A Political Dinner

Funny you should mention that, Portia. It coincides with an experience of mine on Friday night. Basically, while I'd been off getting a gwg booster shot in Hong Kong, Lady E had been continuing her attempt to enter the Guinness book of records in the "Largest Negative Cash-flow" category. I arrived home to find several trucks lined up outside the door taking away the cash she had been required to part with in order that we could front up at a Gala Wine Vintage Launch on Friday night. Seems that it was "critical for political advancement" and that the woman who had invited us was "close to El Maximo Lider". Well, it seemed that there WAS some extra good wine to be drunk so, what the hey! I put down the divorce petition and, with a quick note to polish up the jackboots, essential when the Maximo Lider is involved, went of to dust off the tiara. Regular readers will recall that I'm required to wear this in my capacity as Lady Mayoress. aspect of our journey.
However.
And a gala occasion it certainly was with black-tied men and bejewelled women (Lady E would have been among them if she hadn't been forced to hock the family gold and diamonds to buy a ticket). The Maximo's acolyte was slightly less threatening than usual: an occasional glimpse of charm even slipped out, only to be immediately ruthlessly suppressed. And the super vintages flowed like water. But for the gwg watcher it was like the middle of the Sahara. As Portia said, they just weren't putting them on. As a vintage gwg watcher I've been accustomed to slyly glancing around rooms until I'd finally catalogued and arranged them in order of pulchritude but there was nothing there! O, quel desastre!!.
However late in the evening as I desperately trolled around the nooks and crannies I found a sighting which made it worthwhile. Hidden deep in the corner of the Ballroom was a table of decidedly Mediterranean appearance gesturing wildly at each other in Arabic. It was late in the evening and the signature Cabernet Sauvignon had taken a firm grip. And among them was a Goddess with silken black tresses dressed in diaphonous black lace and bright red frames with black highlights. I was so overjoyed after hours of fruitless search that I almost came out.
You're right, Portia, something should be done about this.!