Serendipitous

So, this weekend, clad only in my trusty robe and fluffy slippers, I go to grab my first brew of the day, and near scald myself as Sweet Sam thunders up from behind to scare the bejesus out of me.

"Mum, come up the drive mum, quick, quick, take the camera!"

"For fuck's sake, it's barely 9.15 of a Sunday morning." 

"Eh?"

"There's lotsa' folk n' bikes up there.."

"Yeah?  Whoopee-do.  Pass me the milk, will ya?"

Oh darn.  I forgot.

"Happy Birthday, Sam."

Now I feel a shit. 

I didn't really forget, he still has presents and cards and cake and stuff, but it's real EARLY for a relaxing weekend morning, y'know?

"You've gotta' come!"

Sure, like I'm about to greet my public half-naked, bare-faced, and wearing this haystack for a hair-do?  Get real, I'm going no-where without my shower, some slap, and a hair-drier that works.

"Och, you know your dad would be disappointed to be left out, go.." wake him up and leave me the hell alone   "..And tell him."

And that's how I went and missed the whole bloomin' thing.

Apparently, Beccy tells me we did have a note shoved through our door about this a week or so back.  She swears blind she almost told me.

Hmph.

Ah well, at least Alan's lie-in was well worth the interruption of (insert evil grin), he and Sam managed to take some great pic's for us..

The Governor of the island 

Yup, you can tell it's him by his Manx tie.

 was standing at the top of our drive, complete with a dozen photographers in tow.  I've never seen so many folk milling about the place - they even closed the road to traffic for the occasion.

Look, look, look, that's MY hedge right there! 
 

A plaque  was unveiled on the house directly opposite (yeah okay, I was a little bit miffed, but seeing as how we don't own an actual wall, just the hedge, I'm trying not to take it too personally).

I had no idea the original starting point for the TT races lay right outside my own front door.

This has an etching from a photograph taken at the start of the first ever TT

And before you ask, no, I have no idea what the "4 Inch" refers to.  

I might not have got the plaque, but at least the TT Trophy sat right outside our drive..

Past winner's posing by the coveted trophy

 After all the speeches and the unveiling was through , the vintage bikes set off on a lap of honour - only the one mind - it's rather doubtful any of these bikes would make it over the mountain a second time!  See the plumes of exhaust they spat out?

And here, peeking through our neighbour's drive, you can see OUR HOUSE!!  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, it doesn't take that much to excite me these days..)

Did I mention this is our house?

Let me remind you of where our drive is..

Just in case you missed it - that's our drive..

Sweet Sam keeps popping up in most of these shots as in a "Where's Wally?" look-alike mock-up.

Bless.  What a great start to his birthday!

I claimed we'd set all this up in special honour of his birthday, and he was ever so grateful!

WHAT??  Oh, get over it, it made him happy..

Besides, we were struggling to top his birthday disco of last week..

I caught myself in the reflection!

After all the hoop-la died down, he managed to get down to opening all his cards and pressies.

And we did treat him to his beloved take-away pizza, plus yet another birthday cake, come the eve.


And so yet another year has crept up upon us.