Margaret’s here for the long weekend, but just now is in bed after taking two Gravol. I can only ever take one, so find that quite a large dosage. However, last night she consumed one 3 ounce Cosmopolitan, one 2 ounce Pina Colada, a bottle of white wine and a beer. Amazing for her body size, really.

What happened was a confluence of unexpected events. Freddie turned 70 yesterday, and Nicky and I were to go to Maple Ridge for the party. Margaret didn’t know prior to booking a flight here for the long weekend, but when I told her about it she was fine with babysitting the dog for one night while Nicky and I went.

Then on Friday Nicky came upstairs and announced he wasn’t going to the party, and since we were going to drive together I was a bit disappointed, but said no problem, I would drive myself.

However when I got up yesterday it was pouring rain, so mom phoned and said “You know what a terrible driver you are. You’ll probably have an accident in the rain so don’t go.” I said I didn’t mind and was ready to go, but she insisted, so I said fine, I won’t go.

I then got Margaret at the airport and told her I wasn’t leaving after all. She’d made arrangements for Denis to come over that night to join her, so I phoned him and said to come anyway and then it turned into a small Doyle party.

Mid-afternoon Luke showed up in high spirits, which made everyone thirsty for drinks, and so I mixed up the first one, a Cosmopolitan. I made it with 1.5 oz of vodka, 1.5 oz of Triple Sec and white cranberry juice. That went down their gullets easily, so I made pina coladas next.

I had one and was thrilled it didn’t trigger a migraine. Luke and Margaret also imbibed, and then Denis showed up so Margaret switched to white wine. I stopped after one pina colada, so was perfectly fine. Nicky hid in the basement until after dinner, but then he came upstairs to join the revelry.

At one point one of the kids suggested poker, so they brought out the cards and chips and we sat around the table and played several hands of Texas Hold ‘Em. Everyone put in $5.00. Luke won, so was thrilled as Denis was dropping him off at his condo and he wanted to stop for Doritos on the way home and needed money for that.

Once Margaret had finished the bottle of white wine and a beer, she opened a second one, but only had a sip before heading straight for bed. I found her there, boots and clothes still on. I said should you at least take off your shoes?

No one offered to drink the can of beer. Luke and Nicky had been drinking Scotch he received for the wedding last month from his pal James, so I thought why must we waste a beer as they were chasing the Scotch with a wince and a chug of brew anyway.

I had difficulty falling asleep as I would burst into gales of laughter every few minutes imagining Margaret this morning. Then sure enough when she left the bedroom it was just as I had thought, bad.