UltraFast Christmas Dinner

The annual Ultrafast Physics Christmas party was held this past Tuesday in one of the lovely Oxford colleges called Sommerville College. It's a black tie affair, with a drinks reception and three-course meal. Then the physicists do their best to entertain their colleagues and significant others with some "fun" presentations and reviews of the past year.

The menu was quite interesting (even for the meat lover than I am). (Brian obviously ordered the vegetarian!)

Starter: Pan-fried pigeon breast with sauteed wild mushrooms

Main: Haunch of venison with a chocolate and rasberry jus

Dessert: Chocolate truffle cake with clotted cream

 

 

Can't resist a bunch of cute British nerds in their tuxes!!

December Update on Brian's Dad

This update from Brian's dad's gf Karen is a bit dated already, but for those of you who are following Tom's progress, here is an update from 1 December:

Once again, Tom is making great strides!  This past Sunday, we gave him a "field trip" to come home for 4 hours.  I built a ramp on our front porch on Sunday morning, and picked him up at noon.  He came out for the afternoon, taking him back in time for his 4:00 pain meds.  He didn't even make any wise cracks about my carpentry skills being "agricultural"! 

 He was really excited to see "his dawgs" - Jaz and Buster wouldn't leave his side!  River was torn between having access to the basement where a cat we are fostering stays when I am not there to supervise, and visiting with Tom. 

He was in great spirits!  He found some goofy old time country station on the stereo and called me into the living room to "polka" with him in his wheelchair!  If you know Tom, you know the man can't polka for $@&# on his feet - but he was having fun! 

On Monday, he started re-learning to walk through the use of parallel bars.  The PT gave him the order to move - light touch of the weak leg, move >hands forward, then move the strong leg - - before she finished talking, he was zooming off to the end of the parallel bars and she was calling him to slow down!  

His muscles are really weak, and he says his ability to >balance is really off.  I reminded him after looking back at our journal, that one month ago, his big accomplishment was sitting on the side of the bed for 20minutes!  That is BIG progress! 

He is very anxious to master this parallel bars stage and to move on to a walker, as that translates into his being able to come home.  After 50 days, we are both ready for that! 

Thanks for your continued prayers and thoughts.  They mean so much! 

We are looking forward to visits from his sons and their families in the next couple weeks - - coming back to check on the ol' guy!  :)