The first moment that our grand adventure got almost too adventurous occurred on day 18. We stayed in a really nice hotel near the Halifax airport (the very nearest one, which turned out to be extremely fortunate). I fought through a fairly complicated signup for internet process at the hotel in order to check-in online for our flight (which also turned out to be a lucky chance), and we reorganized our "going to Newfoundland" clothes and toiletries into a couple of small bags (again, such a happy coincidence) before we hit the hay for a "nap," setting an alarm for 4:45 am (since we wanted to be at the airport by 5:45 at the latest for our 6:50am flight).
We woke up at 6. Or maybe even a minute or two after. Commence panicking. Adam went downstairs to stow the cooler in the car (we were parking it at the hotel for the weekend) and spoke to the front desk, who calmly told him that the shuttle was on its way back from the airport and would be back to run us over in a few minutes, and they were only 2-3 minutes from the hotel. Meanwhile, I was throwing everything in sight into our bags.
We got everything downstairs and, still in quite a state. We got in the shuttle and to the desk. (It's now probably 6:20ish. The Air Canada employee first started saying that she'd have to rebook us. But then she looked again at her screen, and said "Oh, were you already checked in?" (Yes) "And you're not checking any bags?" (Well, we were planning to, but I guess we don't have to) "Okay, take your boarding passes and hurry, you just might make it!"
So off we went to security. And of course, since we were planning on checking bags, there were a ton of liquids and gels. We threw as much as we could in those little bags, and the rest we were all: "No problem, throw it away. Yep, get rid of it." We got through at about 6:40 and briskly walked to our gate, and onto the plane, just as they did the final boarding call and actually paged someone else. We weren't even the last ones!
But the flight drama wasn't over yet. After several minutes of circling, the pilot came on to tell us that it was extremely foggy in St John's, and if it didn't clear up some in the next 15 minutes, we'd have to turn around and go back to Halifax. (Keep in mind, this was only about an 80 minute flight, so there had only been one tiny cup of coffee and no food at all.) They did land, however - in less than 100 feet visibility. The fog was incredible! (At this juncture, Adam would like to add the technical terminology: The ceiling was about 6-10 inches, and the landing was IFR+)
We got into St John's around 10, and had a little time to kill in the student union building before it was time to get ready for our music rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. We stowed our bags at the "student residence check in," and went for breakfast at the "University Centre" (aka the aforementioned student union building). We then made sure we had printed copies of the ceremony music (a Paul Simon song for during the register signing and an alternate key version of Benton's "Getting There" for the recessional. I knew there was also going to be a hymn that I would be singing (sort of section leading) that Kathleen wrote the setting for, but I didn't have the sheet music for that yet.
Sarah Wolfman-Robichaud and her friends Seth and Aviva from New York kindly agreed to pick us up at the University and take us to the rehearsal at Kathleen's parents' house (which was beautiful). It was, however, a little funny for me to be trying to give driving directions (given that I didn't even know where I was, much less how to get there...) but eventually we got it together.
At the rehearsal, I learned that not only was there a hymn, but there would also be a sung "blessing" in lieu of grace at the reception. And they didn't have enough altos, so I got drafted for a little sightreading. It was challenging, but fun, singing with some of Kathleen's Yale friends and her highschool choir director leading.
... The theme for the day seemed to be that whenever Benton and/or Kathleen are in charge of a project, there tends to be what Adam referred to as "Scope Creep"... you know, at first it's just going to be a simple ceremony with some music, and then they decide that there ought to be horns serenading the arrival of everyone, and a bouzouki and violin playing the family in, and an accordion and guitar (and violin and drum) playing for the Bride's processional, and a small choir to lead the hymn, and as long as you have the choir you might as well have them sing in the Paul Simon song during the registry signing, along with a full band and 2 lead singers, and then of course the band will have to play the recessional, when the cannon goes off. Creep of Scope. Scope Creep.
Anyway, the rehearsal went well and sounded great, and only one delegate from each ensemble actually attended the Wedding Rehearsal, whilst the rest of us went back to our hotels/dormitories to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.
It was finally late enough that we could collect our belongings and check in. It turns out that our dorm was not only nearby the reception site, it was actually the very closest possible building to the reception hall. Which was pretty awesome. It was also the most dormy dorm I've ever been in - the washroom/shower room down the hall and single beds with mattresses possibly made of heavy duty styrofoam and a pillow made of probably 2 other pillowcases inside a pillowcase. But it had lots of places to charge up all our devices and was dirt cheap, so YAY!
The rehearsal dinner was at the Quidi Vidi Brewery - who make some awesome beers, my favourite of which was Iceberg, a lager made from 25000 year old iceberg water. Very yummy, and although we had it on tap that night, it also comes in blue bottles, like Kronenbourg Blanc. Which made me like it even more.
There was a huge program, with speeches and songs (we, of course, played "My Baby Just Cares For Me" to great response) and a "Screeching In" (making honourary Newfoundlanders of all of us "Come From Aways"). I've heard of this ceremony before, and it was fun to do with everybody. Apparently you're supposed to wear a Sou'wester hat (the yellow rain hat thingy) but there were far too many of us for that. But we did the other 3 parts:
1. Drink Like a Newfoundlander:
-drink a shot of Screech (Newfoundland dark rum) (so far, so good)
2. Talk Like a Newfoundlander:
-Question: Is ye an honourary Newfoundlander?
-Answer: Indeed I is, me old cock, and long may yer big jib draw! (well, points for effort, right?)
3. Kiss a Cod
- (I would like to be able to tell you that was a euphemism. It wasn't.)
Then we all got certificates proclaiming us to be honourary Newfoundlanders, and the "kitchen party" (Newfie for jam session) was well begun!
It was really great, and we all got to play and sing a bunch more (Benton proved his Canadian mettle by learning and performing all the verses to Barrett's Privateers) - mettle, yes, geography possibly not so much, but it's Maritime, at least!
After the party, we (Adam, Sarah, Seth, Aviva and I) went for some late snacks at Yellowbelly, where we were met by Adam Tryczynski, who had just arrived into town. We did the best we could at a 2nd generation Screeching In, just so he didn't feel left out.
Back to the dorm for a reasonably good sleep considering there was no AC - somebody's getting married in the morning (well, actually the late afternoon, but you get my point)!
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