I finally finished all the photos from Ian and Jenn’s wedding in march… ugh, i know, i’m a total slacker. Anyway, go check them out. There’s some random photos of downtown Phoenix, a few shots of Seattle out the window of the plane, lots of me goofing off with my friends, and even some nice pix of the happy couple! Congrats again, you two, and thanx for having me!

948 miles logged on the Z so far – almost there! Not really sure what “extra” i’m going to do when it hits 1000 miles, other than change the oil again. Maybe start worrying a little less, i guess, altho i’m still wondering about a few squeaks and rattles, a strange clicky noise, and parking it outside in the street.

I’ve been MIA all week for many reasons. Last few days in phoenix were too busy for computer time. Wedding was very nice – pleasant, elegant and simple, obviously Jenn’s doing. Ian succeeded in smiling thru the entire evening from inside his vest and cummerbund. The sun shone warmly but not so much that anyone was prone to fainting, and the champagne flowed freely. The happy couple departed, and as the night was still young, we piled a couple cars full of merry attendees and sought out weekend entertainment in downtown phoenix. After wandering haphazardly from block to block, somehow we found ourselves around a large table at Hooters in an outdoor mall, scarfing hot wings served by seemingly-underage waitresses. Heated political discussions notwithstanding, a good time was had by all. And big congrats to our Hero and Heroine – can i say “i can’t believe you’re married!” and at the same time offer “i’m not at all surprised.”

The rest of the trip was about three things: sunshine, pool time, and food. Anna, Kim, Dave, Sophia and I repeatedly sampled what the Valley of the Sun had to offer, and all-too-quickly i was on my way home.

Waiting in Seattle when i returned, Mom and Danielle had found Danielle a great studio apartment in Ravenna (near Green Lake) and we spent the rest of the week packing, moving, shopping, assembling, decorating, and ordering in. Steph was a huge saint and chipped in on the moving part cause she’s so nice. Some small logistical snafus, but nothing compared to the horror-move i put Danielle thru two summers ago – i’m convinced i still owe her some moving payback.

Mom is flying home tmrw, Danielle’s getting settled quickly in her new place, Dad’s not going to believe how much money Mom spent while she was here (sorry Dad, we tried!) including picking up a pair of red Diesel shoes since she liked mine so much. Hers are much more cute and girly than mine, tho…

It’s another beautiful sunny day in Seattle, spring is here and i’m very happy about that. Many days to drive with the tops off, making up for all those winter days without sun, t-tops, or driving. And that, my friends, is what i’m going to go do right now… :D

Chilling for a couple hours in my hotel room after spending the morning soaking up sunshine in Phoenix! I slept in until 8 (seriously!) and skated thru continental breakfast just before it closed. A trip across town to pick up my rental car, then it was straight to downtown. I’m actually staying in Goodyear, about 20 miles from Phoenix, cause that’s where the wedding is.

First thing i found that sounded cool was a green square on the map called “Squaw Peak Park”. As it turns out, it really is a peak – i was pleasantly surprised. Hiked to the top to enjoy the view and bake myself against the rocky hillsides. Great way to start the day!

Then i headed back to downtown – the skyscrapers were calling to me – and found a spot to park so i could walk around. After a couple hours of exploring, i was totally parched, but was rescued by a Starbucks oasis. Invigorated, i explored for a couple more hours, then retreated to my air conditioned room to relax for a bit until Anna and the others are done with the rehearsal and ready for dinner. This gave me a chance to post up some photos for you’all, so you can live vicariously in whatever rainy, snowy place you’re inhabiting today. ;) And now i think it’s time to go sit by the pool…

Mom and Danielle arrived safely today, and Danielle is getting settled in her room upstairs, that will be hers until Christian comes to claim it in a few weeks. I barely managed to get the house clean after work, before they arrived; I was wiping down the kitchen when they knocked on the door. We laughed ourselves hysterical all evening and headed to bed early… doesn’t mean i’m asleep, tho – instead, here i am. ;)

I’ve logged 430 miles on the new motor. Lifters are still noisy, i think i need to find some way to coax oil into them at a faster rate. I sort of thought that ‘self-lubricating’ parts would be, uh, self-lubricating, but apparently that isn’t always the case. When i return next week, it will be due for an oil change, and a much-needed belt tightening – those squeaky belts are so embarassing! Really spoils the illusion…

Tomorrow i’m on a plane to phoenix, to spend a long weekend helping Ian & Jenn get married! I originally planned a nice long trip to get out of town for a bit, since my car would be done, and take a break from everything. Then Mom and Danielle scheduled this to be Danielle’s return-to-Seattle weekend, and Mom decided to stay and visit, and here i am leaving for all but two days of that. Oh, well, i suppose they need their quality time. Hopefully Danielle will have found some good job prospects by the time i get back.

If i can find an internet connection in the desert i’ll give you a wedding update, and pop onto IM. No guarantees, tho – it’s still kinda the wild west down there (no handgun laws!) and i’m staying at a cheap hotel. ;)