A Wedding and a Party and other Catastrophies

December 14/08 8:12 a.m.

These had been very busy 3 days, with our small catastrophies on the side. We just seem to need them, life might be too boring otherwise. We had a nice, leisurely drive to Büdingen - Hessen, where we spent two nights at a hotel . Decided to drive the day ahead, so we would not be pressed for time on friday, wise decision! We arrived at the hotel (Schlosshotel Büdingen) where we were having the wedding celebration dinner in the adjoining restaurant the following evening and Herr Husband stated bluntly that he would hardly be able to walk . Something had happened in one of his rotten knee- joints (now weekend, will see doctor tomorrow). So he crept along with help of his cane and Landfrau slaved again unloading the car, bags,presents and all what we ever think is needed on an short trip. Other people take half of that for 3 weeks. - For our dinner we decided to test next nite's restaurant, they gave us a nice table in front of the little fireplace and Herr Husband ordered a whisky for an opening drink, took it and gulped it with bulging eyes. Landfrau stared at him with open mouth, like, now tell me what was that for? Turned out he suffered from terrible toothache and thought that the drink might cure it. Wrong thinking, so next morning we found a dentist in the phonebook who had been willing to give him an appointment right away. And then we were locked into the casle compound. They have a big shenanigan going on this weekend and had unloaded about a million x-mas trees, every guest will get one as a present, and, as they claimed, for security reasons the gates were locked and the castle closed for the public. Great, and us, beeing the only guests locked in. No one at the reception and the caretaker,who had been unloading the damn trees all night long nowhere to be seen. In the end found him but from then on it had been a continious hunt to get in our out of the castle, till we finally blew our top. Well, at least we made it in time for the wedding, it took place at some other castle, where the owners rent out a very plush kind of reception hall,which puts you right back into middle age. The marriage registrar had been a very apt, funny guy, who really took the stiffness out of the ceremony , he made it a remarkable event. After the little reception at the place the party then drove to the restaurant, us having the nuisance again with getting into the castle compound (and that has been when we blew our top) and we got hold of a key so we could at least get in and out of a side gate.
The following reception, dinner, speeches and drinks had been great and Landfrau knocked over her glas of red wine and christened the parents of the bride's father, sitting next to us, who then kept dubbing the spots with salt all night long and once a while I got the evil eye, embarrassing! - Later on the crowd let fly lighted paper balloons, a terrific sight in the night sky alongside the moon with the dark castle looming in the dark, Count Dracula had been missing!
Next morning along with the joung couple and little Miss Sunshine (one year old daughter), we had the lousiest breakfast EVA, and I mean EVA, so much if you have the Fürst von Ysenburg and Büdingen as your host. But we took it with humor, at least we have not been poisened.
Drive back home after breakfast had been without any other incidents, remarkable! -
Back home Landfrau started to unload the car, told my invalid to stay put inside, and what did he do, started to roll up the blinds, which he normally never ever does, and since we had those burglary devices fastened inside, forgot about them and broke the blinds in front of the garden window door. Fortunately we were able to roll it up and take the broken part out, otherwise we would have even locked out our X-mas tree, sitting in the garden,waiting to be taken in. And us sitting behind closed blinds for the holidays. Seems we are doomed to the Fort Knox syndrome.
And last not least I of course have to mention the big outside Party at daughter No.2's place, about 100 people milling around, they put up a tent, with heaters , there had been BBQ game sausages (verry lecker!) potatoe pancakes, a little helper kept baking continiously , cake, cookies, beer, spiced wine and what have you and the hostess, my daughter,suffering from a stomach flu. Asking myself how many guests might take it home as a X-mas gift, hope I am not one of them, with the little young family beeing our guests for 5 days over X-mas. We then sneaked away after a couple of hours, and chapeau to Herr Husband, inspite of all his newly developped ailments he kept himself very well.