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This past weekend, Seattle hit temperatures that sent everyone scurrying to the water, to buy fans, and to shed clothes. The front page headlines of The Seattle Times on Saturday read something like, “Temperatures Set to Spike,” with a graphic of the temperature for the next few days—89, 94, 90. My friend, Gina, from LA was in town, and she took a picture of the newspaper, finding it quite hilarious. I was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, while she wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. I was sweating just looking at her.

We had breakfast at Coulon Park where, at 9 a.m., families had already marked their territory, bringing out BBQ grills, blankets, and umbrellas. Cars were lined up to launch their boats into the lake. I was already sweating by 11 a.m., and working out in the yard probably didn’t help. Even though I grew up with 105+-degree summer temperatures and have always lived in a place that reached temps that high, I never have and probably never will enjoy hot weather.

Despite the discomfort, Matt and I set off for Georgetown’s Artopia event. Squinting and sweating from the sun, we were on the lookout for photo opportunities for a photography workshop that we’re taking through a community college. Our homework assignment was to bring a few shots to class. Here are a few from our excursion:

I dreamt again that I was hanging out with people from Footworks, and one of the friends in the dream was Rolly. In the dream, we all knew he shouldn’t have been there, so we were all shocked and really happy to see him. But he wasn’t really alive. He reassured us that he was OK, and I was immediately sad that he wasn’t really going to stick around. I woke up right then with a really sad, sad feeling in my heart. I almost started to cry until I realized I had been dreaming—and then I went back to sleep.

It’s weird that I dreamt about Footworks friends and Rolly because I hadn’t been in touch extensively with many of them, except for Hong and Marie, over the years. Emails were exchanged with a few old friends, but nothing sustained.

Also, my co-worker’s husband (mentioned in this entry) passed away on Friday. His mind was pretty alert, but he was ready and waiting for his body to shut down, and his sons and my co-worker had a long time to prepare for his passing. Even so, I don’t imagine that anyone could fully be ready to lose someone, especially someone so close. Many people at work have been keeping in touch with my co-worker, calling frequently, bringing over meals, working in her yard–just trying to give her some contact with the outside world since she has been staying at home for the past few weeks. It has been a draining, emotional experience for her, and I wonder how she feels about coming to work. Anyway, she’s a complete stranger to pretty much everyone who reads this, but please pray for her family if you remember.

The dream and my co-worker’s husband’s death were reminders about the fleeting nature of life. It also was a reminder that I am thankful for every moment, as short as they may seem, with loved ones. Last weekend, and the weekend prior, my parents and grandparents stopped in Seattle before and after their Alaskan cruise. The time was short, but sweet. I finally updated the photo gallery with pics going back to Jen’s visit in April up until my family’s recent visit. Check them out…