I've just got home after picking Sophie up from a birthday party. The party itself seemed like fun; they had it at a local place called Ride The Hill.

I was less than impressed with the host family, however. When I arrived, I introduced myself to the birthday girl's mother, assuming that she'd then tell me her name and we'd exchange a few pleasantries. Instead, she said hello in an extremely disinterested way, and then moved away, without even telling me her name. Bizarre. I still don't know her name, actually. Then, when I picked Sophie up, the birthday girl's brother, (must be just about 11), seated next to Nameless Mother, was giving out the goody bags, and kept shouting at his sister, "Why the hell did you put names on these? Why the hell, Grace? Why the hell?". The mother seemed to think this was perfectly normal and acceptable. Made me cringe, though. I can just imagine what his father must be like. One of those beery arrogant men who thinks that every word he says is incredibly important, and thus says everything very loudly, very often.