People always say that, when you least expect it, you’ll fill in the blank: meet someone, fall in love, what have you. Or, in my case, have a great night.

I was in a bit of a funk last week and planned on staying in on Friday. Do you ever just get sick of your life? That’s where my head’s been lately. But at the end of the day on Friday, I shot off an IM to a FWP (Friend With Potential) to see what he was up to, and he invited me to join him at the Park West to see Antibalas, an Afro-beat band that fuses jazz and funk. It was right up my alley.

We met up with a group of mutual friends who had secured a couple of booths at the venue. Some of The Marrieds were there, and I ran into some randoms I don’t normally see out. After the show, everyone headed to Stanley’s Kitchen and Tap  for a drink, but it was so crowded we could barely score a spot at the bar. Instead, we went down the street to Sedgwick’s and found ourselves among the very young twentysomethings drinking beer and playing pool.

And on Saturday, in a slushy haze at Hamburger Mary’s, a friend and I dissected both of our most recent relationships; we gave each other a few pieces of unsolicited advice that neither of us will ever actually use. Why is it that you can see other people’s pitfalls so much clearer than your own? While sitting at the bar, we came to the conclusion, independently, that we’re both in a place where we want to fill in that meet-someone blank. But it’s all about timing. And it’s only going to happen when we least expect it.