Our kitten's Cooter than your kitten

We have so much stinkin' fun with this cat.

Our kitten's "Cooter" than your kitten.

Crazy Cooter: My personal memoirs Chapter three - Bonding with the "Roscoe"

Early in my life I was separated from my loving mother and my many brothers and sisters. It was a difficult transition - I lost a nurturer and provider who had been there since my birth, kept me warm and fed and gave an unending love I have rarely known since. I lost the litter that taught me about family and sharing and cooperation. It was a traumatic time.

But from the shadows came my lifeline: a large, black friend that the giants called "Roscoe". He was my light when the world seemed cold and frightening. At the beginning Roscoe was fascinated with me. He would lick me at every opportunity, even helping with the task my mother used to do: encouraging my bladder to release. That first time was the moment I knew for certain that I had a friend in the house.


When the giants finally accepted my independence and allowed me to roam freely through the house at night, I would crawl closer to him and snuggle into his fur, feeling the warmth and comfort that only he could provide. (The giants were relatively hairless -the female more than the male.) Normally, I would have suckled my mother in those moments, but try as I might, I could never locate the source of any food Roscoe could offer. Usually the best I could get out of him was a yelp.

Roscoe was usually quite patient with me in those early days. I could crawl across his body over and over, slumber against his belly, follow him throughout the house and still he would not protest. After several weeks, though, he seemed to grow impatient with the activities that once brought me such joy. When I crawled up next to him on the couch, he would move to the other chair. When I playfully batted and nipped at his face, he bared his teeth at me and opened his mouth as if to devour me whole. When I tried to share the toys in the house, I was met with barking. It was unsettling that my attempts at friendship were so ill-received, but it did not deter me from continuing. If nothing else, it made me more determined than ever to share my life with him.

I decided to increase my efforts and show Roscoe how much he meant to me. On many days, the giants would say the word "kennel" and Roscoe would go willingly into a metal holding area until they returned in the evening. I don't know what kind of mind control tricks they used, but it seemed to involve a carrot. My friend needed me. I couldn't break the code to release him, but after the giants left the house, I would use my new-found mobility to crawl up the sides of the container and keep him company. I would stick my paws through the slats and offer him my support, but he always seemed just out of reach. I think he really appreciated my efforts in spite of our limitations and I certainly relished the time we spent together, separated by just a grid of metal and our differing species.

Weekend of Whiskey (Creek).

Whiskey Creek Sep 2007

Britt's entry -

Sean and I packed up our gear and Roscoe on Friday afternoon and headed to wait in line at the Edmonds Kingston ferry. While sitting in line, we saw a huge van creep up near the beginning and nose its way in. Not a minute later, a Sheriff's car pulls up, talks to the driver, and the van pulls out of line and makes a U-turn to go back to the end! The remaining cars started honking and cheering! It was like a tailgate party to see someone finally get caught! (We think someone must have called it in and the officer just happened to be very close.)

Another 5 hours and a car-sick dog later, we pulled in to the campgrounds and up to the cabin. It was very dark and since it’s a rustic cabin, only our flashlights lit up the path while we unloaded. Teri and Bud had their camper, Tanya and Darian used one cabin, and Sean and I got the loft (with a VERY comfortable bed) in the second cabin. Roscoe raced right up the steep stairs, but getting him to come down was a different story. We were only about 5 yards from the beach, so we went to sleep with the sound of the surf crashing right outside our window - very relaxing.
When we woke up, I got to see Whiskey Creek for the first time and it was beautiful! The two cabins were side by side with a small courtyard in between where we could set up our chairs and relax together.

Tanya, Teri, Sean, Curtis, Roscoe and I spent the morning heading down the beach looking for "round rocks" - rocks that had been rolled around so much that they were nearly perfect spheres. The guys found a shale hillside and completely exhausted Roscoe running up and down, while Curtis did flips (intentionally) on the way down.

When we got back, the rest of the family had pulled up! Everyone settled in and had some lunch, then the kids went to another beach and gave themselves "mud baths". Competitions for who can get the dirtiest seem to be a theme when these little guys get together!

Sean and I had also brought some party "clickers" for the kids to play with - and by kids I mean Bud, Sean and Curtis. : ) They clicked those suckers at every opportunity and attached them to earlobes, eyebrows, nostrils, you name it.

For dinner, Tanya cooked up some delicious smelling salmon that Sean had brought, and everyone else pitched in a dish or two, like corn or noodle salad, and we were all quickly stuffed.
Everyone was pretty worn out by the time the sun went down, so Teri, Tanya, Scott, Sean and I sat by the fire keeping warm and chatting. Pretty soon we looked down at a watch and realized it was… 9:30. Hmmmm. But Tanya, Sean and I got a second wind and finished the night talking and gigling (me) in the cabin until about midnight. Hope we didn't keep Marcus and Zoe awake in their tent!

We had a slight rain shower first thing in the morning, but we powered through and had everyone pitching in with cleaning the cabins before we headed home. Another great trip!

A short-term love affair

Britt's entry -

Driving home from the mall on Wednesday night, I came to a 4-way stop and noticed a medium sized terrier trying to climb up on a motorcycle at the stop to my right. The biker took off and the dog ran alongside for a few blocks. The whole time the biker kept looking down until she (that's right, she!) finally pulled on to a side street. I pulled alongside, thinking that if it was her dog, I, having a car, might be able to help get the pooch home. But it wasn't hers. No collar or tags. No one in the area looking for her. So sad!


We held the dog by the scruff of the neck and she didn't struggle or bark, she just sat there smiling up at us. She was being a very sweet dog! After 7 phone calls to various places, I finally had a Sheriff's deputy pull up. (We're in an unincorporated area.)

The officer said that Animal Control closes at 4, PAWS at 6, and he couldn't transport any animals, which left me with three choices: I could take her and try to find her owner myself, take her and drop her off at a shelter the next day, or leaver her to wander the streets. I called Sean and he was great about going along with whatever I decided - to take her back to our place for the night. Of course I wasn't going to allow her to run back into traffic!!

I put her in the backyard and she and Roscoe carvorted, frolicked and ran circles around each other. (You read that right. How often do you get to use the words cavort and frolic?) They went into playful stance - front elbows on the ground, butt raised in the air - and tumbled across the lawn. It was adorable! Then Cooter came out and joined the fun. The new dog was fascinated yet gentle with the kitten, which was very encouraging.

Since she was smelly and wet when I found her, we gave her a garden hose bath with shampoo, and she took it patiently; pretty surprising considering we were two strangers soaking and scrubbing her!

We gave her treats and she "sat" for us, no food issues when Roscoe tried to steal them! All in all she's a pretty great little dog! Oh, and in keeping with the Dukes of Hazard theme, we gave her the name "Lulu", Boss Hogg's wife. We may use that one again at a later date, though!

We put flyers up at the intersection where I first saw her, and posted Found ads on Craigslist. Luckily, the daughter's owner is a savvy young lady and went online this morning and saw their dog! They gave me a call and I took "Missy" home. Apparently she is quite the escape artist. She had jumped off the back deck and on to the roof of a nearby shed and then took off for an adventure!

Oddly enough, I got a call a few hours later from a man who said he had "rescued" Missy a few weeks ago and had the impression it was far from her first time. He actually told me that if the owners hadn't called, he was going to offer to take her because she was such a great dog and didn't deserve to keep having this happen to her. Well, hopefully they'll get the message this time, because next time she might not run into someone who wants to help!

Crazy Cooter: My personal memoirs Chapter Two - Permanent Damage

Cooter's entry -

After a few weeks of settling into my new home, I realized I had the world at my fingertips. It was a remarkable feeling, really, knowing that with a small noise I could bring the whole house running or that the slightest action would bring peals of laughter to the room. I was on stage. They watched my every move for hours. I had found my calling at last.

At first I would waddle from room to room, occasionally going for a short sprint, but as my strength and balance improved, the sprints became longer and soon I was running to each destination. Of course, my agility and stopping capability were not at their height yet, which led to a variety of errors. I ran quite quickly into the sliding glass door, but from then on I stopped and checked before trying to go outside again. I also failed to negotiate corners very well, having to stop and turn before continuing on my way.

But by far my worst injuries were not my own fault. I was a tiny kitten in a house filled with powerful and negligent giants.

One evening I crawled into bed with the giants and cuddled snugly next to the female's shoulder. The next thing I knew, she woke up suddenly, grabbed the corner of the blankets and whipped them away from her, tossing me against the wall in the process. The thud my body made could be heard across the house. I gave a long startled squeak and sat there bewildered. She immediately picked me up, undoubtedly aggravating the serious injuries I already suffered. I'm sure her heart was in the right place, but just to ensure she didn't wake up suddenly anymore, I decided to keep her up as long as possible at night using my claws and teeth to nip at any exposed skin. I must say I enjoyed it immensely.

Just a few days before, I watched the female giant open the silver door of the large box in the kitchen. Curious about what the giants do in there, I crept closer and peered in. My view was quickly gone however, because the light went off as she closed the door. Little did she know, my entire body was still in the way of that door, keeping it from closing entirely. Luckily, my head, crushed from the weight, kept most of the bodily injuries to a minimum by preventing the door from squeezing my tiny little ribs. I gave another panicked and painful squeal and at that moment the door bounced away and closed yet again! Would this torture never end? She came to what I will call my rescue, although I'm not sure it can be called rescue when she caused the situation in the first place. The male giant cradled me in his arms for a few minutes while the white of my eye turned red and the swelling ensued.

It is still unclear whether the damage was permanent - due to my youth, who knows what potential I missed out on.


The next chapter: Bonding with the "Roscoe".

Britt's Birthday Extravanganza

Britt's entry -
I had such a wonderful birthday weekend, and so many people to thank, but most of all Sean! I couldn't ask for a more incredible boyfriend!

On Thursday afternoon I left work a little early (exhausted from being kept up by the kitten all night). When Sean got home he said that I had a surprise waiting for me at work. Apparently the beautiful bouquet of flowers he had delivered arrived just after I was already gone! Whoops.

On Friday he took me out to dinner, but not before a special secret errand he wouldn't explain until we got there...to his old house where another gorgeous bouquet of flowers was waiting on the front porch! His parent's, Teri and Bud, had them delivered special for my birthday! After picking them up we went to Stella Mia, a little Italian restaurant in Country Village where we had an outstanding dinner and an even more outstanding bottle of Cab. *drool*

Sean had given me part of my present a few weeks before - the new tiny little Ipod Shuffle - and followed it up with a Nordstrom gift certificate so I can pick up some new gym clothes. (Mine are getting pretty ratty. The fabric of all the shorts looks like Swiss cheese and the elastic is just barely holdin' on.) What a great birthday day!

On Saturday, we had about 25 people over to our house for beer and pizza. (The house held up surprisingly well for hosting that many people, so it bodes well for future par-tays!) We got a chance to get people together who had heard all about each other but had never met before, and we even had people there we hadn't seen in far too long, so it was really nice! Several people brought me bottles of wine (they apparently know me well), and Sarah, Max, Garrett, Kristina and Annie got me a new purse and matching carry-all bag, which are FAB-ulous.

Later on we crammed as many people into as few cars as possible and went to Robin Hood Lanes for some Moonlight Bowling. For those of you unfamiliar, there are a series of situations in which you can win cash for strikes or picking up spares. We didn't quite make our money back, but Sean made a strong showing and Angie really showed us all up!

On Sunday, after taking a 3.5 hour nap (just like heaven, in case you were wondering), Sean and I headed over to my grandparents house for a family birthday party for my mom and I. Her birthday is the 19th, mine the 17th. Dean really branched out culinary-wise and made shish-kabobs for dinner! Yum.

All in all, a practically perfect birthday weekend thanks to all the wonderful people in my life!

Feeding Time for Cooter

Cooter is transitioning to eating from a bowl! Note that it says "transitioning", not "mastering".

We've been feeding him wet food mixed with rice ceareal and kitten milk replacement with a cough syrup syringe. We started showing him the bowl of food mid-meal since he was licking the food off our fingers, in the hopes he would lick it in the bowl, too.

The good news is that he did start to figure it out.

The bad news is that he puts his whole body into the effort. Literally. He crawls into the bowl, mashes his face against the bottom, snorts it up his nose, cakes it over his eyes - when he is done, there is kitten food from the tips of his ears all the way down his body.

Which means that after he is done eating, he gets a bath. Not his favorite thing, so maybe it will motivate him to be more clean at meal time. : )

Cooter's Feeding Time

Congratulations Damian and Chelsea!!

Sean's entry -

Coming Soon.... In the meantime, we highly recommend that you watch the proposal on YouTube. If only to embarass Damian further.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vEoYr71i98

Damian and Chelsea's wedding

Cooter (Ok, I give in) Update

Britt's entry -

Cooter has settled in nicely with us and is starting a routine that goes something like this:

5:30 a.m.

• Mews at the morning alarm clock. Scratches the side of his box.
• Poops in his litter all by himself (yeah!).
• Britt gets out of bed and takes him out of the box. Cooter is still in mid-poop.
• Britt cleans up poop from a variety of places.
• Britt puts Cooter on Sean's chest, where he crawls around happily, exploring and nibbling along the way.
• Roscoe leaps onto the bed and begins to search for the kitten.
• Roscoe finds kitten and proceeds to lick his butt which makes Cooter pee involuntarily.
• Britt and Sean strip the bed and throw everything in the wash.
• Cooter gets put on the ground and scurries around the house. He occassionally turns on the after-burners and speeds up in order to get somewhere faster. This lttle guy is getting more agile with each day! (For the first few days, when he tried to clean any paw it involved several attempts and several topples.)
• Cooter mews as he realizes he is alone. He hates to be alone.
• Roscoe comes running and licks Cooter's butt again. No pee this time as bladder is empty.
• Cooter attacks Roscoe's face/tail/feet. (He's a vicious predator with teeth the size of grains of salt.)
• We warm up Cooter's food - a mix of rice cereal, Science Diet canned kitten food, and kitten milk replacement.
• We feed Cooter with a cough syrup sryinge. Cooter goes into a practical seizure at the excitement of food. He's now starting off with the syringe, but progressing to a bowl mid-meal.
• We clean Cooter off. There are approximately 4 cc's of food smeared on his head.
• Cooter scurries around the house. Roscoe licks his butt. Cooter attacks Roscoe. (Repeats indefinitely)
• Eventually Roscoe lays down and Cooter tries to suckle on him. Use your imagination for how that works with a male dog. Roscoe patiently allows this.
• As Britt leaves, she puts Cooter in his box with a warm rice-filled sock.
• Cooter falls asleep nearly instantly.

10 a.m.

• Teenage neighbor girl (Ashley) comes over and takes Cooter out of the box.
• Feeding process is repeated.
• Cooter uses litter.
• Ashley takes Cooter over to her house for a series of adventures which includes terrorizing their small dog and grown cat, meeting new people and impressing them with his impossible cuteness. (Repeated throughout the day.)

5 p.m.

• Ashley brings Cooter back as Sean arrives home.
• Cooter gets put on the ground and scurries around the house.
• Cooter scurries around the house. Roscoe licks his butt. Cooter attacks Roscoe's face/tail/feet.
• Feeding process is repeated.
• Cooter uses litter.
• Cooter curls up on Sean's lap/tummy/shoulder or some combination and falls sleep, purring tremendously.
• Cooter gets put on the ground and scurries around the house.
• Roscoe licks Cooter's butt. Cooter pees a little. Cooter attacks Roscoe.
• Cooter mews when he realizes he is alone. Roscoe comes running and licks Cooter's butt again. Cooter attacks Roscoe's face/tail/feet. (Repeats indefinitely)

10 p.m.

• Feeding process is repeated.
• Cooter uses litter.
• More cuddling with Britt and Sean.
• Cooter goes in his box with the warm rice-filled sock and falls asleep promptly.

It's a boy!

Britt's entry -
I was talking to my friend Sarah on Friday afternoon and she mentioned that she had been taking care of a litter of 7 kittens that a stray cat had abandoned in her backyard. The kittens were young, maybe 3 weeks old, and a lot of work, so she finally ended up bringing them to the Everett Animal Shelter.

Sean and I have been talking about bringing another kitten home, one that would be young enough for Roscoe and Jumper to adapt to, so I was excited when I heard that Sarah had ones that needed homes, but I was too late.

Little did I know, when she had gone to collect them, one was missing. Later that day, she heard a small mewing from somewhere around the house, but it took her all afternoon to find it, hiding behind the water heater. She called me to ask if I was serious about wanting one and I said, "Absolutely!"

Oddly, I had brought home some boxes from work the same day, so I had the perfect temporary home all ready to go! It's like it was meant to be - ooooooh.

So now we have a new kitten that needs a name - can you help? Leave us a comment and let us know your preference!! We're going with a Dukes of Hazard theme, so our two choices are Cletus (Britt) and Cooter (Sean). Which name should we go with?

Roscoe has adapted well, even keeping him clean with lots of loving licks, but he plays a little rough, so we can't leave them alone together just yet. Jumper hissed and turned his back, so we still have a little work to do with him!

New Kitten

Chelan Vacation: Building a case for sunscreen

Britt's entry -
Sean and I loaded up Roscoe on Thursday and headed over Steven's pass for our first (and only) vacation this summer. As soon as we crested the pass the sky cleared and the blue sky welcomed us to Eastern Washington. There was practically a choir singing.

Chelan trip, July 2007

Once we got to Chelan, we stopped at Chelan Falls Park, a big grassy park along the Entiat river with an offshoot that fills a swimming area. It’s the only park in the area where dogs are weclome, so we wanted to take the chance to try to get our water-phobic dog swimming. Sean and I both waded in with Roscoe on the leash, until he couldn't touch any more. He panicked a little and tried to use me as a raft, clawing my leg with his powerful paws and leaving a lovely bruise on my thigh. But he soon realized he could lift his head out of the water and we had him ACTUALLY SWIMMING! WHOO-HOO!! It was awkward, but he was doing it. Sean threw a tennis ball across the water and Rocoe couldn't help going out for it. Soon, Sean was out in the water calling for him and I stood in the shallow end and grabbed his leash each time he returned the ball so he wouldn't make a break for it when he neared the shore. Can't say he was all that pleased to be swimming, but he humored us.

Later that night we tried out a new Chelan restaurant called Woodfire Grill. They had a great outdoor patio that was shaded and had misters and Sean and I started to relax and got a chance to really just have great conversation. Somehow it seems like we hadn't done that in awhile!

The next day we took Roscoe back to the river to swim and then waited in the sunshine for our guests to roll into town - Sean's sister Tanya, her kids Darian and Curtis, and husband Scott. It was roasting outside and they had taken a picturesque (read - LONG) route to Chelan, so they were eager to get up to the house. They launched and moored their boat and then we made dinner and started to settle in.

On Saturday we took the boat out and decided to find a nice private little beach up the lake, drop anchor a few yards out and swim in with our gear. The spot we found didn't look like much from the water, but it had a tree for shade and a shore we could walk on. Once we got there, we saw that it was some sort of small campsite with spots cleared for tents, a firepit, a makeshift bench and a sign that said "Grade Creek". The creek ran down one side of the site. We drifted on the inner tube and body board, swam in the water and soaked in some sun. A little too much. It was easy to forget in the cold water that it was 97 degrees and the sun was beating down on us. We reapplied sunscreen a few times, but apparently not often enough because there was some seriously pink skin when we got home.

We scouted out other sites on the boat ride back to Chelan and on Sunday we tried out a more established park about 10 miles west of Manson - complete with a docks, simple bathrooms and a nice little shelter. We spent a little less time in the sun that day, going in the water for short periods to cool off and then hanging out under the shelter. I think everyone was a litle sunshined out at that point! Scott even took a nice nap under the awning of the boat.

The wind picked up Sunday night and Tanya and her family were treated to the strong gusts that hit us up on the hill. Its pretty impressive! You can throw something over the edge of the ridge and have it fly back at you.

We headed home on Monday, but we're already eagerly planning a trip for next year!

Getting High. 2,200 feet to be exact.

Sean's Entry -
This hike has once again proven one thing, we have the best dog ever! Roscoe served as our tour guide, we were never in the lead. He was very happy to be out smelling all the new smells and meeting everyone on the trail. Short of a few spectacular tumbles on the trail when he chose to take a corner too fast or mis-judged a leap between rocks he was a pro. There will be many more hikes!

Britt's entry -
Sean, Roscoe and I went on a hike up to Bridal Veil Falls, then backtracked and went up to Serene Lake, too! The hike is 7.2 miles out and back with a cumulative elevation gain of 2,200 ft. The Forest Service classes the hike as "most difficult," and given there are 23 (!) steep switchbacks on the way up, it's tempting to agree, but mainly for the last few miles up to Lake Serene.

Serene Lake Hike

We packed up Sunday morning, planning for some wet weather, and we weren't wrong. It was slightly misty when we got to the parking lot near Mt. Index and the second we opened the back window (not even the tailgate!) Roscoe was out and racing around. We were all pretty stoked to be going on a hike, but Sean and I opted to conserve our energy. We put on our backpacks, including Roscoe's nifty little pack - this dog carries his own gear - and set off!

Most of the hike it was misty, drizzly, raining and/or pouring. The bonus was that it was hard to tell how sweaty we were! And we were sweatin', let me tell you!

We were kind of suprised at how much of the hike took us along a stream bed - not that we were next to a stream, but the trail was the stream. But, there may have been extra creeks because of the amount of rain that was coming down on the mountain.

One of the most impressive parts of the hike is that much of the stairs and reinforced trails are 4x6 pressure treated wood along with gravel and rocks in sizes from golf ball to football and bigger. I can see where the rocks came from, but I am mystified at the amount of effort it must have taken to schlep that wood and gravel up the rest of the trails and hills and get it in place. I could barely get me and my little pack up there, and there are places that no machinery or wheeled devices would have been able to travel. So a big way-to-go-and-thank-you to all the people who made that trail happen!!

The hike up to the junction for the falls and the lake is about 1.7 miles. Once there, we took the right fork up to the falls, and went up a lot of stairs to get there - a half mile of them, to be exact. Feel the burn! Yeah! We leashed up Roscoe at the top so he wouldn't frolic in the water and get swept down the hillside. Not that we weren't already soaked at that point!

Then we headed back down and decided to take the second trail up to Lake Serene. I'm not sure if Sean knew that was part of my game plan, but he was more than up for it. We started up the 23 steep switchbacks and met a lot of very nice hikers along the way who became close friends with Roscoe - and by "close" I mean that he is a bit of a trail hog. The pack adds about 6" on either side that can bowl you over if he is running past at top speed at a narrow point.

I gotta say, I was huffin' and puffin' up those hills. Apparently neither doing strength/endurance training 3 times a week (me) or running 3-5 miles several times a week (Sean) is enough to prepare one for this hike. The best way to be ready is to just do these more often : ) There were people passing us who never even paused for a break or looked out of breath. Damn them.

There were some gorgeous vistas once we got near the end of the switchbacks, looking out over the valley toward Index. And eventually, after 2 miles, and a total elevation gain of over 2,000 feet, we crested the hill line and came to the crystal clear lake, surrounded by granite cliffs. The temperature dropped significantly once we were there, so we didn't stay too long, just enough for a few slices of pizza and some pictures. It was well worth it, though!

Back at the bottom of the switchbacks, Sean's shoes and socks were so thouroughly drenched that he figured he would just wade through the streams from then on. It cooled him off and made crossing them easier, too. I had new hiking shoes and wicking socks that rocked (God Bless REI) so my feet were neat and dry in spite of dunking them more than a few times. But, I did wear a T-shirt that I could wring water out of at the end, in spite of being covered by a rain coat the whole trip.

The way down was much easier and faster, for obvious reasons. We figure Roscoe must have put in 4 times the mileage we did for the hike because the whole time he went ahead of us, circled back, went ahead, checked back, went ahead, said hi to people up the trail, came back for us, ran off the trail and up hills, etc. Nearly every time he stopped and looked back at us with a sideways head, like: "Ok, don't make me come back one more time. Come on on, guys! Hustle, hustle! What is taking so long?" Of course, once we were a mile or two from getting back to the car, he managed to stay pretty close, and even laid down on the ground when we stopped for a breather.

Once we were back at the parking lot, we opened the tailgate and Roscoe hopped in and immediately laid his head down and started to doze off. He was seriously worn out. (The next day he's licking his poor little paws and not too eager to move around.)

Sean and I changed into drier clothes and then drove away in search of a Slurpee. This was a great hike!

First full trip around the sun....

Britt's entry -
A very happy 1st birthday to little Jaine, Sean's youngest niece! Jaine's parent's, Jill and Marcus, had both their families over at their house in Seattle on Sunday and we got some great pictures!
Events included: a delicious lunch, a game where you had to throw balls onto the other teams side of the yard and have the least on your side before time runs out and a contest to see who could get the messiest eating their cupcake.

Jaine's 1st birthday!

Congratulations Brad and Colleen!

Brad and Colleen's Wedding

Britt's entry:
Sean's friend, Brad, asked him about a year ago to be a groomsman in his 7/7/07 wedding in Bellingham. This involved a trip up to Bellingham to get fitted for tuxes, which was really an excuse for a big "man-date", and a bachelor weekend at Whistler which ended up with most of the guys saying, "Man, my butt hurts," for days. (They mountain biked. Get your mind out of the gutter.)

So Sean headed up there with Garbs on Friday to attend the rehearsal, pick up the tux and give Brad one last bachelor stripper trip (encouraged by Colleen!). Apparently strippers at Honey's in Everett accurately reflect the impression you probably have of strippers at Honey's in Everett. Shocker.

The tux pick-up didn't quite turn out as planned, but I'm under strict instructions not to say, "I told you so". Does typing it count? Hope not. Either way, Sean looked hhhhhhhhot. And since it was over 80 degrees, I'm guessing he was pretty warm, too.

Garbs' girl, Natasha, met me at the house on Saturday afternoon so we could carpool up to B-ham together, and lucky it worked out because we kept each other laughing all night long! She is a ton of fun! Together we drank a lot, mocked the guys, fixed a fashion emergency with club soda and safety pins, rescued beta fish from certain mutilation, drank a lot, mocked the guys, took random pictures, and drank a lot.

The wedding party was a lot of fun, too - nearly everyone who wasn't family seemed to be around our age and once the DJ started up, there was serious dancing until we closed up at midnight. I never realized Sean was so anti-YMCA, but we danced for almost all of the others, and it's been far too long since I've been out dancing, so I was rocking!

After we cleared out of the Bellingham ferry terminal (actually a cool spot for a wedding), we went back to our hotel. **Note: AVOID THE RODEWAY HOTEL IN BELLINGHAM** I can't believe we paid money to sleep in that place. If only I'd known that the mattress was like a block of concrete, the pillow was less effective than a folded sweatshirt and they were out (OUT?) of extras, and the walls are paper thin (the people next door apparently had some stamina and didn't care who heard).

All in all it was one of the most fun weddings I've been to! So, Congratulations Brad and Colleen, we hope you had as much fun as we did! And Garbs and Tash - can't wait to hang out with you guys again : )

Spirit of Washington Brunch Train

Brunch Train with Sean's family

Britt's entry -
Sean's parents, Teri and Bud, thoughtfully invited their whole family on a trip on the Spirit of Washington Brunch train, and were kind enough to extend that inivitation on to my parents as well!

We all met down in Renton and hopped on the train, which zoomed us North, over a very tall and old wooden trestle, past Lake Washington and up to a winery in Woodinville. Along the way we were served a scrumptious brunch and we all mingled and talked. At the end of our train car, a door opened up to a kind of open air patio, with rails of course, that let us really see what was zipping by! It was beautiful and a lot of fun, and we all really appreciated how wonderful it was for Bud and Teri to treat us all!

It was especially nice for my parents to be able to get to know his family a little better and for all of them to find out more about me. It was a great day!