Tont & Badger Turn 30

The last time Mike and I had a joint birthday party was for our sixteenth’s. At that time, we were pimple faced, single, and our voices were breaking mid-sentence on a regular basis…..so who said the 30’s were going to be rubbish?? The theme for the event was ‘SHEBEEN’. For the international readers, a Shebeen is an informal bar / meeting place where, traditionally, the black citizens of South Africa meet for an evening of socializing and heavy drinking. It seemed like an apt theme to see in our 30’s. The Shebeen setup isn’t fancy and you’ll often find that chairs and tables are makeshift structures made out of anything you can get your hands on. The cheaper the better, so beers are bought by 750ml quart bottles and mixes are optional. Everyone was told to dress the part and there were prizes for best dressed.

Before the main event, which kicked off at 2pm, the men decided to hit Toti Golf Course for a cheeky round before the festivities began. The wind was howling but surprisingly some good scores were posted. R30 in the hat and the pot was split into 3 positions.

1st - Muz 84 off 14 for 37 points
2nd - Baj 84 off 13 for 35 points
3rd - Doug 102 off 30 for 35 points (Counted out losing 2-0 in a ching off)

After a shower, a couple of beers and the issue of some fines, everyone made their way up to Assagay. What ensued was an enjoyable afternoon and evening of rugby, music, drinking, laughter, hack and Beer-Pong (a combined variation of drinking and Ping-Pong, which took place in the Olympic Tent which also happened to double up as Nixwele Xolani’s Hair Salon)

The bonfire in the evening created an exceptionally festive atmosphere and the wooden pallets that Jerry procured burned helluva well. There was unanimous agreement that the lack of creosote coating was a great improvement from my 29th birthday last year.

Highlights from the evening included Veeds bringing out the guns and tearing pallets apart like a rabie-infested dingo attacking a pen full of chickens, and witnessing Tont attempting to kick down some firewood, only for him to realize that on impact 2 stray nails had infiltrated the sole of his shoe and were now embedded in his foot.

I think it’s fair to say that everyone had a superb time and I know that Mike and I definitely did. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help with food and decorations and thanks to the ballies for allowing yet another party to unleash itself on your humble abode.

No one passed out and no trees were pulled down during the party so we’re definitely maturing.