NorCal X Marks Burns Supper: plan now!

[David Dalglish]

You guys have a great time. Remember the photos--Lots of them

[bunchdescendant]

You guys have a great time. Remember the photos--Lots of them

David-

I will be bringing along my favorite photographer, Kodak Self-timer and his assistant, Adjustable Tripod.

this pair has been known to take a few good pics from time to time.

Ray

[Alan H]

We're expecting right about 35 people. I think about thirteen-fourteen will be X-Marks participants/members.

Everyone who has a digital camera, bring it!!!!

[ScottInNewHampshire]

You guys really know how to organize a good time. I'm with David, remember the pictures, lots of them.

[Robin]

Have fun guys!

[bunchdescendant]

I will be bringin' a bottle o' 12 yr. auld Glenlivet.

Trying desparately to fight off this #$@&*%@ cold that is trying to settle in. I will be there regardless.....

Mebbe a hot tea with honey and a wee dram to chase it down.

See you there, looking forward to a good time!

Ray

[Robin]

Cold...in California?

[Iolaus]

Cold...in California?

I had to hose off the widows of my Bronco with warm water the other morning; the wiper-spray from the on-board tank just froze and the wipers just scraped over it - and that's in Southern California! ...and I heard it snowed at UCLA.

[Robin]

WAKE UP!!!!!!

WE NEED PICTURES AND A FULL REPORT

[Alan H]

The Full Report

First of all, trust me, the Pics thread, when everybody starts posting, is going to be HUGE!

Second of all, I've never seen so many Prince Charlies and dress-formal kilt attire in one place, *ever*.

27 people attended last nights X-Marks (Nor-Cal Rabble) Burn Supper including ten X-Marks members, and one "virtually" X-Marks member. I say "virtual" because Casey is all the Highland Games tents that we hang out at, is good friends with a couple of X-Marks members, and comes to all of our activites (except beer nights). I'll wait for the pics to list everybody's names. There were THREE -X-Marks tartan kilts worn, all of which were pleated differently. Kiltmakers will get a kick out of seeing the different styles.

The hall was opened up at 5:30, and Joan (no longer invisible, now everybody has met her) and I arrived about 5:45 to find folks already setting up. Piper George was entertaining the neighborhood by warming up in the parking lot!

Well, everybody pitched in and we had tables set ( those "oops" poly-vis tartan purchases that don't "quite" work out off of ebay make great tablecloths) in just a few minutes. Six different varieties of single malt magically appeared at the bar. Hiding out in the beer cooler was one, lone bottle of Heather Beer, miraculously located on the shelves of the local high-end liquor store. Food arrived in massive quantities (I have an awful lot of cock 'o-leekie soup left over). The Amazing Madalyn, who is the REAL force behind this Burns Supper, not me.... held forth in the kitchen ably assisted by Mrs Bunchdescendent, Gryphonaire's lovely girlfriend, and TimC's daughter Ashley. 'Round about 6:15 the other two thirds of the band showed up...that's Kathy and Lisa from my Klezmer band (doing double duty as Celtic Dance band for the night) with their tartan'ed spouses.

The Pre-dinner mixer was great. Much single malt was quaffed, the heather beer was mysteriously consumed by a couple of MacNaughton lads (the war cry of the clan is "froech eilean!, or "heathery isle", thus the connection) and shared 'round the table a bit in the interestes of education. A number of seldom-seem spouses and girlfriends got to know the rabble. Pictures were taken, right and left as you will soon see. It appears that much of the picture taking was to the great amusement of our non internet-addled spouses!

At 7:30 PiperGeorge fired 'em up and in came the Haggis (cooked by Yours Truly, and a LOT better than the LAST ones I tried) presented by WalkerK. A bit of parading up and down ensued, and the haggis was deposted on the table. monkey@arms (Jake) annouced that in fact Burns wrote many long works, but this wasn't one of them...and proceeded to recite the Selkirk Grace....all four lines of it.

....Which was Panache's signal to launch into an amazing and highly dramatic Address to a Haggis.

James...I am impressed; thoroughly impressed. The high point were the dagger slashes in the air! The haggis was carved asunder, more pictures taken and dinner commenced. Gentlemen and Ladies of X-Marks, you haven't seen an Address to a Haggis until you've seen Panache deliver it!

Now, as you will see from the pictures, this was done in the American Legion Hall in Pacifica, California. It's a perfect size for our gathering, the Legion knows WalkerK and Madalyn, the price was sure right, and the two folks who helped us out were great. However, to keep costs down (this cost eachparticipant all of $13) we went pot-luck and used paper plates. Admittedly that's a bid odd, paired up with evening gowns and Prince Charlies, but you know.....who says we have to do our Burns Supper any particular way?

As the feasting wound down the call went out to refill the glasses and we started the toasting with Alan H's "Immortal Memory".

Now, I, AlanH, being at heart a teacher, could not release such an educational moment as this. So it was that the bulk of my address was an educational run-down of the highlights of Burns life. We learned that Burns was known more for his songs an song lyrics than for poems. We learned the Burns wrote in the Lowland Dialect of Ayrshire as well as in English. We learned that the Masons were a big part of Burns life and that the second printed of his first work was financed by a Mason who was a friend. We learned about two of his romances, and an encounter with a dog and laundry. And finally we listened to AlanH read "For a'that", followed by PiperGeorge playing the tune on the pipes.

All right, this post is getting longish, so I'm going to hit "send" and proceed to write up some more.