Suz and Russ put on a party today at their place to mark her birthday. It was a lunchtime do. Russ got good results from his big BBQ machine as usual. I mainlined on the sausages. Suz had made a chocolate birthday cake that was gluten free, to suit her mother. And it LOOKED gluten-free -- flat. It was however very yummy so if it had been called simply a chocolate slice, it would have been an unqualified success.
Via Jenny, I gave Suz a bottle of Tanqueray as a present. Like me, she can't cop cheap gin any more now that she has got used to the good stuff. I was already a serious gin drinker when she was a kid so I wonder if that had any influence on her. Joe mentioned to me recently that when he first smelled gin, it reminded him of me. Having a gin-soaked father was probably not the best -- but no harm seems to have come of it. Since Suz and I had a heap of fun together when she was a kid maybe the smell of gin has good associations for her too.
Both of my step-daughters have grown up to be competent and well balanced women but I attribute that entirely to their genetics. My only contribution was to ensure that we had lots of laughs together during their childhood.
With both Paul and Von overseas and Timmy recovering from eye surgery, numbers were down but it was a pleasant occasion nonetheless. The kids were as usual great entertainment, with Dusty doing his usual perpetual motion demonstration and Sahara all glammed up and enjoying it. She was undoubtedly the best looking person there. She played an impromptu ball game with Joe and me in which I on all occasions missed catching the ball. Joe was pretty good at catching it though.
I talked mainly to Joe -- about dieting. Joe has to diet to keep his weight under control and I am overweight too. We both need to cut back our calories and have to find ways of doing that which we can live with. In the past, when people have told me that they have lost weight, I always used to reply: "Don't worry. You'll find it again". And that is still largely true. So the challenge is to find a set of practices that one can live with permanently. I lost over 10 kilos on a diet of Joe's devising but I couldn't keep it up and am now working on a system that suits me. I'm not there yet but I still have some ideas.
Joe has also backslid quite a lot over the last year. He has now got a noticeable mid-section. He recently bought some new shorts because his old shorts were not a very good fit any more. I have done that at times too. He knows how to beat it however so will trim back in due course.
I was amused when he confessed that he has gone back to drinking flavoured milk. Flavoured milk is his addiction. I think my addiction is sausages and meat pies. I suggested that dieting while he is studying is probably not a good idea and that the three month's break at the end of the academic year might be the best time to shed the weight.
Anne talked mainly to Jenny and Nanna.
Joe gave Nanna some big hugs to express his appreciation of her. He is still close to his Nanna and appreciates -- as we all do -- how lucky we are to have her still with us at age 90. Nanna spent a lot of time looking after Joe when he was growing up. When he was born, he very soon became the man in her life. Children can be a great delight and Joe was an intelligent and placid child -- a great combination. So Joe had a very cared-for childhood, with two parents and a grandmother all trying to do their best for him at all times. Many children are not so lucky. His sisters are about ten years older than he is so they minded him to an extent too. Sisters can be quite nice to little brothers.
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