Don't stop believin'.

So the other night I was invited to a party. It was either go to the party or eat paint chips. As appealing as eating paint chips may sound, I opted for the fun time. And so I went. Horatio Sanz was there. He was wearing Nikes. Ted Leo was there with his wife. I didn't get a look at his shoes. But I am pretty sure they weren't Nikes.

I've been to a lot of parties recently with the following formula: much drinking. Lots of super-cool scenesters. A bar. And The Super-Fun-Time-Karaoke Band! Karaoke? You heard me. Not only is it karaoke, it is karaoke on a stage. With a mic stand and, yes, a back-up band. You'd think it would be weird and awful and nobody would do it. Well, you'd be surprised what a few drinks can stir up.

So about halfway through the night, Mr. and Mrs. Leo got up to do their own little version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." It started with Mrs. Leo all off-key and just going for it, more like a sustained yell than actual real singing. She sang the first verse. They both went for the chorus, then he picked up the second verse, and so on. They were stomping and jumping around and dancing together like children, singing to each other and laughing and just having the best time. What was important wasn't that it was, oh, TED LEO on stage singing karaoke. What got me all choked up (really) was that here were two people, obviously really in love, having a great time together. I felt like this was a special moment. I'd really forgotten what it was like to be in love and have so much fun, and I became unexpectedly optimistic. This 'thing' does exist after all.

People have been asking me, what is it I'm looking for in a mate? And I'm thinking, geez isn't it a little soon to be asking me that? I mean my arms are still sore from moving fer cryin out loud. Well. Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Leo at least got me to start thinking in broad strokes. What I am looking for in a mate: someone I can be childlike with and laugh with and sing ironic songs on stage with. I mean, that's the important stuff, right? All the bills and the work and the chores and the family obligations are standard fare; we're all pretty much equally miserable with all that drudgery. But if you can find someone to LAUGH with and ENJOY life with, that's the trick, isn't it?

Anyway, on a lighter note, someone sent me an email about some marzipan babies.

Of course it's a hoax (they're actually resin), but I wonder at what point someone said, "Hey, wouldn't it be FUNNY if we sent out an email to everyone in our address books, with these pictures, and said they were actually MARZIPAN?! HA! HA! How funny would THAT be, Beatrice?"

"Oh, Constance, I would piss my pants! Let's do it before our tea water boils!"

When I opened the e-mail thinking they were marzipan, and even though I can't stand marzipan, I just wanted to chop down on em. Eat them babies. Too bad they are resin. I was going to give them as birthday gifts to everyone I know.