The year in pictures

With 2010 nearly in the books, it's safe to say that this has been a banner year. Between graduating first in my class in paramedic school to marrying the woman of my dreams, I will remember 2010 fondly for the rest of my life. Without further ado, the year in pictures.

Niagara Falls (American side), Valentine's Day weekend












Niagara Falls (Canadian side), July




















August












Wedding! September





















































Our first Christmas
























Happy New Year!

Wedding!

I married my fiancee Ellen last weekend in Woodstock, Vermont. It was a whirlwind weekend that started with the wedding rehearsal at the church on Friday afternoon. That led almost directly into the rehearsal dinner, which was a lot of fun. Few of our relatives had attended the rehearsal but most were at the dinner; in some cases we were meeting each other's extended family for the first time. Earlier in the week, I had been afraid that I might spend all of Friday night tossing and turning from nervousness. By the end of the rehearsal dinner, though, I was so physically and emotionally exhausted that fatigue conquered nerves, yielding ten hours of much-needed sleep.

Saturday morning began quietly enough, and I made sure to eat a heaping bowl of Wheaties before heading to the church. We arrived an hour and a half early in order to get in a bunch of pictures with the photographer before the ceremony. Despite Hurricane Earl barreling its way up the Eastern Seaboard, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. When the time came to enter the sanctuary, I was filled with excitement and nervousness, both muted by an overarching serenity.

Yet nothing could prepare me for the flood of emotion when the rear sanctuary doors opened and I watched Ellen begin to walk down the aisle. The joy and awe were indescribable. For as long as I live, I will never forget the way she looked and the way she looked at me. Though I remember keenly what was said and done, the rest of the ceremony nevertheless seems as a blur to me.

The wedding ceremony was followed by more photographs, this time with Ellen and me together with our families. After that the relatives were dismissed, and the wedding party retired to a nearby garden for one final round of photos. It was here that Hurricane Earl caught up to us, in the form of a brief but ferocious downpour. He was too late, though, as we had snapped nearly all the pictures we desired. As it began clearing up, we made our way back to Hanover for the reception.

Ellen and I both had a terrific time at the reception. An energetic cadre of friends had done a fantastic job decorating the DOC House for the event, and the decorations beautifully complimented the picturesque scenery. Perhaps best of all, though, was the opportunity to celebrate and rejoice with the friends and relatives who had traveled from all around the country to share the day with us. There were of course more pictures, plus toasts (my best man gave a terrific chess-and-marriage-themed toast), food, a slide show and naturally the cutting and first-bite-feeding of the wedding cake. And at long last, the time came for us to make our exit.

Next up for us was a night at a lakefront cottage in New Hampshire followed by a weeklong honeymoon on the beach in Florida. It was a superlative seven days. And now we're back in the Upper Valley, excited to be building our married life together, one minute at a time.

(PS: Pictures will be posted shortly.)

Many happy returns

Yesterday marked the beginning of my last fortnight in the Upper Valley. I feel some sadness about leaving, but it's greatly mitigated by the knowledge that I'm coming back next year. And it will be a very happy return indeed, for Ellen and I have set a wedding date! We'll be getting married in the Upper Valley (precise location TBD) in early September 2010. Don, our pastor at Christ Redeemer Church, will be performing the ceremony. Ellen and I couldn't be happier.

On the subject of happy returns, I played in my first over-the-board chess tournament in seven months on Saturday. The Hanover Chess Club hosted quads (a four-player round-robin event) that were converted into a Swiss due to attendance considerations. I was a bit rusty after so long away from tournament chess, but it was great to start getting back into the swing of things. I scored 2-1, losing on time in the final round after reaching a difficult endgame that was not without drawing chances. My favorite game was this round two victory. The game began as a mild-looking Fajarowicz Gambit, but my opponent left his king in the center too long. 18. ... g6 is the critical weakening move.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. a3 d6 5. Nd2 Nxd2 6. Bxd2 dxe5 7. Bc3 Qxd1+ 8. Rxd1 Nc6 9. Nf3 f6 10. e3 Be6 11. Be2 Rd8 12. 0-0 Be7 13. Rxd8+ Kxd8 14. h3 Ke8 15. Nh2 Kf7 16. b4 Rd8 17. Ng4 Bf8 18. c5 g6 19. f4 Bxg4 20. hxg4 e4 21. Bc4+ Ke7 22. g5 Bg7


23. f5 Rf8 24. fxg6 hxg6 25. b5 Nb8 26. c6 bxc6 27. Bb4+ Ke8 28. Bxf8 and Black resigned soon thereafter. I've heard Buffalo has a fairly strong chess club and I hope my studies will permit me at least a little time to play next year.

PS: It was brought to my attention that the photos in my most recent post weren't loading properly. The problem should be fixed now.