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[personal profile] skyring
I may learn different later today in Julie Cohen's Erotic Writing Master Class, but it's surely wrong to have the climax at the beginning. I mean, it saves time and everything, but surely it cannot get any better than this?

The waiter said it all, really. With one dramatic gesture, he held the plate high over his head, smiled for a taut moment, and then flung it down. It shattered into a million dancing pieces, and then he did it again, and again. We laughed and cheered as the music swelled around us and the persistent rhymn and Molyneux got us out of our chairs and hopping and skipping and kicking and laughing in a long line through the restaurant, out into the steamy night air of midsummer Birmingham, and back in again.

He and four of us BookCrossers were the only men in the place, I'm sure. Every other group in the place was a hen's party, and there were happy, uninhibited lovely young women everywhere. Some of them were wearing bunny ears, fuzzy pink bunny ears, and the sight proved irresistible to me later on that night. Even more so to [livejournal.com profile] sirroy.

But that's another story, and I am quite sure that some of the many photographs taken will show the moment in full glory. For once, I didn't have my arms around a bunch of beautiful women. Well, my arms, maybe, but my hands were doing something else, and no, they weren't fondling anyone's licorice allsorts! It was SirRoy handing out the sweeties to the sweeties, and when chipped about the rate the Tim Tam reserves were disappearing, he said, "It was a WEDDING PRESENT!"

I couldn't stop laughing at that one.

Oh, but I've been having such a time. People have been coming up to me and saying their name in a diffident tome of voice, "I don't know if you know me, but my screen name is constantweader, and..."

They generally don't get any further than that, because I am generally seized by an urgent desire to embrace them. So good to meet people whose posts, journal entries, photographs and whatnot have been highlights of my BookCrossing career for years,

And then there's the people I already know. NetStation, WistfulDragon, Ozone-Nut, DubNordie and dozens of others, old friends from meetings in the Stammie or conventions elsewhere. Darlings to a man. Or women rather, BookCrossing being a female sort of pursuit.

There's about 150 of us all told, and if you don't see your name here in the brief moments I get between waking and beginning the day's events with a breakfast, then it's not because I don't love you.

But I do want to see if I can pass on some of the flavour...

It's been like that all day long, ever since I spotted [livejournal.com profile] dubnordie at New Street, bare moments after arrival. Friends old and new, each one nudging my happiness meter one notch higher.

We all split off for dinner, some arranged weeks before, some spur of the moment. I really wish I could have attended them all, but there's no restaurant big enough for all those I love.

Our little party began in the Apres Bar, where there were Friday evening football celebrations in full swing and the noise was incredible. We mouthed words to each other, but there was no way, no way in the world that this was going to be a pleasant dinner. "We're just waiting for Sirroy", I was told, "We'll be out of here as soon as he arrives. His plane has landed, and he's on the ground."

"'Down to earth,' you mean." I replied. I've met Sirroy!

It was quieter outside, but when he magically appeared, the noise level increased. And the happiness level, I'm dour, tedious company in comparison to my glittering friends. It's nice to have someone else make the social running, so all I have to do is sit back and enjoy.

And the Greek restaurant was nice and quiet too. At least until the hens' parties got cranked up and the noise and the plate smashing and the dancing began.

But that was fun.

I sat down and wrote a brief attempt at a blog entry in my Day-Timer (another journal I maintain, I guess), but the handscrawled entry is all but illegible this morning. Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the mood lighting, but I think it was happiness.

It surely cannot get any better than this. Great food, great companions, great times.


***later*** Here's the photo>. The rabbit ears thing struck me as insanely funny. Maybe it's just me.

Date: 2006-07-01 06:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rubbergirl.livejournal.com
i live vicariously through you hehehe...
sounds like heaps of fun!!

i asked netstation to goose sirroy. he better come through! ;)

Date: 2006-07-01 07:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sweetpeeps.livejournal.com
I have been having a look at the photos on Caffcaff´s flickr album - they look great! It is so good to finally put some faces to the names I have known over the past couple of years through Bookcrossing. Hope your hangovers are not too bad today!! I´m so jealous!

Date: 2006-07-01 07:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] skyring.livejournal.com
Some of the main suspects haven't made an appearance at breakfast yet...

But caffcaff is there.

Date: 2006-07-01 07:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] antof9.livejournal.com
it's not just you -- that's a pretty silly picture :)

Love the write-up, and maybe you could just scan your Day-Timer page and blog *that*?

Hugs to all -- I sooooo wish I was there with you!

Date: 2006-07-01 10:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wombles.livejournal.com
You must tell Dubnordie that I love my cd from the cdshuffleathon and have it on my mp3 now and it's all I listen to atm!

Didn't you wear bunny ears in NZ?? Is this a strange bunny rabbit ears obsession happening?

Date: 2006-07-01 11:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] teotakuu.livejournal.com
I am glad you are enjoying yourself and are renewing your acquaintanceships from previous whirlwind trips. Keep up the reports of your exploits and those of any other charming chaps from LJ won't you, please?

Date: 2006-07-01 11:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elhamisabel.livejournal.com
Words cannot express how much I envy you and all the others!

I think wishing you fun is like carrying coals to Newcastle - useless as you no doubt have fun.
So hug everyone from me!

Date: 2006-07-01 12:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] skyring.livejournal.com
I've been doing the best I can on my own behalf. Now I'll have to do it all again on yours. ***SIGH***

Pete, happy to be of service

Date: 2006-07-01 12:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] martip.livejournal.com
The pic is just too funny, and I am green with envy! Terribly disappointed that you didn't belly dance, though. ;-)

Date: 2006-07-02 11:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angelchild.livejournal.com
Marti..... all the boys were too busy oggling the young ladies in the Hen parties doing it!!!! They all cowered when the belly dancer came to our table!

Date: 2006-07-01 12:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spedbug.livejournal.com
I'm sorry. I've noticed you wrote something after the bit about an erotic writing class but my eyes refuse to go lower.

Shall we be expecting dribs and drabs from your exercises in this class? :-D

Date: 2006-07-01 06:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sweetpeeps.livejournal.com
So .... what did you learn in the Erotic Writing Master class?

Date: 2006-07-02 11:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angelchild.livejournal.com
Was great to see you again hon.... *mwah* xx

Have a safe journey home :o)

Date: 2006-07-03 09:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sirroy.livejournal.com
That was a fun evening. I hope the girlies enjoyed the Tim Tams.

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