Belles of the ball

We ventured out to the rugby club ball last night. There was a flurry of getting ready, shopping for dresses, shoes and makeup over the preceding weeks. We succeeded in dressing Maryanne, no mean feat to get her out of her jeans into a dress and made up. She looked beautiful on the night.

Deidre and I decided to get our hair done, what a mission. The first hair place was shut, the second had a queue, no problem said the man we can fit you in. It was an interesting experience sitting watching parades of women with astounding dos, dos only possible in this part of the world. Curls piled on top, hair extensions, boofy held together with pins and blingy head pieces.

I should have felt very afraid and run for the door when the man said to me, "too short for up, will blow dry". I have thick hair, blow dry it for volume and I end up with something resembling an '80's Dallas nightmare. Well, it was different, very boofy. Maybe when I put on my dress and make up........nope it still looked like I belonged on an '80s film set. Deidre on the other hand managed a sophisticated pile up, might need to grow my hair a little more.

I also tried contacts for the first time, sick of wearing glasses on nights out. What I learnt was that contacts are difficult to put in the first time; I can't wear my prescription sunglasses with them; reading things is impossible; choosing food from a buffet is a lottery and eating the food a challenge; and last but not least taking said contacts out in the early hours while a little tiddly is very challenging. But, my makeup looked good; I could see everyone across the room and I could dance without losing my glasses. I suspect I'll keep them for nights out only.

At the ball people had gone all out with some lovely dresses, dos (mine didn't look too out of place) and shoes. There were photos taken, will have to check their suitability before posting. It was a good night, one that merits a postmortem or two. Maryanne and I are heading to Nina's place a bit later for one, by the pool with a long tall glass of something.

I also learnt last night that it's a very small world. It turns out that Deidre's husband Duncan used to run tours for touristj in the Coromandel and knows all my favourite places very well. He also used to live in Thames in the same street as I did, just down the road a bit. We worked out that we had lived there roughly 10 years apart, but things move slowly in that part of the world so nothing much had changed.

Decided to add the photo of Deidre and I all ready to go. I cringe as I think of the laughter........