Ugh! How do you make small talk?!

[Disney Doll]

I usually ask people how they know the hosts, which usually leads to more conversation, depending on the answer...work colleagues (oh really? what do you do in the company? do you have along commute? do you workin the office or on the road?), neighbors (this is such anice neighborhood...how long have you lived here? do you have children? do they go to the local school?what grades are they in?), friends from college (what college did you go to? what did you major in? did you play sports? were you in a fraternity/sorority?).