Am immersing myself in more Katrina stories, but I have to write about the good time I had on Friday evening, to be filed under 'the bad things happen but life somehow goes on' category. I am sure I will be writing soon about more of the situation on the Gulf Coast.
Was an evening out to say goodbye to KWA - she has another week in the office, and is just moving to another building across town within the overall company but she is leaving our business segment, so as good an excuse for a leaving drinking session as any LOL. Got to the Embassy bar at just before 6pm, and the place was packed. I had been there a few weeks ago to watch one of the All Black Lions tests and it was dead - guess the happy hour thing and the after work crowd thing helped, but it was amazing to see the place fill to the brim. Finally found the group, near the bar surprise surprise, and got a beer. Silly me got a bottle though when it was domestic pints that were on sale, much merriment for my mistake ensued.
Wasn't really feeling in a drinking mood, so didn't want to scull, but over the course of the remaining hour of happy hour had two more pints. Was a good turn out for KWA's leaving, trying to do a headcount from memory, though about half the crowd was from her previous part of the company as well. JOC and SWA made an appearance, even though they work for the opposition now, as well as KWE, MCU and her friend/partner (depending on the weekly situation there LOL), so was a good turn out from my initial intake - although I have to say I didn't really speak to them, was more circulating - when I did stand over by JOC, MCU and the friend they were talking about which of them was the prettiest and how their relationships were going. I didn't get too involved in that convo, especially after KWA gave me an out by raising her eyebrow in a comical way at me - I wandered over, apparently MCU had been kissing. Hmm.
Had a talk to NBO and DGI, about Tasmania and Glasgow LOL. BQU was there as well, but all I managed to talk to her about was work, and talked a bit to LGI as well, but can't really remember it. Also short chats with PPE, KPH, RRO. Pretty much nothing topics from memory, and also the music was quite loud, so half the time was nodding my head without knowing what I was nodding to LOL.
More of KWA's other friends turned up, and I sort of retreated to the margins of the group - we were scattered probably across three tables a fair distance from each other. Oh, I have missed out one person of note from the recollection thus far - TDE, whom I had an enjoyable time with a few weeks ago.
As you may have guessed (if you are a regular reader, endangered species I know, but there may be some out there), I have been kind of sort of avoiding her in the workplace since V blew up at me for enjoying the night as much as I did, and was reaching a pressure valve a couple weeks ago before V said that she didn't have a problem with me talking to TDE in the workplace LOL.
But yes, a second socialising event came up which we would both go to, and I was somewhat nervous of how the evening would unfold - not nervous in an 'I'm going to misbehave myself' way, but just how things would unfold.
I shouldn't have been nervous. The evening, as regards the TDE situation, went very well. When I spotted the group, when I got into the pub, TDE smiled at me and told me to get a beer (again, the bottle at $6 rather than the pint at $2.50 duh Pauly), and when I came back to the group TDE and I compared notes from the other Friday. We had both enjoyed ourselves a lot, is the short summary. Even with TDE losing the back piece off her mobile phone, and costing $20 to get a replacement, she still enjoyed herself that night.
About half an hour later, when she returned from the smoker's area and I was deep in conversation with KWA I believe, she tapped me on the shoulder unexpectedly to say hi again. Hmm, what happened to my Berlin Wall like regard for personal space LOL - it's 1989 all over again or something.
When more of KWA's friends turned up, and less of the workmates were there, and we were doing the scattered over three tables thing, I wandered over to the table with PPE, RRO and TDE, but didn't stay that long as I didn't want to overdo things, and was the fifth wheel to a three person conversation anyways. PPE took RRO to the railway station, he was coming back though, and I sat with my newfound friend CLA lol, kind of in the corner of the place, but up a level so had a bit of a view. CLA is an older woman, has a boyfriend currently holidaying in Britain, and we were comparing the talent in the bar, of both sexes LOL. SWA came up to talk and have a smoke, but we were right next to one of the sound system speakers, and by this time of night (8.30 or 9ish) the speakers were going full tilt. Think I lost most of the conversation with SWA at least, CLA had gotten the seat closest to me.
After that two pints and one bottle of beer I had in the first hour there, I did the responsible thing by having lots of soft drinks in the few hours afterwards, only one of which had a bourbon involved (yum). By the time I moved from the table up the level, we could only count five of us left, and KWA, the woman of the evening, had seemed to disappear - was myself, TDE, CLA, LGI and NGR, with me being the only guy. PPE came back and found us, but then disappeared again. LGI left, and we then went around to the pool tables, where we located KWE, KPH, PPE and NGR.
We set up base camp there again, but the three of us (TDE and CLA were the other two at this stage) weren't interested in playing pool, and when they needed to go to the smoker's area again (damned legislation LOL) suddenly found ourselves on the dancefloor. Even though the Embassy isn't the greatest dance floor I have seen in Brisbane, and found ourselves up to umm Madonna Into the Groove and Belinda Carlisle Summer Rain (or I think it has been remade by someone else sometime in the last twenty years LOL). Eighties night all over LOL. But that was the only dancing we did, and was the whole equilateral triangle with lots of space between thing, so behaved myself at that.
We then decamped back to the pool table area, and I was on waters by this stage - well, apart from the two for one bourbon and coke deal LOL, but it was so damned noisy that it was a shout instead of speak conversation. I err had two cigarettes on Friday, bad Pauly. CLA caught some guy's eye, large, mouthy, I had him sized up as a dickhead, but of course CLA was intrigued (most dangerous word in the English language for me, or at least the way I use it), TDE and I were providing cover for her, but in the end she only needed protection from herself. LOL, CLA had said that she should have left a couple of hours earlier than that point, but still she was out, enjoying herself.
TDE and I left her to it, making sure she was alright with her decision though - CLA wasn't sure, but she was enjoying herself, and that's all you can do - can't lock friends up to protect them against themselves LOL. So we caught a cab to the Valley, where we would catch up with some of TDE's friends.
Walking to the cab rank, TDE had said she wanted to ask me something earlier in the evening, but didn't want to offend me. When I had some time to think a bit after she had shut herself up on that point, I thought of the worst thing that you can possibly ask a guy that could offend him, and brought it up on the walk to the cab rank - was the question going to be am I gay? I had it in one of course, and said no, but I can kind of understand how you may possibly think that. I am very backward around the girls at work in that regard, very cautious 99% of the time, and that it all stemmed from me getting drunk and making inappropriate comments towards women at work when I was seventeen. Basically all that info that I had placed in that fake email that I knew I wouldn't send in a work environment but placed in my blog instead about three weeks ago came pouring out.
She was fine with that, and could understand my viewpoint, and said that if I ever wanted to talk anything with anyone, she would be glad to lend an ear. OK, so that was basically the best that I was hoping for from the evening, the second socialising thing around TDE and I didn't screw up the last time around, and we have stabilised the situation as good friends. Stabilising in regards to women, always good. As opposed to ups and downs and uncertainties. Good friendship, yay - that's all I was looking and hoping for. And she is a workmate and I don't go for workmates in relationship ways, and I told her that as well. Sorted.
So we went to the Valley to meet up with some of TDE's friends, at a karaoke bar of all places. Well, even less a karaoke bar, than an apartment where you hire the room with a karaoke machine in it. Very Lost in Translationish LOL - I'm Bill Murray, but where is the Scarlett Johansen. Was introduced to about hmm seven or eight people, only one of whom I remember the name of, and even then, right face to right name will be difficult next time. If it had been the start of the evening perhaps.
Was trawling through the song list, and ninety percent of the listings were in Korean. I chose We Are The Champions, and when I chose it, forgot about the high notes LOL. But it was kind of an I know this song, and I can't read ninety percent of the rest of the book, so let's go with what I find first. Lucky it wasn't my Australian Idol audition, that's all I have to say about that LOL.
But everyone was just belting out whatever, with quite a bit of alcohol in all of us. After my disasterous attempt at Freddie Mercury, I just shut up for the rest of the night as far as I can remember, did the quiet blend in with the crowd or wallpaper trick. Damn I hate living in the suburbs because as soon as you look at your watch and it's late you start clock watching.
Left in time for the ten past one train at Brunswich Street, got home about half an hour later. Tried ringing V, but the battery on my mobile died just as any sort of connection came through. Tried about three times, but then waited until I got home, to give my usual garbled report on the night. She wasn't happy that TDE had had more alone time with me, but it wasn't anything major like err the dancing the other week (at least that's my point of view), and as stated above, I think I have confirmed a stabilisation at good friend.
We will see how things go I am sure.
Woke up the next morning, had hardly had anything to eat all night (if anything if I recall correctly), with a hangover. If I had eaten I would have been fine I am sure :)
Then started reading in depth about the Katrina situation. Back to it I guess.
Pauly
Was an evening out to say goodbye to KWA - she has another week in the office, and is just moving to another building across town within the overall company but she is leaving our business segment, so as good an excuse for a leaving drinking session as any LOL. Got to the Embassy bar at just before 6pm, and the place was packed. I had been there a few weeks ago to watch one of the All Black Lions tests and it was dead - guess the happy hour thing and the after work crowd thing helped, but it was amazing to see the place fill to the brim. Finally found the group, near the bar surprise surprise, and got a beer. Silly me got a bottle though when it was domestic pints that were on sale, much merriment for my mistake ensued.
Wasn't really feeling in a drinking mood, so didn't want to scull, but over the course of the remaining hour of happy hour had two more pints. Was a good turn out for KWA's leaving, trying to do a headcount from memory, though about half the crowd was from her previous part of the company as well. JOC and SWA made an appearance, even though they work for the opposition now, as well as KWE, MCU and her friend/partner (depending on the weekly situation there LOL), so was a good turn out from my initial intake - although I have to say I didn't really speak to them, was more circulating - when I did stand over by JOC, MCU and the friend they were talking about which of them was the prettiest and how their relationships were going. I didn't get too involved in that convo, especially after KWA gave me an out by raising her eyebrow in a comical way at me - I wandered over, apparently MCU had been kissing. Hmm.
Had a talk to NBO and DGI, about Tasmania and Glasgow LOL. BQU was there as well, but all I managed to talk to her about was work, and talked a bit to LGI as well, but can't really remember it. Also short chats with PPE, KPH, RRO. Pretty much nothing topics from memory, and also the music was quite loud, so half the time was nodding my head without knowing what I was nodding to LOL.
More of KWA's other friends turned up, and I sort of retreated to the margins of the group - we were scattered probably across three tables a fair distance from each other. Oh, I have missed out one person of note from the recollection thus far - TDE, whom I had an enjoyable time with a few weeks ago.
As you may have guessed (if you are a regular reader, endangered species I know, but there may be some out there), I have been kind of sort of avoiding her in the workplace since V blew up at me for enjoying the night as much as I did, and was reaching a pressure valve a couple weeks ago before V said that she didn't have a problem with me talking to TDE in the workplace LOL.
But yes, a second socialising event came up which we would both go to, and I was somewhat nervous of how the evening would unfold - not nervous in an 'I'm going to misbehave myself' way, but just how things would unfold.
I shouldn't have been nervous. The evening, as regards the TDE situation, went very well. When I spotted the group, when I got into the pub, TDE smiled at me and told me to get a beer (again, the bottle at $6 rather than the pint at $2.50 duh Pauly), and when I came back to the group TDE and I compared notes from the other Friday. We had both enjoyed ourselves a lot, is the short summary. Even with TDE losing the back piece off her mobile phone, and costing $20 to get a replacement, she still enjoyed herself that night.
About half an hour later, when she returned from the smoker's area and I was deep in conversation with KWA I believe, she tapped me on the shoulder unexpectedly to say hi again. Hmm, what happened to my Berlin Wall like regard for personal space LOL - it's 1989 all over again or something.
When more of KWA's friends turned up, and less of the workmates were there, and we were doing the scattered over three tables thing, I wandered over to the table with PPE, RRO and TDE, but didn't stay that long as I didn't want to overdo things, and was the fifth wheel to a three person conversation anyways. PPE took RRO to the railway station, he was coming back though, and I sat with my newfound friend CLA lol, kind of in the corner of the place, but up a level so had a bit of a view. CLA is an older woman, has a boyfriend currently holidaying in Britain, and we were comparing the talent in the bar, of both sexes LOL. SWA came up to talk and have a smoke, but we were right next to one of the sound system speakers, and by this time of night (8.30 or 9ish) the speakers were going full tilt. Think I lost most of the conversation with SWA at least, CLA had gotten the seat closest to me.
After that two pints and one bottle of beer I had in the first hour there, I did the responsible thing by having lots of soft drinks in the few hours afterwards, only one of which had a bourbon involved (yum). By the time I moved from the table up the level, we could only count five of us left, and KWA, the woman of the evening, had seemed to disappear - was myself, TDE, CLA, LGI and NGR, with me being the only guy. PPE came back and found us, but then disappeared again. LGI left, and we then went around to the pool tables, where we located KWE, KPH, PPE and NGR.
We set up base camp there again, but the three of us (TDE and CLA were the other two at this stage) weren't interested in playing pool, and when they needed to go to the smoker's area again (damned legislation LOL) suddenly found ourselves on the dancefloor. Even though the Embassy isn't the greatest dance floor I have seen in Brisbane, and found ourselves up to umm Madonna Into the Groove and Belinda Carlisle Summer Rain (or I think it has been remade by someone else sometime in the last twenty years LOL). Eighties night all over LOL. But that was the only dancing we did, and was the whole equilateral triangle with lots of space between thing, so behaved myself at that.
We then decamped back to the pool table area, and I was on waters by this stage - well, apart from the two for one bourbon and coke deal LOL, but it was so damned noisy that it was a shout instead of speak conversation. I err had two cigarettes on Friday, bad Pauly. CLA caught some guy's eye, large, mouthy, I had him sized up as a dickhead, but of course CLA was intrigued (most dangerous word in the English language for me, or at least the way I use it), TDE and I were providing cover for her, but in the end she only needed protection from herself. LOL, CLA had said that she should have left a couple of hours earlier than that point, but still she was out, enjoying herself.
TDE and I left her to it, making sure she was alright with her decision though - CLA wasn't sure, but she was enjoying herself, and that's all you can do - can't lock friends up to protect them against themselves LOL. So we caught a cab to the Valley, where we would catch up with some of TDE's friends.
Walking to the cab rank, TDE had said she wanted to ask me something earlier in the evening, but didn't want to offend me. When I had some time to think a bit after she had shut herself up on that point, I thought of the worst thing that you can possibly ask a guy that could offend him, and brought it up on the walk to the cab rank - was the question going to be am I gay? I had it in one of course, and said no, but I can kind of understand how you may possibly think that. I am very backward around the girls at work in that regard, very cautious 99% of the time, and that it all stemmed from me getting drunk and making inappropriate comments towards women at work when I was seventeen. Basically all that info that I had placed in that fake email that I knew I wouldn't send in a work environment but placed in my blog instead about three weeks ago came pouring out.
She was fine with that, and could understand my viewpoint, and said that if I ever wanted to talk anything with anyone, she would be glad to lend an ear. OK, so that was basically the best that I was hoping for from the evening, the second socialising thing around TDE and I didn't screw up the last time around, and we have stabilised the situation as good friends. Stabilising in regards to women, always good. As opposed to ups and downs and uncertainties. Good friendship, yay - that's all I was looking and hoping for. And she is a workmate and I don't go for workmates in relationship ways, and I told her that as well. Sorted.
So we went to the Valley to meet up with some of TDE's friends, at a karaoke bar of all places. Well, even less a karaoke bar, than an apartment where you hire the room with a karaoke machine in it. Very Lost in Translationish LOL - I'm Bill Murray, but where is the Scarlett Johansen. Was introduced to about hmm seven or eight people, only one of whom I remember the name of, and even then, right face to right name will be difficult next time. If it had been the start of the evening perhaps.
Was trawling through the song list, and ninety percent of the listings were in Korean. I chose We Are The Champions, and when I chose it, forgot about the high notes LOL. But it was kind of an I know this song, and I can't read ninety percent of the rest of the book, so let's go with what I find first. Lucky it wasn't my Australian Idol audition, that's all I have to say about that LOL.
But everyone was just belting out whatever, with quite a bit of alcohol in all of us. After my disasterous attempt at Freddie Mercury, I just shut up for the rest of the night as far as I can remember, did the quiet blend in with the crowd or wallpaper trick. Damn I hate living in the suburbs because as soon as you look at your watch and it's late you start clock watching.
Left in time for the ten past one train at Brunswich Street, got home about half an hour later. Tried ringing V, but the battery on my mobile died just as any sort of connection came through. Tried about three times, but then waited until I got home, to give my usual garbled report on the night. She wasn't happy that TDE had had more alone time with me, but it wasn't anything major like err the dancing the other week (at least that's my point of view), and as stated above, I think I have confirmed a stabilisation at good friend.
We will see how things go I am sure.
Woke up the next morning, had hardly had anything to eat all night (if anything if I recall correctly), with a hangover. If I had eaten I would have been fine I am sure :)
Then started reading in depth about the Katrina situation. Back to it I guess.
Pauly
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