Holy moly. I didn’t realize that the last time I posted anything was in June. Eegads. Mid-winter and the Polar Plunge seem so far away. Yet it also feels like yesterday.
I realize I didn’t post anything about Mid-Winter Dinner!
So, after the Polar Plunge (AKA the craziest and singularly best thing I’ve done in my life up through this point) I came back to help get things ready for Mid-Winter Dinner. The amazing Devon Strauss and I were in charge of the photo booth so we spent a couple of hours deliberating how to set up things for everyone in their fancy-wear to get pictures in front of. We ended up with a very simple set up and collected a fair number of props from Gear Issue for people to take fun photos with. Then I was off to get cleaned up and dressed for the evening.
Normally dressing up isn’t *that* big of a deal for me, but since it was my first time wearing a dress in months (and I originally planned on wearing heels…however that ended up being a catastrophe that I was intent on avoiding since I was tired and it’d been quite some time since I’d worn them… I wore my hot pink pseudo ballet slippers), I decided I needed plenty of time to primp and get “all dolled up” since I was planning on dining and dancing.
When I was walking around the halls of the dorm, I encountered a moment that made me giggle, chuckle, and perhaps snort a bit.
Here (there?) I was, a gazillion miles away from any person that lived in the same town that I live in, wearing a dress that I bought in New Zealand, and what happened? I ran smack dab into someone wearing the EXACT.SAME.DRESS… Turns out, we both bought it on R&R. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of Melanie and I together in our matching frocks. I figured we’d be pretty safe though, no one would notice a thing since she had on a camisole under hers and I was wearing a pashmina most of the evening with mine.
I headed downstairs and was slightly taken back by the decorations that were set up. The place was beautiful. I have to admit, I had been a bit skeptical of how it would all turn out, but I was quite pleased with the results.
I wandered around, taking pictures of people and decor, and then met up with the fire guys (because, well, they’re MY boys) and found where Rick had placed our name cards.
Then it was time to eat.
Okay, the wonderful galley folk did an amazing job all winter with the supplies they had to fix meal that were tasty, but they truly outdid themselves at MWD. Personally, I zeroed in on the duck. My family knows that duck, well prepared duck, is my kryptonite. Julie did an amazing job on the duck. Such a phenomenal job with it, that the duck is pretty much the only thing (along with the bacon and beer flavored marshmallows) that I recall about that evening.
So, after eating a marvelous meal and socializing for a bit, I headed upstairs to switch out camera lenses and that was it for me.
Yep, no dancing.
No partying late into the night on what is generally the BIGGEST celebration of the season here.
I sat down on the couch and woke up 7 hours later still in my fancy dress and hot pink ballet slippers.
Still in my make up that I painstakingly applied so I’d have perfectly smoky eyes.
I couldn’t believe it. I was so disappointed that I missed out on what, I’m sure, was an excellent time for most people.*
I say that it was an excellent time for most people, but in the midst of the revelry, tragic news was delivered to one of my dearest friends here. Her mother passed away. I only wish that I had been part of the immediate outpour of community support and sympathy for her. I found out the next morning and she and I cried together the next morning in the middle of the galley.
The day of Midwinter Dinner and the Polar Plunge, I realized how important it is to take risks, celebrate life and no matter where you are, you ALWAYS need friends.
Victoria In Victorialand 