Tonight I'm just testing this...to see how it works. I'm in St. Louis now...have been since last Sunday the 26th. Prior to that, I was in Virginia, visiting my Mom...and lots of other assorted family.
I suppose the highlight of that trip east (and, indeed, the initial impetus for planning it) was the birthday bash at my cousin's Mary's house on August 24th. It was originally planned for the sake of doing something special for my 50th birthday (which really happened on August 27th...the first day of classes, when I would be back in St. Louis...where I don't actually know a lot of people that I could invite around to celebrate something as distinctive as a 50th birthday) and I figured people who have known me since I've been born or at least somewhat shortly thereafter would understand what I was going through. Besides, my brother Ned's 51st birthday was actually on the 24th...and I was reminded of when we had joint birthday parties when we were little...and it meant we got to have a cake with candles representing "101". There's more excitement...I don't know how many people can say that they've celebrated their 50th surrounded by snakes...ok, they were behind closed doors (except when cousin Donnie decided to bring the odd one out for viewing - as you can see)...but that we were in an airconditioned garage which is part of a small building which houses Mary & Carl's rather large snake collection somehow only helped to underscore the notion that I was starting out a new year and and a new decade and a new life in a place that had few reference points with my life in Madrid.
After a fantastic day playing in some mean waves at Virginia Beach, having collected Diana and having seen Elisa off to Boston from Norfolk airport, we flew back to St. Louis...
I suppose the highlight of that trip east (and, indeed, the initial impetus for planning it) was the birthday bash at my cousin's Mary's house on August 24th. It was originally planned for the sake of doing something special for my 50th birthday (which really happened on August 27th...the first day of classes, when I would be back in St. Louis...where I don't actually know a lot of people that I could invite around to celebrate something as distinctive as a 50th birthday) and I figured people who have known me since I've been born or at least somewhat shortly thereafter would understand what I was going through. Besides, my brother Ned's 51st birthday was actually on the 24th...and I was reminded of when we had joint birthday parties when we were little...and it meant we got to have a cake with candles representing "101". There's more excitement...I don't know how many people can say that they've celebrated their 50th surrounded by snakes...ok, they were behind closed doors (except when cousin Donnie decided to bring the odd one out for viewing - as you can see)...but that we were in an airconditioned garage which is part of a small building which houses Mary & Carl's rather large snake collection somehow only helped to underscore the notion that I was starting out a new year and and a new decade and a new life in a place that had few reference points with my life in Madrid.
After a fantastic day playing in some mean waves at Virginia Beach, having collected Diana and having seen Elisa off to Boston from Norfolk airport, we flew back to St. Louis...
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