Another Good Reason to Fake It
We’re here in Spokane for a few days. What led us here? A wedding, naturally. Nothing draws quite as well as a wedding or a funeral. Other than the day you or your children were born, these are two major life events that are tough to ignore. One family honoring an invitation to celebrate a fun, life altering event with another. We’re not going to delve into that other life event we mentioned.
Not many people know much about Spokane, so here are a few tidbits. Population of the metro area is 474,000, making it the second-largest city in Washington. Also known as the center of the Inland Empire, Spokane is hub to rail and all points in eastern Washington, the Idaho panhandle, northeastern Oregon, and the famous Palouse farming region.
From a sports and college perspective, it supports minor league baseball and hockey, as well as the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Whitworth Pirates, and Washington State Cougars in nearby Pullman, WA. Weather is semi-arid, highlighted by warm summers in the 90s and low 100s, and cold winters generally ranging from the upper teens to mid-thirties. It’s a vibrant city in a beautiful region, a great place for celebrations.
Okay, enough of that. This is a three-day funathon that includes a cocktail party, a couple rounds of golf, dinners, socializing at the eclectic Peacock Room of the famous 1880s Davenport Hotel and, of course, the main event.
These are days filled with meeting old friends, hanging out with family, recovering from late nights, card games, and one too many drinks. Lots of walking, standing (at the protest of old knees), touring local haunts, and trying in vain to cure that slice on the long par fives.
All good stuff, reassuring ourselves we are still vibrant and active enough to keep up (at least for a short burst) with the younger set. You know, that “I may not be as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was” rationalization we’ve all used at one time or another. It’s back, this weekend anyway, in full force.
Today is wedding day. So, we’ll walk down the riverside promenade to the Kendall Yards neighborhood shops, enjoy a coffee and breakfast, stroll back to our rental and lounge around watching golf and baseball before readying ourselves for a late afternoon outdoor ceremony at the Beacon Hill Club. Then it will be the final push through a reception evening. Oh Lord, give me strength.
Tomorrow morning we’ll make the 300-mile trek back to Tacoma and ready ourselves for another wedding production next weekend. Yup, we’re on the wedding circuit again. It’s a terrible thing to be popular. We’re going to enjoy it while we can. Cheers!
