Ski To Sea

Big Bellingham Event

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Last week, Bellingham hosted the Jr Ski to Sea race. Grade schoolers, middle schoolers and high schoolers each compete in respective races. There's soccer dribbling, biking around Lake Whatcom, a tiny bit of running and an obstacle course!

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A week later, always on Memorial Day weekend, the adult Ski to Sea kicks it into full gear. 82.5 miles of physical goodness. It starts off with 4 miles of cross-country skiing, about 3 miles of 'downhill' skiing, running, canoing, 2 types of biking and the last leg, sea kayaking. It's a HUGE event for Bellingham and probably the event of the year. It's bigger than 4th of July!

3 years ago, I made the trip to B'ham for the 1st time since college (well, not really, but THIS was a special time) to meet my-now wife, Emi Onozawa-Hughes. At that time, she lived on Grant Street but moved about a year later. Anyway, it was our first date and Kody even came along too! So in a way, it's a special event for us because we got to properly meet each other.

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We got up and I made vanilla pancakes. It would have been vanilla blueberry pancakes but the blueberries were used up the morning before in smoothies! After that, we chilled until Thomas got up from his usual morning nap. Then we drove down to the Boundary Bay area, parked and walked our way in to where all the action was (in Fairhaven). But I have to digress here and talk about something else kinda special.

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Our next door neighbor, Mike, was on a team. He was taking care of the downhill skiing portion. Last nite, they had a party. We were invited but with my parents here, we didn't bother coming over. When they left, I ran over there to say HI and to wish Mike g'luck. It turns out that one of the team members I've known since I was, oh, 8, was there! Tim Snyder.

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We swam together on the View Ridge Swim Team (a summer swim league at the local, member-only pool). Tim's got about 4 yrs on me but while we swam each summer, I was able to swim on the Roosevelt team with him. (he was a senior, i was a freshmen) After HS, he went to Western where I visited when I was a senior because I was planning on going there. I'm sure there were other people I could have visited and they could have showed me around, but Tim was a friend of the family. So I hooked up with him for a day; visited his classes and checked out his apt. We (as in the family) knew he was majoring in Poli-Sci and had even done an internship in DC. After he graduated, I never knew what happened to him.

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So last nite, I ran into him. Being the socially-inept doof I am, I didn't ask what he was doing now and the usual questions. He WAS just leaving the party and I was able to find out that he was living in Seattle. Tim's always been a nice guy and very sociable and well, he was a role model for me. HE asked how my parents were doing, y'know? The next day, I was able to get it out of Mike that Tim got a masters degree in PoliSci and a teaching degree at Seattle University. Wow. And the kicker? He's teaching at Eckstein middle school.

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I managed 2 years there, while he went thru the usual public school system. It's a trip to know he's working there because a gal named Emily Stone (her father was Mr. Stone, the 6th grade science teacher) also works there. Emily was on the View Ridge Swim Team AND lifguarded with Tim (but not me, 4 yrs later). As a sidenote, one of my old bosses at Trader Joes, Gertz, his wife works at Eckstein too. The world becomes smaller, yes?

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Back to Ski To Sea. We thought we left late and that a majority of the fastest kayakers must have already come in. It was 1pm or a tad after (race starts at 0830) and walking along the trail which has an open view of the bay, we saw no kayakers.

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One of the highlights for me is the old car show at Boulevard Park. That 1st year we went, I thought it was so cool. But now, it doesn't seem as if there are as many sweet cars. Yeah, there were a few that really stood out, but I question if the rain didn't stop MORE from coming out. I took a few pics. After smelling the hot dogs and taking pics, we moved on into Fairhaven. It's about 2 miles from downtown B'ham to Fairhaven. Now... Bellingham was dead. Empty. Void of life. Fairhaven was alive! Thousands of people checking out the booths and heading down to the finish line. We milled around for a short time, talked to Brenna (co-worker of Emi's) at her charity booth, and then walked down to the park where the sea kayakers finish.

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It was only a few minutes later when the 1st place kayaker showed up. From what I hear, he had about 2 minutes on the 2nd/3rd place competitors but it seemed longer. We stayed around for the top10 before heading out. Poor Thomas baby was getting tired. So we packed up with smiles on our faces, checked out the booths (but not the beer garden or the food booths in which the greek food's aroma was drifting our way...) in Fairhaven and then came back home. We left around 12pm and ended up back home around 5pm. It was a nice day, no rain and I signed up to try and win a... a... Some sort of car from the local classic rock station, KISM. It would be REALLY nice if I won, but I'm sure 100s of people signed up too. :(

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As for yesterday, my parents came up. Father and I rented a bunch of power tools to take care of some metal posts (that were used originally for cyclone fencing and then later on a shed) that were in the backyard (I had since taken down the shed). Father cut the posts down and then grinded the stubs. Father also edged our yard for us since we dont' have a proper edge. And this was ALL after Saturday's Ski To Sea parade! 2 hrs of local goodness, tho groups as far south as Marysville were in it! That nite, we had lovely Copper River Salmon. $20/lb salmon, known for its richness and flavor. (Course, King Salmon goes for more but that'll be later...)

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Until Next Time...