Mission Accomplished

Yesterday was a big day for the Boucek girls. K had her very first sleepover and I got to meet Bill Clinton. The events were, respectfully, the best things to happen to us all week.

Due to my overnighter in Richmond, K spent the night with the neighbors. She has fallen asleep there before, but always got picked up late at night and woke up in her own bed. My big girl made it through her milestone with flying colors. We are thinking about hosting a sleepover on Saturday with one of her friends from school and I am seriously hoping we have made the first step towards reciprocal sleepovers, which in turn means I may actually get to leave the house after 7:00 p.m. more than twice a year.

My night in Richmond was wonderful. I went to an annual Democratic fundraiser which has most aptly been described by one of my friends as a dysfunctional family reunion. It lived up to the hype.

Former President Bill Clinton gave the keynote address before they even served dinner. He was awesome. While I failed in my attempt to score tickets to the VIP reception before dinner, just being in the same room as Bill made the trek worthwhile. Love him or hate him, the man gives a hell of a speech. My night got better when I hit the rope line after his speech and, in addition to several close up photos, I got to shake the man's hand. None of my pictures actually included me and Bill together, but I did manage to get in the background of someone else's shot and after stalking her through the crowd back to her table, I'm hopeful she will remember to e-mail me a copy as promised.

Once things settled down, my new Congressman (whom I adore) got a chance to speak as he introduced our senior Senator, Jim Webb (who I also adore due to his habit of being a straight shooter and his unwaving support of veterans . . . including being the man behind the new GI Bill).

As if my night wasn't good enough, I got to spend the next two hours with my friends Dominic, Brent, Anna and Sean attending several receptions for our statewide candidates followed by a trek down the block to crash the after party of our junior Senator (and former Governor), Mark Warner. The evening was topped off hanging out in the hotel lounge until closing with several old (and some new) friends. Since I only get to dress up and act like a real grown up about 4 nights a year, it was delightful to make the most of it.

Oh, and as a side note, I managed to look absolutely stunning in my polka dot dress. This dress not only got me my first date in 19 years when I wore it New Year's Eve, it also scored me two free drinks from a nice union guy last night. I'm now thinking of wearing it every time I leave the house.