HI Zoo,

Forgive me if I miss a few pertinent points, but I've had a glass of vino...

First, re the friendships thing...I just posted a few thoughts on that to Jeannine.

It IS important to have people outside the M...way too much pressure otherwise and I DO worry about that with CJ..

I'm glad he's getting closer to D, handy as his W, H is my best pal!

Now let me be honest. I have a lot of friends. A few are very close, as are my sibs. Others are social pals...a typical birthday party in this circle might have a potential guest list of 20 - 40 people.

BUT we have lived here ALL of our lives. My "old" best pal, MJ and I have known each other since we were 4 years old!!

Our "newest" pals are friends of 10 + years. We are BLESSED.

One of the best things we ever did as a couple was to join a darts group...at a pal's house, semi-structred, and a LOT of fun...that's how we met those who became our core circle.

I also have friends that date back to high school!...not the norm, I realize. I used to also have a "girls lunch" every other month with W's of two of my highschool pals (I had mostly male friends in high school).

I'm due for lunch again with a fascinating woman who is working her way through her degree and was in my class 4 years ago...3 hours is rarely long enough.

However, if say, we'd just moved here...I can think of at least 7 women I've met just this term that I could have pursued a friendship with...from the counsellor at school (who I e-mailed after discovering she shared an interest in dream interpretation from her son who is in my class), to several students of similar age, colleagues....

It helps, no doubt, that I do (according to rumour ) have a rather engaging manner, and LOVE to talk...heck folks, I struck up a conversation with a 60+ gentleman in line at the grocery store (I commented on his Jamaican meat pastries), we chatted the entire time, he asked ME if I was one of HIS students!

Turns out he's a prof in the Education dept! He gave me his card...

Get out there people...need tips? Ask away.

Shiny (who has now finished the wine and realized this post is nothing short of obnoxious bragging, but whose frotnal lobes are sufficiently inhibited for her to hit "send" anyway!)