About last night...

It was a great night in the pub with FBS, D, Friction Guy and Opinionated Guy. I wasn't as drunk as I had feared, though I was still quite drunk. While I always enjoy our catchups, it felt like we laughed more last night than normal, though for no real reason. Age is catching up with us and so our health was the main topic of conversation. Out of the five of us, I am the only one not on regular medication.

FBS asked a guy sitting at the next table to take a picture of us, and I think it might actually be a decent one. I might ask her for a copy of it and see if it's any good. 

Three's a crowd?

The chat in the WhatsApp group with D, FBS etc, has kicked off ahead of our proposed night out this coming Friday. Not a lot has been said, apart from D, FBS and myself all confirming that we're going out. Nothing from Friction Guy as yet, but to be honest, I think that we could make a night of it even if it's only the three of us. And I think if the other two can't attend, we would actually head out.

That'd be quite a good night out, I think. I recall the night where it was only me, FBS and Opinionated Guy and it was great.

Out and about.

Sadly, KfW2 wasn't in contact yesterday as she promised. On the flip side, G was. He asked if I was up to going out for a few drinks, and I was. I quite fancied some time in the pub, chatting and people watching. I have been out of the house quite a lot this past 2 weeks, but not in a way that scratches a social itch.

And I spent the night chatting to G and eyeing up some cute brunettes, one of whom sorta resembled Holly Marie Combs and a really cute petite woman who was dancing nearby.

It was just the tonic I needed - a change of scenery, some different company and an evening of possibilities (even if I was never going to actually take any of them if they presented themselves.

Plans ahoy!

G was in touch late last night. We've tentatively arranged to do something tomorrow, but the timing is still to be confirmed. It could be afternoon, it could be evening. With the weather the way it is, I don't really care either way.

I think G is leaning more towards coming into the city centre, but I don't really mind. It's unlikely that he'll be alone. I know his youngest son and wife are also over, so they could well be in tow. I don't really know his kids, and I've only met his wife a few times. She's one of those who doesn't show her face too often.

But it should be a decent afternoon or evening out, regardless. 

I sea you.

G's just been in touch. I might have gotten it slightly wrong about his trip over. I think, this time, his wife is also over, and they're staying in a seaside town only a few miles away. He's suggested getting a train into the city for drinks, but I've countered that with an offer to get the train to them, for drinks.

For starters, it'd be a nice change of scenery. Secondly, with the weather the way it is, the idea of outdoor pints looking across the sea from a nice pub has a real draw to it, don't you think?

I'm just waiting to hear back from G. 

Planning.

G's meant to be back home from Thursday to Sunday. given the weather, I'd rather hoped he'd be in touch to maybe plan something more substantial than an hour of dinner and a swift pint somewhere. Maybe take an afternoon somewhere between my house and his sister's house (where he stays when he's home).

I know of just the place, too. Or a couple of them, to be precise. One right on the coast,  one attached to a hotel but would be brilliant for an afternoon of pints.

Let's go!

G sent a text message to say that he'd be home in two weeks time. From the way he was talking, there could be a good chance we have a proper night out. I'd like that. I feel the need for spending some time with a close friend. Recent socialising with family and work colleagues has been fun, but it's not scratched that itch that a night out with friends would satisfy.

Urgh.

Despite my social life being very quiet these days, I've now been in the pub three times since Sunday: the gig with Quiet Girl, a family thing on Monday evening and a work thing last night.

I wasn't expecting a lot from last night, to be honest, but it was surprisingly good fun.

Feeling it a little today. not a hangover per se, but a lack of sleep. Roll on 5 PM. 

Oooft.

We had a team-building event yesterday that involved an escape room then a trip to the pub. I was drunk, dear Reader. The first time in a long time. I can't remember the last time I was properly drunk. Maybe the last time I was out with FBS and that crowd?

Anyway, it was a good night. I spent a while chatting to the tall woman that I've posted about a few times before. The one who might have made a drunken approach at a previous work event. I don't think she really remembers that.

I met a few other work people from other teams and offices and they were all really nice.

I could do with going back to bed, though. Drunk sleep + waking early means a very tired Ruuude.

Cheers!

Last week, I questioned Ideas Girl about the lack of work events over the past few months. She promised to see if she could arrange one for this month, but i held out little hope. However, on Monday, IG pinged me and said that she'd gotten permission. Could I suggest anywhere? I gave off a couple of suggestions and left it at that.

24 hours later, I was chatting to Stalky Guy "complaining" about IG going quiet when an email from our organising committee landed in my inbox.

Next Friday then.

I quickly messaged the usual group of people about going out. IG was saying that the funding was our social events was being slashed, so it makes sense (to me) that we get numbers out to show that we still want these events.

Quiet Girl is on holiday, but I sent her a text message. She was quick to reply. She wants to come out, too.

Hopefully next Friday will be fun. 

Happy talk?

We were only out for a few hours, but G is always good company. Our family situations, with respect to some family members, is almost identical, so we were swapping news and information based on that.

Additionally, he was telling me stories of his recent family holiday, which involved New York. I've posted before about NY being somewhere I'd like to visit, so I told him I was jealous and got some suggestions from him about things to do etc.

As I said above, we were only out for a few hours - a couple of drinks in total - but it was tough leaving the bar. I could easily have sat there for another few hours, putting the world to rights. 

Long time...

I was pinged by a girl from work. It was the girl from this post. We've not spoken for ages, so she was asking if I still attended our monthly work nights out. I replied that I went to most of them. The last one she was at was the one mentioned in the above post. but she said she was interested in going out to the next one.

I'm hoping that's the end of next week. We didn't have one in March for some reason, which was annoying because I really wanted to be social (i.e. go out, have a few drinks and a bit of banter). 

Fingers crossed.

I had hoped that this weekend would see our regular monthly work thing. It's been a long month and I quite fancied some drinks, socialising and a bit of banter with Quiet girl and that group of people.

I forgot it was Easter weekend, so that's never going to happen. Maybe next weekend then?

Rock and roll

I was bemoaning my lack of socialising to a co-worker in the office yesterday. We had been talking about the monthly work event that's happening this evening.

So it was surprisingly, in a good way, when my brother-in-law sent a message this morning enquiring about heading out tomorrow night to see a band. I'd suggested it ages ago, but I'd completely forgotten about it.

I was initially torn. My football team is playing tomorrow evening and the match is being televised, so I had kinda already planned my Saturday night. But as I said, I've been complaining about a lack of socialising, so I agreed to go.

Plans.

It hasn't been announced as yet, but I am assuming there's going to be a work thing at the end of the month. If that's the case, I'll be trying to get people to attend. Quiet Girl, of course will be top of my list, but there are a few other people who are fun, and if not, then Stalky Guy.

That's something I'm going to try to do this year: more socialising - build upon what I did last year by going to more concerts, which I think was reasonably successful.

Plans

I'm meant to be meeting G for lunch tomorrow. I've not heard anything yet, but I expect a confirmation soon.

I'm also, supposedly, meant to be meeting S and his unrequited love tomorrow evening. It's S's birthday soon, and she usually comes to visit around this time. But these arrangements were made the last time The Crowd were out, so I don't know if they're still going ahead.

I describe her as S's unrequited love, but I think he's well over her by now, at least from a romantic perspective. They are close enough friends. I think I've explained all that before, so I won't go into it again.

S's unrequited love and I get along great. It'd be great to see her again... it's been a few years since we've chatted. But I'm not holding my breath that S will be in touch, and if he is, I'll play it by ear. Maybe go out for a few drinks and see what happens. I've done an awful lot of drinking over the past few weeks and it's reminded me how much I don't like being drunk, but I do like the social, people watching, aspect of it. Maybe I'll try and get home early in preparation for a chill Sunday.

Plans

G sent a message a few hours ago. I thought it was going to be a last-minute thing, because I knew he'd be home this month, but it wasn't. It was about next Saturday. Was I free for lunch?

I am, so we quickly made arrangements. Roll on next weekend.

Sadly, I think the days of us meeting for drinks are over. He used to stay with his Mum when he came over, but family circumstances have changed so he stays with, or near, his sister who's 20 miles away. 

That's not conducive to hitting a decent pub, having half a dozen pints and getting a taxi home. Which is a massive shame. He was great company for putting the world to rights over a few drinks and we've had our own adventures in the past. I've blogged about a few of them here.

Vibes

I met up with some ex-colleagues last night for a catch-up. It wasn't a particularly drunken or late evening. Left the house at 5 PM and I was home by 11 PM. We grabbed some food then hit a favourite bar of mine. I think I've posted about the bar before, I've been to it many, many times over the years.

One of the barmaids has been mentioned here, too, I think. She's been serving in the bar for easily 15 years. I still recall a couple of stories involving GM and another ex-colleague who's dropped off the radar these days (thankfully).

It was just a decent night of quiet pints and chat, no real newsworthy moments apart from the cute woman who sat at the table beside us who was giving off serious Anna Kendrick vibes. However, she was easily half my age.

I was also sat with my back to the majority of the pub, so I definitely missed out on loads, but I was happy enough chatting and didn't really need the distraction.

Yay!

I'm not gonna lie, I was slightly apprehensive about meeting FBS, D etc. last night. It was the pub thing, more accurately, the alcohol intake. My tolerance is pretty much zero these days, so the thought of six hours of necking pints had me a little worried.

It was all for nothing, though. Seven pints across nearly six hours meant I was drunk but not as bad a I thought I was going to be.

It was great catching up with the guys. The highlights, for want of a better word, was a running gag that lasted all evening about a euphemism for blowjobs, much to our amusement and FBS's puzzlement. And a debate (I hesitate to call it an argument) with Opinionated Guy who insisted he share our taxi, despite him living in the opposite direction to myself and FBS. He's shared before, because FBS is too nice to tell him to fuck off, but it was my taxi last night and I had no hesitation in telling him where to go.

I hope he'll learn this in future. It feels like we do all the work for him - arrange nights out, get him home etc. and he does nothing.

Cheers!

Friction Guy replied, so it looks like we've got a core group and a rough time for meeting and a place to meet.

I'm not interested in the drinking. I hate being drunk and my ability to drink alcohol is now non-existent probably due to the fact that I've lost a fair bit of weight this year and I've done little to no socialising, so I am out of practice.

And the nights out with D, FBS etc. always seem to involved a lot of alcohol. We tend to meet around 6 PM these days and call it a night around midnight. That's six hours of drinking. The night out a few weeks ago with The Crowd was just over three hours and I was extremely tipsy.

Let's see how this turns out.