an unexpectedly fantastic time

First off, this is a disclaimer: I have given up trying to come up with creative titles for my blogs. This one is stolen from mnm. I guess I just don't apply song lyrics to my life like you guys, so the titles might be pretty boring for a little while.

So my second cousin got married today. I might have mentioned it before - the yin-yang sort of wedding with video games and loud music, certainly, well umm...*coughs* not a church wedding.

At least not what I expected. Despite the fact that a pirate captain officiated and my cousin's ring is a puzzle ring that she can take apart and put back together again, it was surprisingly a lot of fun, and mostly clean fun too, for my almost completely non-Christian family.

I talked with my Uncle Jay. I think he talked more today than I've ever heard him talk in the rest of my life together! And he was cool, pleasant, funny, and smart too, what I guess he used to be like before I was born. Both sides of my family are terribly disfunctional, but like all families, you don't really see it until you step back and go hey, something's wrong here. Here, let me introduce you to them...

My great grandma (Grammy) had ten kids, five boys and five girls. Now you know why I have such a huge family! Seven of them were there today, and of course most of them have kids too, and some have grandkids. Add to that some other family members and friends, and there were quite a few people there, though not as many as there could've been. The youngest two, both girls only a few years older than my mom, are Connie and Thea. They're getting ready to leave today, and someone goes "where's Thea?" Connie replies "She went into the house. Maybe she's filling up a water balloon."

these are my aunts, a good representation of the whole. My aunt Barbara, the oldest, has the most sense, certainly. Nancy, the one I went to India with is the only daughter who's a Christian (one of the sons is also) and though she is usually pretty sensible, she also has a fun and mischevious side to her; for example going up the down escalators and down the up escalators at the mall. I hear she has also been sliding down the banisters at the capitol in OR.

And then there's aunt Phyllis, who does all the cat shows. She is all fun seasoned with a dash of sense, usually ignored when there is fun to be had. It is she with whom I had the pleasure of riding the luggage carts in our hotel in Canada with three years ago. We were very disappointed to see the ramps at the end of the hallways removed last year. ;) Today she had about twenty cats/kittens in the "nursery," where the mothers and baby kittens are kept until they're old enough to go to the cattery! That's the most I've ever seen there!

As further proof of my family's hilarious defectiveness (never a dull moment!) Phyllis is married to her half-brother or something. Now, don't freak out, it's complicated. Grammy married twice, and had Phyllis from her first marriage. Phyllis met Jay, married him, and then later Grammy married Jay's dad, so they became related afterwards. It's all very...interesting.

I won't even venture to the uncles. They all have their quirks, but I really don't see as much of them as my aunts. Still, family gatherings make for an interesting mix!!!

It's been said before that you never see an ugly bride. Grooms, heck they can look however they look, but somehow the bride is always beautiful. My cousin was beautiful today. and I'm not saying that she's usually ugly or anything! just today there was something special and different with the rosy cheeks and the white dress.

Why does my cousin Eric always tell me to "be good" when he says goodbye? it is one of those mysteries that shall never be explained, and a command he needs much more than I. Yes, this is the amazing phenomenal pianist cousin who has heaps of talent and doesn't seem to know it. oh yeah, and doesn't have a piano either. It almost makes me want to cry...

sneaking upstairs under the pretense of going to the bathroom so I could visit Piper, the blind cat and also the sweetest little girl you will ever meet in you life! ooo...I want her!!!

my uncle Richard spilling something else on his shirt, and still not caring, and still looking fine.

discussing about ten different ways to make Top Ramen with Eric. "I can make a three-course meal out of Top Ramen!" he says. Of course with eggs, making top ramen burritos, frozen and thawed, regular, just noodles and seasoning, just broth...and the list goes on. you may have guessed that my cousin can't cook. there's a good reason he didn't bring anything to the potluck. said he wanted to spare us his cooking. (or lack thereof)

Aunt Connie suggesting that pretty soon us younger cousins will be able to start inter-marrying (NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!) (don't worry, she was just kidding) but we are getting removed more and more...first cousin twice removed, second cousin twice removed, and the list goes on.

being almost the last to leave.

getting mobbed by kittens

making plans for vacation in two weeks with Nancy and Richard!!!! oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!






Well.

There's this sign on the trail near our house where they are extending the trail, and the paved road ends. A grassy forest road begins, and the sign says "Enter at Your Own Risk!" I keep wanting to put up a sign that says "No Lifeguard on Duty"!!!!! umm...maybe not?