Friday 10 September 2010

Friday Night Girls

One of my favourite TV comedy sketches by the Canadian (and Newfoundlander) troupe Codco was about the "Friday Night Girls." The two women of the troupe contrived to make themselves look as homely as possible, with hair curlers and white moustache bleach, while sitting around in pyjamas bleating "Froiday noight!"

Their sketches were always about their attempts to find something to do on Friday night, although I seem to recall they didn't work very hard at this. Mostly they dreamed of romantic Friday night dates and moaned because they didn't have any. Since I so rarely went out on romantic Friday night dates myself as a teenager, I identified with them entirely, except for the moustache bleach. (Thank you, ginger ancestors. Thank you, recessive genes.)

Two years ago, before I met B.A., I began to put "Friday Night Dance Parties" up on my blog. I can't do that anymore, for I had to give up youtube when I moved into the Historical House, boo. But I am struck that from the ages of 14 to 37 I had an idea that Friday night was a night unlike any other night and that it was the night that being Single and dateless was particularly hard to bear. This feeling persisted even though I knew dates are usually stressful and horrid. I spent one date trying to hide from my date, who was about 24, that I was 37. Yeah, I can laugh now. Anyway, I greatly enjoyed assembling "Friday Night Dance Parties", for it felt like a good substitute for actually being at a Friday night dance party.

Anyway, it is Friday again, and I am probably doing nothing exciting tonight, as the Festival is over and no-one has invited us to a dinner party. But that is fine because I have reached the lazy age and condition where watching TV or reading a book or surfing the web before bed is a perfectly satisfactory way of spending Friday night. The idea of putting on my Gothware and trundling down to a Goth bar to drink and dance (while B.A. drinks beer and reads the London Review of Books in a corner) has lost the greater part of its dark charm.

But then I am happily married, and I married quite late at that, to someone who very rarely goes out with the boys and even more rarely spends an evening down at the pub, so I do not usually have lonely Friday night feelings anymore. If I do, it's because I miss my girlfriends across the ocean.

Combox is open. What are you guys doing tonight?

20 comments:

Aussie girl etc said...

It is my little sister's birthday and so I am going to the pub. Normally I don't go out on Friday AT ALL since I work early Saturday morning. However for my sister I will make an exception. I will likely be the oldest one there apart from my bf. He is older.

Sheila said...

Not doing a thing, most likely. Baby's bedtime is eight o'clock, so I just don't go out at night anymore!

Even when I was single, I never really went out much on Friday nights. But to anyone who thinks they would if they only had a man -- ha!

Fritha said...

Going to watch some T20 cricket. Going to be awesome fun. Generally though, my Friday nights are spent recovering from the rest of my week!

berenike said...

Going to Mass, translating vast amounts of old news.

Anonymous said...

Friday night we welcome the Shabbat at the local synagogue with a big meal following! I won't have lonely Friday nights during the school year.

Silent Jen

Jennifer said...

Tonight: swimming laps, followed by curling up with a good book, then early to bed. After an insane work week, the idea of going out on a Friday night just exhausts me. haha

theobromophile said...

I'm going to an Open House hosted by one of the groups I work with, skipping their Board of Directors meeting to go to a fundraiser for another group I work with, and then probably home to catch up on work.

The Nice Catholic Man declined to go to any of this; he made noises about being too old to be dragged around the state.

Jen D said...

I'm going ballroom dancing again! I've been working nights all week (and for the next couple weeks), so I'm hoping to use my new nocturnal schedule to my advantage and dance the night away! :)

AveLady said...

It's a fellow chorister's 21st, so we'll be partying it up :D Fear not - we'll behave (mostly).

Seraphic said...

Goodness! How busy you all are!

I remember one going to bed at seven p.m. on a Friday night. I feel asleep at once! And I felt terrific on Saturday morning.

bolyongok said...

This evening I will have to work out, if I don't manage to do that after lunch. And other than that, I may invite a coworker over watch a work-related movie, or I might just finish the two books I'm currently reading. Or write the next ten thousand words of my latest novel project...urgh. But I'm definitely going to find some time in there to work on my flag coasters. I am not generally speaking very 'crafty' but give me some plastic canvas and enough yarn...
Yeah. Nothing exciting.

Maggie said...

My sister is visiting this weekend before she goes back to school on Monday, so we're going to make an apple pie, take a walk on the nature trail near my apartment, and watch a girly movie. I am excited!

Andrea said...

Work out. Eat! Read. I'm with Jennifer. I need to unwind on Fridays.

Kate P said...

I'm taking a trip with my cousins--not a typical single's friday for me!

fifi said...

I'm making dinner for a soldier who is shipping to Afghanistan tomorrow. God bless all those who sacrifice so that we may enjoy Friday night in peace!

Seraphic said...

Ooh fifi! That's the most romantic Friday night so far--though in a patriotic way. I've just prayed he (or she) gets home safely.

Amy said...

Having a heart-to-heart with a good friend while her hubby is at the movies and the kids are sleeping. Fun times!

Anna said...

I was originally going to go to Mass with some girlfriends and then out to dinner with them, but I got sick....so instead I'll be lazy at home and go to sleep pretty soon.

The Sojourner said...

I mainly watched Veggitales on YouTube with my roommate. It was nice.

leonine said...

Whoops, I'm coming a little late to the party, but that's because I spent Friday night moving. I roped lots of Strapping Young Men into lifting boxes and furniture, which they did with enthusiasm, then we all sat outside at the new place and ate pizza, talked shop, drank beer, and watched the sun go down. I'm thrilled to be in my new home, but am going to be recovering from that Friday for a while...