Girl's Night Out

My GNO group started very informally about seven or eight years ago. We all met during our tenure with a women’s civic organization. We joined at different times and for different reasons. There have always been eight of us. (Not the same eight - I'll tell Connie's story another time.) Despite requests, we have not added anyone else to the group. We are 40 to almost 60. We are married, single, divorced. Some of us have children and some do not. Four are Republicans, four are Democrats. Religion? All over the map. Suffice it to say we would not have met under other circumstances. Our paths should not have crossed, but they did. Now once every month or so we get together, to share a meal, catch up, lend support, get advice and so it goes.

We used to meet at restaurants but it got a. expensive, and b. loud (as in we were shushed and/or asked to leave on more than one occasion.) Now we just take turns at our houses. S. has had October for I can’t remember how long. She decorates for Halloween but we fix fondue. Heaven only knows how that tradition got started! This year she insisted on doing a Murder Mystery Dinner because we’ve been talking about it forever, but it is next to impossible to get all eight of us in one place at one time. Life? Does not always cooperate! 89 e-mails and four spread sheets passed back and forth. A date was set and the only reason to miss was death, YOURS!

It was a hoot! The setting was a Chicago Speakeasy in 1928. The invitation included the “guest list” with character background. We had: Molly, the flapper; “Torchy”, the club singer; Ernie, the gambler; Eddie “Socks” R. Gyle, the golfer; “Scoop”, the reporter (that was me, complete with fedora!); “Silky”, the madam; Billy “The Kid”, a baseball player and T. Straighten Harrow, the District Attorney. We really got into the spirit of the thing and everyone showed up in costume.

During cocktail hour we read newspaper articles claiming that "Hal Coppone" was missing and presumed dead. (The “hooch” was exceptionally delicious bourbon slush and let’s just say after a couple of snorts the Chicago accents had slipped inexplicably into southern drawls.) At each dinner course everyone had further information to read about the other characters. Directives were included as to what you should “reveal” about the other “guests”. What’s amusing is that you are also given additional background about YOUR character, but you don’t know what, if anything, the OTHER characters know!

Wine started flowing freely with the chicken spedini and fettuccini alfreo; despite my trusty notebook I was having a hell of a time trying to keep everything straight! During dessert everyone makes an accusation, and then the host opens the envelope to reveal the murderer’s identity. My deductive reasoning skills were a tad off, so my supposition was incorrect.

No matter. It was very fun and I highly recommend it if you have a group that can laugh at themselves a little bit!