Happy Spring!

Nondenominational Springtime Fun

Easter...

Of all the holidays this is the one where I miss my parents. I've decided it is because for the other holidays there is some gathering of friends and so I am surrounded by the people I love, my family though not by blood. Easter is one of the few holidays that is very much still a religious creature. Some may go to church, some may not, but there is generally a meal with family that is a little more special than the everyday. But I've never heard of an "Easter Party" and I've no idea what you would do at one. And after all, it is a celebration of a resurrection. A joyous occasion to be sure, but not really one to raise the roof on.

Anyhow, Easter is usually very quiet for me, and it is quiet by choice. I stubbornly indulge in the "if I can't be with my family I don't want to be with anyone's" feeling...which I will shamefully admit has lead to Easter dinner at McDonald's on one occasion. A few years ago I gave in to the request that I join the boy I was dating and his family for Easter...ug. It was a long day of being stared at. I didn't know until I was on my way there that the family doesn't normally get together for Easter...they were making an excuse to gather just to check me out. Oh that was fun! Add in the whole Irish vs English debates and it was quite the lively day. Though I will admit that instead of just missing my family I was definitely more appreciative of them!

Last Easter Bill came over and I made dinner. Now that was a quiet day. If memory serves we joined Monie later for a movie. This was nice and low key.

This year the Kruemmlings offered to adopt me as they so sweetly often do for holidays, but I could happily say I had other plans. Frank and I spent the day relaxing and watching movies (I made him watch Easter specials...hee hee) and then had a yummy dinner. Between the wonderful company and knowing I would see my parents in less than 2 weeks I have to say it was the best Easter I've had since 2000...and I was in Hawaii for that one-who can be sad in Hawaii?

I hope you all had happy Easters or nice non-specific springtime celebrations!

Repent! Dinner is Near!

Saturday was a special treat: Dinner with Clan Reisse and a movie.

Chuck generously offered to cook so the plan was for Frank and me to have dinner with him, Julie and the lovely Lotte then spirit Chuck away to a movie. How very nice!

Before Frank and I headed out Jill called to see if perhaps she and Dan could join the fun, and after a little coordination with Clan Reisse, our party grew by 2. There was much laughter and storytelling, Lotte entertained with her near 2ness. Chuck made an some awesome paella with vegetables and veggie sausage (are my friends not great?) and we adjourned to the living room to watch Lotte make Jill cry with her silliness. After dinner there were cookies, Dan's yummy Leche cake and these evil cookies and cream chocolate bunnies that Julie found. Such delicious evilness!

Off to the movies, we saw Doomsday. Um...like Resident Evil, but making less sense. Nasty virus making people gooey, no cure, spreading, end of the world type thing. I did learn that in a pinch Scotland can be walled off and then the people within will become either the cast of Road Warrior or join the Society for Creative Anachronism. There was one point where something so wrong happened I had to smack my forehead-a first in movie going experience for me. And I still think that head really didn't need to splat into the camera lens, but that's me.

We had fun watching, and dissecting afterward, so it was a good end to a great day. Oh, and even weirder than the movie? A Skill Crane full of dwarves:

Green Dosey Doh!

St. Patrick's Day...the 17th of March

Well, this year that depends on your religious affiliation. If you are Catholic then this year it was moved to the 15th. I'm not Catholic so for me it was still the 17th. Where was I? Oh yes...

St. Patrick's Day...when we celebrate in the traditional way...by going to a Mexican bar. Hey, I didn't say it was everyone's tradition! Perhaps just mine and a few of my friends, but we've done it every year for quite some time now.

So in years past when I've assumed everyone was busy I got calls the day before (or the day of) wondering what the plan was. This year I decided to be proactive and plan ahead! Between rehearsals and life in general the turn out looked to be rather small, just 10 or so. On the 12th here was the line up:

me, Frank, Connie, Will, Ralph, Lydia, Travis, Amanda, Jen and a possible representative from the Reisse clan

By Saturday it was:

me, Frank, Connie, Ralph, Lydia, Travis, Amanda, Jen, a possible representative from the Reisse clan, Val and Josh

Sunday at 8 PM it was:

me, Frank, Connie, Ralph, Lydia, Travis, Amanda, Jen, a possible representative from the Reisse clan, Val, Josh and maybe Jill

Sunday at 8:30:

me, Frank, Connie, Travis, Amanda, Jen, a possible representative from the Reisse clan, Val, Josh and maybe Jill

Monday it became:

me, Frank, Connie, Travis, Amanda, Jen, Chuck, Andrew, Val, Josh and maybe Monie after choir

And by the time we all finally sat down to dinner we had:

me, Frank, Connie, Travis, Amanda, Chuck and Andrew

It was a great bit of fun and for those who missed it here are some highlights:

-Chuck and I did a very large shot of tequila. I nearly had it come out my nose, Chuck found that he over limed and wanted his lips as far from his teeth as possible.

-A few of us tried a new beer...Royal Stout. It was build as a "sweet Guinness type of beer". Yeah, not really. Pour some sherry in your stout and that's more like it. But it was a dollar so hey! It was mentioned that perhaps this was Agave's answer to green beer.

-We discovered that Travis is camera shy.

-Chuck was frightened by the amazing aging leprechaun...the closer she got the older she got!

-Though Chuck had to work later he was determined to give at least the appearance of inebriation.

-Amanda did what we all thought was impossible: She over cheesed.

-Connie spent a lot of time surprised...

...It spread.

-Andrew got a dollar shoved down his pants

-Though I made a valient effort Frank managed to not snarf his fajita

And we all had a great time!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

...but even less funny than the movie!

Saturday Callie had a vet appointment and Frank's mom was flying in from Nashville so the plan was for me to head into the city after the vet. Aside from Callie's psychotic break at the word "thermometer" things went well. I was even offered a job, though I haven't made any decisions about that one yet.

Running about an hour late I headed to Frank's. Originally his mom was supposed to land sometime between 1 and 2...then it was 2:49 given the weather. Now I need you to keep in mind that her flight left Nashville around 6 AM. She got to Atlanta with little trouble, but her lay over was held up and she finally boarded the plan around 3:30. Frank was checking the airline and his mom was calling with updates so we'd know when to head to the airport. Once she boarded the plan we felt confident enough to catch the train to the airport which got us there at about 6 (she was due at 6:13 at this point).

We made our way to baggage claim and waited. I'd been fighting a headache all day and decided a coke might help. They were $2. I had a one and a 5. The machine only took 1s. Next to the machine was an ATM...which of course would only dispense $20s. There was a change machine, but it was out of service. I lumped it. We sat at various seating areas, roaming to the arrivals board to check the flights progress. 6:13 became 6:23, then 6:30 and then...DIVERTED. To where? What happened to Mom?

Frank turned to me, said hold this and passed me his umbrella before heading toward an unsuspecting baggage handler. Much to my surprise the guy was cheerful and actually gave information without being asked! It seems the headwind cost them more fuel than expected so they landed in DC to refuel. The flight would now arrive around 9:30.

Back on the train for dinner...and a beer. A quick check of flight status and we were back on the train and heading to the airport. The flight finally arrived and this poor sweet woman waited in baggage claim for a half hour waiting for her bags to appear. Then on to the car rental adventure!

Of course they had canceled the reservation, and the very surly clerk told her that she couldn't use Frank's credit card to secure the already paid for rental anyway. Soooo she called the roaming gnome who got the reservation reinstated and then came the second surprise of the evening: The clerk apologized. She said it had been a long day then let Mrs. M slide on the credit card thing.

Now, the original plan had been for his mom to head straight to the Northeast to see her parents from the airport, we'd go with her and she would drop us off at his place on her way to his sister's in Cherry Hill. But that was when she thought she'd be here at 3:30. Now what to do? It was 11 and she was heading to Meg's where she had never been nor had directions to. So back into the city, pick up my car, I'll follow them and Frank will be her navigator. I've been there once before so I should be okay, and if we get separated I can just call, right?

It wasn't until I pulled out behind them that I realized I didn't have my phone. Happily the Nebraska plates on the rental were easy to follow. With just wrong turn we made it to Megan and John's then stayed up until 4:30 talking and trading stories. It was quite fun. I really enjoy his family.

We were tucked in bed around 5:30, with our only plan for Sunday being to escape the city before the St. Patty's day.

Somehow wemanaged to laugh through the whole thing and I'm glad I was there to keep him company. It really did turn out to be quite the epic tale!

March

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