Birthday Lunch, Bowling Birthday Party

Woo hoo, it worked. He was gobsmacked (love that word) and really taken aback that all these people were there to celebrate his birthday. We were short two or three people (one because, horribly, she died during the last two weeks, long story). I didn’t know her well but it was a shock. However, on a happier note – first of all came Matt’s free birthday meal at the Mandarin on Wednesday. I overdid the dumplings, it’s Chinese New Year so they were on special. I tried everything I could find that was newl for the New Year. I was a tad disappointed, when it was my birthday several of the staff came to sing Happy Birthday and they took a photo which the presented me. For Matt our waiter put the hat on his head. Presented him with a cup cake plus candle which he lit and then we had to join in singing. I had to grab for my tablet, which I am not really used to using, in order to get a pic. 

Then Thursday, with the co-operation of one of the alley owners, I convinced Matt that they were feeding us lunch. The owner had already emailed me and said we would have to go downstairs to bowl as he had a big group coming in. We got there and whilst changing shoes Matt was commenting on the shoes and coats with nobody there. He still didn’t click. Finally I took him into the room where everyone was hiding. He was absolutely staggered. I was so pleased it worked. Not until it was all over did I realise how exhausting it all had been. Matt couldn’t believe I had managed to keep it all from him. Without email, it would have been a darned site more difficult.

The caterer did a wonderful job. This is the cake. Nope, the woman beside Matt in the centre is not me, it’s Matt dressed for a Hallowe’en party some years ago. All those pictures were printed on icing and were totally edible by the way, although I found them impossible to cut. Don’t know if you can see it, she, the caterer, had even included bowling pins and a teeny bowling ball. Under the Union Jack on the right. 

We hadn’t discussed what kind of cake so she had made a carrot cake, couldn’t have been better as far as I was concerned. It was delicious and the remains are now freezing in my kitchen and will be wrapped tomorrow. This is one end of the buffet table. We had stacks of delicious sandwiches and wraps, cheese and crackers, vegetables and dip, pickles – think that was it. Guess who ate too much again!! We sent a large dish of sandwiches up to the girls bowling on their Thursday league. The rest, hopefully, were consumed by the guys of a later league. 

The friend who was taking most of the pictures got this splendid one of Matt, one of the best I have seen for a while. Makes me want to marry him all over again. He had a super game bowling too. Even I didn’t do too badly today either. He got lots of presents. Wednesday he was given a large bottle of gin, today he was given a bottle of wine, two vouchers for the liquor store, another for Tim Hortons, a large box of different Macadamia nuts, a scratch lottery ticket (didn’t win sadly) and a lot of birthday cards. It all went splendidly and I was pleased as punch.

No, I’m not doing a recipe today, I am way too tired, sorry. I am off to bed toute suite. 

Have a great day