A Western Ride Into the Sunset

This past weekend I attended the last two receptions of the year for Appointive Grand Officers.

Saturday morning was supposed to be a rafting trip, but it got cancelled because they said that the water was too high and fast.  I had really looked forward to going since I hadn't been on a rafting trip since 2007.  Knowing that I was going to be a Grand Officer in 2008 (and thinking that it was only going to be one year, so I wanted to go to EVERYTHING), I figured that if I wanted a vacation in 2007-2008, I should go early.  So in May 2007, I took a week off and rafted the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the whole way from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead.  The River Guide and my little note book of the days of the journey sit here in my office and occasionally I look at these mementos of the days when I could take a week's vacation and go somewhere that was not an Eastern Star event, ah, the good old days! :-)

Anyway, I had bought all new gear for the Grand Canyon, including water shoes and water socks and water pants and even water panties, an adventuring vest (that's a big vest with lots of pockets with velcro and zippers that is actually big enough to wear on the outside of your life vest so you can use the pockets), adventure pants (again lots of pockets/full length, but with zippers so you can turn them into knee shorts), a new Gortex hat and even new floats for my glasses.  If you wear glasses and you go river rafting you want to have a string to hold them on that has little floats on it so if they do get knocked off you, they will float to the surface and you can usually find them.

So I spent all that money and haven't had a chance to use the gear since 2007, and here was this great opportunity, but I guess some of the people who signed up for the trip weren't quite as happy about faster, deeper water than some of us adreneline junkies appreciate and since they might actually get wet, they didn't want to go.  Okay, maybe some of the ones who don't know how to swim might just have a teeny, tiny bit of basis for their fear, but if you are wearing a life vest, and you always should when white water rafting, then you really have to work at it to drown.  Still, I suppose better safe than sorry, but my gear was not happy at being put away again unused.  It's still growling at me from the drawer. :-)

So instead of rafting, I went to a Western wear shop near my house and got new Western boots and a new hat.  I have riding boots, hiking boots, dress boots and even tall leather boots with spiky heels, a left over from my more wild and well spent youth (okay, I have two pairs, one in white and one in black, but who's counting? ), but until now have never owned a pair of Western boots since I am really not into the Western thing.  Even when I go riding, whether horses or motorcycles, I wear my riding boots, which are tough and practical, tall enough and big enough that my pant legs can tuck in them without buying special book cut jeans.

But I was thinking about Western stuff because the Saturday reception was a Western theme and that got me to thinking about next year.  See, next year's fun emblem is a horse and even though I think it is a race horse and not really an every day riding type horse and even though you don't wear Western wear to horse races (Western wear is for rodeos, bronco and bull riding and stuff like that, but horse races are more genteel), I have a funny feeling that there will be people next year inspired to do Western themed things next year, so I thought, what the heck, let's make a little costume investment here and buy the darn boots and hat.  Of course, since I was spending money, it seemed only fair that my escort do likewise, so he had to get boots and a hat and Western shirt too, so that did make me feel better. :-)

So now I am all equipped for your basic Western event, already possessing a couple of shirts and skirts and some jeans.  Of course, I also have leather for my hand guns, but they tend to frown on that level of authenticity.  I had to explain that to my escort for next year.  He got a sad face when I mentioned it.  And I got to wear my new duds Saturday night.  The reception was cool, but the room was HOT!!!  I went to visit with members sitting outside a couple of times, just to cool off a bit before I completely melted.  And at one point I scored an ice cold water bottle which felt great on the back of my neck.  Of course I also drank the water, since I do believe that you should consume what you hunt. :-)  The reception folk had made these totally awesome WANTED posters with the pictures of all the Grand Officers on them, so I got to take that home and I will have to find a great spot for it.  It was a wonderful souvenir.

The next day, the reception had a sunset theme, partially because it was the last appointive's reception and it now feels like we are winding down towards the end of this year.  We have only the WGM/WGP reception in a couple of weeks and then Grand Chapter as 2011 events and soon enough, we will know our 2012 family and, for those of us going on, have a bunch of 2012 things to do.  I am trying to get everything that I can possibly get done early done so that the decks are more clear for after Grand Chapter, when the thousand things you can't do early, like sending letters asking the Past Grands for recommendations for Grand Officers and Deputies, have to be done and done quickly.

Next weekend I am going to Connecticut for my cousin's wedding, but I am going to try to have lunch with my counterpart there, the lady in my same spot for the Grand Chapter of Connecticut.