This is your cruise director speaking...and letting you in on the secrets

Entertaining is the practice of creating events either at a venue you have taken responsibility for arranging, whether your home or elsewhere, and taking stewardship of hosting everyone and attempting to facilitate the enjoyment of those in attendance.

You've entertained people when you invite another couple to dinner at a restaurant you know is good. You've entertained people when you throw a multiple thousand dollar reception for a wedding. You've entertained people when you have three people out to the local park for a couple beers and football (that is if you bring a couple jugs of water and a couple chairs).

I have two other blogs. The one on starting a business is on hold right now while I use my work-able time to get up and running at the small consulting firm I've joined. My blog on vegetarian cooking is also slowing down, as my wonderful wife has been doing tons more of that since I started the consulting job and me much less. Both will pick up again in time, but right now, I'll concentrate on this while I get back in the habit of writing.

However, I'm still the guy who organizes between 75 and 100 social events in a year. Yes, that's more than 1 a week. I started doing that by hosting a dinner or two for friends, branched off to a weekly poker games, then moved on to several other types of events. I've been called a cruise director....which I think fits: I don't run this ship, I just try to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for fun around here.

Entertaining is something I think we all (as humans) should do. Time spent in the company of friends is one of the highest predictors of happiness (much more so than salary). People often spend hours alone with video games or watching television these days, or just email and instant message friends rather than join them or make them at an activity. While many of those are minor pleasures, they are *not* causes of greater happiness. They *are* easier though, than true social interaction, which when done right gives you plenty of opportunities for growth in the form of uncomfortable situations that you get around anyhow.

On this blog I'll range from whipping out a 4-6 person dinner for another family (or for several friends if you're single) to throwing a 50+ person gala for under $300. I'll show you how to use periodicity to train yourself, your friends, and your household to be social and interactive.

Your cruise director,
Michael Langford