Fell off the blogosphere for a couple of days while I celebrated my 30th. The party was celebrated a day early on Saturday afternoon at Strike Bowling Bar. We got off to a late start (note to other party planners at strike..tell your friends to turn up 30 mins earlier than your booking to get organised) but quickly ramped it up when the cowboy shots arrived. I spent the first part of the party running around freaked out trying to make conversation while organising everything. Being an unexperienced party planner and usually not operating in groups bigger than 6 I found it a little bit of a chore but I managed to get everyone bowling.
I started to relax when the cowboy shots came out as alchohol seems to have chill out qualities. Once the food had come out and everyone had scores on the board I was able to start having meaningful 5 second conversations. Why is it that when you have a party it’s an entirely different experience to attending a party? I guess it’s when you are the host you worry about people having a good time whereas when you turn up you just have to concentrate on having a good time. I’ll blame my preoccupation on that as the reason why I bowled over 4 gutterballs before I knocked over a pin. Is it irony to have a party at a bowling bar and be the worst bowler at the party?
Helen, Steve and Keith were kicking ass on my lane – they got over 130 if I remember correctly. This wasn’t a surprise as Helen and Steve had their own shoes but Keith was certainly the dark horse. Rohan must have been giving him tips. Over on the family lane Kelly and Mat were in a neck and neck battle for supremacy. Just as I went in to bowl I watch Mat knock over the single remaining pin in his lane which inspired me to knock over about 7 of mine. Mat was the winner in the family lane. I didn’t get to see the final result in the friends lane as I was in the loo – hopefully someone can enlighten me?
Once everyone had finished their 10 rounds we headed upstairs for the karaoke. After a quick run through on the touch screen I opened up the proceedings with a Kransky sister inspired version of Beat it. I figure it is more fun if karaoke isn’t taking seriously as there is nothing worse than a bad singer mournfully singing “I will always love you”. Highlights of the singing included all the spice girls songs, Keith’s elvis, Dad’s “Don’t worry be happy”, Pauline’s “Am I that easy to forget”, Cameron’s “New York, New York”, Michael’s “Wake me up before you go go” and Lynne and Chris “You’re the one that I want”. Noted pikers were Maria, Vanessa, Lisa and Mat.
The shingle inn cake was shared, Ella went to sleep, a camera lens cap was lost and a tonne of glasses were left in the room. The Strike venue was brilliant. Everyone was kind, they let us have the karaoke room for way longer than we paid for and the food was brought almost in a timely manner (but it couldn’t come quick enough for mum). The cocktails they made us were a big hit, especially the musk, redskin, kaluha milkshake and strawberry concoction made on the cheap for me. I recommend the place to anyone looking, although the $35 entry is maybe a little too steep. I’ve put photos up in the gallery so feel free to browse them at your leisure.
I know I had a good time because I had karaoke bruises on my knee the next day and didn’t move from the couch all day Sunday. All those who didn’t come truly missed out. My only regret was that I didn’t get to stand back and absorb or get to try some creative photograpy. Other than that it was the best birthday ever!
a) If you stand back and absorb, then it means you’re either too serious for your own birthday, or you’re not having fun. So don’t stress about that.
b) Yeah, I wish you’d taken control of the camera more often. Blurry sports shots just don’t cut it.
c) Agreed – Mat was the biggest piker of the karaoke session, yet he happily picked songs for other people to fall prey too.
d) Great party – had an awesome time.
” didn’t get to see the final result in the friends lane as I was in the loo – hopefully someone can enlighten me?”
How much I would like to say that I rocked and kicked everyone’s butt, I didn’t… Matt won on our lane and Cam came a close second from memory. We were a little scared when Cam joined us as he had the moves and really looked like he knew what he was doing. But I think he made a few slight errors in his bowling. Either that or he was trying not to kick our butt so bad.
What ever happened when they give you a score card at the end of the game? We didn’t know what our score was at the end. Once the last ball was bowled our scores were removed from the screen. :o( Oh well. It was a fun day all round! I still can’t get “express yourself” out of my head. ARGH!!
hmm id like you to listen to Kevin Blechdom, if you subscrbed to soulseek you could download it from me.
Sounds like a day worth turning 30 for you are such a good aunty, i hope your next 30 are as accomplished as your last 30xxxxxx ps i am still waiting fo you to win wimbledom
I think my mum is still waiting for me to win wimbeldon as well. Never gonna happen, but maybe if they hire the courts out I could play a game and fake it. 🙂
Things I learnt from Karaoke:
1. Sexual Healing is a really hard song to sing, expecially if you only know the chorus. When you stuff it up, you look really unsexy too.
2. Men love Elvis and Frank Sinatra like women love Madonna and Spice Girls
3. Madonna’s Express Yourself is a really good song to make up your own dirty lyrics to, but in the middle of the night you will wake up and say to yourself “What have I done?”
4. Song variety is the key to a good time, and music must be loud to drown out the singing. Unfortunately Strike didn’t fulfill either of those requirements
5. To do a good air guitar riff, you must be prepared to get bruises.
I hope you’ve taken a photo of that bruise to proudly display on your site!!!
P.S. That was a subtle hint in saying “bring on the picture!!”
P.P.S. That P.S. wasn’t so subtle.
P.P.P.S I can see a “TOO COOL FOR IE” thing in the corner of my screen – you really are a geek 🙂
Click on it.. go on!