Archive for November, 2006

Day 8: The trip home

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2006

I had to include our trip home because 1) the scenery was amazing and 2) we nearly died. Carol, John, Ravi and Bryan and I all took off early Tuesday morning on a beautiful clear day, at least in the Pacific Northwest. Our flight plan led us just south of Mt. St. Helens, directly over Mt. Adams and then gave us a great view of Mt. Rainier. I thought the photos turned out well, given they were taken through a triple-paned smudgy airplane window.

Three hours later, the pilot announced it was “quite gusty” in Minneapolis. We didn’t think much of it until we tried to land… I’m comfortable and familiar with pitch, yaw and roll on a sailboat, but when the airplane you’re about to land in is rolling so violently that it seems inevitable that one of the wings is going to hit the ground before anything else, it’s terrifying. Probably my second-scariest airplane experience ever. When we did finally land and the plane lurched abruptly to right itself, there was dead silence instead of the usual clapping that accompanies a shaky landing. I nearly died (again) laughing when the silence was broken by Carol who could be heard a few rows behind us whimpering “Mama scared”.

So ends the exciting events of the Jenil wedding. If you have photos you’d like to add to the Flickr collection, please send them my way.

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Day 7: Olympia & Portland

Monday, November 20th, 2006

Monday morning Anna had to work, so Jack and I took off for McClane Creek Nature Trail in Capitol State Forest, not far from Evergreen State College. Much of the “trail” is a series of wooden planks, slightly elevated above mud, marshlands and an occasional stream. Jack mentioned he had been out there before, “biking around” and it wasn’t until we were about a mile in that he noted “this was the first place I had to stop”. What that really means: he was on his unicycle, riding on these planks (with steps), and it wasn’t until he reached a point where his pedals couldn’t fit through a narrow opening that he actually had to dismount. Crazy. All the more crazy was he didn’t recall riding under a huge tree that had grown over the path — I guess unicycling takes concentration.

After that we went back to Olympia, took in a few scenic views, and then headed to a park so I could get some shots of Jack juggling. He pulled out clubs, balls and then his latest undertaking: knives—much to the dismay of a nearby preschool teacher headed toward the playground with her class. You can find a few more juggling pictures in my flickr photostream — he’s got quite a talent. From there it was back to Portland. Thanks to both Jack and Anna for their hospitality!

I arrived at JenO’s later that afternoon and after oohing and aahing over a room full of wedding gifts, we rounded up some more wedding stragglers and decided to congregate at a nearby establishment. En route we added an old friend of Bryan’s who now lives in Portland and, as it turned out, recognized JenO from Americorps. Small little world.

The last event of a fun-filled week took place at Chapman Elementary School in NW Portland, and did not disappoint. Every September some 20,000–40,000 Vaux swifts migrate through Portland and stop to roost for a while in Chapman School’s chimney. Our group, having grown to a dozen people, gathered a healthy (healthy in the sense of substantial) supply of chocolate, cheese, wine and blankets and planted ourselves down for a picnic in the school yard. Which would have been just fine in itself, but as the sun began to set the birds began to congregate. As the numbers grew, they formed a figure-8 swooping pattern which was amazing to watch. Photos don’t do justice to the experience; video (not mine) is a little better but not much. Every so often a portion of the birds would form their own little funnel cloud and swirl themselves into the chimney. This went on for about 10 minutes and then all the remaining birds formed a long spiral into the chimney and there was a definitive silence before the applause from the crowd began. It is beyond me how all those birds fit in one chimney. And I thought sailboats made for close quarters.

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Day 6: Olympia with Jack & Anna

Friday, November 17th, 2006

Sunday started out with a big breakfast with friends and family at the Best Western Hood River Inn, where my parents and many of the other guests stayed. We said our goodbyes and then Jack, Anna and I headed back to Portland alongside the gorge with plenty of kiteboarders and windsurfers to keep us entertained along the way. Once in Portland I picked up the rental car Bryan had dropped off at Anil’s (so required the logistics of getting Jeff and Molly to the airport, Bryan to Beaverton, and Jack, Anna and I to Olympia with a car for me to return to Portland in), and we headed north up I5 to Jack and Anna’s apartment in Olympia. Which is a great 2-bedroom loft with lush ferns and forest just feet from their deck. I was surprised at how much decorating they had done since they only moved in a few months ago, but I soon learned Jack and Anna have mastered garage sale hunting — and with the possible exception of the classic “college couch” which had been handed down one-too-many times (I had one with a tire tread on it from 1994 through 2000 and then gave it to some poor friend), it really felt comfortable and homey.

With the few hours of sunlight left, my hosts took me on a tour of the area, our first stop being the Tumwater Falls Park Hatchery. It’s a beautiful area and the waterfalls and fall foliage made for some scenic photos. It turns out it was also the perfect time to visit — the Deschutes River Chinook salmon were running and it was crazy to see them trying to jump up the falls. Sadly, once they get up the falls they wind up in a holding tank (where they continue to jump) and are then clubbed to death so their eggs can be harvested. Kind of a brutal end to an otherwise fascinating voyage.

From there we drove to the 5th Ave. bridge, where Jack and Anna are Salmon Stewards, and wandered around the downtown area and nearby marina. As the sun began to set, they took me to a look-out point with a great view of Mt. Rainier… the mountain and surrounding sky seemed to change colors by the second. After that we headed back to their place for dinner, complete with great guac and homemade ale, which was a nice, relaxing end to a long weekend.

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Jenil Wedding: Day 5—Wedding Day

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006

www.flickr.com

The big day arrived with brilliant sunshine, warmer temperatures and a cloudless sky—a notable improvement from Wednesday and Thursday. Jeff, Jack and I put on our wedding-wear and headed over to Stonehedge around 1 for primping and pictures. Stonehedge has a small “bridal cabin” hidden in a wooded area and it was the perfect place for the girls to get Jen ready. Low-maintenance even on her wedding day, Jen was ready to go early, so we had time to hang out and relax before pictures. Which was unnecessary, as it turned outďż˝pictures turned out to be quite painless (except for this one?) and I didn’t even get sore from smiling this time. The photographer, Amy McMullen, did a fantastic job—spelling aside—and the photos really turned out well (you can find them on her site under ‘Jen Oleson’). Although after reading this entry you may not want to see any more wedding photos for a while. So, chairs were set up, photos were taken, the flowers finally arrived and the guests soon followed. The bridal party couples made their way down the aisle and it was at that point that we all realized the sun was SO bright we could barely see. The guys had it a little better with some shade, but not much. Anil awaited with much anticipation, and then Mom, Jen and Dad arrived. JenO looked stunning. Hugs were exchanged, everyone took their place, and the ceremony began.

Renee, a friend of Jen and Anil’s, was the officiant. I think she has a background in theology (in addition to an undergrad degree in psychology from Yale) but it was her first wedding—and she did an excellent job. Jen Knowles did a short reading, a unity candle was lit and after a few more words from Renee, vows were read, rings exchanged, and the deal was sealed.

Jen, Anil and Ravi Devnani and I returned to the bridal cottage to sign the paperwork and Anil revealed the surprise suspenders he was sporting. And from there it was on to the reception area… a beautiful bricked area with white lights, happy garden signs, a stage for the band and dinner tables on multiple terraces. A cello and violin played while we mingled and it was great to see so many family and friends, some of whom had traveled thousands of miles. When it came time to eat, Dad welcomed and thanked everyone for joining us, and made the first toast, which began with “When our children find true love, we parents find true joy….” The other John then stepped up to read a prayer before dinner. The Johns did well.

Dinner had a hard time competing with the phenomenal meal we had the evening before at the rehearsal dinner, but my ravioli was great… not sure how the meat-farers faired. Mama Carol gave a wonderful toast and then the band began to play the first dance. And there followed much rejoicing. Eventually the homemade-by-Lara cakes came out, tastes were exchanged and Anil gave the thumb’s up. Ravi and I decided it was high-time we delivered our toasts, but the sun, or lack thereof, turned out to be a bit of a problem. We both made it through though, and the dancing continued until everyone was ready to go home.

There actually are more photos. You can find all of these and a few more in my Flickr set.

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Jenil Wedding: Day 4

Saturday, November 4th, 2006

Friday, Day 4, started off with a relaxing morning at the spa for the bridal party. Although it would have been more relaxing if Jeff hadn’t misplaced the rental car the night before. Once we actually arrived at the Strawberry Mt. Salon and Day Spa though, and fingers and toes were soaking, all was well. Jack provided us with fruit, muffins, chocolate and other munchies, and it was great to just sit and hang out for a few hours while the nail polish dried.

That afternoon we gathered at Stonehedge Gardens, the site of the ceremony and reception, for the wedding rehearsal. Renee, a friend of Jen and Anil’s, and first-time officiant, did a fantastic job of organizing us — not an easy task — and half an hour later we were off to 3 Rivers Grill for cocktails and dinner. Little did we realize it would be one of the best dinners ever. Everybody raved about the food and the chef prepared a pesto pasta vegetarian meal just for me which was easily one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had. Dessert was equally fantastic — a small individual chocolate cake with warm chocolate center. Glorious.

After dinner, small gifts were given by the bride and groom (bee-themed cufflinks for the guys!), and Carol Devnani, who gave the entire wedding party beautiful beaded jewelry for the wedding, which she made herself. Speeches were made, the video* was shown, and everyone had a great time. The party continued afterward at Full Sail brewery but I headed home to get some sleep before the big day. For a few more photos of the rehearsal dinner and the incredible scenery Jack, Anna and Bryan took in while hiking earlier that day, check out the rest of the flickr stream.

*Google butchered the video, but if you don’t mind pixelated images and the audio not synching with the video (kill me), you can view it online. If you have a decent connection I highly recommend downloading the video (38MB Quicktime file — a 5 to 10 minute wait — but far better quality).

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