Atta girl
With June’s arrival, it’s clear that time continues to march forward regardless of our intentions. On one hand, I’ve been looking forward to June as it is Obie’s birthday month and when we will hold most of the celebrations of his life. On the other hand, I know that life will flatten out after these milestones. When he passed away in January, the thought of organizing a celebration of life in the deep on winter felt like torture. June made so much sense because we love the summer and it could coincide with his birthday. There has been so much work going into these events and I am so thankful to everyone who is helping make these a reality. Here’s a run down of the events that we have planned:
June 7th, 1:00 pm: Richland Yacht Club Margaritaville Party. This was Obie’s signature event and he put a lot of time and effort into it throughout the years. This year the party will not be on the docks as it has been but in the clubhouse. This will be a great way for yacht club members to honor the impact that he had on the club. Many of you have come to his Margaritaville parties in the past, feel free to stop by and say hi. Thank you to Roy and the RYC crew!
June 27th, 8:30 am: Obie Open Golf Tournament at Horn Rapids. The 30 team roster is full at this point but they do have a waitlist for those who weren’t able to sign up in time. We will not be adding additional teams as we suspect the pace of play will already be impacted with that many teams. We are also working to get a 7 foot basalt column placed behind our house on the golf course as a memorial to Obie. It looks as though it will be in before the tournament! Thank you to Rich, Josh, Steve, Scott, Rich and Pat! Special mention to Tim Montgomery who is going to cover the installation of the basalt column.
June 28th, 11:00 am: Celebration of Life at the Richland Holiday Inn (Hanford House). This will be as close to a traditional memorial as we’ll have. We’ll hear from a few friends, I’ll say a few words, we’ll watch a video of his life and then we’ll have time to connect over some food. Do not wear black, come in your best tropical attire!
There are a few private events that will round out the schedule. I will admit that I’ve found myself getting stressed around these invite only events, worrying about people feeling like they should be included and getting their feelings hurt if they are not. I’ve been trying to pull back, reassuring myself that we’re got a wide range of options for people to honor Obie and that it’s not my responsibility to please everyone. I ask for everyone’s patience and grace as we work through these events, my primary goal is to create opportunities for everyone to connect and share their love for Obie. The fact that there are so many who want to honor him is a great problem to have. It won’t be perfect and it is not my intent to leave anyone out. If you have questions or concerns, just ask.
Aside from getting ready for these events, the last few weeks have been dominated by boats. We had both of our boats in storage here at Horn Rapids and it was time to get them cleaned up and either sold or on the water. With huge help from Tyler, that has all been accomplished. We had the Sea Ray detailed and Tyler power washed the rugs and canvas, it looks like a new boat! I’m sure that after a week or so in the slip, the bottom will be back to it’s lovely green tone but at least it started out clean. Tyler and Emily have had the kids out in the boat twice in the last week and I know without a doubt that Obie was incredibly happy.
The Boston Whaler also cleaned up well and I was able to sell it to another widow in the Richland Yacht Club whom Obie respected. I know that he is happy to have it remain in the club and that she will have fun with that boat that brought us so much joy. She did not have a vehicle to tow the boat so I trailered it to the launch and put it in the water for her. For most of you, this may not seem like a big deal but I need to share some additional context. I have been around boats for most of my adolescent and adult life and the process of launching a boat fills me with immediate anxiety. The pressure of the ramp rodeo, the other idiot boaters, will the engine start, do we have the lines on the right side, is the plug in, why is everyone yelling! … it just fills me with dread. As I was driving to Columbia Point pulling the Whaler, I was going through the checklist of what to do and could feel the panic lurking. While I’ve helped launch boats hundreds of times, I have NEVER backed the boat down the launch. And this happened to be around 3:00 pm on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend on a gorgeous sunny day. For you non-boaters, that means there will be a TON of boats going in and out of the launch.
I was having a running dialogue with Obie as I was driving and imagine my surprise when we arrived at the launch to find it was completely empty. Not a single boat waiting to come in, not a single boat waiting to launch. Thanks babe! So I figured it was time to be a real boat owner and back the boat into the water. I went really slow and it went in perfectly, no zig zagging and lined up right next to the dock. What a sense of relief and a bit of pride as well. I could feel Obie smile and say “atta girl”. The new owner drove the boat over to a slip and I unloaded the trailer in her garage. We laughed afterwards that except for the person who helped make the connection, we handled the entire transaction from hooking up the battery, testing the engine, launching the boat and storing the trailer all by ourselves. Not too bad for a couple of widows. In my case, I guess if you watch someone else do something so many times, it becomes part of your memory as well. (Or their spirit is holding you close as you take the actions.)
June will end with a bang with the events but it will also be busy with a camping trip, laundry room remodel and a trip to Seattle for dance recitals. I’ve made a few investments in myself, have had a really quiet weekend and feel ready to face what’s ahead with all of your love and support. I know that the end of June is not a goodbye, it will be a transition to a new life where Obie continues to live in my heart.