I still didn't feel quite well. I think the natural cold that I expected and should have got last week was elbowed out of precedence by the trendy noroflu[1], and after a day of me bouncing back has rushed to the head of the line. I feel fine, like I normally wouldn't even notice (slightly tired, perpetually sneezing, but completely happy and functional) but have found no expected time to flop, so am slightly balanced between dozy and hyper with everything until I crash one night next week (or maybe tomorrow night, I hope).
However, the postponed birthday dinner was very fun, thank you to everyone who came with me. It sputtered a little bit (I had a puncture overnight and had to get a lift. Tim and Rachel were introduced to a larger group of my mainly sgo friends. We cruelly deprived poor Sonic of pudding. We went on the Maypole, but it was a rather hot-loud-and-crowded that night. Becky had trouble reaching us mobile telephonically[2]) But it was very fun, people who didn't know each other gelled well, the food wasn't quite as good as I remembered but very nice (and ordered without any angst :)), the restaurant and pub and cocktails of both were nice, and as always the conversation was interesting, amusing, and very occasionally edifying :)
Last year I invited only a couple of most close friends (those able to come) and their other half/housemate, this year I felt like a slightly larger gathering. I wanted to invite about ten people, and did so (hoping no-one I know nearly as well but didn't happen to invite felt left out :)). But nine or ten people seems to be another very good number for this, if you don't mind claiming the centre of attention it lets you sit in the middle of the table and talk to everyone, a larger dinner would be nearly superfluous.
[1] Metaphorically, not pharmacologically. (Or I assume there's no physical basis for that description, it's just how I feel.)
[2] Thanks for coming! I hope you weren't left in the lurch for too long. I don't think there's anything I could have done once my phone died to avert it, all I could have said was to text A or someone else at the party (And we would have texted you once we decided where to go on after, we hadn't planned anything beforehand), but sorry I didn't let you know, I was thinking about too many things.
However, the postponed birthday dinner was very fun, thank you to everyone who came with me. It sputtered a little bit (I had a puncture overnight and had to get a lift. Tim and Rachel were introduced to a larger group of my mainly sgo friends. We cruelly deprived poor Sonic of pudding. We went on the Maypole, but it was a rather hot-loud-and-crowded that night. Becky had trouble reaching us mobile telephonically[2]) But it was very fun, people who didn't know each other gelled well, the food wasn't quite as good as I remembered but very nice (and ordered without any angst :)), the restaurant and pub and cocktails of both were nice, and as always the conversation was interesting, amusing, and very occasionally edifying :)
Last year I invited only a couple of most close friends (those able to come) and their other half/housemate, this year I felt like a slightly larger gathering. I wanted to invite about ten people, and did so (hoping no-one I know nearly as well but didn't happen to invite felt left out :)). But nine or ten people seems to be another very good number for this, if you don't mind claiming the centre of attention it lets you sit in the middle of the table and talk to everyone, a larger dinner would be nearly superfluous.
[1] Metaphorically, not pharmacologically. (Or I assume there's no physical basis for that description, it's just how I feel.)
[2] Thanks for coming! I hope you weren't left in the lurch for too long. I don't think there's anything I could have done once my phone died to avert it, all I could have said was to text A or someone else at the party (And we would have texted you once we decided where to go on after, we hadn't planned anything beforehand), but sorry I didn't let you know, I was thinking about too many things.