Brewfest 09

A bit late, but that's ok. On Saturday, Jaime was kind enough to play DD for brother Ryan and I at the annual Washington Brewers Festival. The weather was perfect, it wasn't too crowded, and we were surrounded by (99%) great beer! I'd love to say what my favorite was...but honestly I don't remember.

Where else will you see grown men with tiny little glasses and their pinky fingers sticking out?

This cool doggie's gone to heaven...

It is with a VERY heavy heart that I have to share the news that our dog, Chance, passed away Saturday night...

He was very lucky when we found him, we weren't really looking for a dog at the time, as we had recently lost a pup to a car. But I was insistent (and 14) at the time, and my parents cautiously agreed. We found him at a boarder's house. He had been returned to his breeder by the family that bought him as a puppy when they discovered Brittany pups are bundles of energy and maybe don't compete well with young babies. He was around 1 when we got him in the early spring of '95. They had given him the ubiquitous name "Buddy." We worked hard to change that, and soon he was "Chance." He also took on a habit of hauling around an old blanket that we had given him. Over the years, he went through several, ripping them up, burying them, and generally wearing them out.

(Chance with his first "biddy")

Chance only ever really aged in the fact that the hair on his face turned gray. He was definitely slower in old age, but he never lost his youthful look. As my sister said - "It looked like he ran into a wall with his nose when he was young!" (As a compliment, of course).

(Chance with Jake at the cabin, Aug. '08)

He was always friendly, and will be greatly missed...

All Kinds of Awesome!

North Carolina State student accused of creating a monster...

Goodbye, 4244 Shoreclub Drive

( A closer inspection reveals Mt. Rainier rising in the background)

Sunday night we said goodbye to my grandmother's house on Mercer Island. She has been at an assisted living facility for a while (she's 90) and the time came to let it go...

So the family all gathered (we missed you Tina and Ryan, Brad and Mary!) to enjoy it one last time, and say goodbye. As cousin Lindsey said - "My memories of Christmas Eve are all here."

It was because of my grandparents and this house that I got to attend Mercer Island High School, where I met most of my life long friends. My grandfather passed away here, my uncle's wake was here...and, simply put, it had the best damn view in the neighborhood.


I'm going to let it go now...

So there was a storm last night

Jaime and I were out running some errands when the sun began to set...and a storm blew in. You could tell the lighting was going to be stellar. We rushed home just in time. The pictures speak for themselves. This was probably THE most beautiful sunset I have ever seen...




We stood and enjoyed it as the rain began to fall and the wind blew through...

Pearl Jam Rocks the Tonight Show