We had a little pre-Christmas post-birthday get-together at Suzanne and John's house yesterday. It was a family thing, in the sense that everyone there is part of our extended family, even though some are not related by blood. Do you know what I mean? More than friends, they're people you know you're tied to for life, no matter what. People you can take for granted but never want to let down. Family.

On the other hand, some of my blood relations are among the people I least want to spend time with. Fortunately, most members of this subspecies are folks that I rarely if ever see. And a very happy holiday to them, too, wherever they are. Just please stay there.

Obviously, this applies to no one who actually reads my journal. Y'all are welcome to camp out here at the Fortress any time.

Knowing that I'm genetically predisposed to addictive behavior, it's rare that I imbibe to excess. Or at all. I don't keep alcohol in the house, unless I know a party is in the offing. (It's drinking alone that really scares me.) And I haven't hosted a party in my natural lifetime, so my home is a dry protectorate, I little bit of Utah plunked down in the middle of California.

However.

Once in a while, I'm in a situation where I feel safe. Where I feel that letting go wouldn't endanger my life or anyone else's. Last night I had a little wine. Compared to serious drinkers, it didn't amount to much, but I'd been feeling a bit down earlier in the day, and it picked me up. And I drank three cups of coffee before driving home.

It'll be awhile before I do that again. Not because I'm embarrassed about singing at the top of my lungs (or anything else I might have done), but just because I need to live with my wits about me. And also because today is the morning after, and a Monday, and it would be helpful to be able to think more clearly.

Besides, I wasn't the only one singing and dancing with abandon, and some of the others were stone cold sober. Of course, they were all under the age of seven.

There's nothing like five children showing a bunch of adults how to have a good time. It was the alleged grownups who slipped the party CDs into the stereo, but it was the kids who were dancing on the barstools and shaking their tiny booties.

Yes, we were loud, but it was over by nine, so the neighbors have nothing to complain about.

There are a few more party pictures here.