We got the mad bugger at last, eh? Let me tell you, after two days of most excellent partying with family and friends about the greatest thing in the world someone could say to you upon waking is, “We captured Saddam.”
The first thing that popped into my head was an image of President Bush with a bedsheet tied around his neck like a cape running around the White House, arms outstretched going “Wooooooooo Hooooooo!” The second thing that popped into my head was an image of Howard Dean crushing the morning newspaper in his fist with that “I’m Soooooo Angry” look on his face.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to dance naked through the falling snow whooping at the top of my lungs. I don’t much like intense emotion. I’m a fairly low-keyed dude and feelings like that on top of all the other feelings of happiness and warmth makes me feel like I want to burst. It’s almost painful being that happy. The President’s words ring true, “If he’s alive we’ll get him. If not, we got him.”
We got the sonuvabitch. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
Friday was partying in town with the early arrivals. Boozing and generally hanging about. Rolled into Mercersburg mid-day Saturday with the intrepid few that chose to make the journey. Much boozing, touring and standing around a makeshift fire of wood scraps in an old charcoal grill commenced. The majority of the family came in late and the friends buggered off around the same time so one crowd neatly gave way to another.
Clambered out of bed on Sunday and wandered up stairs to be greeted with the happy news mentioned above – not to mention about eight inches of snow. Damn cool.
Now I can sit back and survey the damage. One thing I have learned – silly string stinks like shit. Imagine being absolutely coated in model glue and you’ll have some sense of my good-natured distress Saturday night. We did buy too much booze but just the right amount of grub. With luck the booze will be good for the annual ski trip in February – barring another gigundo snowstorm like last year.
Thanks to everyone who wished me well and especially those who shared in the celebrations. Things just couldn’t have been better or more carefully planned to bring me maximum happiness with minimum effort on my part. Now on to Christmas shopping and my duty to bring that maximum happiness back to others.
It’s a big job, but someone’s got to do it.