What a Great Weekend, Great Week, Heck Great Month
On Sunday I was installed as Worshipful Master of my Lodge in Los Altos. For my SCA friends, it is the equivalent of being made a Landed Baron, Only YOUR word is Law for the Lodge, unless the Grand Master (KING) says otherwise. While the Ceremony was only 90 minutes for myself and the new set of officers, prep started back in February and March with weekend training sessions, and from Labor Day on I spent many nights and lunchtimes, memorizing the Masonic 3rd Degree ritual (think two and a half hour Mass or Sunday Service done from memory, the the goal of being word perfect) I conferred a 3rd Degree in the middle of November and passed my proficiency the first week of December. Passing a Proficiency means meeting with a higher Grand Lodge Office who listens to your memorization work as well as all the other things you need to do while giving the ritual. So this Weekend was Melissa working like a whirling dervish on the food and refreshments for the reception for 70 people after the installation Ceremony AND decoring the reception room, and printing the programs and my working on the script and my speech and gronking and schleppping all the stuff into the Lodge Building. Melissa was brilliant, and several friends and brothers and sisters outstanding in making the Installation damn near perfect. Also there were some fine looking ladies in fine looking dresses, my Melissa was one, Cathyn's Laina was another.
Our month started out with a dinner and Symphony trip with C&L, on the 4th, the 5th was a Masonic installation in Morgan Hill in the PM and concert by Straight No Chaser in the evening with a dinner with some pretty interesting people in between. Monday the 6th was my Masonic Stated meeting, Tuesday was M's company Xmas party at the Tech Museum, which was cool. Wednesday was our Eastern Star meeting, Thursday was another Masoninc Installation, Friday and Saturday was prep for my installation including an installation practice on Saturday morning, followed by an Masonis installation with dinner, and then the December 6th 1941 party at Trish's where by the end everyone seemed to be as bombed as Pearl Harbor was on the 7th. The Kamikazees at midnight was an inpired idea, but we left before that or we would have truely been sunk. In fact many of us were still feeling the effects of Trish's bombing party all day on Sunday. By the way my wonderful wife was at my side for all of this. I know I am a lucky guy.
It all caught up with us yesterday. I went home from work probably fighting off the nasty cold that is running around although I do feel better today, but we shall see. Tonight we are finally going to finish the tree with family and Cynthnia being in on the fun. Tomorrow is another Masonic Installation as is one on Saturday, with a big party Saturday night and another easier one on Sunday. Then a Masonic party on Monday where we are honoring a member who has been a Mason for 50 years. All in all a great month
Our month started out with a dinner and Symphony trip with C&L, on the 4th, the 5th was a Masonic installation in Morgan Hill in the PM and concert by Straight No Chaser in the evening with a dinner with some pretty interesting people in between. Monday the 6th was my Masonic Stated meeting, Tuesday was M's company Xmas party at the Tech Museum, which was cool. Wednesday was our Eastern Star meeting, Thursday was another Masoninc Installation, Friday and Saturday was prep for my installation including an installation practice on Saturday morning, followed by an Masonis installation with dinner, and then the December 6th 1941 party at Trish's where by the end everyone seemed to be as bombed as Pearl Harbor was on the 7th. The Kamikazees at midnight was an inpired idea, but we left before that or we would have truely been sunk. In fact many of us were still feeling the effects of Trish's bombing party all day on Sunday. By the way my wonderful wife was at my side for all of this. I know I am a lucky guy.
It all caught up with us yesterday. I went home from work probably fighting off the nasty cold that is running around although I do feel better today, but we shall see. Tonight we are finally going to finish the tree with family and Cynthnia being in on the fun. Tomorrow is another Masonic Installation as is one on Saturday, with a big party Saturday night and another easier one on Sunday. Then a Masonic party on Monday where we are honoring a member who has been a Mason for 50 years. All in all a great month