National YSA Conference 2011 Saturday Evening " Yahtzee!"

I took my leave from Phoenix and the gang as they had an assignment to go and help set up for the ball. I however did not, so decided to head back to my room to take a break before seeing what we were going to get for dinner. I was also still half expecting to wake up any second, but I decided to have another stern mental conversation with myself telling myself that there was no reason that, that shouldn’t have just happened. I counted with a swift mental argument that I had a whole list of why it shouldn’t have, I then responded by calling myself a name., before deciding that having argument with myself was probably not the most constructive use of my time.

Dinner was well interesting as it turned out to be chicken wrapped in a piece of bacon ( see I said we’d get to what happened to the bacon” ). It also proved to be the first opportunity to catch up with the other Leicester YSA who appeared in the dining hall at the same time. Now it wasn’t that I had been trying to avoid them mind you , it’s just I hadn’t been actively seeking them out as I had been trying to follow the advice of the committee chairman to use the weekend as a opportunity to get out of my comfort zone to meet new people.

Anyway, after dinner I found I had quite some time before the ball started as not to be completely stereotypical but let’s face it the large amount of time left between the ball and dinner for preparation time is not for guys to get ready. The only thing which would have made the time more perfect would have been a TV to watch Doctor who but you can’t have everything in life.

It gave me a chance to watch one of my new DVD’s though before getting ready ( and relearning a valuable lesson as to why you should check your razor is still actually sharp before using it) and wondering over to the conference centre. Where I quickly found myself much in demand as despite still being unofficial a lot of people were thinking I was actually official. A large pharaoh style casket was proving to be a particular highlight for people to pose against as the ball had a Egyptian theme. YSA got even more excited when they found that they could open the casket and pose as if coming out of it.

Which is probably the only time you will ever hear the phrase “ Is he coming out of the casket then” at any sort of Mormon function whatsoever. I also managed to round up everyone from Leicester stake to get a group photo. Which I realised as I was taking it was the largest group of Leicester YSA we had attend conference since my first year at conference! Which was yet another of a number of similarities that seemed to occur between this my last year and my first. I’ll admit to be slightly niggled though that when the photo was finished one of the girls called out “ Quick lets get inside so we can get our photos done by a proper photographer”. I am choosing to assume that she meant “professional” mind you. Although when I looked in on the “photo studio” later the only real difference between the gear I had and what she had was she had a much better flash.

There was a great emphasis on security at the dance as they were checking everybody for wristbands to see if they were actually attending the conference and not just trying to sneak in. And you couldn’t get more of a visible example of this then having no less then Bro H on the door! Still I really wasn’t expecting many non conference attendee’s to try to sneak in. But I was proven wrong as a large group of about 7 or 9 people were escorted out at one point. I actually heard one of the lads exclaim that it was stupid ball and he hadn’t wanted to be in there anyway as he was shown the door! I really wanted to ask him in that case why sneak in? Maybe a little harsh I know but hey I had paid and he hadn’t!

The committee had no issue with kicking this guys out, but there was more uncomfortable at having to turn away some girls who had turned up, who after begging and exhausting logical arguments to get in, turned on the water works!

That didn’t work either if you were wondering.

Now usually after the ball, on most previous occasions I had simply gone back to my room. However Braveheart asked if he could get copies of some of the photos I had taken. I said sure and jokingly added that the only price would be letting me know if anything was going on afterwards, because me being me I still half expected them to have had enough of me after hanging around with me all day.

Phoenix then also asked if I would be hanging out afterwards and I said okay, before heading back to my room to change. Slightly surprised at the offer, at which point my mental voice started giving my a stern ticking off and to stop being so stupid and start having a little faith in myself.

I was getting ready when I suddenly heard a voice in the distance
“ Saxon, are you there? Can you hear me?”
Which lead me to do a fantastic double take moment wondering what was going on and if I had just heard that. But at least I knew if it happened two more times what to say. At which point I realised it was coming from the corridor and stuck my head out to find braveheart at the top of the corridor looking rather confused ( he had forgotten my room number as it turned out).

One quick download of photos later and we were summoned by a phone call to the girls hall. On our way out we passed some of the committee who were talking, I really felt for the committee chairman and he was totally guttered that despite all his efforts and his constant warnings people had still turned up to the ball and tried to get in /snuck in leading to him having to turn them away.

We got to the girls hall in rapid time where we found pizza, chocolate and basically lots of other sugary goodness which you shouldn’t be eating at all, let alone on that time of a Saturday night. But what the heck.

I was also introduced to the marvels and mysteries of Yahtzee and promptly proceeded to baffle phoenix by getting yahtzee twice in my first three throws!
Once we had finished the game, Braveheart and I headed back to our hall ( far later then we should have done really as it was technically not Saturday anymore. Sshhhh!! Lets keep that between me you and the internet).

Okay I was tired and a little hyped up on more sugar then I should have had, I felt good, I felt happy and I had had more fun in one day then I had done in weeks ( Birthday excluded of course).

And apart from one forthcoming blow I was not expecting let alone see coming,

I was going to keep that feeling.