had planned to only stay a couple of hours, but it turned out to be a birthday celebration for another attendee—and I volunteered to be the party photographer.

Sometimes drunk people can be SO much fun.

One young buck was flirting outrageously with me (I looked quite scrumptous), and I was having such a good time that even when I realized he was young enough to be my son (good gawd) my mood still remained upbeat. :<)

Several of the people expressed interest in having me join them again next week, and I even gave my phone number to someone. Yikes.

I’ve met even more people through these flickr photoshoots that I’ve been arranging, and I met some really nice people in the crime fiction bookclub I joined. I dislike the fact that I won’t see any of these people while I’m gone (for 3 months) but it will be nice to catch up when I return.

I made the effort and organized a photoshoot for last weekend with fellow Glasgow flickrites. Two showed up and we had a fabulous day shooting at Cathcart Cemetery and then City Centre at night. We are already planning our next outing and it looks like others are interested in joining us.

One gay boyfriend moved back to London, the other to France with his new husband-to-be. And now my friend from Seattle, who moved to New Mexico the year before I moved over here, sent me an email that she thinks our friendship has “died a slow death” and “goodbye”.

WTF?

I was shocked at first when I read this, as she indicated she had been waiting for an email response from a previous email. One that I either did NOT get or the one that she had sent over 9 months ago and that we had since discussed several times. The last contact I received was that she was going to send me pictures from her wedding. Huh?

I was hurt because I worked really hard at making this relationship work. I am the one that emailed and sent letters by post. I am the one that stayed up ‘til the middle of the night (her time zone is 8 hours behind mine) so we could have our internet chats—only to have her flake out and forget about appointments. I’m the one that tried to call her, and the one willing to pay the international phone rates to talk to her only she could never settle on a time for me to call. And yet somehow she sees the demise of our friendship as MY fault.

Now that I’ve had a few days to digest it, I’m feeling rather relieved to be free of that toxicity.

I also realize that I have been making new friends, and that these are pretty great people…

Last night I finished my book, didn’t have any internet access, no new dvds, and figured that with nothing left to do I should phone a friend. Except I had already spoken to both of my sisters, and the local nutter I know was already asleep.

its not like I had anything to important to say, I think I was just wanting a bit of a chat, but it was surprising to realize just how small my personal network is.

I really do need to get out more.