Greetings Citizens. Well things didn't quite go as planned for your humble protagonist. L was in her stride when I arrived... fashionably late. There were probably thirty people there. I knew her... that's it. It was raining when I got there and I had a print and other presents for her. I didn't want the print to get wet, so we went indoors for a moment while I lavished her with birthday gifts. She didn't seem too impressed. In fact, she didn't even unwrap the one gift that I had wrapped up for her. She had to attend to her friends. I don't fault her for that but I felt like a fish out of the water. I tried to talk to a few people but mostly everyone knew everybody else and they didn't seem to have any time for somebody new to the group. Now, believe it or not gentle readers, I don't do well in groups when the numbers get too big. People think I'm a goof-ball or just plain weird. And i have a hard time striking up a conversation with people I don't know. I never really know what to say. It's silly, I know but, for whatever reason, it's difficult for me. So after an hour of standing in the rain, I said I was going home. No hug, no nothing. Just, "I guess you have a long ways to drive." And believe me, it was a long drive home.