Let’s party like it’s 1999! And kid ourselves we’re still young…

In 1999, there was still some rock music, and I was only 41, but even then parties were not what they were. So I’ve changed my mind, let’s party like it’s 1989!

As you all know, it was my 60th birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I had a party last weekend. I know you want all the details, so they’re coming up!

But first, some philosophising…

It amuses me a little, and surprises me rather, to see people on Steemit complaining about getting old. Then it turns out they’re 25 or 30! Admittedly, when I hit 25, I went into a bit of a funk– “Quarter of a century and what have I done with my life? Nothing, that’s what.” That only lasted for a day or two, but I still remember it. After that, 30, 40 and even 50 were a breeze.

But 60 hit me harder. From about the start of last year, there’s been this running commentary in the back of my mind “Ooh, you’ll be 60 next year” and it hasn’t been very comfortable. I half wanted to have a big party, and half wanted to hide under the covers and pretend it wasn’t happening. From about October I dithered about what, when, and whether I had the energy to organise it. But my girlfriends hit me up about it at dinner in late January, pulled out their diaries, and the date was set.

I booked the hall at the local Community Centre, booked my friend Tia’s band Sweet Assassin, and then sat on my hands for a month or so. Eventually, I started inviting people and thinking about food, and worrying about whether anybody would turn up.

But of course they did (well, most of them), it went off just as I hoped it would and everybody had a great time. So now I’m going to stop stressing about my age till I get to 85, or maybe 90. And I’ll tell you something everybody older than me already knows – you never feel any older in your head, though hopefully I’m a bit wiser. If you remember that, you truly will never grow old. Right, after that trite cliché, let’s move along.

The venue

We live only two minutes walk from the Kilbirnie Community Centre, where I teach my Arthritis exercise class every Monday, and they have a great sized hall, with attached meeting room. And as a regular user, I get a special price on hall hire, so bonus!

We set the hall up with the band, dim lighting, some tables (with snacks) and chairs, and most importantly, room to dance. Though because of the low lighting in various areas, the photos mostly came out a bit dim. So @sift666 let rip with the effects, so instead of hardly being able to see some of us, we all look a bit surreal.

Let’s start with a pic of the man himself.

Sift on the right, with some old friends from the bike shop days

More tables, chairs and food in the adjoining room but with a bit more light, and fractionally quieter. And there’s always a group who want to stand outside to talk and smoke, so they gathered on the covered porch outside the front door. Something for everyone!

My sis-in-law and nephew having a mother-son moment outside

You know how people like to hang out in the kitchen at parties? Well, there wasn’t much room, but they did try to squeeze in there too. Here’s a pic of Elizabeth, a friend who offered to come along especially to organise the food, so I wouldn’t have to. Isn’t she wonderful?

I won’t go on about the food, unless you’re particularly curious. I’ll just say: there was more than enough food, including things to suit most special diets.

We’re nearly ready but we’ve lost Grandma!

We had a manic hour and a half or so of prep. Some of us shopping, others setting up tables and laying out food, the band setting up and doing their sound check.

At some point in the proceedings, @andysantics48 and I started asking each other “Have you seen Mum?” I’ll let her take up the tale in poem form here.

By 8pm, the hall was filling up with guests and the band was ready to play.

Sweet Assassin

The band was awesome! I already knew Tia was a fabulous singer, and any band she was in would be very professional and polished. But they still blew me away. They don’t seem to have a website yet, but here’s their Fakebook page.

I’ve lost track of how many people said what a great band they were and what an amazing singer Tia was and how did I find them?

Here’s Tia on guitar, with Jen taking a turn on lead vocals.

All too soon, their first set was over. But more entertainment was in store.

Possums doing a party piece

If you want to know why "possums" go look up Dame Edna Everidge on Youtube.

My closest girlfriends, aka the possums, are all into musical theatre. So it’s a bit of a tradition to put on a floor show at parties for significant birthdays. For Robin (aka Latte)’s 50th we did a song and dance medley. For Leigh / Posh’s 60th, it was an ABBA song and dance medley. For Kate (Tarty) and Sian (Legal)’s combined 50ths we went on a trip to Las Vegas, so it was a week long party.

Latte and Posh

Tarty and Posh

I wanted something from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, my favourite of the shows we did. I shared a cast photo in my 10 Truths and A Lie Revealed post. Nick did a great 20 Fans style intro.

Nick on the right, with Latte’s husband, Peter

This led into seven of the girls singing Hard Candy Christmas, and finished with Kay (Sultry) singing Doatsey Mae.

Sultry’s sister Ali, Sultry and Jude

Me and Latte

Latte is in a choir called Wososi with another friend Marion, and they sung a couple of songs a capella for us. Marion had written some extra words to Wonderful World, talking about my work as a kinesiologist and nutrition coach, which was lovely.

Marion with her husband, David

Then back to the band for more boogying down.

Talking of boogying down

This is what got me thinking about Millenials and whether they like to rock out. Who was on the dance floor? The possums and other theatre friends, some of the choir, my sister in law, a couple of other family friends. Some of my nieces and nephews might have got up for a song or two, but it was the over 40s who were boogying down.

Aprille and Sophie from choir

Also from choir – Chris, Sam and Kathy

Where were the youngsters?

All the cool kids were outside with my brother, sister in law and some friends from the old bike shop days. Luckily the weather was fairly mild, so they were only cool, not cold, lol. Can anyone tell me, do Millenials just not like to dance? Or was it just our dinosaur music they weren’t into?

Andy’s daughter Amy, her cousins Brendan and Laura, and Laura’s boyfriend Sam

More nephews, the three brothers Bayley, Corz and Rich, with partners

Happy birthday to me!

In the band’s next break, @andysantics48 read a version of my birthday poem, expanded to add some more family references. Possibly one of my nephews recorded it on his cell phone. So if I can get it off him, and it’s ok quality and Andy gives me permission, maybe we’ll post that at a later date.

Then out came the birthday cake.

Another set from the band, and the 40 pluses still partying hard. Well, except for the ones who had to get home to the baby sitters, or because they had an early start next day.

If we truly were to party like it’s 1989, we’d have been dancing till 3am when we got tossed out of the nightclub. Home and in bed by 4am if we were lucky. If we were even luckier, a sleep in the next day, but if we weren’t, up again for work at 7am. As it was, we had a curfew of midnight, and by the time we cleaned up the hall and got home it was a mere 1am.

But it really was a fab night. Altogether there were more than 50 guests, we would have made room for any Steemians! Start planning now to come over and join us for Andy’s 50th next year, or failing that my 80th!

Thanks for reading

Photos by @sift666 and Kate aka Tarty Possum. Photo edits by @sift666.

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