After D's brief stint as Father Christmas at the office gift exchange:
we left the UK for our holiday in America. On the day we left, Saturday before Christmas, the Baltimore/Washington area was expecting up to 24 inches of snow. We were truly shocked when the flight to Baltimore departed on-time from Heathrow; perhaps the flight dispatchers knew something about the weather forecast at our destination that we didn't? As we were enroute across the Atlantic, we learned that the Baltimore/Washington area had indeed been hit with a massive storm and all of the airports there were closed. As a result, our flight was diverted -- to Boston! While we were happy to get a hotel room (thanks British Airways!) and a bowl of authentic Boston clam chowder:
we were pretty concerned about our prospects for getting all the way to Maryland the next day, as the storm was headed up the East Coast -- directly towards us. But by the next morning the airline had arranged for buses:
to drive us (and 200 others from our flight) 9.5 hours through a snow storm from Boston to Baltimore. Along the way, through snow and salt-splashed bus windows, we saw Fenway Park:
and the Manhattan skyline:
and enjoyed fine dining at a roadside McDonalds in Connecticut.
We were VERY happy to make it to Maryland safely, and only 24 hours later than expected. The long journey was worth it -- it was a cozy and wonderful holiday with our families. It was lovely at Steve & Maria's house -- both inside:
and out:
Christmas was great. Everyone loved their gifts. Our youngest nephew was especially excited about the very special rock collection case that D's father built for him, with a glass top to allow the best rocks to be displayed.
He got to work immediately, making decisions about the best way to sort and display his treasures:
He was also pretty excited about the plasma ball light we gave him:
(Hey, we're electrical engineers. It's geeky, but cool, right?) And both boys liked their electronics from Santa:
After the kids opened their gifts from Santa, D and I headed east to downtown Baltimore to spend Christmas day with my parents.
That night, D's family joined us at my parent's house for our annual Christmas dinner together. My Dad the storyteller:
had my in-laws as a captive but enthusiastic audience:
much as has been the case for the last 25 years. The party and the meal were exquisite -- thanks Mom!
We stayed at my parent's house for a few days, hanging out and watching Ravens football:
Also during our stay, we managed to take care of some errands and see lots of friends. One of my favorite gatherings was over lunch with former colleagues in Northern Virginia. My friend Alice (next to me below) surprised me by gathering together this group of people:
all of whom have worked together extensively but some of whom have retired or have left for different jobs since I've been gone. Everyone had a great time catching up over bento boxes of Japanese food -- yum! A few days of moderate weather caused the 2 feet of snow in the Baltimore area to melt:
and the roads to fully clear...until the NEXT snow! It was just a few inches this time...
...just enough to make a decent snowman! Great job, guys! Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to make our trip back to the US, and our holidays, special -- especially our families. Happy New Year everyone!
After D's brief stint as Father Christmas at the office gift exchange: 
we left the UK for our holiday in America. On the day we left, Saturday before Christmas, the Baltimore/Washington area was expecting up to 24 inches of snow. We were truly shocked when the flight to Baltimore departed on-time from Heathrow; perhaps the flight dispatchers knew something about the weather forecast at our destination that we didn't? As we were enroute across the Atlantic, we learned that the Baltimore/Washington area had indeed been hit with a massive storm and all of the airports there were closed. As a result, our flight was diverted -- to Boston! While we were happy to get a hotel room (thanks British Airways!) and a bowl of authentic Boston clam chowder: 
we were pretty concerned about our prospects for getting all the way to Maryland the next day, as the storm was headed up the East Coast -- directly towards us. But by the next morning the airline had arranged for buses: 
to drive us (and 200 others from our flight) 9.5 hours through a snow storm from Boston to Baltimore. Along the way, through snow and salt-splashed bus windows, we saw Fenway Park: 
and the Manhattan skyline: 
and enjoyed fine dining at a roadside McDonalds in Connecticut. 
We were VERY happy to make it to Maryland safely, and only 24 hours later than expected. The long journey was worth it -- it was a cozy and wonderful holiday with our families. It was lovely at Steve & Maria's house -- both inside: 
and out: 
Christmas was great. Everyone loved their gifts. Our youngest nephew was especially excited about the very special rock collection case that D's father built for him, with a glass top to allow the best rocks to be displayed. 
He got to work immediately, making decisions about the best way to sort and display his treasures: 
He was also pretty excited about the plasma ball light we gave him: 
(Hey, we're electrical engineers. It's geeky, but cool, right?) And both boys liked their electronics from Santa:
After the kids opened their gifts from Santa, D and I headed east to downtown Baltimore to spend Christmas day with my parents.
That night, D's family joined us at my parent's house for our annual Christmas dinner together. My Dad the storyteller: 
had my in-laws as a captive but enthusiastic audience: 
much as has been the case for the last 25 years. The party and the meal were exquisite -- thanks Mom!
We stayed at my parent's house for a few days, hanging out and watching Ravens football: 
Also during our stay, we managed to take care of some errands and see lots of friends. One of my favorite gatherings was over lunch with former colleagues in Northern Virginia. My friend Alice (next to me below) surprised me by gathering together this group of people: 
all of whom have worked together extensively but some of whom have retired or have left for different jobs since I've been gone. Everyone had a great time catching up over bento boxes of Japanese food -- yum! A few days of moderate weather caused the 2 feet of snow in the Baltimore area to melt: 
and the roads to fully clear...until the NEXT snow! It was just a few inches this time...
...just enough to make a decent snowman! Great job, guys! Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to make our trip back to the US, and our holidays, special -- especially our families. Happy New Year everyone!
1 comments:
Glad to hear you guys had a great Christmas and made it back safe. We were wondering if you got caught in all that snow on your way in.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you both!
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