The one chiselling his way through my head to freedom had apparently taken my cognitive process hostage also, since my speech was limited to a series of painful grunts.

Why R. faired any better, I had no idea. It was a mystery to me that she was even awake and making coffee. I distinctly remember her running around the house we were in at around 2:30am in the morning clapping her hands and casting cleansing spells, much to the surprise of our host, who's name I cannot remember, but it began with 'C'. I remember R. calling her something else that began with C several times during the evening (although not to her face), but I don't think that was here real name. It was too short for a start. The impromptu party was the last stop in a long evening. J&B, R's bosses had their anniversary party at the Petroleum Club in downtown Fort Worth. It was a wonderful affair, and they had taken the precaution of just supplying beer and wine, which was a very smart move. As it was several people got quite tired and emotional, and some were absolutely motherless. There were enough of us still standing at the end of the evening to suggest going to the Fox and Hound afterwards. I dropped off the party favors at the hotel room, and then joined them there. The party favors included an inflatable guitar, top hat, two tamborines, a rose, pom-poms and a couple of other pieces which didn't quite make it to the hotel room because of the wind blowing down 6th street and my own inability to control all these items and walk at the same time.

At the Fox and Hound, we played darts and I finally got the jump on Dr. T, the chiropractor who usually kicks my ass because he uses the special $150 darts which I suspect are in fact miniature laser guided SAMS without explosive tips. But just as I was lined up for my finish (12, Double top), his girlfriend wandered outside, and since R. and the other girls were a little worried that in what was clearly a very advanced alcoholic haze, she may continue her efforts to 'rely on the kindness of strangers', they told Dr. T. he needed to take her home (although they didn't tell him why, which was probably a good thing). So I won by default, but that's not the same! I mean I was really beating him!

After that I ended up playing with a guy from Wales and a Brit from Shrewesbury, until they had trouble finding first the darts, then the board, and finally their drinks (which was probably a good thing) and decided to call it a night.

I wondered back into the main bar, and got talking to one of the party guests who kept telling me that I shouldn't be joining the reserves.

"You're helping the war machine"
"I would rather be inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in."
R. overheard me and, knowing me as she did, pulled me away before I tried to enforce my point with a graphical illustration.
The bar was closing, so the remaining 10 of us set off for the house of C. I'm not sure why exactly. Like most things when you've had a few, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
There seemed to have been a stop at Whataburger on the way, and one of the guests (The one who didn't want me to join the reserves) hurt her foot and decided to bleed everywhere in C's house. This didn't endear her to C., and this lack of endearment pissed of my darling R., who is very sympathetic to people who are injured and was in a particularly sympathetic mood this evening. After about an hour of people talking, the bleeding toe couple storming out, then storming back in to call a cab, then storming out again, we decided it was time to leave. J&B called a cab, since they were staying very close by to us, and they gave us a lift. We got back to the hotel around 4:00 am, and stayed 'up' for another couple of hours, exploring our innermost feelings with one another, until we were too sore to continue and fell, finally asleep.

Sunday, consequently, was a washout. J. had obviously stayed up all night, despite our specific instructions that he not do that, but since we spent most of the day sleeping or resting, we weren't really in a position to get him up and keep him awake.

So now, we have to do all the things in the evening this week that we didn't do this weekend. I am so glad we only do this a couple of times a year - I don't think I could survive anymore...