the family reunion

So yesterday was our yearly family reunion (apart from Christmas) which is hosted in the quad cities. My aunt has a very large yard and a nice kitchen area which is perfect for gatherings. I ended up hitching a ride up there with my other aunt (I have seven aunts and uncles total, not including my mother's side) and it was a great trip up there. We had good conversation (aunt, uncle, and cousin), just catching up on everything since I haven't seen or talked to them in forever.

Once we arrived, everyone seemed happy and all (or so I thought). We had a great lunch. There were brats, hot dogs, chips, plenty of salads, and great desserts as well. After that there was just lots of mingling around. I don't think I stayed in one area for more than ten minutes or so, but that happens with a big family. I was able to tell everyone about my job in CA, so I was glad about that. It was good to get everyone's perspective on it. Luckily, everyone thought very highly of my choice to take the job, so I was further encouraged.

There were plenty of yard games available, people playing catch, a disc golf game (that I did terribly at, which is odd since I'm usually a little better), and just sitting around chatting. There were a few issues between family members which shouldn't happen, but I suppose it's not really my business and it's bound to happen in a larger family. I didn't let that ruin the gathering for me, but it did disturb me just a bit.

Soon after, everyone headed out. I again enjoyed conversation with my aunt, uncle, and cousin on the way down. I've noticed that talking with someone cuts down on time perception much more than anything else, which is good obviously.

So with one more weekend down I still have a wedding, a yard sale, a dinner, a bonfire, and of course a flight. I'll be writing more about that as it happens.

P.S. I've been learning guitar over the last week, and I'm surprised how easy it is now that I've gotten started. I'm hoping that I'll at least be able to play a few things once I get to CA, but I have all year to learn things.