Astronomers Do The Darndest Things

By the time you're reading this, I'll probably be on a plane... TO WEDDING LAND!!! :-D

So as I leave my adoptive country for my month-o-bliss, I'd like to give special thanks to my friends in La Serena - the ones Mr. Bear Cub and I live with (in a fishbowl of expats!), the ones we work with (in the same fishbowl..), and the ones who care about us enough to through us a surprise wedding shower!!!

Reelie?? I can haz party??

Our neighbors in expat-ville had invited us over to their home a few weekends ago ostensibly for "fried chicken". You don't get fried chicken in Chile. We were biting. Especially since we had planned to run 17 miles before hand! Anything fried tastes HEAVENLY after 17 miles on asphalt!

So we popped down to their home with party-food offering in hand, and this is what we saw:

Needless to say, I was quite shocked! And very happy :)

I couldn't believe our sweet friends here threw a party all for us! I'm not the easiest person to surprise! Mr. Bear Cub claims we must have been COMPLETELY oblivious to the plans the entire time. I've never been so thankful for good friends and my own spacey-ness. :)

There wasn't, in fact, fried chicken! But there were freshly-BBQ'd ribs! :-D

They're really that good. Plus they inspire sweet-n-smokey high-fives!

Astronomers are a friendly bunch!
Err... I mean.. We're a rather goofy bunch! ;)

But altogether, astronomers got your back when you need it!

Thanks, M!!

Mr. Bear Cub and I were super happy and relaxed all afternoon - finally a party we didn't have to plan! :) It was so nice to bask in the warmth of friends & camaraderie and celebrate! for once!

Let the celebration begin!

Was your "bridal" shower more of a "wedding" shower/celebration? Were you as completely shocked and elated as Mr. BC and I were??