Book clubs are great – even better when you’re not reading books.

Which is like playing catch without a baseball, a Hallmark town without a festival, or me joining a swingers club.

My Captor and I have been part of a couples book club for about 9 or 10 years; there are 4 couples, the husbands all worked together at Coke, so we’ve known each other for 35+ years.

Unfortunately, life intervened – primarily grandchildren and travel – so we don’t meet as frequently, and quit reading an assigned book a couple of years ago – the result of 3 consecutive picks from the banned book list: No Mark Twain for you!

But we met the past weekend, the occasion Adrienne’s 80th birthday, a dinner held in her honor.

We are the only members non-Atlanta-based, but another couple has a lake house, so when either of us is hosting, it’s like a 2-3 day trip to a ‘resort’.

At the other homes, it’s a relaxed evening of catching up. Which this was.

Even though it’d been since last fall at SSI, we quickly fell back into our ‘book club routine’:

Pleasantries are exchanged, then the ‘organ recital’ quickly follows – this time featuring issues with body parts I’d never heard of, which was exciting. And vaguely confusing.

Frequently, comic complications ensue, and on this occasion, Nancy created the “What’s older than Adrienne?” game, the FDR administration a trick question.  

As an aside, appetizers abounded! Nancy delivers strong apps.

A French themed dinner followed, as Nancy and Her Captee had just visited Adrienne and Her Captee in Paris – which unfortunately, is not where their lake house is located. Crepes, salad, Oh My! but no mention of Jerry Lewis or surrendering, so felt a bit incomplete.

We then settle in and discuss the book, or did. This time we watched the GA game, which was better.

There are ways to read a book: My Captor reads from start to finish, usually done early – as it appears do the other Book Clubettes.

I’m a fan of ‘last minute’, and of reading non-sequentially: Amazing how much more fun it is reading when you already know the ending!  

For a while, I’d read the 2nd half of the book, with the ultimate tribute going back the finish the beginning. But the 2nd half thing works great for Grisham books, you catch up quickly… sort of like watching the 2nd hour of a Hallmark movie.

And there are ways to moderate a book discussion – My favorite: “How’d you like it?”, but most seem to be a bit better prepared.

Fortunately, our club voted to not allow moderator costumes or role plays. Or ‘Sirens of Titan’.

While book club was a blast, our day was the ultimate contrast of beginnings and ends.

Another set of 35+-year friends had a baby shower for their daughter, having their first child, a girl, whom they plan to name Opal. I argued for Zelda, so this post could be A to Z, but…

Attending pre-book club, but made mind bending by the number of young pregnant women in attendance, all of whom streamed in simultaneously, making it feel like some sort of Catholic dream/nightmare.

It brought home the ‘cycle of life’, the journey from birth to death – though Adrienne looks quite healthy – hopefully with laughs along the way.

The pending father asked for parenting advice, all I could offer was “Good luck. Nothing can prepare you for what’s coming. But hold on tight and enjoy every second – good and bad.”

Which I know is right.

And which we recently (re)learned…

For 259 more posts like this –each with a wish for more time– go to beersatthenifty.com. Your phone will display every post, and you can waste an hour or two.

ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR IT WITH THE FOLLOWING ‘AGING HIPSTER MUSIC’:

A great thing about Spotify’s Discover Weekly is the artists you’ve never heard of. A recent one was Fred Neil, who was a 60/70s songwriter, who didn’t achieve commercial success, but was a songwriter’s songwriter. He wrote ‘Everybody’s Talkin;’, a hit for Harry Nillson, and used in Midnight Cowboy, ‘That’s the Bag I’m In’, ‘Sweet Cocaine’, ‘Dolphins’ (he devoted a good bit of time to Dolphin rescue) and ‘Little Bit of Rain’. The latter attracted me to Fred, as it is a great ‘Saying Goodbye’ song.

All 5 have been added to the BATN playlist.