I had the pleasure of attending the Marine Ball on Friday night. I got all gussied up (in my homecoming dress from my senior year of high school!) and had Debbie and Jenni help with my hair, it was an upside down french braid in the back, and curls all on top, I really did feel like I was getting ready to go to a ball, like a fairy tale, especially when I got to wear Debbie's super fancy red jewelry to match my dress, and some designer earring knock-off that I bought in Jerusalem. Debbie was dressed elegantly too, and Lane was in his Dress Blues with all kinds of ribbons and medals, and Jeremy (My date) wore his best suit.
We had a driver (how cool!) pick us up at the house, and took us to the four seasons hotel where the ball was. We were there among the very first guests because Lane needed to welcome some of the dignitaries there. Jeremy and I waited in the cocktail hall, where fancy glittery ladies with their hair all done up and gorgeous, escorted by the men in either tuxedo's or their dress uniforms; all poured in. It was such an elegant occasion. Everyone was drinking fancy wine and mixed drinks, and everyone looked so beautiful!
We made some friends, were introduced to I don't know how many people. I made particular friends with a lovely woman named Sebina who was from the UK. LOVED her accent, she said funny things like "brilliant" "astonishing!" and some other funny phrases in Arabic, but with a British accent, it was so cute and fun. We mingled with folks including the Pakistani Colonel Fouad Hafeez and his wife, and Colonel Chris Rider, with his wife (Sebina).
After cocktail hour, we were escorted into the Grand Ballroom, where our table (Which was right next to the head front table...out of 40 tables that's not bad!) and our place settings with our NAMES on them! I was so thrilled to have a name place setting that said Miss Courtenay Lance...so cool! The tables were so fancy decorated, even the chairs had fancy while cloth covers with gold shimmery cloth tied on top. First there was formal business, some guest speakers, etc. The Marine ball is held to celebrate the Birthday of the Marine Corps. It is now 233 years old! Wow.
There was a very moving movie as well as the guest of honor whose message got me pretty emotional. I am so grateful for every man and woman who sacrifice their lives and time and give up jobs and time with family to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. The man who was speaking bluntly put it when he said, our enemies hate us, they would truly kill us all if they could. They would like us all to be vanished. We don't know why they hate us but they do, and they will do whatever they can to destroy us, and that is why our military soldiers, airmen, and marines are so vital to our way of life. we need them to keep our values, our families , our freedoms protected. I am proud to be an American, I really really am.
Anyway, since it was the birthday of the Marines, they had a birthday Cake. It is brought in by Marines with very much ceremony, pomp and circumstance, and patriotic music etc. I was really looking forward to it because I thought the cake would be so big and fancy...it was just a super tricked out sheet cake....not much to see. SO the guest of honor is presented with the first piece of cake, and he takes a bite with all of us watching. Then they give a piece to the oldest member of the Marines present, and he symbolically passes the cake after he takes a bite, to the youngest Marine, who also takes a bite. If you're interested the oldest there was 76 and the youngest was 20.
After the speakers, and ceremonious happenings, they bring out the fanciest appetizers I had ever seen. Smoked Salmon wrapped around some creamy cheese with capers and sauce, barbecued shrimp, fancy lettuce greens with citrus dressing, a peeled wedge of grapefruit and orange, and salmon tartar (bits of raw salmon mixed with creamy cheese), and cocktail sauce for dipping. Very beautifully arranged on our plates, and delivered by white coated waiters. I felt SO fancy! I even ate all of my raw smokes and salmon tartar! If you know me well, you know i don't do raw fish, but I did it, and it was yummy! Especially the shrimp!
Then people mingled etc...then dinner was served. Mine was chicken stuffed with basil, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, in a gravy sauce, with mixed veggies and potato. YUM. Then there was dancing! Jeremy was my date, his first date and I taught him all he needs to know to impress a girl on a date...and the boy can dance. He got moves like a brutha! Hilarious like Michael Jackson with a twist and sweet grooves and moves. It was really fun to dance with him, PLUS watching Lane and Debbie dance was a blast! It was very funny and fun. Colonel Lance has all of 2 moves (at least that I saw last night), he does a side to side shuffle type, where he moves his arms back and forth and might even snap once in awhile, or he does the twist. Oh yeah!
I also had a blast dancing with my new kindred spirit Sebina, she was so fun! She got a kick out of my "lawn mower" and "Shopping Cart" but she called it the shopping trolley. The dancing rocked, but there was so much drinking, which I didn't mind as much, but there was also OS much smoking! Everyone was smoking cigars, and they stink SO bad! The man sitting next to me at the table smoke like 4 cigars, so gross, and at the end of the night he kept saying good night And here people kiss each cheek as a greeting, and he kissed my cheeks with his nasty cigar lips and breath and rotten teeth like 12 times! I swear he kept forgetting he had already said goodbye. Ewe. All in all the ball was SO fun! It took me back to the stake dance days, I still got moves! :) It was so fun to dance, and play and meet fancy people!
OH , I almost forgot, Condoleezza Rice was supposed to be there, but she went to Aqaba instead (Aqaba is a beach place, with resorts, great scuba diving, tropical-ish climate etc) The Ambassador had chosen to take her there instead. Too bad. Anyway, it was SO cool!
Side note, it started at 6, and we left at 11. After we left apparently there was a fight! Well, for one thing everyone had too much to drink, and one of the Colonels (a really cool and very nice and fun HUGE black man) accidentally stumbled into a woman. When he was apologizing the woman's husband came out and started yelling at Col. Phillips like "What the H are you doing with my wife?!!" I guess they had a fist fight and Col. Phillips had to take the guy down...wish I coulda seen that excitement! People can be so stupid, like when they drink.
We had a driver (how cool!) pick us up at the house, and took us to the four seasons hotel where the ball was. We were there among the very first guests because Lane needed to welcome some of the dignitaries there. Jeremy and I waited in the cocktail hall, where fancy glittery ladies with their hair all done up and gorgeous, escorted by the men in either tuxedo's or their dress uniforms; all poured in. It was such an elegant occasion. Everyone was drinking fancy wine and mixed drinks, and everyone looked so beautiful!
We made some friends, were introduced to I don't know how many people. I made particular friends with a lovely woman named Sebina who was from the UK. LOVED her accent, she said funny things like "brilliant" "astonishing!" and some other funny phrases in Arabic, but with a British accent, it was so cute and fun. We mingled with folks including the Pakistani Colonel Fouad Hafeez and his wife, and Colonel Chris Rider, with his wife (Sebina).
After cocktail hour, we were escorted into the Grand Ballroom, where our table (Which was right next to the head front table...out of 40 tables that's not bad!) and our place settings with our NAMES on them! I was so thrilled to have a name place setting that said Miss Courtenay Lance...so cool! The tables were so fancy decorated, even the chairs had fancy while cloth covers with gold shimmery cloth tied on top. First there was formal business, some guest speakers, etc. The Marine ball is held to celebrate the Birthday of the Marine Corps. It is now 233 years old! Wow.
There was a very moving movie as well as the guest of honor whose message got me pretty emotional. I am so grateful for every man and woman who sacrifice their lives and time and give up jobs and time with family to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. The man who was speaking bluntly put it when he said, our enemies hate us, they would truly kill us all if they could. They would like us all to be vanished. We don't know why they hate us but they do, and they will do whatever they can to destroy us, and that is why our military soldiers, airmen, and marines are so vital to our way of life. we need them to keep our values, our families , our freedoms protected. I am proud to be an American, I really really am.
Anyway, since it was the birthday of the Marines, they had a birthday Cake. It is brought in by Marines with very much ceremony, pomp and circumstance, and patriotic music etc. I was really looking forward to it because I thought the cake would be so big and fancy...it was just a super tricked out sheet cake....not much to see. SO the guest of honor is presented with the first piece of cake, and he takes a bite with all of us watching. Then they give a piece to the oldest member of the Marines present, and he symbolically passes the cake after he takes a bite, to the youngest Marine, who also takes a bite. If you're interested the oldest there was 76 and the youngest was 20.
After the speakers, and ceremonious happenings, they bring out the fanciest appetizers I had ever seen. Smoked Salmon wrapped around some creamy cheese with capers and sauce, barbecued shrimp, fancy lettuce greens with citrus dressing, a peeled wedge of grapefruit and orange, and salmon tartar (bits of raw salmon mixed with creamy cheese), and cocktail sauce for dipping. Very beautifully arranged on our plates, and delivered by white coated waiters. I felt SO fancy! I even ate all of my raw smokes and salmon tartar! If you know me well, you know i don't do raw fish, but I did it, and it was yummy! Especially the shrimp!
Then people mingled etc...then dinner was served. Mine was chicken stuffed with basil, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, in a gravy sauce, with mixed veggies and potato. YUM. Then there was dancing! Jeremy was my date, his first date and I taught him all he needs to know to impress a girl on a date...and the boy can dance. He got moves like a brutha! Hilarious like Michael Jackson with a twist and sweet grooves and moves. It was really fun to dance with him, PLUS watching Lane and Debbie dance was a blast! It was very funny and fun. Colonel Lance has all of 2 moves (at least that I saw last night), he does a side to side shuffle type, where he moves his arms back and forth and might even snap once in awhile, or he does the twist. Oh yeah!
I also had a blast dancing with my new kindred spirit Sebina, she was so fun! She got a kick out of my "lawn mower" and "Shopping Cart" but she called it the shopping trolley. The dancing rocked, but there was so much drinking, which I didn't mind as much, but there was also OS much smoking! Everyone was smoking cigars, and they stink SO bad! The man sitting next to me at the table smoke like 4 cigars, so gross, and at the end of the night he kept saying good night And here people kiss each cheek as a greeting, and he kissed my cheeks with his nasty cigar lips and breath and rotten teeth like 12 times! I swear he kept forgetting he had already said goodbye. Ewe. All in all the ball was SO fun! It took me back to the stake dance days, I still got moves! :) It was so fun to dance, and play and meet fancy people!
OH , I almost forgot, Condoleezza Rice was supposed to be there, but she went to Aqaba instead (Aqaba is a beach place, with resorts, great scuba diving, tropical-ish climate etc) The Ambassador had chosen to take her there instead. Too bad. Anyway, it was SO cool!
Side note, it started at 6, and we left at 11. After we left apparently there was a fight! Well, for one thing everyone had too much to drink, and one of the Colonels (a really cool and very nice and fun HUGE black man) accidentally stumbled into a woman. When he was apologizing the woman's husband came out and started yelling at Col. Phillips like "What the H are you doing with my wife?!!" I guess they had a fist fight and Col. Phillips had to take the guy down...wish I coulda seen that excitement! People can be so stupid, like when they drink.
Lane, Debbie, Me, Jeremy
The lovely Ladies
Me and Jerms
Dancing (In case you couldn't tell)
Also dancing...it looks like I am attacking Lane, but rest assured, it is only an optical illusion
Lane and Debbie Cuttin a rug! Sweet moves!
The aforementioned fancy appetizers, salmon shrimp etc...
Showing off my fancy jewelry
My super fly date, I cut his hair, isn't he so cute?
My very own place setting! It's like they were expecting me or something!
The presentation of the color guard
Notice the fancy tables and chairs, and uniformed people
Some of the most posh people there!
My handsome Date, Jeremy (Age 15 1/2)
Sorting the patriotic colors and my old homecoming get-up
6 comments:
That looks like the fanciest Ball I have ever seen--and you looked like the princess. I loved the red dress and the flags and all.
Cna't wait to hear all about your trip to Jerusalem. Can you even believe you are really having these fantastic adventures?
Wow, what an amazing experience that you will never forget! You looked beautiful! And props for being able to fit in your high school homecoming dress...I'm jealous.
I know, like your mom said, is it just amazing to think about all the cool things you're doing? It's like a dream!!
Courtenay
I love reading about your adventures, especiall the bancy fall. You looked beautiful!
Can't wait to hear about Jerusalem.
dad
You look SUPER FLY! I am so glad you met Sabina. She is so hilarious. You looked divine in your red dress...the jewelry jazzed it up a couple notches. Tell Jerms hello. BTW this is Jenni
amazing! It looks like a ball from the movies or something! how awesome and exciting. Can't wait to hear more about your trip!
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