Survived.

I've survived my 21st birthday! It was a good one and I got to see many of my friends. We started the night by going to Shultzy's Sausage on the Ave. We had quite a few people there; Tom, Nick, Scott, Devin, Amy, Mango, Will, Kevin, Emily, Kaile, and probably some others that I'm forgetting now. I had a good dinner and plenty to drink. We then moseyed back to the 47th Street Shack, which is a nickname I've just given to my friends house on 47th. It's got another name that's just not appropriate for a public arena such as this.

While we were there I called Jacob and got him to come over to the Shack. He brought his friend and a 50 dollar bottle of Jack Daniels for me. Wow. We played a bit of beer pong and I was doing pretty well, or at least I thought I was doing well! I didn't get to finish that game because I was meant to be at the Irish Emigrant by 10:30. Jacob had left a bit before me so I met him and his friends there. When I got there, I was disappointed to say the least. Not because my friends weren't there, because they were. No, I was disappointed because the place was barren and there was some rubbish Jazz Band playing. We weren't there very long before I decided to move along.

The idea was to have a pub crawl but in truth, we only went to two. I wanted to recreate the crawls I had in Bristol, but the pubs in England were so much better for that. I'm sure I'll go on a good crawl here eventually, possibly with my Communication people, but right now the possibilities are looking bleak. And I won't be drinking again for a while...

The second pub we went to was the Big Time Brewery. This one was more fun, and we met up with Joel, his girlfriend, and some of his friends there. Then my friends started trickling in as well. Emily showed up, Eli showed, and some others that I'm forgetting now. Sometime while we were there Jacob gave me the world deadleg of my life and I was limping for the rest of the night. But it was all well and good for a while, except I kept getting drinks handed to me. And then I was in the bathroom. My plan was to tactically chunder and return as if nothing had happened, but Jacob followed me in and took pictures of me over the toilet. That's when the night was over for me.

With a grateful arm around my buddy Nick, we returned to his place where I can only recount information that others have told me. Apparently I was put on, or I made my way to, the couch. They left me be for a while, but in the absence of attention, I threw up on said couch. I don't remember that, but I do remember being mortified as two of my friends stripped off my disgusting shirt and replaced it with a fresh one. I never take off my shirt, never.

That was the last of anything I remember and it's probably for the best.

I woke up early that morning; I always wake up early after drinking. I was cold and shivering, my head didn't ache by my body did. I was queasy and dizzy. My muscles ached and I was terribly thirsty. I slowly and painfully sat up. I realized I'd thrown up, there's no mistaking that smell. I wanted to leave but I simply couldn't. I tried to walk around, maybe walk it off. Nope. I found a scratch piece of paper and pen and managed to write a letter to the house in apology for the couch and gratitude for taking care of me. I slept for a while more but really wanted to leave. Nick was up by that time so I had him find me a ride home and by 10:30 or so I was back in my own bed.

Frozen in the fetal position, I didn't stir until about 2:30. I got up and managed to walk to my favourite coffee shop to try and get something in my stomach, but that was the worst walk of my life. I did get something down and it stayed down. When I got home my bed once again called to me and I returned to it's nurturing embrace. Again, I didn't stir until about 5 but I laid awake in bed until about 6:30 when I finally got up.

Was it all worth it? I don't know the answer to that. It was fun and it was terrible all in one night. The cleaning of the couch is costing me quite a bit and I'm pissed about that. It's definitely more than I would have spent not getting drunk...