Saturday, December 18, 2010

Dec 18, 2010: Hannibal, MO Quality Inn/Suites for Christmas weekend!

It was a busy morning around the sticknbrick this morning........trying to get some things together for the weekend of the 1st Lady's family's Christmas together.....an annual event. We always have it at the Quality Inn and Suites in Hannibal......as they have an incredible indoor pool and hot tub for all of the guests, as well as the family members who live in the area and come in to join all of us for the late afternoon/evening of fun: snacks, drinks, pool time/all the time, and cards and boardgames.

We arrived in Hannibal about 1pm.....and, I was a bit stiff from the drive.....a few aches in my leg, but I had taken a couple of Excedrin Migraine pills prior to leaving and that helped with any pains I might have had. Going to the hotel, we found that our four rooms were not ready as yet, so the 1st Lady and I went next door to the Fiddlesticks Restaurant and had a delightful lunch.

Returning an hour later to the hotel, we found our rooms cleaned and ready. We had reserved all four in our name: ours, Jay/Anne-marie's, Dr Jeni/Darrel and kids, and Becky/Rachel. We moved in to our room and get settled in, going in to the pool room and getting things on tables so we would have enough tables for everyone and the food who were going to be there this evening.

Soon, Dr. Jeni/Darrel and family arrived and checked in......and then I went back to the room. Checking on Facebook's scrolling news......I discovered that Vicki Bishop Berry had just posted about making some fresh cookies for delivery to others. Vicki is a former student of mine from the 90's......and so, I replied that if she was delivering cookies, I was at the Quality Inn and gave her my room number and phone number. Very quickly, she called and said she would be in the lobby in two minutes!!!!! By the time I got down there, hobbling down the lengthy hallway, she was just pulling up into the circle driveway.

WHAT a joy it was to see her again.....and she had a small bag of her home made cookies for me!!!!! We hugged and talked and hugged again as we jabbered for a few minutes. She had to go on....and so we said our farewells with hugs and kisses. Soooooo good to see her again....and her cookies are sooo good!!

The rest of the crew arrived within the hour.....and then the rest of the large family of my wife's began to arrive and check in to the hotel. I am not certain how many rooms we have booked here, but it is quite a few!!!!

Pool time.......and it is still going on as the 9pm hour creeps up very quickly. Lots of noise, squeals, jabber, talking, laughter, eating, back slaps, etc., etc. How many are here.....hmmmm.... I believe there are at least 35 here tonight....may have miscounted, but it is close to the figure. More will arrive tomorrow from Ohio and STL!! Dinner is being catered and I believe the entire family will be here with the exception of two of "Granny's" grandsons who could not be here!!! A total of somewhere up in the 40's....I will know more tomorrow after the noon dinner.

This is the perfect way to bring the entire family together with soooo many people in the family. Waayyy toooo many for one house and particularly Granny's house, never mind the unreal stress it would put on this lovely 86 year lady who is totally blind and in such very, very poor health. We all know that this could very well be the last Christmas for her....and so, that is why almost everyone is here this year. As of this evening she is planning to come to Hannibal tomorrow......we all have our fingers crossed that she will feel like getting out into the cold and snowy weather tomorrow so she can be with us all!!!!!!!

And soooooo......another day has gone. And.....this is THE historic day....the day that Congress FINALLY repealed the DADT law!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY, FINALLY!!!!!!!! I am sooooo happy and thankful that we finally got this repealed..........happy for my former students who are gay, for my relatives that are gay, for my friends that are gay!!!!!!!! I can't think how many emails, letters, and phone calls to Washington DC to various Senators and Congressmen/women I have made to push this repeal through!!!!!! With sooooo many one on one personal talks I have been involved in with students who have asked for assistance in telling their parents that they are gay.....wondering how they should go about telling them, asking for me be with them when they told their parents just for moral support........knowing for years that this is, and never has been, a choice.......this DADT rule has just been soooooo discriminatory and such a great loss to the various branches of the military with kicking out those that gay!!!! We now join our allies from around the world who have been soooooo far ahead of us with this issue.....having had gay and lesbian members in their military branches for years and years, with no negative affect/effects at all. And now.......this horrible stain on our country and military can now begin to be removed......and we finally have real change that we can be proud of!!!!!! It took more time than we had hoped for, but without a doubt, President Obama knew exactly the right steps to take in bringing along the Congress to get this repealed!!!!!!!

And with that........I can say without reservations.....

LIFE IS JUST REALLY INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!.......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

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