Fri 12th July - Royal & Palace Arcade

5pm on a Friday and still haven’t planned what we’re doing. Not unfamiliar for me but for Jas and Trav perhaps a little bit. I push for the Royal as opposed to Vic Park and the other parties agree. I leave work about 540 and head to the old stomping ground. Lots of nice trees in East Perth but parking is a bit tight, I get annoyed and then drive up to the graveyard and park there. I am playing Pokémon and take the long route along the Yellow CAT road between the graveyard and the river. This place is quiet and feels a little shifty, the walk takes at least 10 mins and then I am back where I was about 15 mins earlier when I was looking for somewhere to park. Very peaceful, I get lost trying to find how to get down to the East Perth Water Front but eventually find the stairs, head down there and across to the Royal. I walk in, can’t see Trav, eventually find him sitting by himself outside. Not too busy and the cross section of the crowd is very broad, from young mid 20’s/30 year olds to 60 year old men. We watch as a bandicoot causes some commotion and casually runs back to the bush by going under everyone’s feet. Very interesting. It is getting close to 640 now and JC is still walking over the river from The Camfield. Eventually he makes it.

JC is just back from Mediterranean holiday so we discuss the details. I have vodka soda with lemon lime and bitters and it is good. The DJ is playing 80’s / 90’s stuff which is ok but not my fav. We have some pizzas, I have about 1 or 2% of these, JC and Trav hit a few more drinks. JC points out several times that this is an interesting crowd and I’m like “it’s winter and pretty cold so prob not the most enticing weather”. Trav has switched between beer, vodka and now rum & coke - nothing unusual. We watched Collingwood get overpowered by Geelong, it’s a good vibe but we are aware that once the footy finishes it will get quiet. It is about 9pm now and we decide that we will go to Palace Arcade for a bit to finish the night off. I have only had two drinks so am good to drive. We head back up the hill to the graveyard.

We’re driving through Northbridge and there are police officers doing breath tests so I casually turn to the right and slowly drive away from them. I should be under the limit but don’t want to deal with them. Quite the commotion. Northbridge is a bit busier and we park just across from The Court. We walk past and head into Palace Arcade. It is not that busy and they have removed a lot of the Arcade games which they used to have back between July - October 2019, when Jas, Kiel and myself used to come here a lot. I feel sad that it is not that busy but then again it is a Friday night and not a Saturday, also I am very fatigued so it is easier to feel sad and reminiscent. It is still nice to be here though. Trav and Jas have a few more drinks and we stay here for about an hour playing Daytona and NBA. Around 10pm we leave and I drop the squad off in Kensington / Bentley and then I head up the freeway back to Jolimont. JC was def a little drunk as he had been drinking for work at The Camfield from about 4pm. The freeway drive is nice, I make it home a little bit before 11 and procrastinate until about 1230 when I finally decide that the gym is not really a viable option for tonight. Was a good night.