Edinburgh

The banquet for our work went really well on Saturday night, and it was a great relief. Frank & I had been a little bit tense in preparation as we both had to speak that night and as it was the first fundraising banquet for an outreach coming up, we wanted it to go well so that folks would be encouraged. Nana and Scott has pitched in helping to get ready for it as well and it was the first time they had seen us in action for work, and even speaking in front of people. So it was a really special time to share with them.

Since we were a little peopled out and not moving so fast after a long journey down and back the night before, we missed church that morning and instead headed out to Edinburgh for lunch. Scott had developed an affinity for Costco hotdogs so we went there first since we wanted to do a shopping trip there for our Christmas presents anyway. It was a quick lunch and even quicker shop (got some new guest towels and mattress pad for the guest room so you can add a star to our hospitality level!) because we had to get cross town for Scott to go to his first real-life European football (soccer) match! It was the Hibs versus the Rangers at Hibernian and set to be a great match.

When we got closer to the stadium, there were streams of people so Scott and I jumped out and made our way to his gate. We had an extra ticket, so I was supposed to stand outside the gate and wait for our co-worker to come and claim the ticket so Scott didn't miss anything. Unfortunately, due to the heavier traffic on a Saturday than we expected, Scott had missed the kick-off, but not much more of the action. He said it was an amazing experience. No one, not even the ladies there, talked about anything but football the entire time. There was a 6 year old kid near him who knew so much about what was happening, and all the players that he was astounded. The language around him was rough, to be sure, even from the older folks, and there was a chant for everything. The crowd seemed to pick out players and referees to harass and would chant whenever that player touched the ball. And thankfully, for Scott being in the home crowd, the Hibs won, 2-1.

The indicate what a serious business football is here, there were heaps of policeman guarding the streets and all the entry gates as the people came to the stadium. I was outside waiting for our co-worker (who got lost and never arrived) and I saw a few folks kicked out for being too drunk. Scott said no alcohol was sold at the game and afterwards they emptied the Away stands and then let them out, directing them down specific streets, keeping them separate from the other fans. Frank had seen, while he was circling with Nana and waiting for me to come back, the street sweepers out once the game started to clean up the streets to keep stray bottles from becoming post-defeat weapons. It was quite an amazing operation!

Cold and sad that the ticket had gone to waste (it never occurred to me that I should have just gone in and enjoyed!!) Nana and Frank and I went to park the car in the city center and do some shopping. It was amazing to walk down Princes Street and see the Christmas lights up and there was even a choir out performing with the castle high above as a backdrop - stunning. Never before with visitors had we spent so much time out in the dark, seeing all the lights of Scotland. It added a whole other worldly experience.

We made a fun stop in Lakeland, Nana said that made up for our short visit to Costco as Frank escorted her around to discover their fun stock, and I provided some Starbuck's to warm us up and a cookie to fight the "sinking spells." For dinner we were reunited with Scott at Pizza Express, a fun and classy but not expensive pizza chain, and we heard all about the game and enjoyed our final celebratory meal together.

Afterwards we came home and packed, putting all the treasures lovingly in the suitcase. Nana's Christmas present was that I packed for and she just had to watch! I then kept her and myself up way too late as we sat on her bed and solved more of the world's problems. I don't think any of us wanted to go to sleep and have to count our last night.