Discretion is the better part of valour

The masses (or at least you easterners headed inland) have spoken. So I am here. It's not that I've intentionally been absent. I've just been trying to formulate an approach. While trying to encapsulate the last week(s), I've been faced with choices:

How much detail can I provide without revealing too much sensitive material?
Do I recall it honestly, and depress everyone with how difficult it has been?
Or do I try to highlight the bright moments, and assuage the darker ones with humour?

The razor's edge to any option is that not everyone lives in Lyndyland. What my brain may think is levity may be shocking to another. And others don't always realize the extent or the depth to which I think about (read: brood) about things. It's difficult to live in my head. But here's the Cliff Notes:

Seattle: It was good to get away for a few days. And good that it was with my boys. Travel went very well, no delays. A bit of a bumpy ride on the Seattle-to-Denver leg home. But nothing too uncomfortable.

Our inn was in Capitol Hill, only a couple of blocks off a very Mass. Street-ish vibe. The vibe was pretty groovy. And I'm very stoked that I found the Autour de Lucie Immobile album. From a regional recycled music store. D found a Dub Syndicate album, and was equally stoked. Everybody's a winner! Wednesday was travel day, so we just hung around the inn and shopped the local area.

Thursday we drove outside the city to go hiking. It was a nice drive, and beautiful countryside. The hike was good exercise, going into an alpine lake and back out again. We went into the Der Baring store (looks like there wasn't much chance of confusing it with any other store in town, the town was pretty dang small) for sandwiches, then headed back to the city. I went on to the spa for a girls date. We had a great time. What's better than sipping champagne with good company while you have total strangers massage your hands and legs while making you look good? So I had to pay for that service. Sometimes it's just easier that way. No expectations, ha!

Friday we planned on heading down to the market early, with lots of time to shop. Silly us and our plans! Some nimrod parked across the inn's driveway, keeping us from being able to escape. After an hour and a couple of harried calls to the local police department, a cruiser and wrecker finally showed up. While we may have been annoyed with the delay, I'm sure the car owner was more annoyed at having to shell out $150.00+ to get their auto out of impound.

After we finally made it to market, it was great. Tons of vendors to provide anything that your heart could desire. Want fresh produce or seafood? They have it. Need a gift and flowers for the day? Got that too. With at least three levels and blocks of shops, you could spend a whole day there. I wish we could have!

But there were more obligations in the day. The rehearsal-that-wasn't dinner party was held at a local dining institution north of downtown. It was a charming place, made from railroad cars. Driving anywhere in Seattle is confusing. But brother made it easy on the nerves with an open bar! He's so rock star.

Speaking of which... the highlight for me was that my rock star cousin from Phoenix could make it! I was so sad to have missed seeing him when I was in his town a few weeks ago. And we weren't sure he was going to be able to make it to Seattle. But he did, and we were thrilled. It seems like it I had not seen him in forever! I wish I could have spent more time with him. So we'll just have to get to his place more often.

Saturday was wedding day. We went over to Alki Beach in the morning, driving along the bay shore and watching the skyline from "the other side". It was a nice time. They've really spent some money to build condos and renovate recreational paths along the shore.

The wedding was beautiful. I just could not have been more proud of my brother. They put on a great party, had a ton of friends to share it with, and really put a lot of love into their ceremony. It was so fun to watch. In addition to the "traditional" non-traditional ceremony, the newlyweds asked vows of each other.

Bride: "Groom, do you promise to refill the ice trays immediately when they are empty?"

Groom: "Bride, do you promise to not get jealous when I'm on the phone with [male friend], and we tell each other we love each other before ending the phone call?

There were a few more... all of which were very funny, very touching, and very them.

And the table set ups? Ohmygawd, so pretty. They really did a fabulously beautiful job. There were adorable name cards, adorable programs, even adorable functions and directions cards they sent out right before the weekend. We didn't get ours until we got back home, ha!

So by the time Sunday came to fly out, we were ready.

Although I myself would have loved to have the "aftermath" days to chill with my brother. He was really just wanting everyone to cruise into town, hang out and enjoy the city and time with family, and just have a good time. Some of us brought our own stress to town as well. For that I feel bad, because brother knows I was trying to minimize it to him as much as possible. Others were not as considerate. For that I'm a bit upset. But I know it's wasted effort, since no one can do anything about it. As hard as it is to be me, I'm sure it has to be even harder to live other people's lives.

I'll put the other updates in another post. Give y'all a chance to wake back up.