Golden Girls of Ventura County

I'm getting luckier and luckier with the groups I've joined. Yesterday, I met the "Golden Girls of Ventura County"--and what a neat bunch. The itinerary was to visit the thrift stores in town, see what we could find, then meet for lunch at Durgan's, an Irish restaurant. In view of my knee, I decided to skip the thrift store stuff (the last thing in the world I need is more stuff) and just meet the women for lunch.
When I strolled into Durgan's at noon, I told the hostess I was with a group. "Do you see your group here?" asked the beautiful young woman.* "I--well, I don't know what any of them look like." "Oh. What is the name of the person who made the reservation?" "I'm not sure." By this time, we were both laughing and she said, "Look, there's a group of ten coming and I put them in the alcove. I could seat you there and when the rest of them come in, you can see if that's your group." "Great," I said, "And if it isn't, I'll just join them anyway."
Well, it was "my group." Shortly, in trouped Cheryl, the founder, plus Belinda, Katherine, Meg, Maddy, Nancy, Christina, and Isabelle, who said she recognized me from the widow's group. (There were two others whose names I didn't catch.) I guess they varied in age from fifties to--well, I was surely the oldest; Cheryl is in her late sixties. As we chatted, she and I found we live practically next door to each other. I wasn't quite clear on whether she lives in Colony Parc, where I do, or in Weston Villa townhouses, which more or less surrounds C.P. Anyway, we had a ball talking as I did with my other table mates. They seem so much more down to earth and fun than those at Beach Cities. Of course, I also like the people in the widowed group--I just found out it's called "Soaring Spirits"--dumb name, if you ask me--and is an "international" organization, whatever that means. I sat next to Isabelle and she noted she's a member of that, too, and had seen me at lunch with that group last week.
Anyway, this was such a pleasure. I'm anxious to be with them again; I know a brunch and activity is planned for next time, as well as a harbor cruise in December. Yay!
In the evening, Nancy from Soaring Spirits called and we had a good long talk. Her husband was also very ill for a long time before he died--can't remember exactly what the problem was--and there's nothing like being about to discuss and understand what that means to feel like kindred spirits. She and Joyce and I will meet on Thursday for lunch.
On a down note, I had a hard time sleeping last night. Just got up at 8:30; darn, I hope this doesn't last.
* Everybody in Ventura either looks like a movie star or is overly hairy.