Awkwardness, thy name is 'family' (Part 2)

[lapacifidora]

 

Wednesday

As this is rather literally 'old home week,' we drove by the house I grew up in.





Which was incredibly strange, to see *my* house and yet know it hasn't been *my* house for 14 years.

Then we drove up to Issaquah (Is-a-kwah), where we met my sister and bitesize for lunch at Gilman Village. None of us had been there since 2006, and it was still fairly empty, though it looked like it might also have been under new management as there were several empty shops with 'coming soon' signs in the windows and lots of painting going on.

After lunch, we headed over to visit my aunt - which was increcibly awkward. It's another cut-and-dried example of why I love my family, but I really only *like* them when I'm on the other side of the country. It's also disappointing when a family member you remember is no longer the person you remember but is now showing his or her age.

Then we drove over to my brother and sister-in-law's for dinner, which was also fairly awkward. Talking with my sister-in-law was proof that we do a piss-poor job of communicating in this family - and of showing emotions. But that's another therapy session entirely, so I won't go into it here.

However, I did manage to get my copies of Florence & The Machine's "Lungs," La Roux's debut album, Temper Trap's "Conditions," and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero's "Up From Below" onto their home server, so I feel like my duty to share good music has been done for the the month.
***
Thursday

Before my dad leaves for China on Saturday, he really wanted to go down to Mt. Rainier. (And of course we ended up picking the day when the mountain was not out, but completely socked in by fog. But I digress.)



On the way up, we stopped at Ohanapecosh, which was always one of my mum's favorite campgrounds. (And where I had the crap scared out of my as a kid when the ranger talked about how Seattle and Tacoma would be completely destroyed by glacial melt and lahash if and/or when the mountain finally blew.)

 

Then we continued on to the Grove of the Patriarchs, which is a protected stand of old-growth timber.

 

 

Finally, we headed up to Paradise, where we had lunch (and I burned my hand on my soup, as apparently only I am capable of doing) and walked around the visitor's center, which is still fairly new. (Unfortunately, this side of the Cascades has had such lousy weather this spring and early summer that the wildflowers that should've been in bloom were still buried beneath at least a foot of snow. Yes, you read that correctly: Snow.)


 

Late in the day, we headed back down the mountain, passing Alexander's, which was my favorite place when I was younger. (Me: "You mean, they give you *free* bread and olive oil with herbs to dip it in?" Parents: "Yes. For the thousandth time." Me: "AWESOME!")

We had pizza at my sister's place, which my brother-in-law barely got through as he's not feeling well, and headed home.
***
And tonight we're having dinner with some old family friends, which should also prove amusingly awkward.

(Gah. Shoot me?)
 

See y'all on the flipside. :D