Kicking Up with the Young Uns

Richard and I don't seem to ever grow up. Yes, we act all grown-up and responsible at home and do the grown-up thing, and even seem like old farts on the couch sometimes - but we still like to go out and boogie like students sometimes too.

Granted this doesn't happen all that often these days, and we certainly show our ages by how god-awful we feel for days afterwards, but at the time we give it horns along with, and at pace with, any of the teeny boppers out there! It's fun I tell you!

We also seem to have bypassed the whole Abba, BeeGees, Golden Oldies, main stream song & dance show - ala Andrew Lloyd Weber (or locally Richard Loring) - appreciation too. Neither of us have any inclination to go see shows like 'We Will Rock You' or 'Lord of The Dance' etc. It just holds no appeal to us. We tend to be more grungy and alternative and like the road slightly less followed. We simply refuse to become middle-aged. ;)

However, knowing that we aren't really the springiest chickens around anymore, we now try to prepare for our escapades, and so on Friday we stayed in and did the 'old fart on the couch' thing, and watched the movie SAW. Wow, what a freaky movie that was!

On Saturday I had a full day of activity, starting with a run to and from, and a 1.5 hour yoga class first thing in the morning. I got home in time to bath, shave and do all the required make-myself-clean-and-shiny stuff, and then I had to go collect the kids from party #1 and take them to Tokai forest for party #2. We socialised at the party for an hour or so and nibbled some snacks and then it was time to take Quinn to party #3! Then Griff and I went off to get Griffin's hair cut properly (finally!) and I was getting my hair done for our Black-Tie work function. Then it was back home to get dressed and ready and leave for our department's end of year function. Admittedly I was almost ready for a nap by that point already. ;)

Although it was a work do, I had been looking forward to an opportunity to get dressed up and get out and have some fun. I had also heard that last year's event was excellent and much fun was had. We arrived at the Lagoon Beach Hotel and mingled in the foyer with the few people I knew, sipping apple martinis and watching the rest of the people arriving. Everybody was looking very smart and glamourous and one or two of the ladies looked simply spectacular, in what I am sure were very expensive designer gowns. One grey/dusty blue dress in particular was breath-taking.

The theme was Las Vegas and Gambling, and the hotel function room was decorated very nicely, with pretty lights behind organza hangings and big candelabras on each table, at the back of the room they had set up black-jack & roulette tables and some leather couches for relaxing on.

The event was an extended dinner with talks, awards and entertainment between each course. There were singers and dancers (a bit cheesy for our liking, but I am sure the other people enjoyed them). Tim Plewman spoke during dessert. He covered a fair portion of his 'Defending the Caveman' material, but he was funny none-the-less. Especially because he was a bit tipsy ;)

The dinner was very nice and was beautifully presented on large white plates (I didn't even think of taking photos of it - damn!). We had an italian tomatoe and mozzarella ball salad in a potato basket for starters. A delicious burned orange sorbet. A succulent and tasty, but simply flavoured pan-fried chicken breast on mushroom risotto for main. Finally a baked gooseberry pudding with a brandy-snap basket filled with cinnamon ice cream for dessert.

After dinner we were looking forward to the tempo kicking up a few notches and a party mood setting in, but the band who had been playing some pretty good and diverse music and singing some very good covers (some songs sounded just like the originals) suddenly decided to kill the party. Although many people got up and headed for the dance floor and tried their darnedest to dance at least a thrid of the crowd left within 30 minutes. We even down a few tequillas to help us along... but after several Shirley Bassey(!?) and other 15-30 year old songs almost all gave up. Who knows what they were thinking?

So at around 12 Richard and I decided to hit the road and look for something more fun to do. We ended up in good old Claremont and back at Stones, where we had fun a month or so ago after Ten PIn Bowling. It is not exactly a high-class establishment, and we were rather over dressed for it, but the music was good . :) We hit the dance floor immediately and had a really fun time. Most of the crowd were young (probably 25 and under) and almost all were coloured (shades of brown) and all very fun and friendly. Despite feeling bit conspicous in long revealing and sparkly dress, I felt very comfortable there. We danced up a storm for well over an hour. Each time Richard went of to buy drinks, or go to the loo etc I would find one or 2 young guys suddenly dancing suspiciously close to me (tee hee), they would back off again as Richard returned. It was kind of fun, and nice not to feel old and on the shelf ;)

When we were done dancing we decided to play pool. So there was Richard in his smartest suit and me in floor length sparkly dress leaning over the pool table. Again, I was much better than I expected, or than I ever used to be. Yay me! I am sure if Richard really tired and was feeling competitive he would totally slaughter me, but as it was I was able to keep pace with him. Astounding! :)

We eventually decided it was time to go home at close to 3am...

The kids were angelic on Sunday morning. They got up quietly, spoke quietly and managed to get themselves breakfast, watch TV and then even go back through to the spare room and load up an internet game and play it together. taking turns nicely, and remaining quiet and co-operative. Thank-you boys! In fact the loudest thing was the voice on the game singing 'Your turn!'. Not only that, but their bedroom, the kitchen and loung were all neat and tidy too.

So we were able to wake up late and slowly and linger in bed for a long time before conceding that the day really had started and we had better get up and at it. I actually felt fine, but I phoned my friend and told her that I would definately not be joining her at the gym, as I was going to be having a day of REST. We agreed to rather meet at her house for coffee. So this we did, and then we headed over the mountain to the Noordhoek Village Fair, which has evolved from a tiny hippy gathering to a big community-carnival type event. We ate, drank, relaxed and played with friends and milled around and looked and weird and wonderful things which were for sale.

After that I was finished and it was time to head home to end a long and fun filled week-end. This morning we were nanny-less, and all exhausted. But we managed to all get up and co-operative and help each other to get ready and out of the house on time. I already can't wait till bed time tonight.

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Richard leaves for his pan-continental trip, of almost 4 weeks long, early on Friday morning! I am not looking forward to it, but I am sure we will manage, and I am going to have less personal freedom in that time, but that might result in me having to do less, and therefore relaxing a bit more...? I hope Richard has a good time meeting all the Canonical/Ubuntu folk.

In 2 weeks the boys and I fly to JHB for another function. The boys will stay with my father, and we will celebrate Griffin's birthday there with my family.