We rock the party, when we...we rock the party...

Okay, so the party.

My friend Rich graduated with his Master's Degree in Psychology on Saturday. His sister, also a friend of mine, Michelle, was throwing a party for him. I got off work at work, came home, napped a bit, and then got to the party, roughly 8:30.

there were some people there I knew, and more people I didn't although I got meet quite a few of those people that night as well. And thankfully, there was some eye candy as well.

At one of the earliest parties I ever went to at Michelle's (and there have been several), I was introduced to the product: Wine In A Box. I wasn't really sure why exactly anyone would want to actually drink wine out of a box, but Michelle got me some, and it tasted fine. And from then on, whenever I was ever at any of Michelle's party, I always drank the Wine In A Box. One of the most recent parties, perhaps the last one I attended, when i got there, everyone was hanging out on the deck. I said my hellos and then went inside to get some Wine In A Box. Unfortunately, I could not find a glass. But I did find a large, glass Pyrex measuring cup, so I hauled that out and filled it with Wine. And ever since then, it's been a running joke about me drinking Wine In A Box in a measuring cup. This party was no exception. In fact, Michelle was waiting, practially salivating, so get me the cup and the wine. And she did. And all night, that what I did: drank Wine In A Box from a measuring cup. Maybe not to surprisingly, it was a great conversation starter, both with people I already knew, but also with those I had never met before.

Oh, the eye candy...yes, the eye candy. Well, firstly, Rich himself is something of a nice piece of eye candy. Especially since he lost the Jesus beard, but kept the longish mop of hair. Nice. His friend Matt showed up, with a beard, and quite a bit more buff. That green t-shirt he wore hugged his chest nicely and allowed his biceps to bulge out from the sleeves. He and I had had a spirited policital discussion at a party once, but we only had a little bit of time for that this weekend. There was Jonathan, small, lean, petite, with the just-right faux-hawk and the tight faded jeans and the tight clingy sweater with the high color. There was also Corey, who's kinda really bit too much into himself. Didn't talk to him, but he was sweet to look at, despite the dress jacket and sandals he was wearing.

And then there was Konrad ("with a K" he told me as I typed his number into my cellphone). Oh Konrad. *SIGH* Konrad was 20. He had a mop of blond hair that I'm sure he never styled, but always looked stylish. He had blue eyes, and a wide smile. He was perhaps 5'9 or so. And again lean. And he was from England, so of course he had an accent. Oh, I melted as I listened to him. Firstly, I listened from afar, watching him really, as he spoke to others around him. And then finally, after watching him enough (or maybe just having enough Wine In A Box), I interjected myself into his conversation. And from that point on, for roughly the next 6 hours (or so I'm told it was that long) we never left the side of the other, except to got to the bathroom.

He was a suprisingly bright, intelligent, and conversant individual. I mean for a blonde 20 year old twinkie boy. I had expected a lot less. I'm glad to see my expectations were surpassed.

We had been talking for a short while, and then were talking with Rich's girlfriend, Kara, when I decided it was time to let them in on the fact I was gay. We were talking about the pretentiousness of the-dress-jacket-and-sandals Corey (and he was really pretty pretentious), I said that despite all that, I'd still do him. Kara and Konrad never blinked. And that's kinda the response I was hoping for, cause I expected Kara to know, being Rich's girlfriend and all, and Konrad being European, well, being gay just is no big deal to them. Didn't they invent the term Metrosexual in London?

Oh, and later on, Konrad mentioned that he's very Metrosexual. And later still that he and his "best mate" went on a date once. And later still still that one of his best friends here is a drag queen who performs at the local gay bar here. Who knew??? Unfortunately, I didn't get a single gay vibe from him (unlike, say, Jonathon...but that's a different story). Even without him being gay, I still very much enjoyed talking to him, and being near him and looking at him. *SIGH*

So throughout the night, people came, people stayed, and people left. It ended up 5 of us sitting around the picnic table style dining room table she has. it was Richard and me on one side, Kara and Konrad on the other, and Michelle at it's head. Which was unfortunate, cause I didn't have Konrad next to me....which now that I think about might have been very fortunate, cause that allowed me to continue to gaze at him. And we five talked and talked and talked, while I drank and drank and drank the Wine In A Box from a measuring cup. Oh, and we five, and the dog, went through a whole bag of Doritos.

Finally (according to Michelle at 3:30am) we decided to go to bed. Rich and Kara got the one bed, Konrad got the other room, and Michelle and I slept in her bed. Together. Naked but for our unmentionables. When was the last time I slept nearly naked with a woman? Yeah, I don't know either.

I remember my mouth being so dry, there wasn't a hint of moisture. But I was too tired, and drunk, to get up to do anything about it. I remember getting up twice to use the bathroom. And one time, I turned on the water at the sink and tried to drink right from the faucet. Yeah, that worked out real well.

I think it was 9:30 or so, when I rolled over and saw the bed was empty. And then I heard voices in the kitchen, so I dressed and staggered in. Everyone else was already up. Konrad didn't look like he had even been drinking or to bed, he was still perfectly coiffed and clothed. Bastard 20 year olds. Some were having coffee, some tea. I opted for the tea. I drank about half of it, when it occured to me just how bad I really felt. I had felt much better being horizontal in the bed, so i got up and went back there and just laid there, feeling...well, not good, but better than i had been sitting up.

After a bit of just lying there, I heard noised in the kitchen that made me think everyone was leaving. So i got up and went back, and indeed they were. I got to hug Rich, thanking him for inviting me, Konrad *SIGH*, who I said I'd call in the upcoming weeks, and Kara, who I was pleased to have met, as they left. I had a few more sips of my tea. I was feeling pretty nauseaous again. But I didn't want to be sick here, I preferred being sick in my own apartment. If ya gotta puke, it's always best to puke in your own toilet, ya know? So I said my goodbyes to Michelle got a hug and was on my way.

Mind you, the trip between her place and mine is less than a half hour. It was raining pretty badly on the way home, and there was, for some reason a lot of traffic (I have no idea why people are out then, i never leave the house on Sundays until like 11:00 or noon, if then), so it took a bit longer.

About a block and half from home, I was retching and I knew that was it. I pulled over, put the car in park and got out, attempting to make it across the sidewalk, across some grass, and behind a wooden partition that blocked the dumpster there from view along the street. Did I make it? Would I be telling about this if I had?

the first batch of puke shot out when I was on the sidewalk. Couldn't stop it, it came of its own accord. After the first one, I made it into the grass before the next three blasts of puke hit me. So there I was, leaning over in the middle of the grass, puking, while a lot of big raindrops hit my back and cars drove by. I finally made it behind the partition for the last two blasts (and yeah, blasts is the appropriate word...that puke shot forth from me like from a cannon), and the gagging, heaving, and dry heaving that was all the remained. Then, I wiped my mouth, made it back to the car and got home.

I got into my apartment, undressed on the way to my bed, took a piss, got some water from the bathroom sink and went to bed. It was about 10:30, I think, and other than getting up to pee twice, I was in bed until 3:30pm. And I was hungover, pretty bad headache, although, since I had puked everything up, there was no nausea or puking or anything like that. And after all, the headache was really bad enough.

Ya know, getting so drunk you're hungover and projectile puking the next morning isn't any fun at 20, but it's a HELLUVA lot worse when you're 40.

Anyways, I got photos, as I said (less than I thought I had taken, actually, but then, well there was the Wine In A Box and Konrad to distract me):



This is Spike, Rich's parent's dog. Spike seems a little...out of place for a little furball, but he was nice enough.



Okay, Group Photo: Left to right we have Jaime, the girl I used to work with at Borders (more of her later), Rich, the guest of honor (more of him later), Konrad (more of him later), some unknown chick's face, and Matt, in the beard and slightly too tight t-shirt.



This is Jaime, sitting on Uncle Polt's lap, while I hold the measuring cup with the Wine In A Box. I LOVE her smile here, it makes me laugh even now. Geez, I slept with a woman and had another one on my lap, and didn't so much as kiss a guy. And somehow I say I had a good time?



Fuzzy photo of Jonathon, the obviously (to me) gay guy.



A photo I took of me and Rich, with Michelle in the background. I have no idea what they were looking at.



Now, all three of us are in THIS photo. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Michelle's had a smidge to drink by this time as well. Either that, or someone goosed her.



A photo of Konrad *SIGH* and me. Notice my arm draped across his shoulder. His arm was around my waist, and don't think for a minute I wasn't aware of it, and trying to think of ways to keep it there.

In the last photo...do I really look like a drunken lecherous old man, or is it just me?

POLT Listening to "Kickin'" by Whale

Put those down before someone gets hurt and I have to clean up the mess. - The Doctor, Star Trek: Voyager