seity1 and I had a fantastic evening at the Brae Loch Inn's 58th annual Robert Burns dinner last night, honouring the Scottish poet laureate's birthday. It's an event celebrated by Scots around the world, and the Brae Loch's happens to be one of the best in the US, if not the world. (I wrote an article about last year's.) At one point when Denise got up to go to the ladies' room, a man nearby told her that her face showed how much fun she was having. She definitely was showing a lot of excitement, as was I. After a couple of stressful days, last night was immensely relaxing and pleasant. (Also tasty.)Grey Barr, the Brae Loch's founder and patriarch, whose son now mostly runs the business, presented the haggis ceremonially during last night's dinner, and recited the Burns poem "To a Haggis," which the bard wrote after the experience of watching a haggis prepared. While standing there, he told the crowd in the dining room that he'd visited Scotland last September, and while meeting with a Scottish MP (Member of Parliament) was given a proclamation making everyone at this year's Burns dinner officially Scottish.
I chatted with Grey's son Jimmy after dinner, since Grey had gone to bed. (The man has had two heart attacks and been treated for prostate cancer and colon cancer in the last year, so his stamina's not what it once was! He certainly looked great, though.) Asked if he knew what clan the proclamation would make us! Jimmy suspected it was Stewart.
I'll have to look into assembling a proper outfit, with kilt and jacket and accessories, for next year. I'd meant to for this year, but now that I'm an honourary Scot it's even more important!
We were very lucky with the weather and road conditions, which were pretty crappy for the last 20 miles or so of our trip up last night. It could have been a lot worse, if the lake-effect snow had edged a bit further south or west than it did. The trip home was easier. While the roads were snowier, they weren't as slushy, and my car seemed happier that way.
