It Might Have Been Me

Sorry about not posting over the weekend; we were a little busy. Here’s a quick recap:

Friday afternoon we headed towards Bellingham. Made a quick detour to Anacortes for dinner where we ran into former neighbors. After getting caught up on all our old friends and who’s new at the condo, we resumed our journey towards Bellingham.

We arrived in Bellingham in time for Laura & Peter’s last movie night of the year. Several times during summer Laura and Peter show a family friendly movie in their out-door theater, aka backyard. I'm always amazed at the crowd they draw. Around dark people start showing up with blankets, chairs and arms full of snacks. It’s kind of of a candy, chips, popcorn buffet with a show, and it’s always fun.   

Saturday morning we were up early and on the road for Hurricane Ridge. A couple of years ago we stopped buying Mom & Dad stuff for their birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day – they’ve got plenty of stuff - and replaced it with trips, meals out or a combination of the above. The first mini-snag of the day is when we missed the Port Townsend ferry. Someone, it might have been me, didn’t think it was necessary to make a reservation for the ferry. The unplanned break gave us time to walk the dog on the beach and have a look around. The crossing was so foggy you couldn’t see the end of the boat. After a quick stop in Sequim for lunch, we headed up the hill to Hurricane Ridge.

Hurricane Ridge is a Washington State must-see. The views are incredible. You can see the glaciered peaks of the Olympics, turn around and see the Straights of Juan de Fuca, which this day was covered in a fifty foot blanket of fog. We soaked in the sun and the sights. Once you stroll over the ridge out of sight of the parking lot, it about as close as you can come to the deep wilderness without a backpack – except for the people, lots of people.

The return trip involved a near collision – the second mini-snag of the day – when a car ran a stop sign and nearly broadsided us. Fortunately there was no oncoming traffic and once the adrenalin subsided, no foul. The third mini-snag is when we pulled into the Port Townsend ferry queue without a reservation. Someone, it might have been me, didn’t think it would be necessary eastbound. Fortunately, this time it didn’t mean missing the boat. After dinner in Oak Harbor, which included a four-scoop bowl of ice cream for Mom, it was back to Bellingham and time to call it a day. In case you missed it that was a FOUR SCOOP bowl of ice cream for Mom. To be fair, it took Mom, Dad and Michelle to polish off that one.

Sunday morning we got stuck in the I5 mess at the Skagit River Bridge, which added an hour to getting home. By the time we got a week’s worth of groceries and dinner made, it was time to start thinking about the new week. All of which, brings us to Monday and current with the calendar.

One last thought: yesterday for the second time since my surgery, Michelle decided she was done looking at my saggy-butt trousers. Today I am sporting some new jeans; size 36. I haven’t worn a 36 waist since long before I was 36 years old. Along with a new pair of jeans, Michelle made me replace a ratty old sweater I’ve been wearing to work – I’m always cold these days. My new sweater is a XL. Not a double XL, not a triple XL, just a regular XL. Even though Michelle had to twist my arm, I’ve got to admit I’m pretty pleased with my new clothes; especially the size.

As usual, in our relationship Michelle knows best.