It all started on 6th February 1988. A Kat, who by any other name would smell as sweet, was born. This date, in years to follow, was to become what we can only call her 'birthday'. A day to celebrate the birth of this dear Kat.
In the years to follow, fans worldwide would flock to Kat's side on this remarkable day, to shower her with gifts, of frankincense, myrrh and the like (don't be offended, I'm not saying Kat is Jesus).
Seventeen years after the birth of Katrina would be her 17th birthday (oddly enough). It was decided! A birthday celebration! Chinese! With some local friends, and some not so local, from a chartiy! Called AYME.
Speaking from a personal point of view, I was reluctant to attend. Not because I did not want to see dear Kat, because I did, very much. But, because of a fear of being disliked by some, or most, other people. However! The decision was made that I would go, and love and adore Kat and her feet for the 17th year of her birth.
The day drew upon us, Saturday 5th February, the date we would all flock to Katrina's side. A panic! As Jon was not feeling well. But hurrah! 'Hurrah!' we all said when he decided he was well enough to join us. With cotton and a needle.
I boarded my vehicle, a car, chauffeur driven, and headed to Charing Cross, where I would meet the aforementioned illJon, and travel to Kat's together.
But, alas, more panic! We were stuck in traffic and 10 minute behind schedule! Would me make it? Only time would tell.
A train due at 2:15pm. An arrival at the train station at around 2:11pm.
'Jon!' I yelled, to the entire Charing Cross station, and we sprinted (walked fast) to the train. I had no time to bid a temporary farewell to my father; he was stuck in traffic trying to find somewhere to park the car. My mother watched as the train left the station, and we headed on to Kat's.
Mature discussion on the train followed, about cremation versus burial, and why my tummy hurt so much (squiffy).

We arrive at the station and began our hike to Kat's (went to Dillon's next door to the station so Jon could get a drink. Of brown cow juice). A hike and a half back to the station, and Kat was there waiting for us. A strange thing, seeing Kat, as I had last seen her in October 2002, but we speak online most days, these days.
After bundling everything in Kat's mamma's car, we started the 5 hour (10 minute) car journey to her house.

Her house? A mansion! A mansion of all kinds! With rooms! And stairs! Toilets galore!

Kat has a very nice house. Everyone was already there when we got there (Livi, Ben, Peter). After lots of hellos and me being filled with nerves and things, we all piled onto sofas and rocking chairs to chat insanely, before playing games of pool. First I played in doubles, me and Ben against Jon and Peter. Ben and I won by a mile. I then played in triples (trebles? Triples.), with Ben and Livi, against Jon, Peter, and Kat. Ben, Livi and myself won by a mile again. The others are very bad at pool.

More chatting, until 5:45pm (I think), when Kat, Livi and myself left on the trek to Kat's bedroom, where we did the girlie thing and spent two hours getting ready. After nagging the boys, they spent twenty seconds getting ready, and we headed to the Chinese restaurant where we were meeting Kat's locals for dinner. Chinese dinner.

Kat's friends arrived, two by one by one, and we were all introduced to each other before heading into the restaurant. I put on my maternal/organised hat (having to share a menu started me off on it), and we all decided what to eat and drink, and I made a list of the food to give to the waiter. I am a genius for thinking of it, frankly.
The food arrived and we all ate it (I know, we’re a strange lot for actually eating our food) Photos were taken, dinner plates were cleared, Happy Birthday was sung (not necessarily in this order), and dessert menus were handed out.

A penguin! A penguin on the menu! On the menu was an ice cream that came in a plastic penguin toy, called Punky. Kat ordered one, and I ordered one so I could give the penguin toy to my boyfriend. Unfortunately, there was an unfortunate hair in Kat's ice cream. A very, very unfortunate hair. Go figure. Complaints were made to the waiters, and a new penguin was brought out for Kat. But no sooner had it been brought out that a crazy waitress appeared, asked Kat whether it was her birthday, then took the Penguin away again because 'people with birthdays aren't allowed ice cream'. Or something. I shouldn’t quote it really. Moments later Kat's non-hairy Penguin returned with a candle in it and we all sang Happy Birthday again, whilst the waitress demanded a kiss. However, as I'm bad with remembering things in order, I think, before the candle thing, crazy waitress put on a show for us. Upon seeing the Penguin's body, with ice-cream in, being eaten by local Jamie (I had my own ice-cream and didn't want to eat two, I just wanted the toy!), the waitress began to cry 'My lung! You ate my lung! Where is my head? I cannot find my head!' (the head was the lid to the ice cream so it was now sitting on the table). Waitress then saw the head, grabbed it, and made it bounce across the table yelling 'my body! Where is my body!’ Sadly I don't write it as funny as it was, but she carried on with this for a while. I'm sure other people will be able to write about it better.
We said out goodbyes to the locally people (though one had to lave early), then called a cab to go home. While waiting for the cab we yelled random things to local Jamie, who was walking down the road to go home.
Got back to Kat's, told the story of the hair, then got even more hyper and did hyper things. Ben made an odd drink with various things in it (I forget what. I'm so bad at this), we played twister (they played twister, I sucked too much), the girls talked about soaps while Jon made strange noises into his phone, and we watched a videos of Ben's bands and conference '01.

In the early hours of the morning, Livi, Kat, Jon and myself were still all awake and talking. Jon wanted to see if Ben and Peter were still awake, and devised a cunning plan to find out. He threatened to go over and 'touch' Peter, and the one quiet Peter just squealed 'no!' in the pitch black of the dark black, black night. Ben was tested by having his bands insulted. Ben did not protest, therefore, we was asleep! It was masterful.

We settled down around half fiveish for a short night's sleep. I stirred when Kat and Livi were getting up, and made some disturbing grunting noises, which I tend to do. About ten past ten I woke up probably because my bladder was filling, and Peter was pouring a glass of water. More grunting noises followed until I laid there fidgeting in silence. Ben and Jon were still silent and still (that does make sense), so we (stupidly) assumed they were both still asleep. Peter got up to go.. somewhere, and walked out of the room behind the sofa which Jon was 'sleeping on'. Next thing I knew Jon made a yelling noise, making Peter leap out of his skin and hurt his foot. It was funnier than I make it sound, really.

Sunday was Kat's actual birthday, so we all moved to the lounge so Kat could open her presents, of which there were lots. And nice. Had breakfast, with flavoured tea (I think we had breakfast before presents actually?), got dressed, and then settled down to watch Kat's Eddie Izzard video and generally crash. Jon was first to leave, at a little before 3pm. After Kat was back from the station, we watched more of conference '01, and laughed at the bad messages from everyone. Everyone will now remember my middle name forever. That was basically it. Peter left at about 4:15, I got excited at his sister's ska scarf, then at 4:30ish Livi, Kat and I left for the station (leaving Ben at Kat's house as his lift hadn't yet turned up). We boarded our separate trains and head to our separate homes, where we would be separate. And separated.

I had a very, very, very incredibly lovely wonderful joyous weekend and miss everyone muchly. I hope they feel the same about me. It's doubtful. I suck. But anyway. Fun, nice, lovely, hope to do it again. Sorry for ramblyness and general disjointed badly written stuff. I'll try to update this more often, maybe.