Having some time before the reunion and the arrival of the Taylors, Ken and I made the well-worn and memory-laden trek to Seattle with Mom and Jim. Kenny had never been to Washington, but family trips in the beautiful Northwest are some of my fondest and happiest memories of childhood, and I enjoyed seeing the familiar sights rush past us on I-5 northbound (that is, until I fell totally asleep in the backseat like usual). We all decided that a tour of the Space Needle was only fitting for Ken's first time in the Emerald City, so I squeezed my eyes shut as we took a harrowing elevator ride up the spine of the Seattle landmark and we basked in the brilliant sunshine and late-summer breeze off Puget Sound while marveling at the incredible 360-degree views of the city, the Sound, and Mount Rainier.
Kenny the first-time Seattle tourist:
The Space Needle suddenly looks very tall and precarious:
Sparkling Puget Sound:
The city and Mount Rainier:
Mom and Jim seem unfazed by the height:
We had lunch at the Crab Pot, a restaurant on the Sound that Kenny had salivated over on the Travel Channel. The meal featured on the show Ken watched was of crab legs, mussels, clams, shrimp, red potatoes, and corn on the cooked all together, then served in a delicious heap for the table. We had that very dish, and it was everything we hoped it would be!
Mom and Jim - and the feast!
Kenny with the happiest tummy in the world!
The view from my seat at the table:
The view from Mom and Jim's seats:
Mom and Jim - and the feast!
Kenny with the happiest tummy in the world!
The view from my seat at the table:
The view from Mom and Jim's seats:
We then wandered the beautiful cobblestone streets of Pioneer Place and Pike's Place Market, recalling old times and visits and delightedly showing Kenny our favorite and most frequented vacation spot.
More adventures!
The famous fish-throwing booth at Pike's Place Market:
The original Starbucks:
My favorite store in Seattle, Fireworks, all ready for Halloween:
And of course, no trip to Seattle would be complete without cheering for the Mariners!
Our seats were amazing:
The sunset deepens over Puget Sound and Safeco Field:
Mom trouncing me at Scrabble:
Kenny and Jim, blissfully unaware of the carnage going on in front of them on the Scrabble board:
Saturday arrived and so did the Taylors. Camryn seemed delighted to see Grandma and Pop-Pop, but then crumpled to her knees and let out a howl of anguish when she skipped into the kitchen to discover Aunt Katie and Uncle Kenny at the table playing a game. So much for all the hours we spent laboring on her red wagon! Megan was sweet enough to do my hair and makeup - and before paying an iota of attention to herself, she is so thoughtful and kind - and we all got ready for the big night. A buffet was hosted at Hayden's, a waterfront restaurant in the middle of Tualatin where I had gone for my senior prom dinner. Ken and I showed up earlier than Megan and Karl (Tamsin had to be fed) and I could see that no one from my circle of friends in high school had shown up. Ken and I wended our way past the crowd that had inevitably gathered right in front of the banquet hall door (who had decided to position the bar right next to the entrance?) and set down our $2.00 Diet Cokes in a corner of the room and glanced about warily. Let's see - people I didn't really know at all in high school, people I did know in high school who were anything but kind or friendly, hmmm.... I noticed David, a guy who had been in band with me and Megan during school who had been so quiet and shy I doubted he would come over and say hi to us. Well, I guess it was up to me, then. I came up and introduced myself and Kenny and fell instantly into conversation with him and his incredibly friendly and bubbly wife. Megan and Karl arrived with Tamsin and we all sat together to enjoy a dinner that cost us $45 per person (and no free soda? Really?) and did not include dessert. A friend of ours, Shane Kelly, did show up as promised and it was wonderful to talk with him and catch up. If only Megan and I had a third sister - Shane is a terrific catch! Sadly, though, none of our best pals from high school came to the reunion, and we decided to head home after a few hours of chatting with one or two people, listening to loud boasting from several denizens of the party, and lots of drinking. (None of that was me - I managed to make my Diet Coke last all evening.) Ken and I planned to head out to Shane's after-party bonfire, but we totally got lost on some pretty dark, solitary country roads. So we called it an evening and crashed at home in bed.
The next morning after we finally rolled out of bed, our families headed up to Tualatin High School loaded with picnic goodies for the next reunion gathering. I was really hoping that people who didn't want to spring for $45 dinner tickets might come to the picnic to catch up, but only about 15 people actually came, and none that I was close to in high school. It was a gorgeous day, but kind of lonely. Again, where were all our buddies? We came to see you, and you weren't there! I liked being back on the school grounds, and right where I remember practicing for powderpuff football games in crisp afternoon fall light, but it was a bummer not to get to reunite with old friends. Megan and I took a beautiful and nostalgic walk through Commanche Woods and dropped in to visit Dad and admire the gorgeous new flower beds he lovingly created to edge Siletz Drive. Then we made our way home for dinner and games and sadly packing up to go back to Utah.
Hayden's across the pond at Tualatin Commons - what will the night hold? (Not so much, actually.)
Ready for the night!
But not like this:
Or this:
But, come to think of it, that might actually have been pretty cool.
Oh, well - we have another ten years to try and convince our high school friends to come hang out with us. Better luck next time?
Tualatin High School pics:
3 comments:
So, who exactly showed up at the reunion? It was too expensive for me, plus I had a fear of going and having no one to talk to (except you and Megan, of course!).
Wow...my face looks fatter than I thought. Hmmm. I hate realizing this. Stupid pregnancy weight gain! Maybe that's why no one talked to me all night...yeah, right. Nope, I think it was because I was unpopular then and am unpopular now! Yay, high school!
Meredith, basically all the popular people showed up to reminisce about how awesome they were in high school. Shane came (awesome!) and so did Cameron Chase, which totally made me smile. We missed you SO SO much, you brat! Megan, my camera made all of use look freaking huge. No one looks like themselves in the pictures - I do look like a pig, however. That is NOT how you usually look!
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