Bachelorette fun: A recap

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So, there comes a certain point in your life when you think that you've crossed the threshold, that all of your close friends are married (more or less) and the possibility/necessity/requirement of attending all of the wedding shenangins is OVER for you. You become smug and content, and while you still attend weddings, you feel that your obligation extends to gifts, the ceremony and drinking plenty of wine at the reception. Plus, a wedding conveniently gives you the excuse to get a pedicure.

And then, out of nowhere, you make friends with a FEW younger people, and suddenly you find yourself included in the party of all parties: The "Bachelorette party" (sometimes it is a weekend).

First of all, I want to know when and why did it become imperative that people invest so much time and energy in these bachelor/bachelorette weekends? Was it because of those stupid reality TV shows (Confession: I actually really liked the first season of "The Bachelor")? Or can I blame yet another societal ill on Hollywood? Is "The Hangover" a product of it or has it contributed to the feverish planning of those moments of mad debauchery?

A wedding is already, in my opinion, a huge financial commitment to the people tying the knot and also to friends and family. And then you add to that these extravagant weekends in Vegas, Napa or Cabo that some people plan, it smacks of narcissism.

Oh, that's right, we do live in the Facebook and Twitter age where narcissism IS rampant. Afterall, my life is so important and scintillating I must let everyone know what I'm doing every fucking second of the day. Okay, I'm a hypocrite - I do have a blog, afterall, and while I think it's interesting, clearly other people do not. Losers!

Anyway, despite much reluctance and feeling too old to be attending a bachelorette party (almost 40 - doesn't that give a me a "get-of-jail-free" card when it comes to these sorts of things), I committed to it way back in the spring. The date moved around a few times, and finally the bride and the party planner decided on October 2. Fortunately, it was only an evening, not an entire weekend, dedicated to raunchy panties and penis candy. Although it wasn't necessarily my favorite way to spend a Saturday evening, I must admit that drinking champagne in a revolving cocktail lounge was kind of fun and offered us nice views, and the planner did make reservations for us at an excellent restaurant, Drago Centro. I admit that I wished that I had been there with Michael because the food and ambiance were great. However, I did not feel *totally* awkward with the other attendees. I was happy, however, that I didn't wear a sexy little dress like some of the other 'ladies' - I thought that the instructions to "look hot" were ironic! Apparently irony is not a usual part of bachelorette parties.

I opted out after dinner, going home, while the rest of the party went off to nightclubs. Also, I will say that the bride-to-be is not or has not been a 'bridezilla', but is pretty low-key about her wedding and all of the festivities leading up to it.

So, all in all, not a bad night, considering that I slipped under the covers before midnight!

What do other people think about bachelorette parties and the extravagant wedding circuit in general? Fun times or another sign of the narcissistic epidemic?