the fruitcake enterprises social review—fall 2023
In the fall of 2023, I engaged in in-person or face-to-face virtual social interaction with the following people on the indicated number of days:
1. Shobhit—27 *
2. Laney—16
3. Alexia—11
4. Karen—7
5. Faith—6
6. Shivy—6
7. Gabriel—4
8. Tracy—4
9. Mel—5 **
10. Noah—5
11. Tony—6 *
12. Lea—3
13. Danielle—1
14. Derek—6 *
15. Ryan—5 *
16. Gabby—3
17. Amy—3
18. Jake—5 *
19. Ben—4 *
20. Steve—2 **
21. Deena—2 **
22. Scott—1
23. Mandy—1
24. Jessica—1
25. Kevin—1
26. Chris G—3 *
27. Chris B—3 *
28. Sachin—1
29. Michelle—2
30. Garret—1
31. Andy—1
32. Steven—1
33. Amanda—1
34. Katy—1
35. Jacey—1
36. Brian—1
37. Sean—2 *
38. Joe—2 *
39. Tess—1
40. Marie—1
41. Bridget—1
42. Gina—1
43. Jorge—1
44. Ellen—1
45. Avalon—1
46. Dave—1
47. Jami—1
48. Lexis—1
49. Ryan—1
50. Adrienne—1
51. Andrew—1
52. Benny—1
53. Mike—1
54. Jessica—1
55. Linda—1
56. John—1
57. Sarah—1 *
58. Daniel—2 *
59. Emmily—1
* Regular attendee at Action Movie Night ** Book Club Total days in the fall with social interaction: 59 (64.8%, a +10.5 percentage point change from summer)
I'm only realizing now, as I write up the above stats, that the biggest story of Social Review Fall 2023 is the total number of days with social interaction: not only is 59 the largest number since well before the pandemic, but it's the highest number I've had since spring 2017. There have been two quarters in the meantime that got up to 57, but this is still higher than I've had in more than six years. In the fall of 2023, this is due to a pretty wide swath of factors: the continued regularity of biweekly Action Movie Nights at the Braeburn Condos theater; the typical uptick of socializing in the holiday season space between Thanksgiving and Christmas; probably more than anything, the six days allocated to a Thanksgiving Week trip to Palm Springs. That trip alone garnered six points each to both Faith and Shivy, neither of whom appear often on these lists; and those six points alone also skyrocketed Shobhit's total points for the fall up to 27—without which he would have had only 21 points, only two more than he had over the summer. Of course, either way he'd have easily secured the #1 spot in the rankings, as usual. Laney once again easily secured the #2 spot, which I predict will be pretty consistent as long as she lives only six blocks away at Pride Place—which is to say, probably, the rest of her life. And her 16 points this quarter is the highest she's gotten since she managed 19 in fall 2016. Incidentally, had she not had to cancel three different planned engagements due to her knee and back issues, she'd have tied with that number. Alexia, also as usual, holds steady at #3, with 11 points as compared to 9 in the summer. Karen fills out the top 4 before Faith and Shivy come in at #5 and #6, respectively; Gabriel comes in at #7 with an unusually high number of 4 points. I went to his place in Federal Way one time; we hung out virtually one time (the annual pumpkin carving party); and twice we met up in Seattle. This placed him ranked one above even Tracy, who comes in at #8 with the same number of points (but not the same amount of cumulative time spent together, hence the rankings). The top 10 then gets rounded out by Mel at #9 (due to a mixture of Book Club meetings and office events) and Noah at #10 (all in one way or another work-related social events). Another unusual element of the fall this year: the top 5 are all people I spent time with on at least six different days; top 15 are all at least 4 days; the top nineteen are all at least three days. It seems I am actually socializing not just more often, but with more people. That said, the one major number that shrunk slightly was the total number of people ranked, this time around at 59; in the summer there were 61. So, there you have it. This year's reflection of one of my most social seasons, as we launch from the shortest day of the year into the winter. So let's get to the who did what with whom where and when:
Friday, September 22: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Sabrina (1954)) Saturday, September 23: with Shobhit, EV test driving event Saturday, September 23: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Scream VI and Ready or Not) Sunday, September 24: with Gabriel and Lea, movie watch with Gabriel (Phantom Thread) while Lea baked Saturday, September 30: with Shobhit, to a show ("Underground Cabaret" with Ry at Base Camp Studios) Sunday, October 1: with Laney, to a movie (The Creator) and picnic lunch at Rainier Square Lower Terrace Monday, October 2: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Monday, October 2: with Tracy, out for dinner (Nordstrom Cafe) and to a movie (Dumb Money) Tuesday, October 3: with Shobhit, Cultural Candidate Forum at Town Hall Seattle Wedneaday, October 4: with Tony, Jake, Ben, Ryan, Derek, and Chris B, Action Movie Night (Elite Squad: The Enemy Within) Thursday, October 5: with Mel, Steve and Deena, Book Club at Cafe Cosmos Saturday, October 7: with Danielle, Northwest Chocolate Festival at Medenbauer Center, Bellevue; and out for drinks (Forum Social House) Saturday, October 7: with Laney, out for drinks (Fog Room) Sunday, October 8: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Hereditary and MidSommar) Friday, October 13: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Saturday, October 14: with Laney, out for drinks (Chuck's Hop Shop) Sunday, October 15: with Shobhit, out for a walk and to a show ("Best Kept Secrets" at Theater Puget Sound Theater 4, Seattle Center Armory) Wednesday, October 18: with Shobhit, Tony, Jake, Jake's friend, Ryan, Chris B, Chris G, Joe, and Derek, Action Movie Night (The Nice Guys) Friday, October 20: with Gabriel, Lea, Tess, Emmily and Mandy: Virtual Pumpkin Carving Party 2023 Saturday, October 21: with Shobhit. to a movie (Killers of the Flower Moon) Saturday, October 21: with Alexia, movie night at her place (The Devil's Own) Monday, October 23: with Tracy, out to dinner and a movie (Beetlejuice at Central Cinema) Wednesday, October 25: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Wednesday, October 25: with Laney, Pride Place Grand Opening event, and out for drinks (Poquitos) Thursday, October 26: with Shobhit, Laney, Jessica and Mike, moving Laney into Pride Place Friday, October 27: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Air Force One) Saturday, October 28: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Barbarian and House of 1000 Corpses) Sunday, October 29: with Shobhit, Halloween in the Junction, West Seattle; touring SEA Giant Skulls — Día de los Muertos Art Exhibit, downtown; Día de los Muertos Festival, Seattle Center Monday, October 30: with Shobhit and Alexia, Shobhit's 50th Birthday Dinner Tuesday, October 31: Noah, Mel, Bridget, Avalon, Marie, Michelle and more, PCC Halloween Happy Hour Tuesday, October 31: with Shobhit and Alexia, Capitol Hill Halloween Walk Wednesday, November 1: with Shobhit, Tony, Ben, Ryan, Derek, and Sean, Action Movie Night (PCU) Friday, November 3: with Tracy, to a movie (Priscilla) Sunday, November 5: with Laney, hanging out at her apartment and to a movie (Killers of the Flower Moon) Wednesday, November 8: with Laney, Braeburn theater movie watch (Nyad) Wednesday, November 8: with Shobhit and Sachin, last visit with Sachin before his return to Nashville Friday, November 10: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Friday, November 10: with Laney, Happy Hour at Saint John's Bar and Grill Friday, November 10: with Shobhit, King County Democrats party at Stoup Brewing Saturday, November 11: with Shobhit and Karen, Diwali Festival at Seattle Center Saturday, November 11: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Six Days Seven Nights) Sunday, November 12: with Gabriel and Lea, out for drinks (Lost Lake) and browsing a bookstore (Elliott Bay) Tuesday, November 14: with Mel, Dave, Jami, Lexis, Ryan, Deena, Noah and more, PCC Foraged Feast 2023 Wednesday, November 15: with Tony, Jake, Ben, Chris B, Chris G, Joe, Derek, Gina and Daniel, Action Movie Night (Batman Returns) Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit, Angels Flight and hanging out in Los Angeles Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit and Shivy, out for pizza in Los Angeles (Prince Street Pizza), then driving to Palm Springs Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, dessert and staying the night at Faith's Monday, November 20: with Shobhit and Shivy, walking downtown Palm Springs, and random shopping Monday, Novemner 20: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, playing Yahtzee and staying the night at Faith's Tuesday, November 21: with Shobhit and Shivy, Joshua Tree National Park; and Trixie Motel Tuesday, November 21: wtih Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, Yahtzee and staying the night at Faith's Wednesday, Novemner 22: with Shobhit, Mi Kasa Hot Springs Spa Wednesday, November 22: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Thursday, November 23: with Shobhit, Shivy, Faith and Jorge, Thanksgiving dinner at Faith's Friday, November 24: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, breakfast at Faith's before heading back to the airport Saturday, November 25: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Repo Man and The Nice Guys) Sunday, November 26: with Shobhit and Laney, to a movie (Napoleon), walking Pike Place Market, and Seattle Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Monday, November 27: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Monday, November 27: with Alexia, Seattle Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Tuesday, November 28: with Tracy. to a movie (Saltburn) Wednesday, November 29: with Scott, Noah and Kevin, out for lunch (Plaza Garibaldi) Wednesday, November 29: with Shobhit, Tony, Sarah, ake, Ben, Ryan, Chris G, Derek, and Dan, Action Movie Night (300) Friday, December 1: with Shobhit and Alexia, The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition 2023, Pike Place Market Saturday, December 2: with Shobhit, Argosy Christmas Ship Festival 2023 Sunday, December 3: with Gabriel, Garret, Andy, and Brian, hanging out in Bellevue for wedding suit fittings; out for dinner at Central Bar + Restaurant; passing through Snowflake Lane Wednesday, December 6: with Gabby and Amy, making cards for Pike Market Senior Center Thursday, December 7: with Shobhit, Holiday in the Park 2023 at Volunteer Park Friday, December 8: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Saturday, December 9: with Shobhit, Ellen, Jessica, Linda, John and more, 43rd District Holiday Party Saturday, December 9: with Shobhit and Alexia, Downtown Holiday Lights and Delights 2023; Fleurs de Villes Noel 2023; and Gingerbread Village 2023 Sunday, December 10: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Carol and Happiest Season) Monday, December 11: with Mel and Steve, Book Club at Cafe Cosmos Wednesday, December 13: with Gabby and Amy, out for lunch (Serious Pie) Wednesday, December 13: with Noah, Steven, Amanda, Katy and Jacey, out for drinks (Miracle on 2nd at Rob Roy) Wednesday, December 13: with Shobhit, Tony, Jake, Ryan, Chris G, Derek and Sean, Action Movie Night (Violent Night) Friday, December 15: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Love, Actually) Sunday, December 17: with Laney, "Happy Hour" (lunch & drinks) at The Cheesecake Factory, and Holiday Lights at Westlake Park Sunday, December 17: with Alexia, The Dina Martina Christmas Show at ACT Theatre Tuesday, December 19: with Laney, Gingrebread Village at The Sheraton Wednesday, December 20: with Noah, Gabby, Mel, Adrienne, Amy, Andrew, Michelle, Benny and more, Ugly Sweater Brunch 2023
1. Shobhit—27 *
2. Laney—16
3. Alexia—11
4. Karen—7
5. Faith—6
6. Shivy—6
7. Gabriel—4
8. Tracy—4
9. Mel—5 **
10. Noah—5
11. Tony—6 *
12. Lea—3
13. Danielle—1
14. Derek—6 *
15. Ryan—5 *
16. Gabby—3
17. Amy—3
18. Jake—5 *
19. Ben—4 *
20. Steve—2 **
21. Deena—2 **
22. Scott—1
23. Mandy—1
24. Jessica—1
25. Kevin—1
26. Chris G—3 *
27. Chris B—3 *
28. Sachin—1
29. Michelle—2
30. Garret—1
31. Andy—1
32. Steven—1
33. Amanda—1
34. Katy—1
35. Jacey—1
36. Brian—1
37. Sean—2 *
38. Joe—2 *
39. Tess—1
40. Marie—1
41. Bridget—1
42. Gina—1
43. Jorge—1
44. Ellen—1
45. Avalon—1
46. Dave—1
47. Jami—1
48. Lexis—1
49. Ryan—1
50. Adrienne—1
51. Andrew—1
52. Benny—1
53. Mike—1
54. Jessica—1
55. Linda—1
56. John—1
57. Sarah—1 *
58. Daniel—2 *
59. Emmily—1
* Regular attendee at Action Movie Night ** Book Club Total days in the fall with social interaction: 59 (64.8%, a +10.5 percentage point change from summer)
I'm only realizing now, as I write up the above stats, that the biggest story of Social Review Fall 2023 is the total number of days with social interaction: not only is 59 the largest number since well before the pandemic, but it's the highest number I've had since spring 2017. There have been two quarters in the meantime that got up to 57, but this is still higher than I've had in more than six years. In the fall of 2023, this is due to a pretty wide swath of factors: the continued regularity of biweekly Action Movie Nights at the Braeburn Condos theater; the typical uptick of socializing in the holiday season space between Thanksgiving and Christmas; probably more than anything, the six days allocated to a Thanksgiving Week trip to Palm Springs. That trip alone garnered six points each to both Faith and Shivy, neither of whom appear often on these lists; and those six points alone also skyrocketed Shobhit's total points for the fall up to 27—without which he would have had only 21 points, only two more than he had over the summer. Of course, either way he'd have easily secured the #1 spot in the rankings, as usual. Laney once again easily secured the #2 spot, which I predict will be pretty consistent as long as she lives only six blocks away at Pride Place—which is to say, probably, the rest of her life. And her 16 points this quarter is the highest she's gotten since she managed 19 in fall 2016. Incidentally, had she not had to cancel three different planned engagements due to her knee and back issues, she'd have tied with that number. Alexia, also as usual, holds steady at #3, with 11 points as compared to 9 in the summer. Karen fills out the top 4 before Faith and Shivy come in at #5 and #6, respectively; Gabriel comes in at #7 with an unusually high number of 4 points. I went to his place in Federal Way one time; we hung out virtually one time (the annual pumpkin carving party); and twice we met up in Seattle. This placed him ranked one above even Tracy, who comes in at #8 with the same number of points (but not the same amount of cumulative time spent together, hence the rankings). The top 10 then gets rounded out by Mel at #9 (due to a mixture of Book Club meetings and office events) and Noah at #10 (all in one way or another work-related social events). Another unusual element of the fall this year: the top 5 are all people I spent time with on at least six different days; top 15 are all at least 4 days; the top nineteen are all at least three days. It seems I am actually socializing not just more often, but with more people. That said, the one major number that shrunk slightly was the total number of people ranked, this time around at 59; in the summer there were 61. So, there you have it. This year's reflection of one of my most social seasons, as we launch from the shortest day of the year into the winter. So let's get to the who did what with whom where and when:
Friday, September 22: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Sabrina (1954)) Saturday, September 23: with Shobhit, EV test driving event Saturday, September 23: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Scream VI and Ready or Not) Sunday, September 24: with Gabriel and Lea, movie watch with Gabriel (Phantom Thread) while Lea baked Saturday, September 30: with Shobhit, to a show ("Underground Cabaret" with Ry at Base Camp Studios) Sunday, October 1: with Laney, to a movie (The Creator) and picnic lunch at Rainier Square Lower Terrace Monday, October 2: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Monday, October 2: with Tracy, out for dinner (Nordstrom Cafe) and to a movie (Dumb Money) Tuesday, October 3: with Shobhit, Cultural Candidate Forum at Town Hall Seattle Wedneaday, October 4: with Tony, Jake, Ben, Ryan, Derek, and Chris B, Action Movie Night (Elite Squad: The Enemy Within) Thursday, October 5: with Mel, Steve and Deena, Book Club at Cafe Cosmos Saturday, October 7: with Danielle, Northwest Chocolate Festival at Medenbauer Center, Bellevue; and out for drinks (Forum Social House) Saturday, October 7: with Laney, out for drinks (Fog Room) Sunday, October 8: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Hereditary and MidSommar) Friday, October 13: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Saturday, October 14: with Laney, out for drinks (Chuck's Hop Shop) Sunday, October 15: with Shobhit, out for a walk and to a show ("Best Kept Secrets" at Theater Puget Sound Theater 4, Seattle Center Armory) Wednesday, October 18: with Shobhit, Tony, Jake, Jake's friend, Ryan, Chris B, Chris G, Joe, and Derek, Action Movie Night (The Nice Guys) Friday, October 20: with Gabriel, Lea, Tess, Emmily and Mandy: Virtual Pumpkin Carving Party 2023 Saturday, October 21: with Shobhit. to a movie (Killers of the Flower Moon) Saturday, October 21: with Alexia, movie night at her place (The Devil's Own) Monday, October 23: with Tracy, out to dinner and a movie (Beetlejuice at Central Cinema) Wednesday, October 25: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Wednesday, October 25: with Laney, Pride Place Grand Opening event, and out for drinks (Poquitos) Thursday, October 26: with Shobhit, Laney, Jessica and Mike, moving Laney into Pride Place Friday, October 27: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Air Force One) Saturday, October 28: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Barbarian and House of 1000 Corpses) Sunday, October 29: with Shobhit, Halloween in the Junction, West Seattle; touring SEA Giant Skulls — Día de los Muertos Art Exhibit, downtown; Día de los Muertos Festival, Seattle Center Monday, October 30: with Shobhit and Alexia, Shobhit's 50th Birthday Dinner Tuesday, October 31: Noah, Mel, Bridget, Avalon, Marie, Michelle and more, PCC Halloween Happy Hour Tuesday, October 31: with Shobhit and Alexia, Capitol Hill Halloween Walk Wednesday, November 1: with Shobhit, Tony, Ben, Ryan, Derek, and Sean, Action Movie Night (PCU) Friday, November 3: with Tracy, to a movie (Priscilla) Sunday, November 5: with Laney, hanging out at her apartment and to a movie (Killers of the Flower Moon) Wednesday, November 8: with Laney, Braeburn theater movie watch (Nyad) Wednesday, November 8: with Shobhit and Sachin, last visit with Sachin before his return to Nashville Friday, November 10: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Friday, November 10: with Laney, Happy Hour at Saint John's Bar and Grill Friday, November 10: with Shobhit, King County Democrats party at Stoup Brewing Saturday, November 11: with Shobhit and Karen, Diwali Festival at Seattle Center Saturday, November 11: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Six Days Seven Nights) Sunday, November 12: with Gabriel and Lea, out for drinks (Lost Lake) and browsing a bookstore (Elliott Bay) Tuesday, November 14: with Mel, Dave, Jami, Lexis, Ryan, Deena, Noah and more, PCC Foraged Feast 2023 Wednesday, November 15: with Tony, Jake, Ben, Chris B, Chris G, Joe, Derek, Gina and Daniel, Action Movie Night (Batman Returns) Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit, Angels Flight and hanging out in Los Angeles Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit and Shivy, out for pizza in Los Angeles (Prince Street Pizza), then driving to Palm Springs Sunday, November 19: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, dessert and staying the night at Faith's Monday, November 20: with Shobhit and Shivy, walking downtown Palm Springs, and random shopping Monday, Novemner 20: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, playing Yahtzee and staying the night at Faith's Tuesday, November 21: with Shobhit and Shivy, Joshua Tree National Park; and Trixie Motel Tuesday, November 21: wtih Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, Yahtzee and staying the night at Faith's Wednesday, Novemner 22: with Shobhit, Mi Kasa Hot Springs Spa Wednesday, November 22: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, WildLights at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Thursday, November 23: with Shobhit, Shivy, Faith and Jorge, Thanksgiving dinner at Faith's Friday, November 24: with Shobhit, Shivy and Faith, breakfast at Faith's before heading back to the airport Saturday, November 25: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Repo Man and The Nice Guys) Sunday, November 26: with Shobhit and Laney, to a movie (Napoleon), walking Pike Place Market, and Seattle Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Monday, November 27: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Monday, November 27: with Alexia, Seattle Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Tuesday, November 28: with Tracy. to a movie (Saltburn) Wednesday, November 29: with Scott, Noah and Kevin, out for lunch (Plaza Garibaldi) Wednesday, November 29: with Shobhit, Tony, Sarah, ake, Ben, Ryan, Chris G, Derek, and Dan, Action Movie Night (300) Friday, December 1: with Shobhit and Alexia, The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition 2023, Pike Place Market Saturday, December 2: with Shobhit, Argosy Christmas Ship Festival 2023 Sunday, December 3: with Gabriel, Garret, Andy, and Brian, hanging out in Bellevue for wedding suit fittings; out for dinner at Central Bar + Restaurant; passing through Snowflake Lane Wednesday, December 6: with Gabby and Amy, making cards for Pike Market Senior Center Thursday, December 7: with Shobhit, Holiday in the Park 2023 at Volunteer Park Friday, December 8: with Karen, lunch over Zoom Saturday, December 9: with Shobhit, Ellen, Jessica, Linda, John and more, 43rd District Holiday Party Saturday, December 9: with Shobhit and Alexia, Downtown Holiday Lights and Delights 2023; Fleurs de Villes Noel 2023; and Gingerbread Village 2023 Sunday, December 10: with Laney, Braeburn Condos double feature (Carol and Happiest Season) Monday, December 11: with Mel and Steve, Book Club at Cafe Cosmos Wednesday, December 13: with Gabby and Amy, out for lunch (Serious Pie) Wednesday, December 13: with Noah, Steven, Amanda, Katy and Jacey, out for drinks (Miracle on 2nd at Rob Roy) Wednesday, December 13: with Shobhit, Tony, Jake, Ryan, Chris G, Derek and Sean, Action Movie Night (Violent Night) Friday, December 15: with Alexia, movie night at her place (Love, Actually) Sunday, December 17: with Laney, "Happy Hour" (lunch & drinks) at The Cheesecake Factory, and Holiday Lights at Westlake Park Sunday, December 17: with Alexia, The Dina Martina Christmas Show at ACT Theatre Tuesday, December 19: with Laney, Gingrebread Village at The Sheraton Wednesday, December 20: with Noah, Gabby, Mel, Adrienne, Amy, Andrew, Michelle, Benny and more, Ugly Sweater Brunch 2023