In need of some ME time

It was a long weekend here and as it happened, it turned out to be far busier than I had planned. I kicked it off with dinner and a movie with the neighbour, let's call him P. We went to see Wolverine which was what you would expect of an action film - plus Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were yummy.

I hosted a brunch on Saturday with a group of friends, some of whom I haven't seen in almost a year! There were 8 of us crowded around my Ikea Docksta(!), catching up over waffles with blueberry syrup and the tastiest egg strada made by G's wife, E. I had a few hours to chill before heading over to my neighbour's 3 doors down for a BBQ (incidentally, in the 9 months I've lived here, I've never met him...I think I might have bumped into him once when I took my garbage out).

P had invited me to the BBQ Wednesday night and I was a little uneasy about going, not knowing what he had said so I was non-commital. When he asked me again on our way out for dinner Friday, I joked about how I grew up in the suburbs where we don't talk to our neighbours, to which he replied that he grew up in the 'burbs too and knowing your neighbours isn't so bad. When I finally asked how the invitation played out, he said he hadn't told him anything, so I decided maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. I'm glad I went. I have some really cool neighbours - some really good looking neighbours. :) P came by to pick me up around 6 and we walked over together. The food was fantastic and the alcohol was flowing. I did not get home until 3:30 and took a drunken shower before falling into bed around 4.

I had promised to meet my mother for dim sum Sunday so got up around 9. I had stupidly not taken any preventative measures like drinking tons of water or taking a few ibuprofens before bed so had a terrible headache and still felt drunk. Dumb dumb dumb. I had to take a nap at my mom's before coming back downtown and after my bath, napped some more, before P called to confirm that I was going to our other neighbour's BBQ. I didn't stay as late this time - I was done by midnight but it was still a great time.

I will admit that I'm very glad that I've gotten to know my neighbours...but at the same time, I'm mentally exhausted. Today, I just wanted to stay home and not talk to anyone or see anyone. But I had committed to meeting R today at his place to see the walls he'd painted in the colours I had helped him pick out (they looked great!) and then to see Star Trek on IMAX. So off I went.

This weekend's flurry of social activity and my subsequent fatigue reminded me an article I'd come across awhile back called Caring for Your Introvert. Some of it is rather tongue-in-cheek but I totally identified with the idea of needing to recharge "after an hour or two of being socially "on," ...This isn't antisocial. It isn't a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating." In a related aside, I re-took the MBTI here and after being resolutely ISTJ for as long as I can remember, I was surprised to discover last week that I am now an ISFJ! Granted, the F is only mildly expressed but still! How and when did that happen!? I'm going to sign off now and ponder it for a bit.

Good night!