Adult Fun

Wow, I felt like an adult, rather than a grown-up Friday night. The term "grown-up" seems to be the complete opposite of what it is. I never used that word until I had kids. Maybe a grown-up is more of a parental unit than an adult - an adult is a person over 18, perhaps 21, who has no responsibilities over children. Ok, that's just my definition.

Anyway, Chris generously agreed to watch the kids while I went out to a K school student organized dinner. K, who is a leading politician in Thailand and will probably become Finance Minister after the upcoming elections, organized an outing at a Thai restaurant. It was so much fun getting dressed up and going out with a girlfriend - P. She picked me up, drove us to the Central Square T-stop, and we took the T into Boston. Urban chic - maybe that's who I felt, instead of adult. When we arrived at the restaurant it was already packed with about 50 other students, and more started pouring in. T, a Dutch diplomat, bought me a drink (mojito), and I reveled in the kidless conversation and environment, though T and I did chat briefly about the three, yes, three cribs that he had to put together that week-end for the impending arrival of his wife, toddler and twin babies. We soon sat down to very yummy Thai food. In the e-mail invite that K had sent out, he said that yes, he had confirmed from that this place was, indeed, the "best" Thai food in Boston. Out here, businesses seem to promote themselves with some media proclamation that it is the "best of". Anyway, it was damned good food, and I ordered another drink. I was also sitting next to M, who like T is also in my quant class, and he had very funny travel stories to tell. Again, the non-kid conversation was so refreshing. And the prix fixe food kept coming. K stood up to make a toast, and we were all very jovial and thankful and everyone shoutedd his name. He jokingly said it was too bad that we couldn't vote for him. Then, three people who had birthdays were honored.

Soon after, the dinner broke up, but the good conversation continued. Many people eventually left, but about a dozen of us chatted in front of the restaurant. Folks wanted to go out dancing. I was totally game. Then P said she wanted to leave right away. I certainly had the choice to stay and find my own way home, but I knew that Kalian's 5am wakeup would come back to bite me, so I regretfully decided to leave with P. As usual, I second guessed my decision as we were walking, but I ended up having a great time walking on a nice summer night through Boston common and then down Charles(?) street toward the T.

Indeed, when K woke me at 4am I knew that I was back being a grown-up mama again.