40th Birthday Party

Our friend Sean, husband to Helen and father to Sam & Lottie, turned 40 last week. Marc and I went to Birmingham to join him and 20 other mates to celebrate.

We left the home counties (the counties around London) about 4 pm and headed north for about 100 miles. Sat nav took us directly to the hotel door (I LOVE Sat Nav!). We checked it and proceeded to destroy the room. I find it amazing how quickly one can make a perfectly meticulous hotel room look like a hurricane has hit in under 5 minutes. That's my hubby. I used to stay in hotel rooms a lot. You could hardly tell I had arrived. Not Marc. He arrives and it looks like 3 suitcases just burst open and the contents are strewn all over the place. Alas, I digress.

We met up with everyone at Blanc Brasserie. We missed our original seating as there were a couple people who didn't bother to show up on time. So we proceeded to have just a few too many Gin & Tonics before we ate. I have a garlic soup which was a brilliant choice on a night out, followed by a fishcake. It was a bit too salty and there were no vegetables served with it. Glad I had a meringue with ice cream for pudding or I could have starved.

From the restaurant we bid farewell to a couple of party poopers and went clubbing. Yes, night clubbing. This would appear to be a highly unlikely activity for a 40+something mother of 2 and to be honest I haven't been clubbing since we had children ( almost 7 years ago). My dancing shoes were a bit rusty.

Ah, but I got those cute little black velvet kitten mules shined up in no time. Dancing is a bit like riding a bicyle. If you couldn't do it when you were a child you probably aren't any good at it now. No, just kidding!

We bopped to the pounding beat of the excruciatingly loud music until well after 1 am and our hearing had been at least temporarily impaired. At which point we poured ourselves into a taxi and headed back to the hotel. We had one of the best and most aggressive taxi drivers I've ever encountered in the UK.

Sean was looking decidedly worse for the wear but somehow Helen, Marc and I got a second wind. Sean went off to bed but we shared a bottle of champagne and roast beef sandwich with chips in the hotel bar and stayed up talking until 3:30 am. That's what he gets for turning 40. just for the record, this 40 year old out did that 40 year old (only just but don't tell him that!) I didn't drink 1/2 what he did.

This was a much needed break for Marc & I. The next morning we got to sleep in and share a beautiful breakfast with Sean & Helen. We found my favourite of Eggs Benedict down in the beautiful canal district of the city centre of Birmingham. And this was a bit of a surprise as well!

I used to work for a company based out of Birmingham. In fact, that is where I met Helen. And Birmingham was a concrete jungle that looked like time had forgotten it since it was built in the 60s and 70s. But it has been rejuvenated lately and it looks beautiful.

We had a great time! Happy Birthday, Sean! And welcome to the second half of your life!