Spend more time with friends.

from “share my adventure with friends, new and old” to “spend more time with friends.”

It’s simpler and more descriptive of what will make me happy. It’s not really about adventures at all.

I’m going out with some girlfriends this weekend. Boy do I need a break! I am really looking forward to it. I need to do more things like this.

At the suggestion of one of the women in my book club, I’ve joined a Women’s Club associated with my employer & alma mater. Yesterday they hosted an activity fair and luncheon, and I went, hoping to learn more about their sub-clubs (like Stitch & Bitch, Babysitting Co-op, Playgroup, etc.) and to meet some new people (Moms in particular).

I was kind of nervous at first but ended up having a pretty good time. I learned a lot about their resources for Moms (and Dads) and during lunch I got to sit with some very active members of the club who have kids ranging from ages 3-10. They were very supportive and friendly, and shared some of their wisdom about becoming a mom. And I got to share my experiences about attending my alma mater as an undergrad (most of them were staff/professor’s wives).

I’m looking forward to getting to know them better, and meeting some other people through the club as well. I feel like the “ice has been broken,” so it’ll be less nerve-wracking to participate in some of the club’s other activities in the future.

I went camping this weekend, probably the last time for quite awhile. In order to accommodate my pregnancy, I picked the closest campground with flush toilets and we only stayed for one night. I didn’t do any strenuous activities like hiking, like I usually might. And I brought a lot of pillows!

I had a good time hanging out with friends, eating s’mores (not too many), and listening to the Presidential Debate on the radio. The campsite was pretty decent, and there weren’t too many other people around. A successful trip, I’d say!

I’ve been trying to get out and do things with people before I get all tied up with the pregnancy and baby. I’ve been doing something every weekend, but I’d like to do some things on weekdays too. You’d think it would be easier once I cut back to half-time work but all my current friends work full time. So, I guess I can get started – gulp – finding some more friends!

• Three weekends ago: Book club, fabric shopping, and dinner w/ out-of-town friend
• Two weekends ago: board game night
• Last weekend: L.A. County Fair
• Upcoming weekend: Stitch & Bitch
• Following weekend: One-night camping trip

This is not to mention the stuff DH and I have been doing on our own (like, the impromptu picnic DH and I had!)

from “expand my circle of friends” to “share my adventure with friends, new and old” in accordance with this entry. I believe this is in closer alignment with my mission statement.

1. Spending time with my friends
2. Avoiding doing the “same old” with my friends all the time
3. Expanding my circle of friends to make sure I have the support I need in all areas

with a girl from work during one of our design sessions earlier this week. We bonded over our tattoos (hers are much larger and more elaborate than my single one) and found out we have more in common that we’d thought. Maybe we’ll hang out sometime, but unfortunately she doesn’t live particularly close. Plus it’ll probably be less likely once I have the baby. But we’ll see.

This weekend I went on a camping trip hosted by the camping club from work. They have a camping trip every month or two, so I figured I’d finally go along on one. Apparently, the same small crowd goes along on most of the trips, and they’re all one or more generations older than me. Nice folks, but just not what I was looking for. So, next time I’ll plan my own camping trip (which I do every once in awhile with my close friends anyway) and encourage my friends (especially work friends) to bring other people I might not know.

Went out to lunch today with a bunch of coworkers, most I knew, some I didn’t. I had a gift certificate for the pizza place we went to, so it ended up being $2.50 per person. I was glad I had a chance to use it – I’d been holding on to it for about a year and a half.

I am lucky to have some really great friends, but one by one they seem to be moving away. And my interests seem to be changing somewhat, so that fewer of my friends’ get-togethers (e.g. board game parties, role playing) are appealing to me. It’s not that I want to give up my current friends, I just want to find some additional ones to hang out with when my current friends are indisposed doing things I don’t enjoy as much.

Today I went to a housewarming hosted by a friend from work, someone I’d like to become better friends with. Unfortunately she was too busy hostessing to hang out with me much, but I got to hang out with some of her other friends (some of which I already knew a little, others I didn’t) and I had a really great time. This boosted my confidence in going to gatherings with new people, and gave me a chance to hang out with some cool people.