memento mori
If you don’t live in Seattle, chances are you haven’t seen the Ballard locks when they are completely drained. I snapped these photos while taking a bike ride on Saturday. For an idea of scale, check out the bulldozer on the floor of the lock on the right below. I wonder what else besides cell phones people drop while going through the locks.
As we’ve started to do every year on the day after Thanksgiving, today we drove up to Mount Creek Tree Farm outside of North Bend, WA to get our Christmas tree. This was the easiest tree hunt and set up we’ve ever had. All three of us agreed on a Noble Fir within 5 minutes. Henry helped dad cut it down, and then we warmed up with some apple cider and bought our annual tree ornament. The only way the entire trip could have been easier would have been if the tree hadn’t almost fallen off the top of the van as we drove home on I-90.
| The Fry Family Trio had a great, no muss no fuss Thanksgiving. Thank God for family who don’t mind it when you invite yourself over. With mashed potatoes in tow, we mini-vanned down to cousin Drew and Megan Herdener’s house, where we had a delicious meal and played the first half of a boys vs. girls Trivial Pursuit game. The girls were coming on strong when we had to leave, but we’re not sure who ended up winning the game. I’m sure the boys rebounded, as usual. |
Earlier in the day, we took Henry to the park to burn off some energy and work up an appetite. Playgrounds have so much more to offer in 2008. Henry went down four different types of slides (straight, tornado, tunnel and kiddy) and had a great time crawling around the fort and the mud.
My ratio of stupid to non-stupid behavior is increasing rapidly, and I don’t even have pregnancy brain to blame it on. This morning, as soon as we got Henry out of bed, for some reason I insisted that the Fry Family Trio check out the almost complete garage remodel. Henry was hesitant, and now I know why. As we stepped into the garage, the door closed behind us. And of course, it was locked. We hadn’t even had our morning coffee yet. Uggh. I climbed out the window, in my socks, to see if there was another way in. I even climbed up onto the deck. No dice. I’m sure the neighbors had a good laugh. One hour and a hefty locksmith fee later, we were back in the inner chambers of the Fry Lodge.
There comes a time in a man’s life when he must say goodbye to baby things. Sippy cups, toys that don’t make noise, size 3 diapers. And cribs. Last night, Friday, November 21, Henry Owen Fry slept all night in his new big boy bed. And he took it like a man. Congratulations, Henry. You’ve crossed your Rubicon.
Today I packed away Emotional Rescue’s canvas and took the chilly, topless boat ride across Lake Union to Seattle Boat Company, who will winterize and store her ’til Spring. Sleep tight, ER.
