I'm tired. For all the right reasons, but I'm tired. In actual fact, I should really be in bed right now but for writing this article. But it's a tough life being a blogger. Especially when you wonder if anyone will be reading it, or more importantly, if they do, they actually find it interesting.

Anyway, I digress. I'm tired because I've had such a good weekend. And that's not bad seeing as I'm writing this on Wednesday night. It all started on the Friday evening with a game of football. A few of us have been getting together recently to have a game on a Friday. It's been really good to have an opportunity to play 11-a side for a change. We're clearly not very good as we've lost every game we've played. So, obviously a full tactical debrief is required in the boozer afterwards.

It was a thorough debrief. I'd talked so much my mouth was dry in the morning. What was also strange was that my head was thumping and I didn't appear to remember much of the tactical dissection of our game. So I stayed in bed a little longer to see if I could remember it. I didn't, but I blame that on the headache that wouldn't go away all day.

It wasn't so bad that I couldn't go to dinner in the evening on the Saturday. The food was very good, but the service was woeful. But all that waiting for the food and drinks to arrive gave me loads of time to catch up with some old friends I hadn't seen for a while. While we waited (and waited) for the bill, another friend arrived at the restaurant. He'd come over from Islington on a night on the beers and looked a bit disappointed that he'd left his beer, his mates and spent 20 quid on a taxi only to find we were all going home. Obviously we couldn't disappoint him, so I stayed out for a few more beers.

I was disappointed to find I'd missed the last tube. By two hours. So, a night bus was required, which actually wasn't that bad (thanks to Ken - sorry I didn't vote for you). But it was another night that I'd stayed out late, and another one that I'd had a few more beers than I'd wanted to. Unlike the Sunday, where I knew I'd be having some beers.

It was the last game of the season, so the plan was to go to the match, have a few drinks and go for a curry. And that's precisely what we did. But what made it special was that I was able to catch up with another old friend at the ground and at the pub afterwards. We talked a bit about football, but spent most of the time reflecting on how his life has changed now he's a dad. He didn't stay out too long, as he had to go home to bath his son. I hope I don't leave it so long till I see him next time.

Monday was supposed to be quiet. The plan was to go somewhere, sit in the sun and eat and relax. I could manage that. I seriously think I couldn't manage anything else. There was no danger that this could get out of hand. The friends I was meeting were not such big drinkers. So obviously we met in a pub. For drinks. The pub was so busy that they weren't serving food. So, we went to find some food in Kensington. The food and the company were superb. As were the drinks. We were so pleased, that we met up with some other friends at the pub for more drinks.

It was at this stage, I protested that I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go home. "Nonsense!", I was told. Come to the cinema. What could I do? I've been meaning to go to see what the place was like for sometime and it was absolutely fantastic. Where else can you settle down in leather seats each with a foot rest as you sip on a cold pint of Guinness. Oops. So much for the quiet Monday. Although that really wasn't on my mind as I tumbled on to the last tube of the evening.

I'd clearly not anticipated that I'd have such a busy weekend when I'd bought the tickets for the gig on Tuesday. I held them in my hands at work and my head swam. I really didn't fancy going. But what a waste of the tickets. So I phoned a mate to see if he wanted them. "Cool", he said, "What time shall I meet you?". That didn't go well at all. He really wasn't the bloke to go to a gig with if I fancied a quiet night. More beers. More late night tube journeys.

It was all fantastic. I shouldn't really have drunk so much. I really needed to eat a bit better. But it was all worth it. I have at times in my life forgotten just how important my friends are to me. I've sometimes neglected them. It's something that we're all a bit guilty of from time to time. But that's no reason not to keep making an effort. Everyone I caught up with over the weekend had their stories to tell. Some happy and some sad. Some of my friends I didn't see, but they weren't far from my mind. It's our friends and family who get us through it all as we make our way through our lives.

It's a part of my life that I identified in my recipe. With such good friends, and such a good weekend, it was a really great way to underline how important my friends are to me. I hope I never forget it.