The food, drink and companionship were beyond expectation, as usual. Participants came from far & wide and also from PA, NJ, FL & TX, including the maiden visit of Kate Gundersen who will be in therapy for the remainder of the spring term. Did we order enough sides on Friday night at Cask & Larder? Will we get the private room with the entire suckling pig next year? Wally ate everything - including crabcakes (never ate crab before); poussin (not to be confused with poisson or worse, putain); beer that wasn't Coors Light; and for good reason - it was all phenomenal. An incredible effort by the Banquet Staff headed by Nora & Kathi with much help from Tony and the youthful triumvirate Sean, Kate & Emma along with a bravura performance on the clean-up end from Cleo.
The golf and bowling? Not so much. It was fitting that the bowling alley went on with their 'disco bowling' notwithstanding the mere 5 lanes in use - 2 by the AI. Jim and Edie continued their hegemony over Bowling For Sotweeds, though Jim was pushed to make a spare in his final frame to avoid the ignominy of losing said game to Burke while Edie fended off a furious charge by Nora who more than doubled her first game score. The golf tournament was perhaps the most pathetic display of golf in the storied and somnolent history of that game/sport; and by that I don't mean the history of the AI - I mean the history of the entire sport. We (mostly The Director) left caddies gasping for air in fits of laughter at the wild flailing that occurred on the pastoral 18 at Bay Hill.
The 4-Ball was won by Gordon (of course!) & Paze; Lack of Skills went to Burke by a mere half point over Reef who was so encouraged by his performance and simultaneously dumbstruck by the futility of the other players that he is considering applying for reinstatement to The Committee; and, finally, the AI Championship went to Heimsch who overcame a 5 shot deficit with 7 holes to play and won by a shot over the Director, aka Stan van de Velde, with Gordon another 3 shots back and Paze occupying a very sandy basement. To provide an idea of the ineptitude of the field, the winning score was easily the highest in AI history and would have been the last place score in AI-VIII, AI-IX, AI-XI, AI-XIII, AI-XIV & AI-XV. That said, we congratulate Heimsch on his 5th title - he is a fine champion and has contributed as much or more than anyone to the lack of prestige of the AI.
Heimsch is pictured here trying to raise money to get home by selling AI-XVII tees after losing his luggage on the 15 yard walk between the car and the curbside check-in.
So, the AI clothing is hung in the guest rooms awaiting the return of its wearers; the posters, welcome mats, chairs and other paraphernalia are all stowed in the garage where the garage door at AI-HQ busted a spring and crashed down onto the Prius as the Banquet Director drove in this evening. No apparent damage to the car, but a shockingly loud noise. Amazingly, a 24/7 garage door repair man is currently (11:09 pm EDT) in the garage plying his trade.
360 days until AI-XVIII - this reporter is going to attempt to sleep prior to heading for Delhi, India on Friday. Check the blog for photos and news from the sub-continent.
To all - a heart- and liver-felt thank you for your participation, patience and willingness to indulge the absurdity that is the AI.
