My first apartment. A small studioâ€"but it's mine. Or, at least, I'm
             paying rent on it, so as far as I'm concerned, that makes it mine, all
             mine! I feel like a grown up for the first time. Thus, I have decided to
             celebrate by having a dinner party. The trouble is, I'm new to the area,
             and all of my friends are still back home. But I'm inventive and
             resourceful. So, I decided, since I don't have any real-life friends, I
             might as well invite my fictional ones instead!
             There was, however, one other potential problemâ€"the smallness or
             virtual lack there of, of kitchen space in my studio. But again, I found a
             quick and easy solution. I thought, perhaps the best way to hold a dinner
             party so that all the strangers who are present get to know one another
             better is to hold a potluck, the sort of party where everyone brings his or
             her favorite foods to the affair. Asking the guests to bring music as well
             might be a good idea too, especially since my guests were particularly
             diverse. I did, being an oldies buff, have a LP or turntable as well as a
             stereo system, and a Victrola, too, for some of the 19th century guest!
             Guest 1: Sammy from John Updike's "A&P"
             But the first guest wasn't so old. In fact, the first person to
             wander into the room was a grocery cashier, wearing an apronâ€"a good omen
             for the party, I thought, at least in terms of food. Maybe some steaks and
             lobsters fell of a truck, somewhere, near the A&P, right' (Just kidding).
             Anyway, guest number one had a strong Boston accent. He carried two LPs,
             one of Chuck Berry and the other the first release of the Beatles. "Sure
             beats the stuff they play as mood music in the place that I work," he said.
             "Don't know why you need to be in a mood for shopping, anyways." Then,
             Sammy plunked down a big bag of A&P brand potato chips, unopened, and Mr.
             Super S...