Memorial Day Weekend Musings — Brian’s Blog

This past weekend, my family did what most American families did. Use the unofficial first weekend of summer to try and cram as many activities as possible into three days.

Things started out Saturday morning at Yakima's Memorial Day Parade. My 8-year-old got dressed up in his Cub Scout uniform and we got ready to march with other Cub Scouts from around the city. We met an old friend, hobnobbed with a couple of office-seekers and hit Yakima Avenue as the parade started.

About a block into the parade, we passed the spot where my wife, my 11-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son were watching the festivities. Upon seeing his dad wave at him, my toddler bolted into the street and attached himself to my leg. His mom said that he could walk with me. That lasted about half a block, and I ended up carrying a 35-pound boy 10 blocks. My arms are still feeling it. On the other hand, it was great to see the Cub Scouts stop and shake the hand of every veteran they could identify. The vets loved it.

Saturday afternoon saw my family visit the Express Employment Clydesdales at Union Gap's Valley Mall. Their appearance was a fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network that grew large crowds. My kids were blown away by these giant, gentle horses.

Sunday morning saw time for a little relaxation. My older son and I enjoyed some quality coffee time.

Sunday afternoon, my family and I visited two of our local cemeteries to decorate the final resting places of some of our friends and family who are no longer with us. I know that this is something not everybody does, but it's become a tradition for us. It also gives the children a sense of where they came from. My kids see the dates on some of the stones and start asking questions about their ancestors and how they lived. It's good for all of us.

Monday saw me do a remote broadcast for our friends at Walker's Furniture. While they had good foot traffic, the streets of Yakima were pretty quiet.

How did the rest of the holiday go for me?  Sitting in a local walk-in clinic to get a throat infection looked at. That only took four hours, but at least I got a prescription out of it that seems to be working well.

How did your holiday weekend go? Summer's almost here!