Flashback Friday II

Sometimes, my family does rather unique things. At least unique to the outside world. It's a world that only half-Williams, half-Wood blood relatives understand. It's an inner-circle, but once you're in, you never want to leave. But the explanation on the craziness that is the blood in four parents and eight grandchildren is a blog for another day.

Again, these photos aren't true long-distance flashbacks because I have to blog with what I've got from work. One of these days I'll pull out the big guns and really embarrass myself. For now, we will journey back to May 2006. Memorial Day.

The Utahans traveled up, the Oregonians traveled over, and we all met in Baker, Oreg. (pop. 9.648) where my Grandpa Wood grew up. We visited several "unique" locations, including a natural hot spring they piped into a giant "pool." The bathtub you see my Grandpa sitting in was right under where the hot water came out--the temperature of that water will burn your skin right off. Well, at least sissy skin like mine. The pools were slimy and smelled rather sulfuric, but we had a good time. We always giggle a lot when we're together.

Next stop on the Memorial Day tour o' unique was a Chinese Immigrant Brothel cemetery. Yes, you read that right. Again, we managed to have a good time. And feel adequately sorrowful. Poor brothel workers.

Lastly, we visited the Oregon Trail Visitors Center where we beheld the glory of many a stuffed and mounted animal. As much as I think I don't really like museums, I'm always surprised how much I enjoy reading and internalizing the seemingly random facts on topics I know slim to nothing about. Perhaps the best part of the center was listening to a real mountain man sing many a song o' the trail.

We stayed in a gorgeous hotel "downtown" next to the hands-down best dollar store in the country. We ate Chinese food and had our photo taken a million times, celebrated two graduating seniors, and piled into the hotel rooms for chili and other meals.

Basically, I love being around my family--I can't get enough of them. Counting down the days til our Mexican Christmas!