Friday, Aug. 26, 2005
worn out but i'm beaming
“….what happens when I'm with you makes me shake my head then smile and yawnI'm worn out but I'm beaming, and it seems that we are dreamy
as we head out through that strange old morning door.”
’Lullaby’ ~ the cat empire
Any idea how it feels to have 300 people chanting your name to get you to belly dance?
Horrifying.
And actually listening to them and ending up on stage while your favourite comedian plays the drum?
A little more horrifying than the first experience. I was blushing for an hour afterwards.
So yes, it was my birthday yesterday. And after falling to pieces and being on the verge of tears all day Wednesday (I actually cried at work), Thursday was a lovely surprise. I put on my pretty green dress and curled my hair (I made the Abbott not look at me while my hair was in curlers) and we headed off out to the bar for the comedy gig. The Abbott was concerned that we didn’t really have enough time to ‘go somewhere nice’ but I said the club would be fine. Best thing about it? SAM WAS THERE!!! So good to see a friendly face from home. I wished him the best of luck on his gig and he went off to join the fellow comedians for his gig. Then we ran into the Adoptive Family Who Live Around The Corner (you know the girl who stopped talking to me because she thought I hung up on her when I inadvertently heard “see ya” instead of “so yeah…”?). I’d invited them as a peacekeeping mission but they came an hour early and we all ended up having dinner together. So much for the romantic one on one – the Abbott and I struggled to get a word in edgewise (the mother’s a bit… exuberant).
After a surprisingly yummy dinner of chicken kiev, we met everyone else in the hallway.
There were seating issues. I wanted it perfect. It wasn’t. I panicked. The Abbott got tetchy, I got worse, and then we all sat down and I had another vodka and orange and felt better. You try organising seating for 20 people with numbered tickets that had a gap in the middle.
I was right up the front so Akmal had a chat. (he said I was the most beautiful woman ;p) and he’d keep coming back to chat for the rest of the set. I became the butt of some jokes “Oh, so you’re ethnic? *very innocently* What are you doing out of the kitchen?” Sam came on and he was funny… Even though he’d practiced the material on me for years (yes, ok, so some of it was in bed).
I ended up belly dancing because Akmal pulled out the drum and told me to get up and dance for him. I told him there was no way in hell. Then he told me He’d give me half his kingdom. And I still said no. Then the crowd started chanting “Ophelia! Ophelia!...” and I looked, panicked, at the Abbott. He told me to get up. The Abbott is so persuasive that I tend to simply listen to him.
So I simply listened to him and next thing I know I’m belly dancing in front of 300 drunk patrons and one very surprised comedians.
On my birthday.
Sam won. We pulled the party line. I made sure no one crossed the floor. But in all fairness we wouldn’t have voted for him if he wasn’t funny, old friend or no.
So we all pooled together after the show and it was decided that all the comedians would follow a group of us to an Irish Pub for karaoke. Even Akmal. He was so sweet and shy off-stage it was adorable. My crazy air-guitar playing, hard rocking manager lady fell in love with him. Sweet, sweet man. I ended up belting out “Pleasure and Pain” with my manager and the skinny blonde admin assistant as my backup singers.
I don’t know how I sounded. The Abbott said it was beautiful but that’s only because he loves me.
*big stoopid-arse happy grin*
Sam said the Abbott has the best grin. He said it lights up a room. I just stood there, grinning at the Abbott with a stoopid-arse happy look on my face. But I could see the similarities between those two.
I had a brilliant night. We two were the sensible ones and left all the comedians and workmates at the pub – we ended up driving back to the country house and I was tucked safely into bed at around 1:30.
Woke up wrapped securely in his arms.
Think i've hit the wall.
in fact, i've hit the wall, apologised, hugged it, and now the wall and i are the best of friends.
So I might be sleepy, but at least I’m smiling.