Mothers Day Today

Natalie peeking at me on the Wickersham Train.


Brady at his first day of golf lessons (like he needs them!)


All the moms on the train today rode for free and received a rose.


Since Larry is going rock climbing in SEATTLE tonight after work (yeah, I know) I don't have great hopes for a big shabang tomorrow for Mothers day. So I took myself, the kids, my mom, and her friend Jan (who is visiting from Bakersfield) on the Wickersham train today. And I even packed a picnic lunch.

The kids and I rode the train last summer, and it's a nice little treat. All the operators are volunteers and they have a real enthusiasm for what they do. We rode the old train to a clearing and played around by a waterfall and rode a hand truck (like the one from the movie "Oh, Brother, where art thou?") and listened to a fella play the banjo on the ride back. Very charming.

Last summer, we ran into Jim's mother, sister, and brother-in-law who were also riding the train (it's about 40 minutes out of Bellingham). Today we rode with Natalie's classmate Julien and the rest of his family. I also saw a chick that I've seen scrapbooking at the same places I scrapbook, but she kind of drives me nuts, so I ignored her.

Now... I think I have a cosmic connection with Julien's family. I worked with his dad at Costco. I noticed his last name was the same as someone I grew up with. Sure enough, they're cousins. Then his wife made my veil for my wedding (that is their business). We lost track of each other when he quit Costco to work full time on their family business. Then I hear that they had a daughter 2 weeks after Brady was born (which was really only 4 days after Brady's due date, but I was induced early). Alright, whatever. Then, all of the sudden their daughter enrolls in Brady's preschool class (later moved to a different time). Then I find out that they had another child, Julien on February 22. Four days before I had Natalie. And now those 2 are in the same class too. And lately I've been running into them all over town. I think we're on the same plane (definately on the same "cycle").

Have you ever had people in your life that you aren't particularly close to, but you seem to ride on the same wave? I've had 2 other people like this. My middle school math teacher (my family would run into him all over the state several times during vacations); and some weird dude with a pony tail here in Bellingham that I've seen several times a week ever since I moved to Bellingham.

Ponderous man, really ponderous. (do you know the song?)