Strongly Worded

I Carried a Watermelon (Twice)

My friend Erica is one of those people I like a lot but rarely see. We actually met through work, though our meeting was probably inevitable because we have many friends in common and in fact even dated the same guy (at different points in time). In the very small world that comprises Greater Boston Nonprofits, she now holds the job that was formerly held by the woman who replaced me at my former soul-sucking job.

Anyway. Erica is way busy. (Not that she's too-cool-for-school, just hard to get a hold of.) So I see her very occasionally when she's free for brunch at my house, and at her fabulous seasonal parties for which she goes all out. And by that I mean all out. She makes homemade crackers and bread sticks. Figs stuffed with marscapone and gorgonzola. Dates filled with almonds and dipped in dark chocolate. All kinds of fancy dessert goodness ... it goes on.

According to her E-vite, last night was "An Lazy Summer Evening of Deliciousness," whereas Erica invited a mix of people over for punch and treats on her gorgeous patio. I went over with a batch of friends and we burst confidently onto the patio, drinks in hand. And we found ourselves facing a group of seniors sitting decorously on lawn chairs. Erica was nowhere to be seen. The seniors raised their eyebrows at us, we smiled uncertainly, and then we turned on our heels and went back out to the street, laughing hysterically and thinking we must have barged in on the wrong party. Is that Erica's house? We felt like idiots. Someone suggested we call Erica to check. Someone else argued: "What are you going to say? That we think we're at your house but it's full of old people?" The point was moot because Erica did not answer her phone. In the end, we sheepishly traipsed back in, and it turned out that we were in the right place, and that the much older guests were board members from Erica's job. They arrived early and left early. The party was lovely. Nobody seemed to notice, or care, that we made two entrances.

Posted by Dori at 8:49 PM