Hazel Staloff
Approximately 30 members of the SaddleBrooke Singles Club attended a holiday brunch at a member’s home on Dec. 15, 2019. The seasonal theme was inclusive—celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, along with the lesser-known Festivus, popularized in the sitcom Seinfeld.
The lavish buffet featured offerings traditional to the three holidays, such as fruitcake, eggnog, lox and bagels, Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil), chocolate babka, and black and white cookies; as well as items not typically associated with the holidays.
The Festivus pole, conventionally aluminum and free of decoration, was wrapped in green and red tinsel to disguise its origins as a mop handle.
Attendees, who may have had jaded palettes given the number of social events in SaddleBrooke commemorating the holidays, were especially enthusiastic about items not identified so strongly with that time of year. For example, the brie en croute was devoured quickly by early arrivals; the hostess could not unwrap a second serving of tapas fast enough for one guest who rushed the kitchen in anticipation; and, in keeping with Singles Club tradition, there was not one potato chip remaining at party’s end. Adult and non-age discriminatory beverages were abundant. The sound of a champagne bottle being uncorked prompted a Pavlovian reaction among partygoers, exceeding the rate of disappearance of the brie. Elements of the event embodied SaddleBrooke counterculture – no one was asked to bring anything and a male guest volunteered to perform the major cleanup. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to visit with one another in a Talavera great room that seated 30 comfortably with room to spare.
SaddleBrooke Singles are a convivial, fun-loving bunch who meet weekly for happy hour, Fridays at 4 p.m. Originally held in the Agave Lounge at SaddleBrooke One, happy hour has since expanded to other SaddleBrooke venues, notably the Preserve and MountainView clubhouses. Due to prior bookings, people should first check before attending. For more information about the SaddleBrooke Singles Club, contact David Dodd at [email protected].