Blue skies...

I had a mini-revelation on the bus coming back from Montreal tonight as Little Princess and I talked about astrophysics versus nuclear physics, how the study of the very large and the very small mesh in incontrovertible ways and how all of life is somehow interconnected on the cellular level. I already knew this. It’s just kind of funny when it makes itself obvious again.

Why were we on a bus coming back from Montreal, you ask? The very dear friend who used to be a member of our department who moved away to another province in order to take on the deanship of another school of music turned 60 and his wife threw him a party at one of the chi-chi hotels in that city. In fact, it was in the very same hotel room where he threw her 60th birthday party two years ago. Little Princess and I took the bus to and from, plus taxis, which brought the cost of the day to circa $150. I am very glad that no gift was required, although we did bring him a card.

It was delightful seeing old friends. These occasions turn out to be reunions of sorts, bringing together former colleagues as well as relatives and other friends. I drank wine and ate a few hors d’oeuvres (not enough), chatting with friends old and new. The daughter, who was pregnant when we saw her last and who used to babysit my kids when they were little, was watching her own little boy run around. He’s adorable. The birthday boy was the picture of the adoring grandfather.

In spite of blue skies and sunshine, it’s still undeniably winter out there. When will it ever end?

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