168/365 Mah jongg update

I didn't write about our last mah jongg event. Deer season. Jake was gone and I needed some distraction. I got it, in the form of White Russians and pumpkin pie. And then I returned it at about 2 that morning. But that was later.

White Russians. But Jackie and Tara were calling them "chocolate martinis." Bullshit. They were kahlua, vodka, and half and half. And they were really good. And I will never ever have another as long as I live.

Seriously.

Anyway, back in September we played mah jongg and, as Zelda put it, it was the least satisfying mah jongg night ever. We played 3 hands. Only 3 of us were on the list of what I'd call serious players--and that's kind of a stretch for Jackie, but she likes to play and always does. Zelda, Jackie, and me. Cicely obliged us and was the fourth on the hands, as we sat there listening to several new gals from our block say that they weren't smart enough to learn this game.

And I'm too tired to teach you, I thought to myself. I love teaching mah jongg (or anything, really) but that night, I just wanted to play. Ah well.

So my invite list was short: only the serious players because I wanted to play. Chat, sure, eat pumpkin pie and drink things no one should drink, of course, but really play. So Zelda, Tara, Valerie, Gretchen, and Jackie came over. Joy couldn't make it.

And we played. I won on a closed hand. So did Gretchen. We drank. We celebrated good news on the health front for one of us who was facing some uncertain scary diagnoses (or lack thereof). We talked religion. Gretchen said she was going to win me for Jesus. No, actually, I said that to Zelda about Gretchen. We were all perfect and hilarious and didn't have a care in the world. And we played until Gretchen, Tara, and I were too drunk to name the tiles. Then they went home.

We have to do this more often so I (and others) don't feel like we have to go, well, quite so overboard when we do get together. This was like a thunderstorm, a waterfall, a deluge. What we need is some spring rain. Some every 3rd Friday kind of set up just for those of us who want to play. Those of us who know each other best and we'll be nice some other time.