Happy Birthday, Naoko!

[oggbashan]

Happy Birthday, Youngster!

Shake a leg! Show us a happy birthday dance!



But from me to you:

x 4

 

[Handley_Page]

Oh Heck,
I missed seeing that.
Many Happy Returns, Naoko.

x 12

 

[MagicaPractica]

Woot! Happy Birthday, dear lady! May it be a day filled with all the things you love most.

 

[R. Richard]

Happy B'day, Naoko. Not getting older, getting better.

 

[TxRad]

I remember what it was like when i turned 21 for the second time.

Happy Birthday, Dear lady.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Scotland 27 - Ireland 22
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/2/banana-with-kilt-smiley-emoticon.gifx

 

[jomar]

Happy Birthday!

 

[SamScribble]

Many happy Scotch and Welsh Cakes, Naoko. And have a great year!

 

[litfan10]

Happy Birthday Naoko!

http://gbc-cdn-public-media.azureedge.net/img29314.768x512.jpg

 

[NaokoSmith]

Awww, everyone, thank you!


I am a li'l bit drunk right now! after a spectacular historic victory by the Scotland rugby team.

The day started off a bit ropey. But I had already made plans to go down to my favourite bar in the city centre. I had a swim, and headed up to the bar.

This is quite a posh and girl-y bar, and on Saturday afternoons is full of Hen Parties having afternoon tea (with gin cocktails - not my idea of the appropriate drink for afternoon tea! that lovely spread which litfan has put out is much more suitable). However, what this means is that it's often easy to get a good seat with a view of the tv on rugby days.

Today I had the prime seat at the bar. Two barmen fought each other for the honour of figuring out the tv controls and getting the commentary volume up to an acceptable level for me. Later when the Scotland match was over, the Maitre d' himself came over very apologetically and asked if I would mind him lowering the volume as there had been complaints in the restaurant about it

I had a glass of champagne and a rose-liqueur based cocktail. I had a small glass of a current favourite wine: Picpoul de Pinet with some nice gnocchi and some indifferent tempura prawns. And when the match was done, I had a 21 yo Balvennie and a glass of Veuve Clicquot!

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.ElH7Zl3ngD2kE9DNW5nR2QEsDI%26pid%3D15.1&f=1

 

[TxRad]

What a nice way to spend your birthday.

 

[NaokoSmith]

What a nice way to spend your birthday.

It was so great!


I forgot to add that I had coffee and cakes earlier with Piglet and the Fella.

(In case any of you are worrying about the possibility, there is more chance of Hell freezing over and Satan skating back through the pearly gates than there is of me getting back together with the Fella! but he has been very reasonable and fair since we broke up, anxious to do everything he can for Piglet and even to help me out.)

I am a little bit more than 21 x 2 . In fact I am 54 this year. Life has been poo for a long time, and I haven't had much to celebrate. This year I wanted to think things through and set myself up so that next year I might have a bit of a party. For one reason and another, I just felt I didn't have the friends and family around me right now to be able to do it, and that made me feel down.

But the Fella was there for me, which I didn't expect. My brother-in-law and sister phoned, and we had nice chats. (I have to keep the sister at a distance as she can be unpredictable, but it's nice that we at least talk on the phone!) Several of my friends from London, whom I haven't been able to see for years, remembered my birthday and texted me.

And you guys posted me a happy birthday in here, although I had kept quiet about it being my birthday this year.

So I guess I do have some family and friends, which is the best gift I could have asked for.

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/2/banana-with-kilt-smiley-emoticon.gif

 

[Handley_Page]

God Bless you, me dear

 

[beachbum1958]

Belated Birthday greetings, Lady N, my apologies for not wishing you on the day, but my day was filled with mind-numbing tedium (family...) and life or death decisions (more family...) concerning unbelievably trivial events (even more family...), so I cry pardon and crave benefit of your good and kindly nature (was that grovelly enough? I've been married 20 years, I have a whole closet of similar excuses and pleas for forgiveness, I store them alphabetically on a spreadsheet so I know which abject excuse has been used the most...)

And Scotland gave Ireland an historic trundling on your birthday, how does it get any better?

Much love from all of us (even the goat)

 

[glynndah]

A birthday from the good little witch.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

And a belated birthday wish from me to you, Naoko.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

 

[NaokoSmith]

Awww, beachbum, glynndah and Tio - many belated thanks.


And thank you so much to Ogg! who is such a supreme gentleman, that he specially posted my birthday present to arrive late on Valentine's Day!


I'm afraid it's a very tasteful gift, unlike the lovely jardinière - winner of the Kitsch Collectible of the Century Cup. Ogg said the sheet music was just to protect the picture - but look how suitable even that is! Kismet is one of my favourite musicals, and Too Much Heaven - what can you say? I'm listening to it on Youtube even now. I'm not sure how Ogg managed to take that photo of me, raising a coupe glass of champagne to you all - but it's definitely me, you can tell by the year of the champagne

Thank you so much, Ogg.

 

[oggbashan]

I'm pleased you liked the present, Naoko.

This is the other song (fairly quiet!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLWBLKDd3vk

This other song (and dance) from Kismet has been overtaken by modern events:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLcCojUkMuE