Against my usual judgment (the one that keeps me at home most nights), I decided to suck up my fear of people and go to the Yahoo/Flickr party in Yaletown this evening.

It turned out to be a night full of new experiences, in more ways than one:

• I crashed my first party (I wasn’t officially on the guestlist because I had marked myself as a “maybe” – luckily for me, GusF came up to the door while I was standing around looking lost, and told the bouncers “Oh that’s Kimli, everyone knows her!” and I got in)
• I was handed various kinds of lobster and pressed to take more, but seriously I was all full up of lobster
• I got to feel up Catherine’s boob
• I felt all important and social media-y, being at a fancy party with people far more important in the scene than I
• I had fun!
• (not at all connected to the items above) I won a Flight Control t-shirt from Firemint!

I’m glad I decided to go to the party – it was so much fun! I hadn’t been to Yaletown yet during the Olympics and was surprised at how alive it was – as I was leaving the party, the Coke truck came rolling through and I ended up with some free Coke Zero to go along with all my neat Flickr swag. The Olympic fun just keeps on happening! Hopefully I’ll find another party or two to crash before it’s all over; I could really get used to free lobster and also Catherine’s boobs.

parties: fun!

First they were up in arms because the Olympics were coming.

Then they were up in arms because the Olympics were here.

Even though they don’t even care, they’re up in arms because of a fence.

And now? Well, now they’re up in arms because you can’t get stinking drunk and act like a pathetic piece of trash in public.

People are freaking the fuck out because the city closed all liquor stores early on Friday and Saturday nights, and are enforcing the “no drinking in public” rule; calling Vancouver the “No Fun City” and other clever names. Never mind that the entire month of February is one massive party for everyone even if you don’t set foot into a single sporting venue; never mind that there are free concerts and activities every single day; never mind that the weather has been spectacular and spirits are higher than I’ve ever seen them. Let’s forget all about that, and instead focus on the fact that we can’t get DRUNK and therefore what’s the point of even HAVING an Olympics.

Did I miss the press conference where being drunk was a mandatory precursor to having fun?

LIGHTEN THE FUCK UP, PEOPLE. If you can’t have fun without alcohol, then you’ve got bigger problems to address. Maybe some of us would rather go to an event and not have to worry about facing a drunken mob of vomiting, ridiculous assholes. Maybe some of us would rather not see you pissing on buildings or in the middle of the street. Maybe we’d rather not deal with the staggering senses of entitlement that alcohol abuse seems to gives you. Maybe we’d like to walk down the street without that prickling sense of fear when you see the rowdy screaming gang at the end of the block – are they friendly drunks? Will they harass me? Rape me? Frighten my children? Puke on my shoes? Where’s the nearest escape route if things get out of hand?

I know some people are perfectly able to have a drink or two and still conduct their business in a sensible manner. These aren’t the people the police are trying to stop – it’s those that don’t know when to stop, don’t know how to act like human beings, don’t know that getting blinding drunk and making an ass of yourself isn’t a requirement of having fun. Do you honestly think that the stopping the sale of alcohol is because no one knows how to have a good time and we’re all lame sticks in the mud with even bigger sticks up our asses? That isn’t the POINT – the point is that some people don’t know how to have fun without going too fucking far, and EVERYONE is entitled to have fun – not just the idiots who binge drink because it’s oh-so hilarious.

Get the fuck over yourselves and grow up.

.. Fox and Lola (the person, not my scooter), front and center!

You are the winners of the Delicious Juice Dot Mitten contest, and will be the delighted (I hope) recipient of a pair of the coveted Vancouver 2010 Olympic Red Mittens and a set of Delicious Juice Dot Com pins!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and if you didn’t win don’t worry – I’ll be drawing for 3 sets of pins (two Apple Store sets and one PETA Olympic Shame) and a random mascot toy later this week (so you should go enter the draw, if you haven’t already).

I’m having so much fun during these Games – more than I ever thought – that I’m tickled a quite literal pink to be able to share even this tiny piece with my internets. Yay!

And now, for no reason whatsoever, here are some large fish!

koi koi koi!