"I can't, mum's cooking a roast"

At noon yesterday I got an SMS (which, once I got past my disappointment that it wasn't from a certain scintilating historian, I read) from Tim (an old high school friend), to invite me - on very short notice - to his and his twin brother, Simon's birthday party.

I hadn't really been much in the mood for random, ad-hoc gaming anyway, so I went along.
And had quite a good time. I saw a number of people I hadn't for a while, like:
Tim himself,
plus his girlfriend, Emma,
James, one of my old drama buddies, with whom I did OnStage and Mort, among other things,
Mark, who's apparently soon to be a father. Goodness me.

Tim and Simon - in addition to the quite passable cab sav with which they plied me - cooked a lamb roast, which was an unexpected treat. Mmm, rosemary baked potatoes.

Hung around, catching up and talking. Naturally the subject of my new girlfriend came up (for how could I do anything but proclaim it effusively to everyone I know?) and the general response was "Go, Benj!", which is a testament to how much many of these people have grown since high school, I think.

At eleven I'd left enough time to metabolise all the alcohol I'd consumed and I was feeling like throwing myself into bed (only mustered five hours the night before), so I bid the birthday boys and all others goodbye, then drove home.
All said and done, a good evening's impromptu entertainment.

Two hours, 35 minutes to Rhi o' clock!

Later: Taking the enchanting Rhi to a dinner party at Nichi (vonwoof) and Charlie's, as they're very keen to meet her. :)
Plus: Croquet!

"If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day
Like a treasure and then, again
I would spend them with you"
-Time in a bottle, Jim Croce