Vielen Dank für die Blumen.

Yes, there were actually lots of flowers. And cake, balloons, presents as well as a lovely dinner at the Pot Luck Club. There was also this little card from my boss (Accompanied by a voucher to the Princess Bride on the Grand Daddy roof. Ian will have to sit through it because that is the condition to spend the night with me in the Love of Lace trailer afterwards.)

This card reminded me and brought back memories of my 20th birthday, the first I celebrated away from home when I lived in Hamburg. I must admit I don’t remember much of it; I do however have one clear memory of my friend Johanna who had come early for a visit. We were passing time and ended up lying on my bed, which was actually a pull-out couch as my first flat didn’t have a proper bed, in the afternoon while we waited for the rest of the girls to arrive. Time got long so we drank a bottle of bubbly, not so shocking, OR a bottle of Martini Biano, slightly more concerning. I’m a bit fuzzy on the details as it has just been a long time ago. But either way we must have had fun, as I clearly recall not only eating gummi bears while we drank, but also drowning the most colour appropriate ones in the bubbly/martini glasses, recreating the most nail biting scenes from Titanic.

Looking at my little card I wonder if drowning gummi bears in drinks is in fact a common past time which we just didn’t know about and thought us special. What does everyone else do while they drink?