Meeting people

So I seem to be struggling with "I just can't stand to be in this house by myself" syndrome again. It sort of went away for a while but it's been almost a year since Joe moved out.  I don't always have someone to go out with, especially during the week, so I go out by myself.  Often.  To the movies.  Out to lunch.  Shopping.  To bars (WAY too often).  I know, that's bad.  The lonely girl at the bar drinking by herself.  But I'm not usually alone for long.  For some reason, people want to talk to me.  Men, women, bartenders.  There MUST be something written ALL OVER MY FACE that says "please come talk to me".  Someone told me once it's because I'm always smiling.  Could you imagine that?  ME, always smiling?? 

It is ALWAYS my intention to go for "just two beers" or "leave by 9".  But then I start talking to people.  And those 2 beers turn into 5.  9pm turns into 12am.  And because I usually go to the same places I am actually getting to know people at these places.  I met a couple at the ale house one night and we had a ton of fun just talking and drinking.  I like when I show up at the ale house and they're there.  I feel a bit like Norm from cheers.  It's a nice little surprise.  They invited me to their daughters birthday party this month.

Then there are the Canadian guys that I run into once in a while.  They're always good for few laughs.  I go to a certain place for their open mic night (I LOVE live music!) and I hang out with one of the performers while he's NOT on stage.  We talk and enjoy music together.  I danced with a guy in his 70's the other night just because he asked.  Then we talked about Ireland.  (did I mention I'm going to Ireland this year?  I'll save it for another post!)  Who knows when the last time he danced with a "young" girl was.  Then there was that time I met a guy with a foot fetish who just wanted to rub my feet, right at the bar.  I know a lot of you are thinking "ewww, creeper!".  But we were talking and drinking and I was getting a foot massage.  Hello, what's wrong with that?

I talk to these people and learn their stories.  And there are a lot of stories out there!  A lot of these people are very interesting.  I like to learn about all the different situations that people live in and all the different reasons why they hang out at that bar.  It definitely puts the word "normal" into perspective for me.  I always thought my lifestyle was "normal".  But there's so many different meanings to that word for me now.  I like it.  And just fyi, for those of you who are absolutely horrified by this post, (with VERY FEW exceptions) I keep these relationships IN THE BAR!

But I also meet some crazies.  Honestly, usually it's the women that are the crazies though.  Crazy women in bars, for some reason, always want to talk to me.  But it's OK.  I'm almost positive I've been that crazy lady in a bar before.