Birthday Dinner

With several hundred of my closest friends.

The 'gala' dinner at my works conference.

A week of late nights is catching up with me. Going to bed at 3am is not far from when I usually get up.

Saw a few people that I haven't seen for a while. Ate some very average food. Wore proper lady shoes for too many hours and until my feet screamed in pain.

Observed the behaviour of others;

the beautiful young woman with zero confidence, desperate to find a life partner and trying too hard.

the slightly older, beautiful and intelligent young woman in a 'complicated' (her words) relationship, almost incapable of standing upright through drink.

the person who can't find her handbag and the resultant fear of loss of a mobile phone.

the groups of men and woman doing everything to excess.

the drunk, rude woman who wanted to fight over a taxicab.

the 24 hour hotel receptionist who has seen it all and who watches repeats of 80's sitcoms and the endless stream of lost room keys and noisy guests.

A poor quality 'selfie' with my work mates. Priceless.

Thank goodness that's over for another year.