After a very busy week (tough to fit 40 hours in between 1:30PM Monday and 3PM Friday, but I managed), I dropped Illa off at the kennel, and got to Dulles by 5. Since there was weirdness with the departure list (the board was only showing about a third of the departures), I talked to traveler’s aid around the corner and figured out I needed to go to the C gates, and got there a little after 6. With a flight that didn’t board ’til 6:45, I went to the mini Old Dominion brewpub and had an ale (they were out of the lager). I called Jill to verify they’d wait to pick me up to have dinner, then read the paper. It was a good thing I did not eat, as the flight up to Hartford was the roughest I’ve had – it ranged from mildly bumpy to severely bumpy.
Jill and Robin were waiting for me, and we hopped on the highway. We stopped in Piccadilly Pub for dinner. I had a Sam Adams white, and Jill had some other beer I can’t recall. I had the lobster bisque and a Caesar salad, while Jill had a house salad, both pretty good. I really enjoyed my jumbo shrimp baked with bread crumbs, and Jill liked her chicken and baked potato. We went to Jill’s mom’s house in Holyoke, and I said hi to Jill’s mom, but she was going to bed. We went out with Jill’s other sister Melissa to Elizur’s pub (named after Holyoke’s founder) and had a drink – Jill had a vodka martini and I had a Jameson’s and Diet Coke. We chatted for a while, then called it a night.
Saturday I got up right before 10, which was a problem as we were supposed to leave at 10:30. We hustled and got out around 11, and went with Robin over the hills and through the woods to Jill’s grandparents. Their dad and stepmom were already there, and we caught up for a while (I hadn’t seen them since our wedding). We had a light lunch and talked some more, leaving around 3. Jill and Melissa went out shopping while Jill’s mom and I watched Jill’s niece and nephews. When they got back, we piled into two cars to go to
Joe’s Cafe in Northampton and pick up some pizzas that Melissa had sworn by. We had to stop by the store on the way back for some beer and mixers for later that night, then headed back and had the pizza, which was pretty good.
That night was games night, and we pulled out the Cranium. We had appetizers and Jill made Cosmopolitans. A couple of Jill’s mom’s friends showed up, and we had two teams of four. Unfortunately, my team did not win. Between the socializing and eating, we only got in one game, but that was ok, we were pretty tired. We did get in a long conversation about dog training, brought on by Daisy, the new household weiner dog. She was very cute, going to sleep curled up against me.
Today we again got up late – by the time I finished showering and got downstairs around 10, everyone else was eating breakfast – Jill’s mom had a big spread of eggs, sausage, french toast, bread, and bacon. Once done, we cleaned up for the guests, then I went outside and entertained Jill’s niece and nephews, mostly playing goalie while they kicked balls at me. They left to visit some of Melissa’s relatives, and some of the guests started arriving, so we went in and ate. Easter is Jill’s mom’s favorite holiday, and as with every holiday, she prepared a big spread of delicious food. In addition to the traditional ham, she had cooked a full turkey, with all the trimmings.
After lunch, I went outside and watched the kids blow soap bubbles. Then everyone came outside and hustled the kids off to the front of the house – here’s Jill and Robin on the deck. The big show of the day was about to start – the Easter Egg hunt. I helped hide eggs, then the kids came back and went crazy. Here’s Jake and Madeleine, one of Jill’s nephews and her niece, in the hunt. After the egg and chocolate was tallied, we went inside for dessert. Too soon, I had to leave. Jill and her mom drove me back to Hartford, where I read Artists on Comic Art in the airport and on the plane, where I did not have a bumpy ride this time. Came home to a stuffy house, now catching up on web surfing ‘fore bedtime.
