I must be getting old...

I'm not going to post about the years that have passed and where they have they all gone, there's no value in that.
What I wanted to post was about how lucky I am to have made so many good friends over the years, and how nice it is to share in some of their special moments.
This week saw us celebrating the 50th Birthday of one of my good friends (of more years than either of us would like to count), Shaun O'Donnell (or SPOD to a number of us).
His wife had arranged a secret Curry session with 11 of us joining him.
But Shaun, whilst being one of the most genuinely nice people you could ever hope to meet (I actually doubt he has ever done a bad thing in his entire life), is no slouch. I've played AD&D with Shaun for more than a decade and his characters are the complete opposite of him. Now, I can't believe that someone can create such characters from nothing, so I believe beneath that really 'nice guy' exterior is a mind that doesn't miss a devious trick and can play act as good as the next person, probably better.
Could Bernie and his family keep this from him ?
Honestly ? I doubted it.

Gary, Joe and Me ... forgetting that these new
devices can do wide angle photos.

The night arrived and there I sat at a large table drinking beer and waiting for our guest. I kept an eye on the door and was glad that I did. I saw Shaun as he entered with his wife and daughter for what he thought would be a quiet family meal. I saw his face as he spotted me at the table, and he then registered that actually he knew all the people sat there looking at him. I've never seen Shaun so surprised or lost for words before. A priceless moment that even he could not have acted.

Chatting and chilling.

What followed was a great evening eating Curry, chatting about all sorts and just chilling out amongst friends.

I can't remember who took this ... I must have been a little drunk by then...

We ended up drinking through a rainbow of coloured shorts.

Shaun receives his Crazy Zoo.

Shaun and I both selected a desert called Crazy Zoo, because it had a toy in it, and when the waiter returned to say that he had only one left, Shaun, typically, said that I should have it as I chose it first. It was his 50th though and I declined, swapping mine for some nutty ice cream thing.

Shaun realises that he'd have to make the toy.

But Shaun wasn't finished being Shaun, and he gave me the toy.

The instructions...

I was busy making this when Joe Mace ate my ice cream after polishing off his own. I didn't mind though, I love making these little Kinder-toy-like things.

The toy ... a seal with ball and wagging tail.

It was a great night, and I didn't care that I'd be suffering a bit the next day.
I think a sign of getting older is that you gather more and more good friends as you go.
I must be getting old then because I'm lucky enough to have so many.