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Utterly fantastic three day weekend! Friday was ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cheshcat's birthday. She turned six[1]. To celebrate this milestone there was a weekend of festivities revolving around this event.
The fun began on Thursday evening, day zero, when I secretly importedresourceress from Boston[2]. I conceived this little bit of sneakiness many months ago, and we had been plotting together ever since. When I arrived home with resourceress in tow, I entered our [as yet unnamed] flat and said: "Hey, Hon? You will never believe who I met on the way home from work today!" Suffice to say, cheshcat was quite surprised! Indeed, I believe the words: "This is the best present ever!" may have escaped from her lips. Suddenly, the plans to eat leftovers for dinner were cancelled, and we were on our way to Summertown to celebrate at the Mamma Mia restaurant[3].
On Friday, we all got up early and went into London for a day of museum hopping. We hit the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. At the Natural History Museum, we saw the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. It was, in a way, coming full circle... as we went to the 2005 exhibit shortly after we moved to England. As for the British Museum, this was our first visit... not counting the our visit to the First Emperor special exhibit back in March. Twas good fun, and I now have silly photos of me posing next to the Rosetta Stone, a quartet of Sekmeht statues, et cetera. When they finally kicked us out at 8:30pm, we drove back to Oxford and went out for a very nice birthday dinner at the Pink Giraffe. This is a Chinese restaurant in St. Clement's with an array of exceptionally good fake meat dishes! A most excellent choice!
On Saturday morning, the three of us went to Blenheim Palace to listen to a carol service and see the house decorated for the holidays.cheshcat and I have been there before, of course, but it was the first visit for resourceress so we did a tour of the house. The choral music was good and some of the holiday decorations were quite stunning -- especially the front hall and the dining room! What amazingly large trees![4]
After leaving the palace, we returned to our flat.cheshcat was under the impression that we were going to get changed for lunch at a posh restaurant in the city centre... then drive to Manchester for an unspecified evening performance. Instead, she was greeted by a group of people[5] leaping out at her to yell SURPRISE!!! The party that followed was a huge success! In total, we had eighteen big people, plus two little ones. Indeed, our flat was just about at capacity! I made a grocery run for snacks with JTL... who ended up being a one-woman catering crew! Antipasti, quesadillas, vegetarian sausages -- you name it! She whipped up an amazing feast of snacks!
There were so many memorable moments from the party.cheshcat received a set of jacks for her sixth birthday, which became a surprise party hit! I did learn that (a) jacks are dangerous for somebody with OCD, and (2) I am apparently on my way to becoming a jack shark![6] We also played two games of Werewolf, led by alextiefling. I was on the winning side both times... though I was killed in each game. Once by my fellow villagers and once by werewolves! I can't catch a break! Several games of Set were also played, and I won the one where I took part.
At the end of the night, we transformed our living room into a slumber party. Eight people slept in our flat that night, and apparently our living room can fit four air mattresses with relative ease! Thanks go out to D&J as well asdr_jen for loaning us air mattresses; also to alextiefling and friend_of_tofu for bringing their own to sleep on!
The party continued into Sunday[7]! After I procured a small feast for breakfast, seven of us headed to the Oxford Castle to see the Earth From The Air art exhibit.cheshcat and I had already been there last month, but we only saw about half of the one hundred and twenty photographs on display[8]. This time, we finished up our viewing and brought friends along to appreciate the art. When finished, we chilled out warmed up in the castle's cafe for a bit. Then cheshcat led a group of four to the Eagle & Child, whilst I brought the rest of our group on a walking tour of Oxford.
Eventually, the two halves of our party merged again and we went to St. Giles Church for Sunday evening service ringing.mattp and I rang, whilst the rest of our group watched to see what change bell ringing is all about. For resourceress, it was a return to the tower, as she was present in July 2006, when I went there for the very first time. With the exception of D&J, we all returned to our flat after the tower bell ringing finished. There, we were joined by JP and L&M for a handbell practice. This was most welcomed by me, as my London commute has prevented me from ringing handbells since late September! Also, everyone present got to have a go at handbell ringing! For resourceress, cheshcat, and prolificdiarist, this was their first attempts!
Even after the ringing ended at 8:30pm, the party was still going on! I was surprised, but pleased, to seecheshcat's party continue for so long! We made and ate dinner at home, then played a couple of games of Set (I won two and mattp won one) then a game of Bohnanza (prolificdiarist won with twenty points, I came in second with seventeen, mattp and cheshcat each had sixteen).
When our game of Bohnanza ended, it was one o'clock in the morning. The party that had begun thirty-six hours earlier was finally winding down. We brought out the air mattresses once again -- there were still five people sleeping under our roof. By morning, three of us had left to go to work in London, whilstcheshcat went to her job in central Oxford.
If I do say so myself, this birthday bash was a phenomenal success! Despite all the complex plans, everything went off without a hitch! I was thrilled to hear nearly all the guests enthusiastically tell me what a wonderful time they had at it... and I am so pleased to give my belovedcheshcat such a happy milestone birthday. Thank you to everyone who joined us!! Additionally, the one-two surprise of importing resourceress and the party qualify this weekend for the list of Big Surprises that I have given to cheshcat through our fourteen years together![9]
[1] In cat years.
[2] Due to a transporter accident, most of her hair ended up staying behind!
[3] No Abba connection -- sorry!
[4] Okay, they may not be large by Rockefeller Center standards... but these were indoors!
[5] One co-conspirator in particular deserves special thanks for arriving early, tidying the flat, and letting everyone in!
[6] No relation to my neighbour, the Headington Shark!
[7] Before it did, however,mattp and I snuck out early to ring bells at St. Giles Church for the Sunday morning services.
[8] Fifty-three, to be exact.
[9] This is probably the fifth entry on that list.
cheshcat's birthday. She turned six[1]. To celebrate this milestone there was a weekend of festivities revolving around this event.The fun began on Thursday evening, day zero, when I secretly imported
resourceress from Boston[2]. I conceived this little bit of sneakiness many months ago, and we had been plotting together ever since. When I arrived home with resourceress in tow, I entered our [as yet unnamed] flat and said: "Hey, Hon? You will never believe who I met on the way home from work today!" Suffice to say, cheshcat was quite surprised! Indeed, I believe the words: "This is the best present ever!" may have escaped from her lips. Suddenly, the plans to eat leftovers for dinner were cancelled, and we were on our way to Summertown to celebrate at the Mamma Mia restaurant[3].On Friday, we all got up early and went into London for a day of museum hopping. We hit the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. At the Natural History Museum, we saw the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. It was, in a way, coming full circle... as we went to the 2005 exhibit shortly after we moved to England. As for the British Museum, this was our first visit... not counting the our visit to the First Emperor special exhibit back in March. Twas good fun, and I now have silly photos of me posing next to the Rosetta Stone, a quartet of Sekmeht statues, et cetera. When they finally kicked us out at 8:30pm, we drove back to Oxford and went out for a very nice birthday dinner at the Pink Giraffe. This is a Chinese restaurant in St. Clement's with an array of exceptionally good fake meat dishes! A most excellent choice!
On Saturday morning, the three of us went to Blenheim Palace to listen to a carol service and see the house decorated for the holidays.
cheshcat and I have been there before, of course, but it was the first visit for resourceress so we did a tour of the house. The choral music was good and some of the holiday decorations were quite stunning -- especially the front hall and the dining room! What amazingly large trees![4]After leaving the palace, we returned to our flat.
cheshcat was under the impression that we were going to get changed for lunch at a posh restaurant in the city centre... then drive to Manchester for an unspecified evening performance. Instead, she was greeted by a group of people[5] leaping out at her to yell SURPRISE!!! The party that followed was a huge success! In total, we had eighteen big people, plus two little ones. Indeed, our flat was just about at capacity! I made a grocery run for snacks with JTL... who ended up being a one-woman catering crew! Antipasti, quesadillas, vegetarian sausages -- you name it! She whipped up an amazing feast of snacks! There were so many memorable moments from the party.
cheshcat received a set of jacks for her sixth birthday, which became a surprise party hit! I did learn that (a) jacks are dangerous for somebody with OCD, and (2) I am apparently on my way to becoming a jack shark![6] We also played two games of Werewolf, led by alextiefling. I was on the winning side both times... though I was killed in each game. Once by my fellow villagers and once by werewolves! I can't catch a break! Several games of Set were also played, and I won the one where I took part.At the end of the night, we transformed our living room into a slumber party. Eight people slept in our flat that night, and apparently our living room can fit four air mattresses with relative ease! Thanks go out to D&J as well as
dr_jen for loaning us air mattresses; also to alextiefling and friend_of_tofu for bringing their own to sleep on!The party continued into Sunday[7]! After I procured a small feast for breakfast, seven of us headed to the Oxford Castle to see the Earth From The Air art exhibit.
cheshcat and I had already been there last month, but we only saw about half of the one hundred and twenty photographs on display[8]. This time, we finished up our viewing and brought friends along to appreciate the art. When finished, we cheshcat led a group of four to the Eagle & Child, whilst I brought the rest of our group on a walking tour of Oxford.Eventually, the two halves of our party merged again and we went to St. Giles Church for Sunday evening service ringing.
mattp and I rang, whilst the rest of our group watched to see what change bell ringing is all about. For resourceress, it was a return to the tower, as she was present in July 2006, when I went there for the very first time. With the exception of D&J, we all returned to our flat after the tower bell ringing finished. There, we were joined by JP and L&M for a handbell practice. This was most welcomed by me, as my London commute has prevented me from ringing handbells since late September! Also, everyone present got to have a go at handbell ringing! For resourceress, cheshcat, and prolificdiarist, this was their first attempts! Even after the ringing ended at 8:30pm, the party was still going on! I was surprised, but pleased, to see
cheshcat's party continue for so long! We made and ate dinner at home, then played a couple of games of Set (I won two and mattp won one) then a game of Bohnanza (prolificdiarist won with twenty points, I came in second with seventeen, mattp and cheshcat each had sixteen).When our game of Bohnanza ended, it was one o'clock in the morning. The party that had begun thirty-six hours earlier was finally winding down. We brought out the air mattresses once again -- there were still five people sleeping under our roof. By morning, three of us had left to go to work in London, whilst
cheshcat went to her job in central Oxford. If I do say so myself, this birthday bash was a phenomenal success! Despite all the complex plans, everything went off without a hitch! I was thrilled to hear nearly all the guests enthusiastically tell me what a wonderful time they had at it... and I am so pleased to give my beloved
cheshcat such a happy milestone birthday. Thank you to everyone who joined us!! Additionally, the one-two surprise of importing resourceress and the party qualify this weekend for the list of Big Surprises that I have given to cheshcat through our fourteen years together![9][1] In cat years.
[2] Due to a transporter accident, most of her hair ended up staying behind!
[3] No Abba connection -- sorry!
[4] Okay, they may not be large by Rockefeller Center standards... but these were indoors!
[5] One co-conspirator in particular deserves special thanks for arriving early, tidying the flat, and letting everyone in!
[6] No relation to my neighbour, the Headington Shark!
[7] Before it did, however,
mattp and I snuck out early to ring bells at St. Giles Church for the Sunday morning services.[8] Fifty-three, to be exact.
[9] This is probably the fifth entry on that list.
