Happy Birthday to me

Y'know what? Things could be worse. People that know me know I spend an unfortunate amount of time bemoaning my current working / living arrangements. It's a mess. But while last month I was looking at a future in London absent of some of the best friends I've had, last night was my birthday celebration, and it was one of the best birthdays I can remember. We met up for drinks at nic's Bar down the road, then sixteen of us moved on to Carluccio's for *excellent* Italian and much wine courtesy of my temporarily-quite-flush buddy Ollie.

And yeah, Ollie's here! So anyway, at about midnight, we moved onto something called Buttoned Down Disco. The site made it seem like it'd be some pretty wank-free clubbing and alot of fun while drinking or whatever. Unfortunately, it was more just a cheesefest for a big room full of students. Poor Nigel, Claudia, Alan and some more Brixtonite suspects had arrived earlier to find themselves the first through the door. Poor guys were sitting there bored to tears for the better part of two or three hours before we even turned up.

Anyway, we stayed there till about 3.30, I guess, not being able to convince ourselves that we were really having that much fun. We came home and Liz, Ollie, Tim (the new flatmate - an excellent dancer and the source of my new favourite gadget, a turntable am/fm radio, the coolness of which can't be conveyed in mere ascii) all woke up JP. Then we sat round talking shit and drinking the whole of an excellent bottle of Japanese shochu whiskey.

Anyway, crapness of the disco aside, it's nice to know that a short hop from the abject misery of seeing your buddies jump on planes and bugger off for god knows how long you can see a couple dozen good friends and realise how lucky you are.

Ollie arrived on Friday, so we went to a local shindig and saw Norf London Boyz the Blu Mar Ten play a set (wouldn't play B.R.O though, even when I offered to run home and geddit). Had a nice chat with Messeurs Marigold and Leo - molest them if you get the chance, they love it. I've got this week off work, so I'll be hanging out with Ollie on Monday before he flies to Prague. Then on Wednesday (my actual birhday) we're flying to Prague to meet Ollie and meet up for birthday dinner.

Fuckin good to see you, Ollie. And thanks everyone,