Christmas RSVP

Most of the time I think of an RSVP as a courtesy to let someone know I'm coming to their event. Lately I have been RSVPing to events just to make myself go. I'm not one who will just blow off something I've said I'll do, so when I want to go to an event I'll RSVP as a way to make sure I go no matter how little I want to go at the time it happens. Take Friday...

Long day at work. I was going non-stop and then at 5:00 when I was finally finished with everything I needed to get done for the day I still had to plan for Saturday. Yep that's right, I worked on Saturday this week. By the time I got home on Friday night the last thing I wanted to do was go to a Christmas party. But since I had RSVPd that I was going, I forced myself to at least look somewhat presentable, found a white elephant gift, and Jessica and I trudged off to the Ohio House Christmas party. Both of us had agreed not to stay too long, but you all know how well that works once you get somewhere.

We walked into the Ohio House and were handed a playing card and told to keep it for later. We spotted two open chairs on the far side of the room and promptly sat down. The room was probably 3/4 full and people were talking and just hanging out. We started talking to this guy sitting next to us, Ted. Somehow the conversation turned to where our ancestors were from and Ted said he was part Mexican. Jessica surmised that he must have been from the American colonies down in Mexico because he didn't look 1% Mexican; she was right. So then of course we asked if he was related to any Calls (my family members that were in the Mexican colonies). And would you believe it, he is. I really think that in any large gathering of Mormons I will find someone related to me. We figured out that we are 3rd cousins (we have the same great-great grandparents--not sure if that really is 3rd cousins, but that's what someone said).

About this time everyone was getting settled and the white elephant gift exchange was about to begin. I had been kind of lame and looked in my bathroom and found some bubble bath and an exfoliating glove that had never been opened and figured that would be good enough. Little did I know, these people went all out on white elephant gifts. The way it worked was that each card we were given had a double and it was placed in a container and they were drawn at random to figure out which order we went in. We then proceeded to find ourselves a gift and sit on Santa's lap to tell him what we really wanted for Christmas since only a few lucky souls probably got anything they wanted that night. Then we were informed of the second function of the playing card. The red cards went to the girls and the black cards went to the boys. At random times during the gift exchange Santa would pull two cards and these lucky people would get to stand under the mistletoe and steal a Christmas kiss. Needless to say, this added a whole other aspect to the night. As the game unfolded there were quite the gifts...a guitar (sadly I didn't get this one), several snuggies, Obama chia-pet, pasta maker, massage gift certificates, and my personal favorite...a hamster. Yes a real live hamster complete with hamster ball and something that may have been food. I think I would have died had I picked that one. Jessica brought some butt enhancer shorts that someone had sent to her work and no one wanted. And the rule was that if you got an article of clothing as your gift you had to wear it for the rest of the night. Poor Darby, she picked that one.

Now you may be wondering, what happened with the mistletoe. Every time Santa would pick two people Jessica and I would look at each other just hoping it wouldn't be one of us. But as fate had it, near the beginning the Jack of Hearts, my lucky card, was called. I struck out on the first guy because he had a girlfriend, but the second one was none other than my long lost distant cousin Ted. We were all laughing over in my corner because they all knew that we were related. But being good sports we took our quick kiss under the mistletoe and that was that. I must say that I enjoyed the party just a smidge more after that was over because I knew my card would not be pulled again. Let's just say there were quite the kisses in the course of that evening. But I think it added to the festiveness of the night.

I came away with water globes (little glass globes that are tapered at the end and you put water in them and stick them in your plants and they gradually release water into the soil). Don't worry, I didn't know what they were either when I opened them up. But considering that I keep forgetting to water my lettuce and peas, maybe it was a present I could actually use. Jessica and I left about 11:30 having been thoroughly entertained. White elephant gifts, mistletoe, Santa, Christmas music, treats--how could you go wrong? So I guess I will continue RSVPing to make sure I don't miss out on all the fun there is to be had not sitting at home.