Birthday beer and pizza night

I was relieved that I felt much better this morning, and certainly well enough to prepare Mr hazelh's surprise birthday supper. By banning him from the kitchen for most of the day, I was able to keep three secrets: (1) the real number of guests (he thought that there were just four - Katharine, Jack, Paddy, and Caitlin - and was very disappointed to think that Jon was still in Italy so couldn't make it); (2) the menu; and (3) a Balderdash-style quiz that I devised about him. The best unexpected surprise was the inclusion of Larry and Gillian in our party - both for Mr hazelh, and for Katharine and Jack. Jon, of course, received a rapturous welcome.

Preparation of the meal itself was not much effort. Pudding was none whatsoever because Jon kindly supplied a stack of éclairs. The only real effort for the main course was to transform the potatoes that we dug up yesterday into potato salad, and to make a small jug of vinaigrette. I put most work into the first course as I created several savoury hors d'oeuvres to eat while we toasted the birthday boy with Champagne. The pizza of the 'beer and pizza' night came in boxes from LIDL, and Paddy brought a stack of beer for us all. My blip shows everyone at the kitchen table, about to tuck into the pizzas.

It was a wonderful evening, especially for Mr hazelh. We ate, drank, and played parlour games - my quiz (won by Jon), Werewolf, Empire, and charades. The reluctance of our guests to end the party was all the more when they stepped out of our porch into torrential rain at about 1am. 

We also saw Nick today. He was up in Edinburgh from Birmingham for a work meeting, with an hour or so to spare at lunchtime. We met him at the Kenilworth on Rose Street for a quick pub lunch.

Exercise today: walking (13,568 steps).