A Grand Time in Merry Ol' England

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the wedding of a long time friend of mine whom I affectionately refer to as "Wonderbeard-O." And while said person is not yet a full fledged member of the Society of Weirdbeards it appears as though he is well on his way to joining the ranks of those esteemed and learned gentlemen. But I digress.
The wedding was a fabulous opportunity for renewing old friendships and beginning some new ones. I will admit that it was my first English wedding and I was impressed, especially with the speech given by the groom himself. A tear came to my eye on more than one occassion.
Speaking of old friends and new I saw my as-of-late-not-as-"messy" friend Kevin and met his recently relocated girlfriend Miki. There was also a sizable cadre of Norwiegians in attendance. Rune and Ketel I had met once or twice before nearly a decade earlier in Minnesota. Knute I met for the first time and learned that he was married to a native of Minnesota and returns frequently to the Brainard area. It's a small world to be sure!!!
I shall remember fondly many experiences of this journey for some time to come. Notably, the traditional English wedding ceremony replete with malcontent vicar and hymns alluding to the idea that Jesus was British, the open-top double-decker bus ride on the motorway, the sustainablity centre and it's malfunctioning toilets, and of course, my overnight stay in a proper tipi. Skol!!!