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Monday, December 20, 2010

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of a Hangover

Having dedicated myself Saturday night to the quest of good-natured inebriation and, it seems, the resultant headache and dull-wittedness of Sunday, I am here to report.

And just as soon as I recall enough of the evening to do so, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

What a night! Rows of crockpots and chafing dishes sought out available electrical outlets. Platters of finger foods, cookies, antipasto, cheeses fought for card-table space. Champagnes and wines filled the fridge while the porch acted as a large, walk-in cooler to cases of beer.

Like last year, the Dice Game was played. A pile of wrapped gifts in the center of a circle, we passed three plates of dice around, shaking for doubles and taking the presents one at a time until they were gone, whereupon we shook the dice for a frenzied five minutes, stealing them from each other.

Notoriously bad at dice, I personally did not shake a single double, leaving that to the professionals, AKA Ma and Toua, who, like last year, seemed to have accumulated the most gifts.

If they weren’t my own dice, I’d say they were up to something. How else does one walk out with such coveted items as candles, chocolates, and a scented oven mitt?

To be honest, there were two parties, really, Saturday night. There was the party that I threw – you know, the expected party, the scheduled party – and then there was the party that my son threw, the one that started after the bar closed.

My party began at 6:00 p.m. and ended at 1:53 a.m. as I was walking Maryna, the last guest, out to her car.

The Boy’s party started at 2:00 a.m., when he brought just under a dozen of his friends, people he’d known since elementary school home with him from the bar, and ended at 6:30 a.m.

So help me, Maryna came back into the house and we attended both.

Have you partied, recently, with people in their mid-20s? Loud, flirtatious, earnest and passionate, it’s like stepping into a time machine. Ah, you think to yourself. I remember this. I remember the intensity of idealism, the fervor of steadfast and absolute conviction.

The after-bar crowd left just a little after 3:00, and it is with tiny, red-rimmed eyes that I write this Sunday afternoon, that I tell you of Maryna’s, my, and my son’s all-night discussions of linguistics, politics, and geography.

The Boy was outlining the coming revolution when I finally decided, the sun peeking over the horizon, that it was time for me, as Grandpa used to say, to “hit the hay”.

I left them to finish the evening and, apparently, make coffee and breakfast.

Planning a revolution makes one hungry.

Thanks to everyone who made the party such a success.

I look forward to full access to my faculties soon.

31 comments:

Unknown said...

You party animal, you! I run out of steam by midnight!

mapstew said...

And I MISSED it!! :¬)

Hope the heid is better today!

xxx

Sioux said...

Ah, the energy and passion of youth. It's lovely to be able to observe it for a while, and then head to bed, exhausted.

Oilfield Trash said...

I missed the party. I always missed the hangover.

Kat said...

i am still hurting from our Sweater Party with a game of Flip Cup Saturday night! Flip cup is always a good tiem, but always means for a bad hangover! I think we even shut the party down before midnight and we are late 20s early 30s. Soooo suburban of us ;)

Kay Dennison said...

Thanks for reminding me of my misspent youth!!

Glad you had fun!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow-you have a son in his mid twenties! I never would have guessed that.
I love the intense duscussions with my children and their friends. I love how passionate and idealistic they are about the world. It gives me hope.
Glad that you are recovering.

Anna Lefler said...

Lady, you had me at scented oven mitt.

Hope all your Christmas scents this year are good ones.

And congrats on the book - yee haw!

~ A.

Grant said...

If I stay up past midnight then I need a nap as soon as I wake up.

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

Having my son home from college is going to be the death of my... I can't take all these late nights! But isn't it great to have kids who still want us to hang around?

Roses said...

Fantastic.

And what Boom Boom said!

Here I brought you a glass of wine. Hair of the dog.

Pat Tillett said...

I can't even imagine staying up all night these days! What the hell happened to me?

It sounds like you had a fun night!
nice post!

Simply Suthern said...

I aint much of a party animal. Shocking I know. I aint had a hangover in over 20 yrs. But from what I can remember of those I did have, no thanks, you can have them all.

Anonymous said...

(whispering....)

Yay for a successful Misfit Christmas AND bonus party!

I wish T could've been there too. You know he makes that killer salsa and invites the zombies every year.
=]

Pearl said...

I very much appreciate that most of these comments were left in a whispering font...

:-)

Sweet Cheeks, I passed your comment along to T. :-) He loves you, you know.

Macy said...

Damn! Am I too late to roll a die for a present??? Would you believe I just threw a double six??? And the scented oven mit is MINE!
No thought not...

Happy hangovers...

Gigi said...

Wow! Two parties in one night - what a party animal.

Lately if I make it to 10:00 pm I am ridiculously proud of myself.

Bambam said...

It's cool that your son can bring the stragglers home for some apres-closing time drinks. Sounds like a good time!

The only problem is it takes us a few days to get over it now!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Hmm, it takes precious little to give me a big hangover, and the only reason I stay awake all night is the occasional bout of indigestion. But I remember well the conversations that began, "When the revolution comes...." That was 40 years ago. I seem to have missed it. Or it missed me.

who said...

in regards to each E in the black pick-me-up word it's only E if no DD

The Flying Chalupa said...

I am here because the infamous Imig sent me. And I always do what the Imig says.

I applaud you for partying with people in their 20's. They annoy the bejesus out of me and praise be that my sister finally turned 30.

Also, full use of faculties is overrated.
Congrats on the book, btw!

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure the last time I partied with 20-year-olds was Halloween 2005. I'm pretty sure I haven't tried it again since then. Because it was great fun, but I don't want to do it anymore. My poor body doesn't want me to do it anymore. Feel better soon! :)

lisahgolden said...

I trust you've recovered. We watched our daughter experience a hangover on Saturday. Good times. I was glad it wasn't me. For a change.

Rebecca said...

hugs

that guy said...

Pearl- you recovered fairly fast...i did not recover quite so well, and i was only up till 4 am...

i dod not EVEN know who posted my blogs yeserday...

however our party did not have the afterparty of college kids, but simply the people that were too drunk to go home...

Bruce
bruce johnson jadip
And
evilbruce
stupid stuff i see and hear
and
The guy book
the guy book

that guy said...

looks like my typing is still kinda drunk...i meant did and yesterday...

bruce

Lazarus said...

Sounds like it was a very fun night and nary a roof cave-in, that's always a plus in Minnesota at this time of year. The Vikings can't say the same!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I know I'm somewhat new around here, but have you been holding out on us? I didn't know you had such an exciting life and a 20 year old son. I'm with alwaysinthebackrow on that one. People must think you're siblings.
I hope you've caught up on your sleep.
xoRobyn

Symdaddy said...

I've been to hundreds of parties over my many years and I've aged considerably with each one I threw or attended.

The age gap between myself and MY guests remained constant, whereas at other peoples parties it swanked up and down and I often found myself competing for finger food with snot-nosed, arrogant dullards of the 'young-folk' variety.

Conversation on such occasions was limited to funny noises, who's had who and discussions on subjects ranging from who could fart the loudest to 'did [he/she/they] really say that about me?'.

Yes, I have attended some strange parties in my time.

But I have mellowed over the years and the only parties I attend now are those in which dignified and intelligent conversation, over a good meal, dominate.

It's all part of becoming old, I suppose.

Tempo said...

When I party with the young-uns I find myself asking if I was ever that dumb... With just a few days until xmas the party season has started here too. Christmas day will be mild for this time of year at around 83 in your money. That calls for a BBQ at the beach with half the town all choosing likewise.

River said...

I'm not a party person and don't drink, so I don't know what a hangover feels like, but it seems you had plenty of fun to make the hangover worthwhile.