I went to a party recently. I was both looking forward to it and dreading it all at once. I there are some folks I know I only see at these parties. They are fun to see and all, but seeing some of the other folks there makes me sad. I used to be close friends, and now we are very distant.

The other thing about this party is that some of the folks drink more than they should. Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-drinking, and these folks are not yacking in the yard falling down drunk. But they are drunk enough to lack discretion. Once again this party, like its spring counterpart and the previous incarnation last year, ended when one individual started talking about inappropriate subject matter and made the whole room very uncomfortable. It was only 5 minutes or so after the first comment about someone else's sex life that people started bailing, as soon as it was clear the conversation wasn't going back to anywhere polite. Then within 45 minutes everyone was gone. I know because I was the last person out the door, who didn't live in the house where the party was being held.

The saddest thing is I don't think she will ever realize what is going on because by the time people start to leave (provide negative reinforcement) she is already too sloshed to notice how uncomfortable she is making them. We all have lessons to learn, I guess this one is hers.