T.O.P.S. And Vera's Party

Lots of fun activity continuing:
I saw Kimball Carolyn at the park and gave her my card. I mentioned the "lunch munch" every Thursday and the museum and she's interested. Home, changed, and went to T.O.P.S. I was satisfied to be down four-tenths (last week I was up two-tenths, the week before that down...etc., etc., etc.), so holding steady at 128.
I had volunteered to do the program and it went over big. I prepared certain situations about weight loss and gain, then asked each member to pick one in turn and respond to it--a kind of improv. There were a lot of good answers and I made very sure to gently end one person's soliloquy and draw out the next, so nobody droned  on and on. I was surprised and pleased to see Noreen come in. She belongs to another T.O.P.S. group, but also meets at Trinity Lutheran after we do (we end--or should--at 9:45) for O.A. She was greeted happily by Carolyn and Sharon; all three having been in my acting group.
After we broke up, Noreen asked me to walk to her car with her, where she presented me with a Bingo game she had devised called "In Shape." It's so imaginative and creative, I know our group will be pleased. I'm going to call leader Lennie and ask if I can bring it next time.
Called Connie to try to straighten out the mess I seem to have inadvertently caused by responding to Cherie about the County Fair thing. She hasn't called back yet, but this is a drag.
Called Donna and Gayle to find out where Vera's fortieth birthday/name change party was to be, as I couldn't find the invitation. It was at the Ventura Beach Club in town and I found it with, then did my afternoon walk.
Got to the party at 7:00 and found Gayle, Carolyn (the widder group one), Barbara, and Susan at a table in the attractive, fenced patio, and sat down with them. Inside, there was a huge spread of subs, pasta salad, chips, cookies, fudge, and other goodies, plus a cash bar. What was weird is that there were security people here and there to enforce the rule--or law, I guess--that you couldn't drink anything, including soda and water, outside.
I got a beer with my food and Gayle a Margarita, so we had to bring out plates into the bar.  Later, I had a glass of wine with Susan inside, also. The interior was one large room, with low leather seatings along the walls, lit up with floating lights and very loud with a live band.  At about 9:00, Vera went on the bandstand and announced her name change: From now on, she'll simply use her first and middle names:  Vera Lynn. Yes, the name of the old movie star; I must look her up.
As I remarked to my group, I never knew anyone who had so many friends as Vera. There must have been more than a hundred people there, most within twenty years or so of Vera's age and what fun it was to talk and laugh with them; I had a great time.
Now to prepare for tonight's party at Donna's.