It’s finally here: 08.08.08. How cute. If I were the marrying kind, perhaps I would choose to have a wedding on this oh-so-memorable date. But you know, I’ve always loved October. Maybe I should shoot for a wedding on 10.10.10. It’s a Sunday. Consider this my save the date – groom to be interpolated later. Maybe I’ll be like the presidential candidates, saving the grand REVEALING of their running mates until the last possible second.

Surprise, Mom. It’s Mick Jagger.

Today marks the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing. I’ll be honest: I have not been excited in the slightest about this summer’s Olympic games. There has been so much controversy, from political tensions to riots at the torch relays to steroids to the revoking of Joey Cheek’s visa… Why should I get excited? There’s not exactly a lot to celebrate in our world right now.

But this morning on the Today show, I heard that out of the 205 countries that are participating in this summer’s games, 87 have never won a medal. Not one. Ever. For the overwhelming majority of the athletes who will march into China’s National Stadium today, they have no chance at winning; rather, this is the achievement – simply to be there. We might not ever know their names or their stories, but they have worked and toiled and sacrificed for years to reach this point. And that is worth both my attention and my accolades.

I understand that Michael Phelps has the very good chance at winning 8 gold medals in the various swim-events. And wouldn’t that be amazing? Making him, an insanely ripped man in a Speedo, the most decorated Olympian EVER, in all of history? However, always one to root for the underdog, part of me wonders if anyone might have the chance of beating him. Because wouldn’t THAT be even MORE amazing?

It could happen, you know. Because for some absurd reason, Phelps is currently sporting some Fu Manchu action. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t swimmers go to great length to SHED all of their hair? Anyway.

I’ll be watching tonight, if for no other reason than the fact that my Word of the Day from Dictionary.com is:

vexillology \vek-sil-AHL-uh-jee\, noun:
The study of flags.

It’s a sign.

- – - – - – - -

And finally, as a follow-up:

Turns out I was wrong:
I am dark enough for beige.
I stand corrected.

… could I go from this, to this, to this:

I attended the Wedding of the Century on Saturday night, complete with butterflies in the mountain air and champagne toasting.

Since then, we have been hiking, eating, sleeping, seeing friends, reading, and drinking lots of coffee. It’s been the best vacation ever.

When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to get out of Montrose. I was ready for the city life, and Seattle didn’t disappoint. But this visit, for the first time in the 8 years since I left, I am starting to think that maybe I’ll live in Montrose again at some point. Now that they finally have a Target, I wouldn’t want for anything.

Stay tuned for my next post, probably entitled something like “Cowgirls and Indians.” See? Now you can’t wait to read it.

I’m sitting outside a Midas in Redlands, CA, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. AAA has once again come to my rescue, replacing a flat tire with the spare this morning. On the day after a “party like a rock star” wedding and two hours of sleep, car issues are the last thing in the world that I want to deal with – so I am grateful for my recent upgrade to AAA Plus. And how cool is it that they have Wi-Fi? I love America.

I have been in southern California this past week, first visiting my dear friend Muggs Shoop in Burbank, and then migrating east to Redlands for the beautiful Christina’s wedding. And what an amazing occasion it was…

Christina and I went to junior high together in Montrose, CO, but she moved away in 9th grade. We wrote letters through high school, but faded apart in college. She graduated from UC Irvine and then went to law school at Boston College, while I was busy doing my thing in Seattle. However, in a fortuitous turn of events, we reconnected via MySpace last year – I am such an advocate of the internet. After taking the Bar, she came to visit me in Seattle in August, and we picked up right where we left off. I knew that I had to make her wedding a part of The Big Trip.

Christina and her now-husband Dan live in Boston, and so the wedding was an awesome cocktail of east and west coast folks. Not knowing anyone other than the bride and her family, I boldly inserted myself into the mix, and wound up meeting an entire crew of amazingly fun people.

With the stunning bride:

My new soul sisters, Fong and Chloe:

Steak? AND salmon? I’ve died and gone to Redlands.

After all of the amazing food at this wedding, today officially begins a new diet. Because this?

Was thoroughly consumed.