SEPTEMBER 12 - Friends, Food and Flowers - A Belated Birthday Bash

Tuesday. Day at work. Worked hard, but I was looking forward to an evening at Pauline's in Ladner - she told me to come prepared for a sleep-over, so I did - I usually do what I'm told. After work, she picked me up and we headed along Moncton to #2 Road - then turned the wrong way on Steveston Highway. I realized she had an ulterior motive as she headed straight back to Steveston, and a parking spot near 

The Hog Shack Cookhouse.

'Aha!' I thought. We're going out for dinner. When we walked through the door, what to my wondering eyes should appear ....

... but a mass of balloons and a tableful full of Friends.

Me, Chris, Marina, Penny, Pauline and Louise

Even though we were quite noisy, the waitress did bring us our food. I ordered the Pulled Pork and Beef Brisket. Since everyone else was ordering veggies and coleslaw, I thought I should order veggies too, so I got Corn Bread and Wedge Fries for my sides. The brisket was good - I'd never had it before, my own pulled pork was tastier than theirs, but theirs was pulled better, and the cornbread wasn't up to par - it was very dry and crumbly. I didn't eat the what-was-supposed-to-be Texas Toast - it just looked like a slice of bread to me, and not even toasted at that.

Some people ordered ribs and got giant slabs of meat on their plates.

After we all stuffed ourselves to the gills - the waitress brought me a birthday treat, which I was nice enough to share with everyone. And in case you're wondering, I managed to blow out all the candle with one breath.

After dinner, Pauline drove me to her home for the night. I don't like late-at-night transit, so she was sort of stuck with me. However, because she had to open the store in the morning, we didn't party all the night away, and were up relatively early in the morning. As she was getting ready, I looked at the Province while I drank my coffee, and that brought back the reason I don't grab the free papers they pass out at the Sky Train any more.

Tot's pole-dancing class draws scorn.

How's that for a headline? And of course there was the usual collection of murder and mayhem - such a lovely start to anyone's morning.

What was more beautiful was Pauline's garden. This is what my garden wants to be when it grows up.

My biggest problem for the day was how to get all my balloons home on the bus, but that ended up being no problem at all, as the bus was pretty empty, and there was lots of room for the balloons to bounce about. My greatest fear at that point was that one would burst, and the ensuing pop would cause the bus driver to swerve off  the road. However, that didn't happen, and we made it home safe and sound.

The rest of the day was spent doing absolutely nothing - well, except for picking the kids up from school, making burgers for dinner (supper) and brownies for lunchbox treats - and it ended with an early night. You know you're getting old when you want dinner at 5pm and fall asleep before 9:30.