Last night, Peter, Meredith and I met Jay and Courtney for a fine meal in a small Italian restaurant. Responding to a misheard phrase early in the evening, Jay made it his mission to surreptitiously have have us drink in excess of 6 bottles of wine across the evening. It was a bold plan, and well executed too, with, I suspect, the knowing participation of our waitress and possibly other members of staff. The wine was served from carafes and not bottles, and our glasses we always kept full but not too full. It got so that you could never be sure if you’d had any wine at all to drink yet. Very cunning.

 

Fortunately for us all, the misunderstanding was eventually realized and cleared up, but not before we had finished 5 and half bottles, and one round of what I think were sambucas.

 

During the evening talk turned to snow shoveling and I mentioned that I had never done it. We just don’t get enough snow in Ireland. I explained that I felt I had missed out, that my childhood was somehow lacking. Well, what a reaction that caused. Suddenly everybody came forth with offers of driveways, shovels and mountains of snow. Peter and Meredith, obviously, and Jay and Courtney. But not only them. Other customers, our waitress and hell, even the chef all selflessly volunteered their driveways and their shovels for me. I was so surprised and moved by their selfless generosity.

 

In the end I accepted Peter and Meredith’s offer. We arrived home after 11, grabbed the shovels and began hurling snow from the driveway onto the lawn. Man was that fun. Sometimes you’d fling a shovelful of snow only to have the wind catch it and blow it straight back at you. With hindsight, I suspect the level of fun was a direct consequence of the amount of alcohol consumed earlier in the evening, so much gratitude to Jay and his misunderstanding for that one :)

 

The evening ended with Peter and I making snow angels, one of which is pictured with this entry.