I guess now I'm back at the computer I should probably sum up my evening.
What a strange experience. Wandering into a pub and spotting a large group of people you know quite well, but have never met. You've seen their pictures and you've spoken to them for years, but it still throws you to be standing next to them with a drink in your hand instead of a mouse and keyboard. Weird, but most excellent.
The hotel was a bit shit, considering the price we paid. We were supposedly in the quiet section, but still had loud, drunk idiots clambering down the halls at all hours. The pub on the Friday night was also shit, considering a
£2 £3 entry fee, pounding shit music, and £3.20 for a
single water-tasting Vodka
& coke. Needless to say, I only bothered with one drink there. Everyone was very tired, and we only managed to commandeer a small table between the eleven or so people there. Much did improve for the second night, though, with everyone fresh and mostly familiar with eachother. A load of new faces, but not quite as daunting as meeting thirty-odd new people at once!
Myp is a relentless handful. He managed to stay awake for the entire evening on Friday, completely breaking his stereotype. Fortunately on the Saturday he got a few more beers in and lived up to every expectation. You're an animal, chap, and a nightmare. Great meeting you.
Ange: how you put up with Myp is anybody's guess. You were a star, and surprisingly mother-esque while trying to find the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Seven people relying on their phones for directions, and not a clue. Though I have a confession to make: when Myp ordered me to buy him a drink, and you told me to get him a coke as he was too drunk, I stuck a double Vodka in there. Oops!
118: we didn't really get to speak much, really, aside from sleepily perving at the barmaid on Friday you seemed to have a bit of a thing for. Either way, you're awesome, and many thanks for arranging the meal – fantastic little restaurant, that. Well worth it, even just to see ThroughSilver chug away his fourth bowl. We forgot to bring that Beatles game for you, though!
Gill & Jen: Gill is much taller than I imagines, and Jen is much shorter, though she very much lived up to being incredibly quiet for the brief time I was with her. Despite sitting next to you both in the restaurant, we barely spoke, and you left way too early on the Saturday. Bloody shame!
ThroughSilver: I don't think you ever did explain what you do for a living, so there's no way you're going to stop me thinking you wrestle mountain goats all day now. A top bloke, with the manliest eyebrows you can imagine, and yet a complete obsession with furniture. I hope you find your dream sofa, chap.
MrDave: the most obscene, lewd man you could hope to meet. He puts Zardoz to shame with his bum-pinching, ear-licking antics. Didn't see you much on the Saturday, but had a fair chat with you before that, then wandered back to the hotel, joining you in your complaints about the shit pub.
Bik: I didn't even know you were Bik on the Friday, since nobody seemed to introduce you or mention you by username for the entire evening, coupled with your insistence on the forum that you're fat (you're really not). We didn't get to chat properly, but a brief introduction on Saturday will have to do. Maybe next time!
Perkies & Kate: Didn't get to speak to either of you until you left on Saturday, unfortunately. We had a brief, sobering discussion about bike crashes, and I saw Perkies' knee. I gave a confused Kate a goodbye hug, and that was that. Maybe next time, chaps.
Mr Russel: my, you're incredibly tall, and a thoroughly excellent chap. I remember talking to you a fair bit, but can't for the life of me remember what about. Feel free to touch up Miss Malabar any time.
Nickachu: I still can't believe you were there, nor can I believe you look older than me, you emo fuck. Thanks for showing me your entire bum crack.
Mr Chris: It's a shame you didn't turn up. I promised to buy you a drink. Maybe next time.
Zardoz: I didn't get to speak to you much, but you bumped into me as you were leaving the toilet, then couldn't stop hugging me. You were very proud of your earrings and their impeccably even spacing.
Gaywood/Fanny Stupid: Gaywood is tiny, loud, and a man of science. He lived up to every expectation as an excellent, overtly Welsh chap. Get some NerdGloves™ – you were terribly impressed with them. Fanny Stupid was lovely, and it was ace meeting her, but there's no fucking way I'm letting you call Indiana the mid-west, given it's practically on the East coast in the grand scheme of the USA.
Craster: nowhere near as ginger as I thought, but get working on your beard anyway. Clench harder, please. Great meeting you, for the little time we spent chatting.
Grim...: I didn't even meet you. What the fuck? 73%
DavPaz and Mrs P: I have met you twice now, and it's nice you stuck around this time, even if you had to leave stupidly early. I was massively jealous of you being home by 12:30 come Sunday morning, though, after me waking up and feeling of shit, with a whole Zoo-day ahead. Urgh! I didn't get to chat to Mrs P at all, but she seems lovely, and I hope she had a good time so you'll both come out to play again. Worrying, but unsurprising, that your first mention of breaking your hand involved your backup plans for masturbation, DavPaz.
Curiosity: nice to finally meet you, even if I forgot to get you back for repeatedly, constantly shooting me in the head on Jamfare 2. Hopefully Miss Malabar will finally shut up about you ‘being’ David Mitchell now she's met you. I owe you a drink, don't let me forget for next time.
Wullie: I can't believe I can understand you in person, over loud music, and with booze flowing freely through my veins. Great meeting you, but next time we're going to bring you a big afro wig and 'tache.
Kovacs: very glad you managed to make it. You're nowhere near as tall as I thought you'd be, or as intimidating. Great meeting you after all this time, and hope you'll make it again. How was my handshake?
Plissken & Mrs P: Lovely people, and great to see you coming all the way from Dublin for this. Had a great chat about graphic design with Mrs P, after Miss Malabar had stopped quizzing her about your ridiculously well-planned wedding. Shame you'd both left when we got back from the Gourmet Burger place, so hopefully we'll see you again.
Kalmar: I don't think I'd seen a picture of you before, but managed to guess who you were straight away. Didn't get to talk much, but great meeting you nonetheless. Arm-wrestling champion of BeeX, this guy, and looks nothing like Hello Kitty.
Dimmers: didn't get chance to talk to you, but you had a quick pop at my elbow, hair and name. You're a sod, but I love you all the same.
Jazzy & Joans: didn't speak to either of you much, despite going for a meal with you. Glad you got your jumper back off that thief, Joans. Hopefully see you both again.
Sinister & Amy: didn't get to speak to either of you much, aside from a brief conversation with Amy at the bar, and a brief defence of Sinister from Pod relentlessly pushing him to make more moves on Amy. I vaguely remember managing to use the phrase ‘Spitroast isn't an ultimatum’, though I can't really remember the context. Excellent people, and especially funny seeing Sinister stumbling around, inspecting everything around him in his bemused, drunken state.
Pod: You're a fucking champion. Pissed as hell, you introduced yourself to me
four times, each time getting increasingly impressed about me already knowing who you were, and knowing more and more details about you. You must have thought I was made of magic.
Trousers: didn't get to speak to you at all, though you're not incredibly regular here and I doubted you'd know who I was. You don't look like a jester, much to my disappointment.
MarkG: very much the opposite of Zardoz, but I didn't get to even introduce myself to you. You looked like you were having fun, anyway, so nice kind-of-meeting you. Hopefully next time we'll chat.
Hopefully I haven't missed anybody out, but if I have: apologies!