Most people are way too busy around this time of year to worry about being bored.  And that probably has a little something to do with why there was no I’m Bored column last week.  Yeah… um…sorry ’bout that.

Back in the ’60s and ’70s, home parties were much more popular than they are now.  And I’m not talking about the Home Interiors, Tupperware, or Pampered Chef variety.  Nor am I talking about the boring dreaded office parties.  I’m talking about getting together with good friends for drinks, food, and conversation.

My parents used to have parties – complete with the blender and bag o’ ice for whipping up grasshoppers, pink squirrels, and daquiris, along with an assortment of different kinds of liquor, mixers, and garnishes, including celery stalks (Bloody Mary), olives (martini), and my personal favorite – maraschino cherries (Manhattan).  I’m not a fan of the drink.  Just the cherry.  When my mom would break them out for their parties, she always had to keep an eye on me or I would devour the entire jar.  I still love those overly sweet little buggers.

Obviously, this is a popular time of the year for parties.  Most of the parties my parents had when I was a kid were around the holidays, including a few New Year’s Eve parties.  Party season begins with Halloween and has it’s denouement on December 31/January 1 of each year.  Oh, sure, there’s a slight spike on the party line graph during the summer what with picnics and all, but it seems that the actual proper Party – complete with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and mingling – is not nearly as common as it was a few decades ago.  And that’s a shame.

Throwing a party needn’t cost a fortune.  You can spend as much or as little as you want, depending on the kind of soiree you host.  If it’s a dinner party you’re interested in, you could have a fully catered eight course affair or you could cook the meal yourself.  You could even have a dinner party were each guest provides one of the dishes.

Perhaps you have a small house and don’t have enough room to seat many people for a dinner party.  Then why not have a cocktail party?  All you need are beverages, appetizers/snacks, and friends.  Your snacks can be as fancy-schmancy as rumaki, blini, foie gras, and truffles; they can be as simple as chips, pretzels, and dip; or you can find a middle ground.  Of course, this is the season of Chex Mix.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can provide the venue and ask your guests to provide the refreshments.  Why not ask everyone to bring the fixings for their favorite beverage?* Or bring an appetizer/snack?  Not only does it make party-throwing much more affordable, but it also makes it much less work for the host.

There are also theme parties… and not just for Halloween or birthdays.  How about an Independence Day party where all the food and beverages have to be either red, white, or blue?  Or how about having a Mardi Gras party?  Or you could celebrate the arrival of spring with a vernal equinox party.  With the popularity of the TV show Mad Men, why not have a ’60s theme party?  The recipes for grasshoppers, pink squirrels, daquiris, Bloody Marys, Manhattans, etc. can all be found very easily on the web.  You could have a contest to see which guest wears the skinniest tie or the miniest skirt.  If I remember correctly, back when I was a kid, Come As You Are parties were popular.  They were spur-of-the-moment get-togethers where the host would call up a bunch of friends and ask them to drop whatever they were doing and attend a party.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Of course, if money is no object, you can always do the huge rent-a-hall and invite everyone you’ve ever met to a big New Year’s Eve gala, but most of us need to go a little more low-key than that.

In any event, whether you host a holiday party, a birthday/anniversary party, a bar mitzvah, or a party for no damned reason whatsoever, it’s always fun to get together with old friends and make some new ones, too.  Many of us get so wrapped up in our own lives – working, volunteering, hobbies, and/or family – that we don’t make time often enough to spend relaxing with old friends and making some new ones.

So, I say to you, go forth… and party.

* Don’t forget to make sure that you have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on hand for your guests who don’t drink and for designated drivers.