Why shoes and sunglasses make for a BAD evening

Just when I finally think I have myself sort of figured out I have a night like tonight and throw myself a curve ball :P

I've just spent the most painful two and a half hours of my life with friends and I think I'm about to lose my mind. But let me go back and explain so I don't sound like an insane lunatic (and no comments from the peanut gallery either, we both know you make me nuts :P)

I discovered this weekend that as much as I love my alone time and being on my own, the last two months of self enforced exile have left me feeling more than a little lonely. Don't get me wrong I mean lonely in a good way, ok, maybe I should rephrase that and make it in need of intelligent conversation (sorry boet but our conversations just don't cut it anymore). Of course when I was informed earlier today that I'd be alone again this evening I was anything but actually looking forward to it, in fact I'd even go so far as to say I was slightly peeved because I knew it was going to be another loooong night of silence. So when a friend phoned and asked if I wanted to join her, the hubby and some friends for dinner I thought why not, finally a chance at some intelligent conversation. Boy did I over estimate them and their conversational abilities.

Maybe it's my current circumstances or maybe I'm finally growing up but spending hours listening to women carry on about the virtues of this shoe designer and that make of sunglasses and which is better for a December holiday, Margate or Ramsgate (HELLO!!!! forget that they're less than 10km's apart why don't ya) and men wax lyrical about the new Chevy Lumina SS and the R16k they spent supercharging it and that the new sound system for the new Audi they haven't picked up yet cost more than my last 3 rent payments together over badly heated Woolworth's heat and eat meals just doesn't do it for me. That is not intelligent conversation. That is pure one up manship and I'm sorry but if thats what now qualifies as intelligent conversation I'm guessing my self imposed exile has just been extended.

It did however make me appreciate the silly inane conversations I have and the people I have them with just a little more and it also made me realise that an hour or two once in a blue moon spent talking to someone you find genuinely interesting and who can make you laugh is worth a million times more than any conversation about shoes...........