10 Days

Summer has kicked off gloriously thus far (aside from all the fiery fire nastiness going on).  The goal for this summer was to get on out and do life stuff.  I have been trying to get out every day to enjoy a walk and get some of that good old D3.  It seems to help, plus there’s an area near us where the folks have horses.  So awesome.

Greek Fest in Denver was fun.  Delicious food was had and the cathedral dome is a stunning shade of blue.  This was the second year we went and it doesn’t disappoint.

For the first time, Bobaloo and I headed to Pride Fest We missed the parade but had fun hanging out.  There were a ton of people which was cool.

Last Friday we were up to Red Rocks to see Wilco.  It was a good show.  I am looking forward to Cake and Neil Young later in the season.

It's been in the hundreds around here lately so last Saturday we briefly di some gold-panning to cool off.  No nuggets found, I'm left getting rich the old-fashioned way.

Jennifer at Chronicles of Consciousness has gotten me interested in the 10 Day You Challenge.  Her blog is one of my absolute favorites.  Go ahead, check out the link to her blog above.

*I just moved the 10 Day Challenge a tab at the top.

The Word

My little brother Kyle is awesome.  He is eight and a half years younger so it’s been remarkable to watch him go from playing with matchbox cars and micro machines to having a car, job, and girlfriend.

We’ve always been close which makes me the luckiest.  The kid is hilarious and can be comfortable around anybody anywhere.  He’s very easygoing and has good taste in music and movies.  I love this kid, for real.

Bobaloo and I decided to get hitched in ’08 and planned a small mountain ceremony up Boulder canyon.  I wanted Kyle to be part of the ceremony and found a cool Paulo Coelho reading for him to deliver.

Most 17-year olds aren’t that stoked about that kind of stuff, but he made the journey on out here and was enthusiastic about his role in the wedding.

I warned him there was one word in the reading that was a little tricky, “vicissitudes.” 

Vicissitudes:  unexpected changes, especially in somebody's fortunes.  Life’s ups and downs.

It was just a heads-up.

The couple of days leading up to the ceremony, Kyle dropped the word vicissitude frequently and comically in the goofiest of sentences. 

As in:

Getting my shoelaces tied this morning is something of a vicissitude in my life.

Opening this jar of salsa is quite a vicissitude.

You’re really an extreme vicissitude today.

And on and on and on.

We two thought it was hilarious.  Everyone else?  Probably not so much.

The morning of the wedding came and Bobaloo, Kyle, and I drove up the canyon together.  I am not going to lie, I was terrified.  I was excited about the nuptials, but that car ride was intense.

I was so panicky before and during the first part of the ceremony I could have cried or collapsed or even chundered.

Enter Kyle.

He stands up and reads loud and clear and looks so handsome and I am so proud of him, I beam.

Then he gets to the word

and flubs it.

I had a hard time containing my giggles.

For the rest of the ceremony and even the rest of the day, everything stopped being so intense and became lighthearted and fun which is what we had wanted.

Leave it to Kyle.

I love that kid.

Grandma J.

I went back to my parents for a few days for Grandma  J.’s funeral. 

Isn’t it weird to see people you haven’t been around for years?

My brothers and I are the younglings of the extended family and folks always seem surprised that we all grew up.  It is a weird feeling.

Grandma J. was ready to go so saying goodbye wasn’t hard.  I loved her and she loved me.  She gave me a lot during her life.  She’s someone who never really caught a break, but kept her wits about her for ninety years.

She was tenacious and resilient.  I hope that passed to me.

My two brothers and I have not all been together in four years.  I have two nephews that live far away.  The little one had no idea who I was.

Isn’t it weird to see people you haven’t been around for years?

All in all, things were nice.

That’s weird to say.

I played with the kiddos, sat by a bonfire, drank beer, played Trivial Pursuit and pull tabs, laid in the lawn, brunched, sat on a dock,  laughed with my brother, visited with family, saw dear friends, met new babies, hugged, and got hugged.

Not a bad way to spend a few days saying goodbye.

I think that’s how she’d have wanted it.