#76 - Go On A Date

Everyone makes mistakes for which they should not be judged and in a haze of optimism I agreed to go to a singles night back in June at the Regatta Hotel, Toowong.  It was pitched at the 25-45 year old age bracket.  The 40-45s were over represented, some folks were clearly in their late fifties and there was a smattering of thirty-somethings.  When I say smattering I mean my two gal pals and I and two other chaps.  

The two chaps who befriended us seemed innocuous, nice enough and kept our company for the 2nd half of the evening.  It literally was the second half because some of the singles had moved to the room next door where a significant rugby match was being televised.  Personally football is not a passion of mine but compared to the singles event let's just say that I was cheering on someone's team, yelling at the mesmerising plasma screen.  One of our newest friends, let's call him Charles appeared to take a little bit of a shine to me.  Towards the end of the evening he requested my company on a forthcoming occasion, his work party in a couple weeks time.  Considering his polite demeanour and gentlemanliness I accepted the invitation and we exchanged phone numbers.

Over the course of the evening it turns out that my gal pal works at the same company as Charles.  And the workplace in question?  Coca-Cola Amatil.


Fast forward to August 13, I arrive at the venue, the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre in suitably prescribed after five attire.  The ladies were dressed to kill and some of the fellas went to the trouble of suit and tie.  Pre-dinner drinks were served - all Coca-Cola products of course - and after the necessary preamble we made our way into the Great Hall, greeted by red carpet!  


The tables were set with all the trimmings to be expected from a multi-million dollar world dominating company.  Two massive screens were suspended from the ceiling broadcasting Coca-Cola tv advertisements from the 1960s and 70s through to the naughties.  I'm ashamed to admit that I remembered quite a few of them.  Every person had a silver Coca-Cola yo-yo gifted to them in a little black box, commemorating 125 years of Coca-Cola beverage market supremacy.

There were awards given out on the night for folks who had completed a significant amount of years at the company.  Among them, there were employeess who had dedicated 15, 20, 25, 30 years and, astoundingly one chap who started working for Coca-Cola in 1971.  Forty years of continuous service.   Imagine!

Proceeding the awards we were served a delicious but not over-the-top 3 course meal and for the first time in literally a number of years I had a Coke!  It seems marketing actually works.  

Now for some daggy bits.  There was an entertainer who was yo-yo mad.  He knew all the yo-yo tricks, in fact too many.  And to think he would actually spend a significant amount of time practising them with all the different types and sizes of yo-yos that he had on stage with him on this particular evening.  There was even a yo-yo competition between about ten or so Coke employees who were summonsed on to stage and televised on the massive screens in the Great Hall.  Meanwhile, my date Charles entertained me with not one but two 3 minute videos on his phone of an SES helicopter which had landed on the tarmac at his workplace.  It was difficult to pick which of the giant yo-yo and the helicopter was worthy of my attention, so I stole a brand name bottle opener instead, slipping it into my handbag.  It was my way of rebelling.

Dinner was over and it was time for ripping up the dance floor.  

Not my date, but damn he should have been

I spent most of the rest of the evening getting my groove on and snacking on dessert and chocolates in between songs.  The cover band was great, at least as great as cover bands can be.  They really were true professionals.


Out of respect for Charles, I won't say how the date panned out but suffice to say I haven't been in contact and I declined his request for further dates.   However I had a good time at the party and spent some time getting to know my date both on the night and in between our first and last meeting, on 3 or 4 outings.  There was nothing, literally to base a potential friendship or relationship on with Charles.  Having said that I am grateful for having met him and given the opportunity to spend a small amount of time getting to know him.  He is not the one for me so for now I have released him back in the wild so he can meet his perfect match.