Finally, after 2 years of lockdowns an above-the-board honest-to-goodness rave.
Bloody hell these have been a long couple of years.
So - R. Jr. is in town, he wants to drink & party, me, drinking too much a habit, it's lost it's celebratory meaning. So I talk him into the rave.
A community hall.
A disclaimer here, typically a good rave wouldn't be at a community hall. They're outdoors, camping, in the forest under the stars, fairy lights lighting the paths...
But - we'll take it. This is as good as it gets for the moment.
300 + people, small community hall. And it's good. The DJ's, well, I've heard better - the theme of this one is "Masquerade" and so everyone is wearing a Venetian half-mask, which adds a little spice to the night's festivities. I'm a little bitter I could find none to my taste, especially as a mask so greatly improves to my appearance...
Of the crowd, perhaps 75-80% are women, as per Kootenay standards, largely beautiful, the remainder of the men, incapacitated, "Took-too-much", or dressed in pink Tu-Tu's, it's shooting fish in a barrel, really...
Outside, having a smoke, I'm accosted by a tall, apparently beautiful but masked blonde....
"Why are you lurking out here...?"
I indicate my cigarette.
"Where is your son?"
I'm flattered to be recognized, if only as his father. But with that comes the realization that whereas once I was - superficially only - regarded as not such a bad catch, my reign is over...