We held a cabaret-type party at Emerson last night. To my surprise, it was a huge success, though not as well-attended as the organizers had hoped.

For me, as for many others I chatted with, a great deal of the enjoyment came from the fact that we were having dinner, drinks, dancing and conversation with people we know well, who are our extended family.

In the past, I've been to many parties where I was bored stiff, the prospect of drinking myself silly was totally unappealing, and I hardly knew a soul there except for my date and perhaps one or two other people.

I really despise that kind of party. Last night's was just the opposite, and a lot of fun. There was good food (always a great start to an evening), a glass of wine or two (or beer or soda), a hired band which was excellent (though too loud for my sensitive ears), and friends from wall to wall, out on the patio, and clustered in the pavilion where there was a killer poker game in progress.

My Lutheran grandparents would have been horrified, as they were when they discovered my cousins teaching me to add by playing War, corrupting my pure soul with the evil of card games. But I digress.

It was so much fun and so stimulating, that when I got home I had trouble going to sleep. Over tired or not, I was wound up tight and it took a while to relax.

As a consequence, this morning's hangover has nothing to do with wine, and everything to do with an introvert's overexcitement.

So...when's the next party?