A weekend to savor

This was an exciting weekend for me on so many levels. It started off on Thursday night, when I got my shipment of wood from Dunn Lumber to complete Phase 2 (of 3) of my deck --a replacement landing, stairway, and walkway out to my new patio. I also had three parties to attend, which, for anyone who knows me, is usually enough for 2 months.

I got started on the deck on Friday night, and worked on it on-and-off throughout the weekend, eventually completing the walkway frame. This is a good place to stop, since my old landing and steps, though wobbly, are still in tact and usable. Here are some pictures of the big plan, and of my progress so far:




The first party I went to was a Dartmouth Alumni Club Blue Angels party at an alum's lakefront house in Medina. For those of you not from here, Medina is a very affluent and secluded suburb on the east side of Lake Washington, home to the Gates estate, among others. I was curious to go just to see what it was like on the inside of one of these beautiful homes, and I was not disappointed. The backyard was enormous, nicely decorated and perfect for a party of more than 70 people. It was also an ideal place from which to watch the air show, as the jets flew no more than a few hundred feet directly overhead. It's amazing what they're capable of.

After a brief stop at home, I went off to my next party at my friend Owen's, a former classmate of mine at the UW. It was more of a dinner party with very interesting people from very different backgrounds from the first party. While a lot of discussion at the Dartmouth party focused on investments, tax evasion, and other such topics, Owen's party seemed to be filled with people who worked in areas of conservation, marine science, and education. Between the two parties, I probably met 2 dozen new people, which is a drastic improvement from the wedding last weekend. Going to parties where you don't know anyone isn't so bad after all!

Sunday was the annual Groundspeak Blue Angels party at my co-worker Elias and his fiancee Karyl's house, on the Seattle side of Lake Washingtonn. This was a much smaller party, but I also knew almost everyone this time. It was very enjoyable, with lots of good food, wonderful hosts, and even a dip into the lake for me.

Throughout the whole weekend, the weather remained flawless, with afternoon highs into the low 80's with nary a cloud in the sky. What more could I ask for! My friend Jessica and her boyfriend Mike are coming to visit from D.C. this week, and the perfect weather is forecast to continue for the foreseeable future.