Well I didn't make any best friends

Remember how my neighbors all had that party a few weeks ago to which my family and I were not invited? There was another little party today; this time it was a going away party for our neighbor who lives downstairs from us. Though we're not close to them and don't know them very well, I do know that they are very nice. Every interaction I've had with them has been a pleasant one.

Well, this time I was invited. And ohmygod, I was dreading it. (It is JUST LIKE ME to complain when I'm not invited, and then not want to go when I am invited; there is no pleasing me!) I spent all yesterday evening trying to come up believable excuses as to why I couldn't make it, bouncing each one off Greg: "Do you think if I said I broke my leg that anyone would wonder where my crutches are the next time I see them?" Greg gave that one, along with all my other excuses, a big thumbs down. And so this morning at 9am I was in the kitchen, making a dump cake (ever had it? DELICIOUS; I used Pioneer Woman's recipe) for a group of women who I had no desire to hang out with.

I guess most of it was just my own insecurity. I don't know the majority of these women. The few times I've seen them at the playground with their kids, none of them have spoken to me, and I've taken that to mean that they don't like me. I haven't really considered the fact that maybe they're shy, too. Honestly, I don't think that's the case. But still, I shouldn't judge them without knowing them. But at the same time, I can't get to know them if they never speak to me. But at the SAME same time, it's not like I'm going out of my way to speak to them.

Of the women in the group that I do know, one seems very sweet. Then she goes and has parties right in my face and doesn't invite me. And the other is... well, polite enough, I guess. Not outright rude. But stuck up. And has kids who are wild, whom she makes no attempt whatsoever to control.

And so going to a party with about 8 other women who I either don't know or have no desire to be around was not exactly a thrilling idea. But! I went. And I'm glad I did. If not just for the fact that I did something that I was: 1, afraid to do (I suck in social situations; I either say the wrong thing or I say nothing at all), and 2, just plain didn't want to do (and this based only on the assumptions I'd made about these people, not anything I knew for actual fact).

Well, now that I've gone, I can say this: the woman who had the party a few weeks ago and didn't invite us? Like I said, she's very sweet. I'm wondering if maybe she just... didn't think we'd want to come? I have a hard time believing that she'd do something malicious. She seems really genuine. I may have been wrong about her.

The one I thought was stuck up? Turns out she's actually even more stuck up and immature than I'd thought. And her kids? More recklass and misbehaved than I'd thought. No thanks.

But all the other women? I'm glad I got to know them a little. They seemed nice. It would be nice to know the people who live near me. But at the same time, they all seem a little too... gossip-ey for me. It was very high school, listening to some of the conversations they had. And I just want no part in all the drama that I'm sure comes with being friends with them.

So, while I didn't meet my new best friend at this little party, I do feel like at the very least, I could borrow a cup of sugar, if I needed to. I'm glad I faced my fear and went. Everyone loved the dessert I brought, which was good. Except that that led my neighbor (the one out of all them that I AM close to) to tell them all about my blog (my non-anonymous one). Which isn't awful, but I don't want to feel like I need to censor myself any more than I do on that blog. It's a good thing I've got this anonymous one where I can do things like talk trash about my neighbors!