Sunday, March 13, 2011

Right now, in New Zealand time, it is my dear Mum's 60th birthday. She was born in 1951, but she's not actually sixty, she's a little over a sprightly 52. How is that? I hear you ask. Well I have done a small calculation. You see there are 22 organs in the body and 206 bones. All 22 organs, and 203 of the bones are 60 years old. However, two years ago she had a knee replacement, three years ago a hip replacement, and 4.5 years ago another hip replacement. Taking the age of these three bones into consideration brings it all out to an average age of 57. Yet hip bones and knee bones are not only bones, they are joints, which makes them worth about ten times the average bone. The recalculation of which brings it out at a little over 52 years. This calculation is also intended to get me back in her good books after making an 'old' joke. She has threatened to skin me alive next time she talks to me (it's amazing what you can do on skype nowadays).



Last night, my Dad and sister Rachael organised a surprise birthday party for Mum. The genesis behind it being that they didn't want to hold a normal party as she would enivtably end up doing a lot of the preparation. So, over the past few weeks, while Mum was at her Tuesday quiz nights Dad and Rach got on the phone and organised it all. This didn't always work as sometimes Mum dragged Dad along to make up the numbers in the quiz team and sometimes Mum didn't go.

So sometime on Saturday Dad said he was popping out to get diesel and returned instead with Rachael from the airport. Mum, wiping away the tears was told to get dressed as they were going out to dinner. She must have been starting to get suspicious, especially when they arrived at the venue and Rach said to the waitress "Hi, we've got a table booked for Jackman" to which the waitress replied "Oh, you're with the par...[Rach making frantic gestures for her to shut up]..". Nevertheless the surprise worked and a great party ensued with much cocaine sniffing, absinthe drinking and table-top dancing, so I am told. Rock on.

Still is was a good to hear Mum had a night to let her grey hair down, she's been working hard recently looking after my three grandparents.

Happy Birthday Mum

8 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Nic's mum. Cocaine sniffing! really?

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  2. You've never been to Gisborne have you? It's called the Manhatten of the Antipodes, the Soho of the east. Johnny Depp owns the Viper Rooms, the hottest night spot on Gladstone Road. I left at 18 and it took six years to get over the habit. Then I decided to become a teacher...

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  3. Happy birthday! Great post and I love the cartoon its really funny! Blessings, Joanne

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  4. I have been to Gisbourne once. My Dad lived and taught there for a couple of years. I don't remember any cocaine sniffing while I was there, but I certainly did leave thinking "this is the Soho of the east"

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  5. Oh, Fflur, you catch me out with your clever ways. I can no longer lie to you. There was no cocaine, no absinthe, no table-top dancing. It was all a rouse to make it seem like I have more bad-ass roots that I actually do. All and sundry were probably in bed by midnight. No more will I ever try to fool you.

    When and where did your dad teach in Gisborne?

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  6. Not exactly sure when, when my little sister was still at high school and she is now 31, so ages ago. And he taught at Gisborne Boys High. He lived int he Gisborne Wainui right on the beach - very different to Wellington Wainui

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  7. Ah yes, the two Wainui's are world's apart.

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