The Biggs Picture

It’s been a long while since I sat down at the blog desk, and that is almost literally because I’ve been non-stop for weeks. So, there are two weekends that need blogging, and today is the day to do it (before I run off to my Bible study in an hour, that is).

A few weeks ago, IBM in Burlington was having their annual “family day”, and my parents invited us up if we were available. We were, and it sounded exactly like the kind of thing we look for around here: free hamburgers, hotdogs, cake, cotton candy, popcorn, and games! Woo-hoo! So north we went. When we got there, Mom and Dad first took us for a tour of the indoor-city of a place they call IBM Burlington. We got to see how the chips are made, and even handle some silicon wafers which, when printed with chips (which ours were), can be with well over $100,000, sometimes closer to $200,000! They also put out some of the clean-uniforms everyone has to wear, and I dressed myself up…once was enough. The place is enormous, and very interesting.

Outside, we had lunch and wandered around until we came across one of those blow-up games that looked neat. It consisted of a bouncy two-lane track with a divider in the middle (the whole thing is just filled with air like a balloon), and on the divider is a strip of velcro. Two people strap on harnesses, then go the end of the lanes where they hook up to a couple bungee cords to the back of the harness. The idea is to run as far as you can up the lane and drop a cloth beanbag onto the velcro divider before the bungee cord becomes so tight that it pulls you flying backwards spread-eagle. Funniest thing you’ll see, and man was it fun. Angela and I both tried it, and the next few days, our necks were feeling it bad.

So we enjoyed our free food and cotton candy, and just hanging out with Mom and Dad for a while. All free, and good fun. Thanks Mom and Dad for inviting us!

Ok, so after that weekend, it seems like the weeks just cranked by us, we just seemed so busy. Two weekends ago, we had the privilege of entertaining two very special guests, special not only for the fact that they were our first true guests in a house that feels like a house, but because they were Ember and Vishal, our cousins bound for England in a couple weeks!

They arrived on Friday night, driving straight up from D.C. after leaving their apartment for the last time. We gave them the grand tour, caught up on lives for a bit, then headed for bed. The next morning, we cooked up some waffles for breakfast, then headed up to the Norwich farmers market, where we knew a stand was offering a taste of raw milk. There’s lots of stuff there, so we all just sort of milled around, picked up some goodies like fresh-baked bagels, cookies, brownies, and listened to some of the live music. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Afterwards, we took them to Riverview Farm in Plainsfield, where they have apple-picking, blueberry-picking, and lots of other pickings. We picked some apples, gobbled a million blueberries, and then became the first people of the year to try out the corn maze. That thing is a lot of fun, let me tell you. If you can find one, take a run through it.

On our way back to the house, we stopped to pick up some fresh eggs and milk at McNamara Farms down the road from Riverview. Fresh CHOCOLATE milk, and holy stinkin stinkpots, it’s the best I’ve ever had. When we got home, we rested up for a bit……..and then the tennis began.

I had been waiting to play tennis with Vishal for a LONG time, because he is darn good, and it’s always fun to play against someone way better than you. We must have played for 3 hours, and while we played Ember did some running and Angela baked the same kind of cake she baked for their wedding cake: pumpkin spice cake with maple cream cheese frosting. Unbelievable. After tennis, we cleaned up and ate one of my favorite dishes: Pork tenderloin with a mustard-vinaigrette glaze, and a plate of greens. Fantastic. After dinner, we piled into our tiny den and watched Willow. Man, that was a good day.

Sunday was a little more laid back.  Angela and I went to church in the morning, giving Ember and Vishal a little time to themselves after the hubbub of getting themselves moved out of their apartment and up to the northeast.  We had lunch soon after we got back, then after I had a meeting for leaders of the new church children’s program, we got right back on the tennis courts!  Oh baby.  So much fun.  Angela came with us this time, and for a while we were all four out there swinging away.  After getting cleaned up, Ember and Vishal took us to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner, The Three Tomatoes.  THANK YOU BOTH!  Perfect dinner, and company to match.

Monday we started the morning off with hearty helpings of fresh scrambled eggs mixed with a delicious herb cheese, and some fruity fruits.  We then settled ourselves down for a cut-throat game of Settlers of Catan.  Man that game is fun, even when you get your butt whooped.  Seriously.  Whooped.  Vishal and Ember ruled the board.

That pretty much brought our visit to an end.  We did take them to see the land we’ve been drooling over for the past year, and from there, they took off for Oma’s and beyond.  We were so glad to have them, and we’re hoping to be able to visit them in England next year!

Thanks again, Ember and Vishal, for helping us break in our new kitchen table and being fantastic guests!  Can’t wait to see you guys again.  Have fun!