My Abrupt Family Reunion

Saying my goodbyes to all my fans in Columbus, OH

My week touring the Northern-South was cut short by news on Superbowl Sunday of my grandma Helen's death, which required me to fly home for her funeral. I had been lucky to have visited her about a month ago when I was home for vacation, and the encounter is much more appreciated now that she's gone. I spent Monday and Tuesday arguing with outsourced customer service agents as I tried to bargain bereavement fares, only to hear scripted condolences, but I finally arrived in Minneapolis Wednesday evening and met my brother Andy at baggage claim, where we picked up our luggage and headed to MOA (Mall of America, for all you non-Minnesotans), via light rail:

Brother Andy waiting for the train to MOA

Thursday morning my brother, my little sister Betsy, my father and I headed South to Alton, IA, a small town of 1,095 people (from the 2000 census), where my mother grew up and my grandparents lived out their lives. While it was a sad occasion, it was great to see family I hadn't seen in about three years. There were even a few I had never met:

My cousin's daughter, Reagan, sporting a short skirt and pacifier

My immediate (and aristocratic) "fam"

My flight from Souix City was delayed, resulting in a short night's sleep at a hotel in Denver, but I'm finally back in Seattle after a good month-and-a-half. It's funny how foreign the landscape and climate is after all this time; I've forgotten about how green everything is! Tomorrow morning I'm flying non-stop to New York where I'll spend the week driving around the Northeast. Then I'll have a much deserved week's break. It's all been worth it, though, because this opportunity won't come again and I still have many local brews to sample. Until then, a Ranier Beer from the good old Puget Sound will suffice!