I landed in Boston less than an hour before the snowstorm hit. Connecting flights were cancelled, and the drive from Boston to Connecticut was a scary snow-blind slalom using tail lights and rumble strips to point the car in the right direction.
As the snow fell, the wedding rehearsal was cancelled. The rehearsal dinner was re-located to a bunker in the hotel where the majority of the out-of-town guests were staying. In spite of all that, Mom was looking gorgeous - as you can see from this photo:
When we finally got to Tolland, we couldn't make it up Route 31 to the house. Ahead of us, wriggling frictionlessly against gravity like salmon swimming into a waterfall, were tens of cars blocking our path, sliding perilously close to us, each other, and the cars sliding in the opposite stream down the hill. Clint executed a heroic, Hollywood-worthy 2-point turn, and we made our way to the hotel for the rehearsal dinner. The groom was trapped on the West coast somewhere.
Saturday, 20 December: wedding
The groom arrived around midnight; the church filled up; Ben played Christmas carols on the piano; the happy couple were married. And the party moved to the Mill on the River, where the food could not have been more perfect. While Ben jockeyed the discs, I grabbed a dance with the flower girl.
Sunday - Monday, 21 - 22 December: family, friends and flights
So Megan and Michael left for Las Vegas, and the rest of us chilled out. I said goodbye to the new in-laws at church on Sunday morning. The snow started again, and Sunday school and the evening service were cancelled.
Over the next 254 hours I worked my way through my boxes in the attic, and set aside photographs and correspondence from my pre-England days to bring back with me (once I get hold of a scanner, I'll see about up-loading the most embarrassing of these).
Monday afternoon Papasan once again drove me to Boston (thanks!) and I met up for a beer at the airport with my old rowing coach and friend, Adam, and we reminisced about the good old days. Then I boarded a horribly uncomfortable flight back to the UK. If it weren't for my numbing addiction to Patrick O'Brian (which kept me plastered to my novel throughout), I don't think I could have managed to muster a trillionth of the equanimity with which I viewed American Airlines that day.
Tuesday, 23 December: work
Work was crazy. I came straight from the airport, and was told I had a long call with a client to go through a warranty schedule. I fell asleep as I was preparing for the call. Five other matters kicked off.
Wednesday, 24 December: work and Oxford
London was eerily quiet. The office was nearly empty. I left at 1 for an extended, boozy lunch with old college friends - one last steak before descending into the vegetarian orgy of Christmas with the Itens and Susie's family. After lunch I walked back to the flat and finished wrapping presents, hopped on a bus to Oxford, and marched to Wolfson. We decided to go to the midnight communion service at Christchurch Cathedral. Walking back at 1 a.m., the streets were full of other families coming home from church.
Thursday, 25 December: Christmas!
We opened presents in the morning. Special thanks to Jennie and Uncle Craig for the cds! And thanks to Mom, again, for the cushions and duvet and pillow covers! And of course thanks to the Itens for the goats. (Jaime: I think I understand why the goat on the left is wearing a hat in the photo - it's so I know who Mr Goat is, right?).
We went to Rani's for our Christmas dinner. Rani, Jaime's employer (and a brilliant brilliant chef), cooked up a feast. I would have been full even if she hadn't then plied me with 3 puddings. As it is, I left feeling like I'd been hit by two Thanksgivings in a row.
That evening we digested, reading books and watching a bit of Short Circuit. We Skyped/phoned Brad; Mom, Ben K, Julie and Annie; and Anne Marie, Mandy and Dad. Apologies to Jennie and Megan for not speaking to either of you!
Friday, 26 December: Boxing Day
I went back to London and met up with Susie for our own personal Christmas (Susie knitted me the most beautiful scarf!) before heading over to the Rosses to be spoiled with food, drink and gifts. After something like 6 years of asking, I finally got some Simpsons dvds.... Yay! The feast included Susie's delicious chestnut and mushroom pie, turkey and bacon (for me and Susie's dad), roasted potatoes, and I attempted to recreate Rani's salad from the day before (I'm a big believer in recreating dishes as soon as possible after first experiencing them, to keep the memory fresh). The mains were followed by pan d'oro and stollen.
And that's it for this long catch-up post.
