lonely mom gets lonelier

The cool-mommy exodus continues.

I learned this week that my friend Ann and her family are moving to San Francisco. Her husband took a new job with a company out there and she said offhandedly, "I decided to go with him." Well, that's exciting for them, but it leaves our decidedly small circle of friends that much smaller. Bummer. Why is it that all the families who think like we do are decamping to other cities? Could it be the rising cost of shrinking real estate in NYC? (Nah, couldn't have anything to do with it.)

So I find other ways to keep busy -- Tuesday evening benefit events two weeks in a row, a Wednesday evening presentation for a proposed theatre complex based on Shakespeare's Globe theatre to be built on Governer's Island, a Thursday night end-of-season choir party... Friday was a medical procedure, Saturday a wedding, Sunday the Trinity Sunday church barbeque plus a visit from some of those friends who already left the city (several years ago) for the west coast. Busy but not fulfilled, somehow. I miss our afternoon coffee and mommy-bull sessions.

Oh, here's a complete non sequitor -- twice this past week -- not one isolated incident, but TWICE -- a guy in a van (two different guys, two different vans) pulled over next to where I was walking on the sidewalk and said, "Hey, you look really pretty. What's your name? Do you want a ride?"

Ok, guys, no offense, but what planet are you from?! Do women just hop into your van at your invitation where you live? I mean, I don't know you. You could be a serial rapist or a Bush impersonator or Karl Rove or something. Thank you for the complement, but you're freaking me out. I might be lonely, but I'm not crazy!