Saturday Night: Escape from the Suburbs

Yesterday was moving day. Not a huge ordeal when the extent of your belongings fit neatly into a duffel bag, a pack, and a couple plastic grocery bags (excluding the bike, naturally). Of the two potential rides I had been offered into the city, I opted for the 5:30 one. The hour of departure rolled around and it became devastatingly apparent that the ride in question was not going to work. So there I sat, worldly possessions packed and piled ready-to-go by the door, thinking, “Well, there’s always tomorrow…” when a sudden urgency overtook me.

I would not, could not be in the suburbs for another moment. The possibility of hanging out in Nepean on this Saturday night held as much appeal as the 1hr 40min round trip bike ride it would take to find some fun.
No.
I had to leave.

I had to leave now.

And without the slightest twinge of regret induced by the frivolity of passing up a free ride, I called a cab and headed to my new digs on McLeod Street.

Lucky for me, it was unquestionably the right choice. After tossing the stuff in my new (and very large) room, Brother Dan, Poebe the Wonder Dog, and I walked through the Glebe to pick up a few essentials at the grocery store. My original plan for the evening had been to attend an arcade-themed art-type installation party at Club Saw – I was sold after reading “Super Nintendo” in their publicity. But the unplanned shelling out required by my extravagant transportation choice and the lack of a going-out posse deadened the siren song of the awaiting Atari. Concerned by the prospect of me kicking it alone in a new house, Dan invited me to the party he was attending. At the very least, I’d meet some cool people, he assured me.

And he was right!
I met some fantastic people: Zoe, the adorable hostess; Mark, the host with the quintessential-Ali music collection from A to Z (who’s invited me to bring my computer over whenever I like); Jill, my vivacious could-play-a-young-Julianne-Moore nearly-neighbor; and Anne, her equally hilarious and ultra-creative compatriot.

Want the coincidence of the evening?
Of course you do!

As Anne was adding me to her Facebook – hey, it was almost 2am, there had been drinking, everyone was in their mid-20s to early 30s, it would have been weird if Facebook hadn’t been brought out – I noticed She’s Crafty was listed as an event on her profile. I had been planning to attend after reading about it last weekend. So I asked my new friend if she was going. She looked at me kind of funny, “Ali, I’m organizing it.”

“Your last name is Tessier?! I was on your website and everything!” (Yeah, I’m kind of a geek.) So now, not only will I know at least one person there, it’ll be the organizer! Nice.

Highlight of the evening:

Dan introducing me and, in explaining my recent move, said, “What she’s done is essentially the modern day equivalent of running away to join the circus…”

***

I love my new home. I love my new roommates (including the pup). My new neighborhood. My new friends. My dancing life. The fact that today, Brother Dan made me up a plate of the vegan brunch he cooked for his date.

Love, love, love.