50 - SO

It was the cake... the huge chocolate gateau with 50 on it... I saw SO. We were at The Boat Shed in Nelson for my birthday celebration. The location, ambience, food and company was all superb. After antipasti of mixed seafood, Kemp, Helen & I had fish of the day - blue nose with garlic mash, Angela a crab and Dad had salmon after a chowder. Helen, Kemp and I stayed on and had some more wine and got a cab back, got a bit drunk and had a great laugh.

Thank you to all my friends and family who sent greetings on my birthday via e-mail, SMS text messages, cards etc. It was a memorable birthday, I particularly enjoyed my long bike ride to the Honest Lawyer pub which serves 'English' beer. I had intended to ride to Rabbit Island, but the head wind and the lure of the pub changed all that.

On Monday Helen and Kemp took me to their little house on the bay, Golden Bay up North. Oh my! It is the most beautiful place on earth. Although surrounded by gorse at the moment, their plot is sizable and has loads of potential, perhaps one day it will be a vineyard, for now it's a lovely retreat.