The burbs

Sue and her neighbour A both recently had birthdays and decided to host a joint party. It was at A's house because it's bigger. They both live on the newest estate, which we remember when it was still vines -- now every plot has been bought and built on.

Saying A's house is bigger is not an understatement -- walking in was like going through a portal to a different world. Just the kitchen is bigger than an entire floor of our house, and this is just a small part of the, er, back yard. Everything is very shiny and the swimming pool is lined with marble. It feels a bit odd tagging this post #villagelife, but it definitely is -- we know all of the other guests. Most of them we haven't seen since before we went to Spain, so it was good to catch up.

For some reason A and her husband H were convinced it was going to rain, so they'd set the table for 19 indoors (yes there was plenty of room). We milled around the pool drinking aperos and eating the various contributions guests had brought. Eventually H started grilling sausages, and all the tables and chairs were carried outside. It was a very warm evening. Dinner went on a long time ... S went home early as he had a 6 a.m. start in the morning, and it was nearly midnight by the time the desserts came out (dessert and birthday girls in extra). I was careful with my alcohol consumption, drank plenty of water, and walked home by the light of my phone at 1 a.m.