Giddyap

I've got a bad case of the Monday morning "blahs."

It's not being helped by the dire predictions of the weather gurus that we're going to get some sort of winter blast overnight Tuesday, into Wednesday here in the Mid-Atlantic. It won't be anything like what they're suffering up and out in west central New York state, but they're acting here as if it's going to be the blizzard of the century.

The good news, though, is that this will be a short work-week for me. I'm taking Friday off and we're closed next Monday, too, for President's Day.

I'm heading down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for the long weekend to attend something called a "roundup." Roundups are (usually) weekend-long events, usually in resort areas, for sober people in recovery. In this case it's a GLBT Roundup.

The weekend will kick off Friday night with some sort of big "welcoming" event, probably dinner, followed a 12-Step meeting and then some sort of social event, such as bingo. Saturday there'll be a continental breakfast, followed by a day of workshops devoted to subjects of particular interest to gays and lesbians in recovery, but not necessarily "about" recovery. Topics might include, "Sober and Dating", "Over 50?", "Aging Parents and their Rapidly Aging Gay Children". Stuff like that. Everyone will share their experience, strength and hope on the topics and, hopefully, everyone will take something home that'll help them to lead better, sober, lives. That's the theory, at any rate.

Then, on Saturday night, there'll be a BIG dinner, an even bigger 12-Step meeting and then some sort of entertainment program, followed by a dance. Sunday morning they'll have a real "sit-down" breakfast, another workshop or two then, finally, around noon, they'll elect officers for the next roundup and everyone will head home.

I've been to two of these things before, both of them in Philadelphia. But I haven't been to one in a couple of years. Surgeries and/or other events conspired to keep me away from them for at least 3 years now.

They're not just about recovery. They're also about fostering a sense of "fellowship" in recovery and networking with others in the GLBT community from around the region. Because of its location I expect to run into people from Washington (DC), Baltimore, Wilmington (DE) and Philly.

And, yes, there's always the chance of having my eyes meet someone else's "across a crowded room", but I don't go with that intention in mind.

I don't know why they call them roundups. It could be a cowboy thing. You know, as in "rounding up" the herd.

Roundups are not "official" 12-Step sanctioned events, although, technically, they could come under the heading of "retreats" which Bill W., the co-founder of the grandaddy of all 12-Step programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, said were part of the foundation of recovery.

But they're not frowned up, either. They can serve good, sober, purpose.

But no matter what the reasons behind it, I'm really looking forward to it.

If nothing else, I expect to clean up at Bingo and get some major shopping done at the Rehoboth Outlets (tax-free Delaware shopping!). And how gay is that??!!!