[I'm participating in Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Blog Challenge, in case you're all like, what's with the theme?] Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?

My best friend is finishing up law school at NYU. (She used to be a chemist…then decided, hey, I want to be a lawyer. Oh, and she’s also beautiful, hilarious, endlessly hip, classy and generous. I WIN!) Thus, during the school year we’re lucky to see each other once, if that. Last February, though, she surprised me by flying out for the weekend of her birthday.  (I think she called it a gift to herself, but it was a gift to me, people.) Anyway, Mr. Gibson, my BFF and I headed out to Good Luck, my favorite haunt and one I frequent all too seldomly (what with it being 20 miles away, in the actual city, and my having a child and all). There, we met up with Hector, my fake brother, who was actually Mr. Gibson’s fake brother first. And for several hours, we sat around on the low couches and enjoyed an exotic assortment of kitschy theme drinks and Asian beer. [One of us may have a rather revolting taste for Jagermeister, but I can't bear to go into that. Suffice it to say: it's not me, it's not anyone I'm married to, and it's definitely not my BFF.]

It was a perfect night. We laughed ourselves silly, trading clever-clevers and compliments and observations and embarrassing tidbits. [As I recall, toward the end of the evening there were many Ice Cube impersonations as well. Lots of Yeh-YAAYEEEE! going on. Huh.] In any case, I was with three of my favorite people in the world, in a place that always feel safe yet somehow exciting, completely relaxed. Feeling loved and appreciated, and in turn loving and appreciating. Nothing out of the ordinary happened; nothing dramatic. Just lovely people in a great setting, enjoying one another’s company.  Hands down, the best night out of the year.