Presenting Mrs. Ludlow...

Our final day in Astoria, OR ended with a totally organized Truckster complete with new vanity and kitchen storage area. My yoga mat is now providing the dog with enough traction on the linoleum so her bed no longer slides at every death defying turn on the freeway. She's also surprisingly more centered and zen-like...

Living in a van, down by the river...

Astoria

Jack riding the human Kai slide

Kai's parents threw a BBQ in honor of his aunt and uncle who were both turning 50 this month as well as our visit. Burgers, salmon, and sturgeon fritters + Kai's massive family = a good time. There was no shortage of obnoxious "It's Nifty to be 50" and "Over the Hill" buttons, balloons, banners, napkins and plates. I'm sure Mark and Millie, the birthday boy and girl, were just thrilled with all the attention and awesome decor. KK finished all the leftovers mummu could give her and her HgA1c is no doubt highly elevated.

We left Saturday morning to head north to the Bellingham, WA area to celebrate the union of Caitlin Ross and Orion Ludlow. Her parents who live in an amazing lakeside house were the hosts of this all night soiree. Fresh flowers and mini lanterns adorned every table while pale gray and yellow fabric and tall grass swayed in the breeze as we watched the ceremony as the sun set on the lake.

We sat at table number 12 with all of Kai's old Ashland, OR mountain buddies, former ski lift operators and a lone local celebrity reporter, Tom. (Orion works for one of the local news stations in Portland so naturally there were a few reporters and anchors as guests). But we were the very luckiest of all to have Tom at our table because essentially we all dined with Ron Burgandy last night. Tanned to a perfection and with a sweater tied over his shoulders in a subtle, "Hey, anyone want to go sailing later?" sort of knot, he made inappropriately awesome comments all evening. All that was missing was a neatly groomed mustache.


After a Mexican feast, we enjoyed weepy speeches and champagne toasts followed by an array of delicious pies. The barn was the site for the dance party which really kicked into high gear after most of the guests had caught the last shuttle back to their hotels in town. It was at this time that the bride and groom seemed to noticeably relax and a very small group of us took over the DJ booth, did keg stands, and talked a lot of mess about the issue of to circumcise or to not circumcise. We rocked out to Orion Ludlow original songs and to Ween and the Miami Vice soundtrack (random), we reminisced over good old times when Orion lived in Anchorage, AK. But the most fun of all was spent discussing Catilin's new alter-ego, Mrs. Ludlow. Miss Ross, the girlfriend, was sweet, fun-loving, and cute... but Mrs. Ludlow is going to gain about 50 pounds (mostly in the cankle region), make Orion sleep in another room so that she and the dog, Sarge, have the whole bed to themselves, demand foot rubs, and burn his dirty laundry if he doesn't pick it up off the floor fast enough. Mrs. Ludlow has a deep, gravely voice and she takes no shit. She probably will wear t-shirts that have cartoon characters on the front and says something crotchety like, "Don't mess with me, I haven't had my coffee yet", she'll likely never ever do her hair again, or wear an ounce of make-up either. Us ladies laughed as we watched the developing sweat beads and look of overall dismay and defeat come over Orion's face. Isn't marriage awesome?!?! 


Dr. Jim (Jimbo) Ross, father of the bride, put out plates and plates of his homemade pork sausage at the perfect time, you know when you're drunk and tired and sweaty from dancing and need a little meaty-pick-me-up? The teenage boys from the next house over showed up like little hyenas looking for scraps, but they were after liquid scraps such as half drank bottles of vino and champagne. Kai and I provided cover as they rooted through the nearly empty reception scavenging for bottles and chewing tobacco. Normally I don't condone underage drinking, however these boys' parents were out of town and they were allowing us to camp out in their yard next to their trampoline, so it was a fair trade in our opinion. Plus they got wrapped up in having to listen to the very, very intoxicated best man's current marital woes and anybody who had to listen to that deserved a drink in return.


We slept well in the van despite all the nearly poisonous gas that is the inevitable result of an evening spent drinking beer and eating Mexican food. Thank God for the vent above the bed. This morning we woke up at a leisurely hour and walked up the hill again but this time for a brunch spread. We rondied with fellow party goers and discussed the possible fate of both the best man, who was last seen asleep on the neighbor's trampoline at about 2:30 am, and of Clare, who can be seen in the keg stand photo below, last seen topless (???) and passed out in a vehicle around the same time.

Clare

Intermediate Poets, Theo and Orion

Mr. and Mrs. Ludlow

After hugging the newlyweds goodbye and stealing a centerpiece, we headed out to Everett, WA to have an early dinner with Kai's aunt and uncle. We re-gifted the centerpiece to Eija and Risto, who made us a Thanksgiving sized meal complete with a homemade ice-cream cake. They're kids Marko and Katri and Marko's fiance, Michael, joined us on the deck in the sun. We departed with full bellies and a sandwich baggy full of cookies for the road.


Up next? We're trying to make it to Hayden, ID by this evening to see long time family friends Pete and Jerry LaMetterey, former Alaskans who have successfully made the transition from Alaskans to Americans, like we hope to do.