Monday 30 June 2008

Home chemistry

Went to a party at the weekend which was the best kind of birthday party - like being 6 again but with a free bar. Balloons, dancing, food, cake, and nobody cried, wet themselves or had to be taken home early, although Mr Fishwife woke up with a stiff shoulder after strutting his stuff rather too energetically with the birthday girl. Hurrah. Getting a taxi from central London after midnight is no easy feat at the best of times, and made harder if there are five of you and a large bunch of helium-filled balloons - the trick is to look as sensible and sober as possible. As we duly did. A brief digression on the subject of helium - it is non-toxic, odourless, flavourless, has no narcotic effects, and according to Wikipedia The voice of a person who has inhaled helium temporarily sounds high-pitched. This is because the speed of sound in helium is nearly three times the speed of sound in air. Apply this scientific principle to a 14-stone football-playing baritone singing "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton and you'll wonder why you ever gave up Chemistry O-Level. A fine, fine way to spend the small hours of a Saturday/Sunday. If we'd had some liquid nitrogen to freeze grapes with we'd have been in heaven.

10 comments:

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Sounds like a party to remember!

How gratifying you can!

mantua maker said...

Aaaaa don't remind me of the grapes in the liquid nitrogen! I freaked myself out imagining what would happen if somebody accidentally dipped their fingers in it.

Lucy Fishwife said...

Laura - barely. It came back to me in dribs and drabs over the following day... I remembered doing Juliet's balcony speech in a strangled helium falsetto..

MM - Yes and it also produces humungous blisters if accidentally spilled on the bare feet of, say, Bella Parker.

Steve said...

Ah helium filled balloons! A must in anyone's Heaven surely...? Sigh. There aren't enough helium filled balloons in my life... I need to rectify that immediately.

Anonymous said...

haha yeah I immediately thought what Laura said. I never seem to remember much about any parties I go to!

I remember once climbing in a taxi and the bloke said to me "where to love?" and I realised I couldn't remember. I asked him to drive around until I spotted things I recognised.

I am scared of helium balloons!! So i would be hiding under the table crying for my mummy probably.

Sounds like a lot of fun though, particularly the free bar bit.

Lucy Fishwife said...

Steve - in a pathetically childish way I still love the fact that they bob around on the ceiling! And of course the comedy effects of inhaling them can't be underestimated.

RB - poor you! I have a phobia about clowns but I think secretly everybody does (think it was Lon Chaney who said "nobody loves a clown after dark"). Is there a reason for your fear?

Brother Tobias said...

What a great party. There must have been something in the air last weekend. We had a wee braai, during which several people climbed trees. I might post a piccie, to remind them.

Lucy Fishwife said...

BT - It's summer, warmth, and judicious amounts of alcohol. A fantastic mixture guaranteed to bring out the latent 6-year-old in everybody.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure there must be a reason but I have no idea what it is. Probably some horrible little boy or girl was nasty to me at a children's party once or something. Maybe my mother will know. I'll ask her next time I speak to her.

And yes, clowns are a bit scary.

Lucy Fishwife said...

RB- clowns frankly give me the willies! With balloons it's often the unexpected bang - I've seen otherwise sturdy children reduced to screams by a sudden exxplosion next to their ear.