Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.

Groucho Marx said that, but its something (or a paraphrase of) I've used often. Back in October a girlfriend asked me if I was interested in joining a group of ladies that held a "P.P.P." evening.

Now, before I get into what the 3 P's group is all about I have to tell you that I tend not to 'join' anything. When I commit to something I really want to COMMIT to it. I want to make sure that I will 100% participate in whatever it is that I've agreed to do. Hence, I don't tend to sign up for much. I'm very much afraid of letting people down, even myself. So I take the chicken way out and don't get involved with much.

But ..... I also realized that since my husband in not a social person that I also really needed to make an effort to get out and be with people on a social level, and in particular women. I'm an introvert at heart, but I like people enough to want to spend some time in the company of. Outside of work of course, but I can overdose on people just by the nature of my job.

So anyway - against my husbands cautioning of not being able to commit to things I sallied forth and said 'yes' to this once a month feminine social gathering of 12.

I've been to 2 evenings so far, and so far - I've enjoyed myself very much. Now to the explanation of what the three P's are:

1) Party
2) Pig-out
3) Pamper

Simple isn't it? Simple rules to follow as well. We only have 12 (somewhat random) women who have been invited into the group to meet on a once a month basis. You must commit to it for one year. Once a month one women hosts the evening (any evening of her choosing and everyone else's availability). The only thing the host needs to supply is some forms of beverage and a "party" place. The other women each bring the "Pig-out" food offerings. Each women also brings $20 for the pot and sometime during the evening a draw is held with the names of the ladies attending (with the exception of the hostess). The winner of the draw is the designated hostess for the next month, and she gets the pot of $240. Here comes the "pamper" part - sometime before the next gathering the winner and next hostess is to do something out-of-the-ordinary special for herself with the $240. She is NOT to spend it on bills. She is NOT to spend it on her children or family. She is NOT to spend it on groceries. She is ONLY to pamper herself with something she wouldn't normally do. Then she has to tell us what she did with the money when we gather again at her house.

At my first meeting with these ladies (and I must add here that I only knew 3 of the ladies, and that was by coincidence outside of the lady who invited me. So this is a unique way of meeting new people) the women who won the pot was so excited, she immediately announced that she was going to get a "Brazilian Blowout". Which I understand that for people who have uncontrollably curly hair and want straight hair this is the biggest news since sliced bread.

HOWEVER - this procedure has been banned in Canada and she wasn't able to do the do. It seems there's this little chemical called formaldehyde that gets created in the process and its a bit frowned upon up here in the great white north.

Don't worry, the lady in question still pampered herself with an extremely expensive hair cute and facial.

The next pot winner - who will be hosting next month, has decided that we will do a Christmas tree decoration swap. We are each to bring a decoration that best describes us, and we exchange them anonymously and have to guess who the giver was. In following years as you put up the ornament you think fondly of the fellow PPP member.

So, I will continue with this club until they find out I'm a member and kick me out.

(P.S. Anyone care to guess what I'll do for my ornament?)