Victoria's leaving Parties

Here are the gang out celebrating Victoria's leaving party. It was said when Sylvia, Ryan, Frank and others left Boston that this is the nature of living this Boston life, people come and go all the time, and the social circle is ever-changing. Unfortunately on this occasion the person leaving is Victoria. You see, since Marguerite and Jude arrived in Boston, Victoria has always been the life and soul of the party, the dancing Queen, the party animal, never without a smile, and more than anything else she has always been great craic and a good friend.


Victoria has accepted a job offer for a position in London and will leave Boston in a few days time. So with that and the fact that she is a good auld East Belfast girl it was of course fitting that Niamh baked Victoria this spectacular Union Jack cake for her leaving party. It was quite possibly the tastiest cake Jude has tasted in Boston.



Vicky thought the cake looked so good she was a wee bit apprehensive about cutting it. But cut it she did, and it was duly scoffed in record time - the whole cake gone.........in 5 minutes flat!!!!










Ok Niamh can cook, there's no doubting that, but Victoria and Marguerite (and everyone else) nearly wet themselves laughing at how the cake just fell apart in such a mess after being cut and placed on the plates. Eh.......is there not some ingredient you put in to keep cakes intact, like to prevent such culinary disasters?








Hehehehehehehe.........well Niamh must have forgotten to put that ingredient in, as the poor auld crumbling cake was served with bits and pieces hanging all over the place. Wha?









Folk are still laughing about the cake as Victoria falls across Ann Marie, Clare S, Marguerite and Niamh O. Just to clarify, Niamh O is another Niamh, i.e. not the Niamh who baked the cake and has featured in the blog on many occasions before. So there are two Niamh's now, Niamh and Niamh O. Got it?







After a few beers in Victoria and Niamh's house everyone scooted down the road to the Chinese Disco. Here Ann Marie, Niamh O and Victoria slluuuuurrrrp out of the scorpion bowl.










Paul and Marguerite enjoy the Chinese Disco.....








.....as do Jude and Victoria.








'Now how did I manage to make the cake in such a way that it fell apart into a crumpled mess when cut?' Niamh is still trying to figure out the story with the cake.










'Don't worry about it Niamh, the cake was gorgeous, honestly it was', said Victoria, Paul and Jude.











Ann Marie has had enough of the 'one straw at a time' lark and has now opted for the 'six straws at a time' approach.


And before long it's like New Hampshire all over again as she loses the plot big style and starts dancing with the straws!!!!!





Marguerite and Ann Marie.











Michael and Victoria boogying the night away!!!













There are simply too many folk in this pic to name them all, let's just say everyone was having a great night at the Chinese Disco.











A couple of days later and it is now St Patrick's eve and Jude is out with his work friends 'the Sidebar Gang'. St Patrick's day at home is one day, that's it, one day and it's gone. However in Boston it's more St Patrick's fortnight as the festivities run, and run........until the end of March really. Front row: Ann Marie, Ally, Rayanne, Beatriz, Erin, Erika. Back row: Neil, Robert, Kielan, Jude.





Jude and Robert 'the Mit'. Robert told Jude that he is already in training for this year's softball games and he thinks he is going to be this year's best player!!!! Now that's confidence for you.










This is not a good sign at all folks, it's only Ann Marie getting very friendly with a pitcher of swally.







Before you could say, 'eh....Paddy's Day is not until tomorrow folks', the Sidebar gang had shifted to Mr Dooley's to meet up with Victoria's 2nd leaving party. Here are Ryan, Robert and Victoria.










Settling into Mr Dooley's are: Robert, Ryan, Pat, Ann Marie, Jude and in the front Beatriz & Erika.











Victoria and Marguerite are partying away goodo at what is turning out to be just one of many leaving parties for 'party animal' Victoria.











'I think I feel like dancing', said Robert to Victoria. 'Oh no Robert, you can't go making an edjit out of yourself now, folk will only laugh at ye, don't dance until your wired up and completely pissed, that's what I do', replied Victoria. To which Robert replied, 'Ok then......eh......barman, excuse me...eh.....barman.........two pints of beer please squire'.



Devri are one of the best Irish pub bands around Boston and when they play in Mr Dooley's it's always a great night. Here Ann Marie sings along.











Just like in the auld Ballygalget discos it'll always take some brave soul or souls to hit the dance floor first before everyone else gets brave and starts chucking themselves about the joint like something out of Riverdance. On this occasion the brave ones are Niamh and Victoria.

And before you could say 'Happy Paddy's Day'..............





.........the Riverdance has started. Oh deary me, Marguerite has clearly had one swally too many and has hit the floor like nobodies business with her own special 'Irish Dance' routine.


Those beers Robert ordered have clearly kicked in. He's from Limerick, is Robert, so you would think he should know a thing or two about Irish dancing.......but eh.......you wouldn't think it from this display. Wha?



Michelle and Mark have a good laugh at the dancing antics.





'It's my party and I'll dance if I want to!!!!' Victoria is the Irish dancing Queen of Boston as she never misses an opportunity to practice her auld Riverdance skills. Mr Dooley's didn't charge at the door tonight but they should have done, as Victoria's dancing show was easily worth a $1 door per person cover.




It's late, the dancing is over and Jude is sooooo wired up by now that he is having bother holding his head up. Meanwhile Marguerite is becoming a wise auld fox and is supping away goodo on the water to avoid any nasty hangovers.

Victoria's leaving parties........now they were two great nights, I say, they were two great night folks!!