Tying someone else's knot

I never mentioned here that a few weeks back over the July 4th holiday I was given the honor of officiating Sam and Jennifer's wedding. I am so happy that this group of friends has embraced the practice of becoming ministers and marrying each other...to each other. It just makes sense that instead of hiring a complete stranger to perform the ceremony, one would prefer to work with a long-time friend who knows each person individually and as a couple. I had the pleasure of knowing both Sam and Jen before they met and also the extreme pleasure of watching them grow together and now finally seal the deal. It was great to see many old friends from Jackson and Davis too. Thanks to Sam and Jen for being wonderful folks and wonderful hosts (thanks, parents!) and for a fantastic weekend.

Being the minister, I didn't get a chance to take many photos, especially, obviously, of the ceremony itself. So here are some images I did capture in the downtime.





The wedding was at Sugar Bowl Resort in the Lake Tahoe area. They basically rented out the whole place, so that even though Lake Tahoe had likely swelled to its most crowded state of the year over the July 4th holiday, we were nicely insulated in our own green island. Here's a shot from our balcony.


Another balcony shot, looking down on the lawn where the ceremony would be held and the deck where the reception would be held.


Jen and her nephew Isaac, relaxing for conversation after the rehearsal dinner. Later, Isaac was a rock-star participant in the ceremony, delivering the rings to my hand with only a bit of encouragement from his parents on one end and me, Jen & Sam on the other.


Slightly sauced and very joyful parents after the rehearsal dinner. Both families were extremely gracious and a genuine good time to hang out with.


Sam & Jen post-ceremony, looking rather serious. Dan Stone off to the side looking like their bodyguard.


Groom getting down in da bowtie.

Blowing through Wyoming

This morning we awoke in a hotel room in Denver, the wake-up call scheduled for a mere ten minutes before we were expected to meet the airport shuttle downstairs. Shuttle at 6:40, call at 6:30. We made it down there in great time, which was not really a surprise since we hadn't settled into our room until after midnight so we were still packed. We had just driven about two hours from Laramie, Wyoming where we visited our dear friend Anthony for the weekend to witness his graduation from law school at the University of Wyoming. We made it a priority to attend Anthony's graduation because he is a great friend who accomplished a great feat. Over the past three years we shared many conversations on the phone and occasionally in person where he expressed his love of and devotion to his goal - and to the intricacies of the law he was learning. I recall talking to Anthony at length about legal scenarios involving shooting at turkeys but killing family members, creative copyright law (such as the student who apparently created and the sold the Nike logo for $30 decades ago) and of course, about the empire of storage units he plans to eventually create. I admit that Laramie is not an ideal destination, not somehwere I would pay to visit on my own, but Anthony will be first to tell you that it is an ideal locale in which to learn and study. The winters feature days on end of sub-zero temperatures and biting winds. Little to no social scene exists (unless you consider livestock your friends) and the terrain is basically a high cold desert plateau. So you bundle up, attend class, and then study indoors the rest of the time to evade the arctic winds. Some members of Anthony's family attended and they were a joy to meet or reacquaint with and we are all intensely proud of his achievement. (Of course, taking a weekend trip to the high desert in the middle of nowhere also helps us secure a friendly attorney once he passes the Bar.) It was a speedy trip - we flew out late Friday night and came back early this morning - but well worth the time spent with friends. Some highlights:




Anthony receiving his Juris Doctorate hood. I apologize for the shaky camera work but the shouting friends nearby created come vibrations. We arrived a bit late and were forced to sit in the back with all of the crying babes.


Ant relaxing at the reception


Ant affixing our graduation gift. The helmet reads, "Quid Pro Quo" which I understand translates to, "Something for Something." Indeed. He sacrificed a lot for this degree.


Matt at the Cowboy Bar with ladies dancing on the bar behind him.


Anthony delivering his closing arguments to a riveted jury

Spring has Sproinged

Ahh, springtime. Pretty fantastic around here today. Took a walk over to the UW campus to check out the emerging cherry blossoms. Take a look:

Looking out over the plaza. It's Saturday and the grounds were packed with people taking photos, picnicking and getting married. We walked by three different wedding parties, all of whom looked barely 18 years old.


Bird just a little bit bigger than my thumb


Blossoms

Last weekend we drove down to Bend, Oregon to meet friends, get a final day out on the mountain at Mt. Bachelor and celebrate Kenley's birthday.

Friends (and dogs) on a hike.


Friends caught in a UFO tractor beam near Tumalo Falls. Look at the agony on their faces! The humanity!

Still seeking employment, so we're both getting our résumés out there like mad. I have gotten pretty good at composing cover letters. Maybe I should offer to sell my cover letter writing services? They're obviously not THAT good since there's still no job.
We fell over when we finally got our taxes put together and saw what we owe. Seems we managed to bump up a bracket without witholding remotely enough - even without the freelance work I did. Deep breath... Ahhh, cherry blossoms.

It's a cop, dummy!

Beth and I took yet another fantastic trip last weekend. We drove about 2 1/5 hours southwest from Seattle to the coast just north of Oregon, to a little town called Westport. The inspiration for this trip came right out of the pages of Via, the AAA magazine. Kind of like picking an adventure out of National Geographic, but a little less exotic and a little more trashy. I suppose we've become accustomed to the countless quaint little expensive artist retreat towns all up and down the Northern California Coast. These towns - Westport, Grayland - are perched on stunning pieces of land, but the towns are fairly run-down. The constant rain can't help much (the marquee on the roof of the local hardware store advertised something called Rid Moss) and they're a relatively long way away from metropolitan areas and so aren't very touristy.
We rented a motel room from this incredibly friendly Norwegian couple. Photos of them on their site. The rooms were modest but very clean and you could tell they put a lot of effort (if not money) into making the spaces homey. I was impressed by the live succulent in the room. During our initial survey of available rentals in the area we came across a cabin curiously named The Beastmaster's Den. You must follow the link to see the details as my wording would not do it justice. Go ahead, look now and make sure to look at the photos. Yeah, right? Notice there is only one window in the whole cabin and it is blinded by wooden slats.
So yes, we stayed at the Pacific Inn with our hosts Egil & Gunvor. After lunch of one of the tastiest fish sandwiches I've had yet (I admit I've had a lot lately) we drove around the small town a bit. Along the main drag I checked my speed when I saw a cop parked in a lot facing the highway. As we passed slowly, Beth remarked that it looked as if he were taking a nap in his car. We swung it back around and discovered:


There, there, sleep, gentle cop. I'm going to come a bit closer.


Whoa. That's not a real cop. I didn't realize until looking at the photo later that he seems to have lipstick smeared on his lips, ear and neck (you can click the photo for a larger version). Apparently there's not a lot going on in Westport.

We went to the beach and scoured the sand for marked sand dollars, part of a local celebration of driftwood and flotsam and jetsam.

Beth, happily searching the beach for marked sand dollars


Me, enjoying the sunshine


Looking down the beach. The Washington beaches feel much more stark and isolated than those in California. Despite the cold and wind, they seem more tranquil up here.


Blowing sand


From a lookout tower in Westport. There were surfers down there along the jetty - all decked out in full-length hooded wetsuits. We were surprised to learn that Westport is home to two surf shops. On the horizon you can see the snowy peaks of the Olympics.


Again from the tower, looking back on the marina.

According to the Westport tourism magazine, Westport is one of the best charter fishing spots in the WORLD - they said it. The area is also called the Cranberry Coast. Just south of Grayland were countless farms of cranberry bogs, wide flat expanses of scarlet. This is also where they grow the prized cran-apple.

Coasts and Co-ops

So since we're still happily unemployed, we decided last week to take a day and drive out to the Olympic Peninsula to see what all the fuss was about. We chose Port Townsend as our destination and figured we would drive all the way there and then take the ferry back to Seattle.

The day was beautiful and the drive relaxing. We stopped off in some of the small communities on the way - so many homes and lots for sale! We checked out the little town of Gig Harbor and on our way out - BAM! Flat tire. We both recalled how we got a flat tire driving on the California coast, on the trip with the ring and the kneeling and proposin' marraige. So we knew we could stay in good spirits. A quick patch and we're back on the road.

Both ravenous by the time we arrived in Port Townsend, we quickly sat down to lunch and listened to the rude old lady at the table next to us. Will we be rude old folks? Don't people feel thay they're entitled to be rude once they get gray and wrinkled?
Food was great. Delicious fish & chips and a prime rib snadwich.

The Port Townsend downtown was quaint, with brick buildings constructed more than 100 years ago. Many held fading ads painted on the ocean-facing sides of the building.



The docks offered vast viewing of the sound, and the town was dotted with many old bookstores, all independently owned and crammed to the ceilings with all manner of old and interesing books. The whole place seems very distant and remote, partly because we were there in the off season.





Pretty cute, eh?


We of course did the obligatory stop at the local food co-op. It's such a comfort to walk amonog ailses of familiar products. More so than in the PCC stores we have visited here in the city, Port Townsend Co-op shoppers all seemed to know each other and all seemed to be fiercely proud of shopping at their Co-op. Loved it, though their version of the Golden Beet & Kale Salad just didn't have the right zing we've grown accustomed to in Davis. Always the Co-op nerd, it seemed I was wearing by Co-op Advantage beanie in this photo.


Then we also have to make the obligatory stop at the local brewery. (The sailor is pointing at Beth and yelling "Thar she brews!") The tiny tasting room was packed and got progressively more crowded. It was located right near the docks and many of the patrons donned well-worn hats and sweatshirts labeled Port Townsend Shipwright's Co-op. They love them some cooperation out in PT.

We took the Ferry Back from Bainbridge Island right into Downtown Seattle. By then it was dark so we were treated with the glowing nighttime skyline. Wonderful day. It felt pretty great to see the beautiful city and say, "we live there."

Pimp My John

We made it! It took us about three days, but we finally made the move from rainy Davis to snowy Seattle. First night we stayed in Redding and it was a bit depressing. Then we pushed over the passes and spent the next night in Eugene, which was much less so. If you're there, eat dinner and sample some beers at the Bier Stein, where they offer hundreds of bottles classified by origin. Then eat breakfast at the Glenwood. The usual breakfast fare, but with high quality ingredients. Nothing like a pair of over easy eggs with dark, firm yolks before hitting the road.


A quick self-portrait outside our hotel in Eugene


Crazy snowy roads all the way from Salem to Seattle with confused travelers everywhere. We saw different folks putting on and taking off chains at the same time along the highway. Lane markers gave way to transitory ruts in the snow and ice - ruts which the dually tires of the moving truck bounced happily in and out of.


Our speed was about 20 MPH here.

Well, we're here in Seattle now after a wonderful snowy New Year's vacation in Sand Point, Idaho and we're slowly getting settled in. Our place looks fantastic, our friends and landlords the Cramers worked furiously to complete our side of the house before our arrival. There are still some minor aspects to finish but overall it's beautiful. And instead of typing into a closet, I'm actually able to look out of a second story window from the desk. The place comes with cable television and we're amazed at all the crap on TV. Of course we can't look away. Bromance? Pimp My Ride? As we put together the bathroom today we preferred to command each other to "Pimp My John."