Wow!
What more can I say?
What a night.
A week’s worth of events did happen, yet one thing will dominate strongly in the next few days – mainly because some are recovering from exhaustion (I know I am!)
Seriously, it was our last week with Kyle and Sophia in our pleasant company, and we made sure they lived it to the full. Shopping on Wednesday and a small coffee shop crawl for Kyle and I on Thursday. It’s something that’ll remain in my memory for a little while, I’ll tell you that.
Friday night at Tiggis was a great meal with fantastic food and superb company. The planning took some time to come up with something that worked, as the long fabled Alton Towers trip never fulfilled its organisers dream. The meal was a very good idea though, and I’m glad I dragged myself along.
But, it was Saturday night and Sunday morning that really took me to the land of the fairies where all the fun happens. My memory hasn’t quite straightened itself out yet, so the evening remains as a blur in my mind, but what a blur! You people sitting out there reading this, made this summer what it was. You brought happiness to such a massive group. And I thank you for spreading the joy, coming along last night and having some fun.
I’ve spent many an hour with you people, but nothing really compared to last night. I thank you for really going for it and getting all dressed up for the cause, it added something to the night, I must say. (Rick, I think I’ve still got your shirt!)
The highlights? Kyle getting drunk out of his mind and then ill for the rest of the night and the subsequent morning to boot on a bottle of red wine. The presentation of Clarkey’s birthday presents before his birthday party. The setting off of Clarkey’s car alarm because he left the sunroof open. The writing in the dirt of Rambo’s car. The desk lamps on the lawn. The marshmallows. The beer. The champagne and the toast. The BBQ. The food. The people. The CD. The DVD. The random flash-photography in the pitch dark. The return of my parents’ to find a pretty drunken Paulo. There’s too much to use. Far too much.
I do hope you all had fun though, and signed my DVD cover. I think I collected the majority of signatures of those circulating round the room.
After such a good summer, we had to close with a party to end all the other gatherings. And this was it! (Or so I like to think anyway.)
Just a couple of thank you’s. I must thank my kind and generous parents for allowing us to use my house and not complain about the excessive noise in the small hours of the morning. My neighbours for putting up with the noise we made outside. And, perhaps most importantly, all you beautiful people for coming, dressing up and joining in! It worked so well that we didn’t need to play the games we had planned or have to resort to using more structured fun techniques.
The photos will appear in an e-mail in your inbox in good time, I assure you.
The morning after saw the room spinning whilst I remained perfectly still. (I wasn’t hungover!) The almost customary Human-Jenga game starring Charlie as the base and all the cushions we could possibly find. Kyle looked more than a little peaky, especially as the bacon butties descended. The boules on the lawn was a fitting close to The Final Roll Of The Dice. It was the goodbyes that hurt the most though. As people began to pack up and leave once more. It was the couple going to Chester that really took me. I clung onto Sophia as long as I dared, and then a little longer still. And Kyle I waved off halfway down the road towards the bus stop before turning back for home in tears. I’ll miss you both! I’ll miss you all in fact, but these two were perhaps the most significant leavers. Good luck to the two of you in your year at Chester. You’ll be fine, we all have faith in you.
This is not the end of The Friday E-Mail, but merely the start of something that will look very different indeed when it’s finally finished. This is the end of the world as we know it, which might explain why I don’t actually feel fine.
**quiet and clam salute**
El Paulo.
