To begin with
1. Aged 17, drank all-but-a-mouthful of a whole bottle of vodka (only reason I didn't down the lot was because my mates, who were busy getting stoned which I wasn't interested in on principle, realised and stopped me 'cos they wanted some). This was on a night out in Huddersfield (another mistake). We then went to the Crescent and had a drink where I felt fine, then to a place with the rather unfortunate name of 'Beyond Beach Babylon'. I was totally fine for about an hour, perfectly sentient, a bit drunk but otherwise Ok.

Then I blacked out.

I only remember two other things about that night. One is me standing outside the club, half-dead, wondering how the hell I was ever gonna get home, where the hell home was. For some reason I remember this as a kind-of out-of-body experience, a sane, awake me looking at the totally smashed beyond recognition me. The other memory is of being in either a taxi or someone's car- someone (I never found out who) made it their mission to get me home- thank God they did- with someone having to hold the door open whilst the car was moving so I could throw up.

I picked up what else had happened later from other people. I'd blacked out in the club and collapsed, then woken up and been violently sick whilst being carried out by the bouncers, who proceeded to beat the crap out of me. Some good soul got me in a car and managed to decipher where I lived, got me home, knocked on the door whereby my Dad answered:

Saviour: "Are you Martin's Dad?"

(Dad looks at me slumped on the steps)

Dad: "Yeah."

They dragged me into the house and left me on the living room floor. I woke up about eight, and despite feeling like death went to college, though I had to go home after a while. I got home, slept off the hangover, then went to work pushing Trolleys round Morrisons car park in the evening. Then I went out again....

....hmmm, it's a dumb thing to do but in hindsight it's part of being a teenager. I must have done worse things since. Oh wait, I have....
(Katabatic wasn't, and will never be on, Sat 22 Dec 2007, 20:16, Reply)