Mukilteo Musings

I am feeling bloggy today; perhaps because my son is on his way to study for a month in Guatemala and the house feels empty after his 10 days home from college.

Typical Party

On Saturday night we attended a 50th birthday party in Seattle for two of Dave's colleagues and friends from the University. The guests were an overlap of our wine-making group, our wine-tasting group, and University people including graduate students. The two birthday boys are in all three groups as are we. Unlike "Frasier", nobody cares about clothes particularly so standard attire is sweatshirts, t-shirts and jeans with a random Hawaiian shirt thrown in.

Sometimes, I become a little intimidated at these things because I have chosen my kids over career. Initial conversation with some women I don't know well involved good books with exchange of slips of paper with book names as recommendations. I participate just fine at first but then the conversation turns to books people have written, are writing and what cabin on what island they go to write, and the subjects of books to be written in the future. "I have a blog!!", I think to myself. Oh well, I'm better looking.

I join my husband out on the deck. Shortly, we are joined by Steve, originally from London, Andre from France, Lucio from Milan, and Theo from Germany. My husband tried to convince Steve without success a year or so ago to become a partner in our old fishing boat. I tell Steve he made the right decision.

Andre was found in France by Dave's longtime colleague, Elaine, and he now lives with her. Elaine wasn't at the party but handsome Andre is still part of the group. I don't know what he does for a living and I don't care. I'm just glad Elaine found him. We tasted Andre's beer; he makes beer as well as wine. I love listening to Andre sensuously describe with his French accent different types of beer (I don't even like beer). Ok, I'm enjoying the party now.

Lucio we have known for 25 years. A world reknown scientist, he manages mysteriously to live in both Milan and Seattle. In fact, he has a wife I've never met who is a cardiologist in Milan and he has five year old twins. I ask if they are speaking English and he said a little--that they watch American cartoons. He asks about our son, Lucas and we explain how in the middle of the night Lucas and his friends drove to Canada for no reason--just to do it. They get a kick out of being searched at the border when they know nothing is to be found. He comments how when he was young they'd take off from Milan and end up in Portofino, wait for the sunrise, buy fresh foccacia and get back to Milan in time for class. Yep, kids are the same everywhere.

And finally Theo---he and his wife are about to celebrate their one year anniversary. Theo has been with Dave almost 10 years. He met a rare breed--a native Seattle girl and they had a gorgeous wedding in the chapel of an old Seattle girls Catholic school. Lucas and his quartet played during the entire wedding mass. I still regret not taking Kaley to the wedding to meet Theo's adorable 17 year old nephew from Germany.

It was a good party after all as I realize how intertwined our lives have become; we tell the two now 50 year old scientists (one from Michigan and one from Florida originally) good night. See you next weekend at the wine-tasting! We are doing whites this month.