Saying "Yes" to the Address

We lionize weddings and baby showers.  I’m not against celebrating them, but why can’t a promotion receive such props?  Getting tenure?  Buying a new home?  I made a point of making a registry for my tenure/housewarming party.  And I encourage everyone to celebrate their accomplishments.  So I was ecstatic when my friend Alicia invited me to her housewarming to celebrate her saying “yes” to the address (if bridal gowns can generate such fawning, so should buying one’s first home). 

I got a lot of steps in by walking from the MARC station to Alicia’s lovely townhouse.  I stopped at Red Emmas, an indie bookstore/coffeehouse (DC needs more of those), for a coffee and a writing session, before entering Alicia’s.
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As an introvert who likes small groups, I typically like to go to parties early and leave before the crowds get there.  And, true to form, I was the first one to arrive, so I got a personalized tour of her home, which has some cool artwork and funny sayings.

I like going to other people’s homes; I always get a nice sense of who they are.  And meeting the people in their lives always gives me a glimpse of their multidimensionality.  I met Dwayne, one of Alicia’s former coworkers (thank you, nurses, and other medical workers); Eve, a dance teacher of Alicia’s (how do people maneuver around those poles?); Dan and Hilary, Eve’s parents; and Mary, a friend of Alicia’s from the neighborhood.  I had a nice 1-1 conversation with Dan, a retired social studies teacher and assistant principal, about theater and AI’s impact on writing and education as a whole.

I’m good at parties for about two hours before I need to retreat.  I had been at it all day and wanted to head home before dark, so I politely excused myself.  But I enjoyed the place and the company during my time there.  A highlight: this “mandip” Alicia made, which consists of a nice mixture of ground sausage and cream cheese. 
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I’ll be making this at my next event: my Singles Empowerment Day gathering (2/15/26).