In the Mountains--and it's GREEN

We migrated back to the mountains. The most interesting part of being in the mountains is all the green. Green is not a desert color and here we have lots of green. The mountains have snowy tops and green hillsides. The fields are green. The aspens are green. The green is lovely and my eyes are happy.

We are slowly moving back in our little house in the forest and finding once again, it's hard work that has to be done. Since we've done this for decades we know what to and that means taking it slowly. One day at a time, one thing at a time. Don't rush--do it once and do it right. So far so good. 

Yesterday we all stopped working about 3 as it was a lovely day with perfect mountain weather. I sat on my easy chair  on the porch and watched 2 young stags wander the property. They were born here and they stay here all year. These fellows each had 4 prongs on their 5 inch antlers. They looked healthy and happy. I did not see any does or bambis but give them time and they will emerge from the forest.

There is a lot of stuff to do, but the porch squared away so the rest will happen in good time. I love my porch. I found my rock painting tools so you know that I'll soon be painting rocks and listening to books on the porch and enjoying time in the Rocky Mountains. It's good to be here. 

Memorial Day

Let's honor all of our Veterans.

Migration

It's that time of year when we think about our annual migration from the desert to the mountains. We'll be leaving soon. But it reminds me of all the years we've made this migration. It started in 1973.

Back then, the migration happened in a 20 foot mini-motorhome and we were going to take our first big trip around the United States. We planned to be gone for 67 days. It was exciting. We had a new motorhome, all the gear that we needed, and off we went. The other DrC developed an ambitious itinerary that was filled with adventure. We truly thought we could drive in the morning, camp at our destination, play at the destination, and the next morning, pull up camp and do it all over again. Little did we know  we were wrong. There was no way we could do all that and relax and enjoy our "vacation." It was turning out to be hard work and NO fun. We did it for 2 weeks. We were exhausted. We had to change the plan.

That night, we were camped in the Grand Canyon and we had a big decision to make--Keep the RV and change our plans or sell it and try something else. We truly did not want to sell our beautiful motorhome.  We got out our maps and looked at the over-planned journey and pared it down to about a 1/3 of the original. We made some huge decisions: we would not drive more than 200-250 miles a day; we needed time to decompress from the drive before we started to play; and we needed to stay at our destination for more than one night. I mean, there we were in Grand Canyon and we had only planned to be there for 3 or 4 hours. We also decided that this trip would be the first of many and each time we were out for 60-70 days we could see what we missed the time before. 

We followed those guidelines for over 50 years of RV-ing. We are not long distance drivers...we still travel about 200 miles a day. We like to sit back and watch the scenery. We like to enjoy the towns and parks along the way. The US has over 60 National Parks and we've been to most of them. There are also hundreds of places to enjoy and learn about our beautiful country. It truly is the best place on earth (and we know, as we've also visited over 140 countries on our "migrations").

Over the years we had many RVs. We camped all over the US and Canada, eventually visiting all 50 states and every province in Canada. We also visited the Yukon Territory but never made to the Northwest Territory (or Nunavut, which was not around when we started camping over 50 years ago. BTW we did not camp in Hawaii--but one time we bought a grill and ate our dinner watching the waves roll in--it was wonderful. 

The first summer out we discovered Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and fell in love with them. Since then, we've visited those 2 parks as often as we could. Every year we are in the US we visit those two parks. We are really good tour guides too.

This year, we're getting ready to make our summer migration. Alas, the last RV was sold 3 years ago. We drive our hybrid pickup truck and stay in hotels. It's still good. We'll end up in the mountains soon. We will not miss the heat of the desert. We will miss our desert friends in the 'hood. Remember, we're all in this together.

Who Turned the Heat On?

We've been enjoying a pretty mellow spring...not too hot, not too cold, lots of daylight and all is good. BUT "someone" turned on the heat a couple of days ago. Today the outdoor temperature is 107 degrees! That's HOT! Of course we are in the Mojave Desert--one of the hottest deserts in North America...but gees--it's not even mid-May and it's cracking 100 degrees. 

If your vehicle has a black steering, it's too hot to touch after sitting in the sun for a few minutes. Black upholstery is a nightmare at this temperature. I feel sorry for folks with black cars--there's no hope for them. Some cars have trendy black-matte door handles which are impossible to touch in this heat.

It's definitely time to think about snow-birding to the cooler north. Today it is a balmy 73 degrees at our home in the woods. That's why we snowbird.

Critters

I'm back making critters. Three little soft fluffy kitties ...

...Elizabeth the Elephant

...and there are more in the works!

 

May Day--A Trip Down Memory Lane

Many years ago--when I was in elementary school, my class danced the MayPole at the big park in our home town. I  remember the dance as I did not know how to skip. I learned how to skip so I'm guessing it was the first or second grade. 

Our class started practicing how to dance around a MayPole early in the spring. We had to have a partner and it had to be a boy. We had to skip. And on a special day we would dance the MayPole at our school and "if we were good enough" we might be invited to dance the MayPole at the big park in downtown on May 1. 

I learned how to skip, which apparently it was quite difficult for me. I remember my dad trying to teach me as we skipped up and down the street for weeks. I finally got the idea and for months I would not stop skipping. He created a little skipping monster. It was so much fun.

We practiced dancing around the MayPole at school. Our teacher gave us huge ribbons that were long and wide and we needed to practice making a neat design on the pole. The day came for the school competition and we were chosen to dance at the park. It was a great honor. 

Then came the real work. All the girls had to have matching dresses and the boys had to have matching vests (with dark pants)..and our mothers were supposed to make the costumes. My mother made the dress, which I remember was green, as were given the fabric at school. I have no idea what would have happened if my mother did not know how to sew. On the appointed day we dressed up our costumes and went to the park. It was exciting!

There were lots and lots of MayPoles standing in the park. There was a huge school band ready to play the music. We found our special MayPole with the green and white ribbons and got ready for the dance. We were all so proud to be dancing in the Park. The band started playing and I remember thinking it sounded different from what we danced to at school because at school we listened to the music on a record player and this was live. The music was the same but it was different. They played the first round of music and we all waited for our cue and then we started twisting our ribbons around the pole. Our class made our finest design on our pole and so did the other classes. Each class had a different set of colors so the poles were decorated in green and white and pink and red and yellow and on and on. It seemed like the whole town was there watching us dance around the MayPoles. It was a special day.

So, as this is May 1, I'm wondering if there are any classes "out there" that are dancing around a MayPole in their special matching dresses and vests? It's a fun little memory. School has changed. I remember teaching 4th grade many years later, and we never danced around a MayPole. I would tell my classes about my memory of the MayPole Dance and one time we made a make-shift MayPole from the tetherball pole. My "kids" thought it was fun. And it was!

Birthday Bash

I had a Birthday Bash...and it was great fun. I received cards and calls and texts from lots of friends--I talked way too much (I lost my voice) and I laughed and took trips down memory lane. It was a good day. Thank you everyone for making it such a good birthday.

We went to a restaurant in one of the casinos for dinner. I wanted two things with dinner--a Margarita and a real baked potato (not a microwaved one) and I had that! I loved the Margarita--I had not had a Margarita for a long time and it was yummy. I think I'm over my drink quota for the year though as the Margarita was drink number 3 and I usually have 5 drinks a year. I better be careful?  As for the potato, there's nothing that can take the place of a real baked potato with all  the fixins. The rest of the dinner was great too. To top it off, they prepared a special creme brûlée for me with Happy Birthday written on the plate.

It was a good day. I felt like a real human. The pains were gone and I was smiling and laughing...does it get better than that! Tonight there's gonna be a little birthday party at Karen's home. The beat goes on. I'm a very happy camper. Thanks everyone!

Life in Geezerville: Social LIfe

There is social life in Geezerville but it's not the social life we had when we were a bit younger. Now life revolves around seeing the doctor. We seem to have a lot of doctors. As I approach my 4th score of years (I'm not quite there yet) I seem to have a doctor for just about every body part. Coincidently or sadly (I'm not sure which), my friends have the same issues if not the same conditions.

I visit my fellow geezers and they are doing the same thing. We have to arrange our fun times when no one is seeing a doctor. Birthday celebrations get postponed for cardiologists, neurologists, and other  "-ologists" out there. We've decided celebrating a birthday can happen anytime within 2 or 3 months of the actual event. As the clock spins, we see more and more specialists for conditions big and small. All is good, and we always have something to talk about.

Taking a nightly walk is a coordination effort...we have settled on a time when the sun is setting and it's not too warm, but each night before the appointed hour, we text our little group. If it's not windy (we don't like to walk in the wind) we ask the same set questions: Who is going to make it? How's your back, your foot; do you have the energy; are the allergies better? Then we decide to where to meet. The chair yoga group is easier to coordinate--my house, 9:30, come if you can, bring your coffee. It all works out and it's surprising how many come just to talk to each other and offer support. That's good too.

On our recent river cruise I discovered my geezer friends are not alone...so many of the cruisers had trouble carving out ten-doctor-free days, to have a bit of fun. It was kinda funny to talk about and yet somehow encouraging to know that we were all in the same "boat" as it were. Apparently we all did it as there we were on the boat, with our walkers and canes and braces, having a grand time.

Back to reality--the pain doc and the foot doc are next to each other, the pharmacy is a few doors away. Next to him is one of many skin docs (we do live in a desert, and skin was never made to see this much sun). Across the street is the one of many PT places. Nearby is the hospital. Across from the supermarket is a set of you guessed it, doctor's offices. The heart doc is in the same building as one of the beauty shops (walk-in men's haircuts for 20 bucks so fellows can take care of two things at the same time). Sometimes we can coordinate our maladies, use one car and, commute together. We're good at that. We see so many doctors we make friends with other patients and the staff. The staff knows us all on sight so check in is easy. I guess this is one of the things that makes for a "tight" community.

Long gone are the cute sedans or sporty cars we used to drive...we all have Wusswagons (you know, minivans or big SUVs or Pickup trucks) of various brands that are big enough to fit walkers and even wheelchairs. If someone needs a temporary walker, there is always a spare we lend to each other. My walker wanders around the 'hood to anyone who needs it for a week a two. It's a good thing. One of our geezer friends even has an extra electric wheelchair that is available...another good thing.

Once in a while the appointments are fun. You know like getting a mani/pedi or having our hair done. The biggest decision is deciding what color to paint on the geezer. Blue haired geezers now have a cadre of friends with glitzy silver or gold or green or red hair. We were quiet and business-like for decades and now we are thinking out of a different box. It's our time to be a bit eccentric and creative. A sparkling polish to enhance our fingers and toes is a good thing. Spending time in the hot tub or getting a facial is good too. Getting a little bit of pampering between seeing the docs is important--and going with a friend is twice as much fun.

The golden years are indeed different from the other years we have experienced. We know what we are getting into, and at least in our 'hood, we are doing it together. I hope you and your geezer family are the same. Remember, we're all in this together. 

Happy Easter

A bit late, yet the wish is still good. I hope y'all had a Happy and Blessed Easter!

The Double-Nickel and Beyond

We are home. The cruise was great. I learned a lot about the area; the Lewis and Clark expedition; and what we can and cannot do. First and foremost we can take river cruises. We're a bit slower than we were, but we can still move and enjoy the journey. We have not spent much time in the Pacific Northwest as the DrC went to school in Eugene, OR and had his fill of gloomy gray, damp, days. Guess what--many years later the days are still gloomy gray and damp! But when you don't have to call the place your "home" it's easier to deal with, and that's what he did. As for Lewis and Clark...the lecturer knew L&C like the back of his hand and I thoroughly enjoyed his stories of the Voyage of Discovery, as it was called. 

Along the way we celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary...that's the double nickel. The folks on the ship surprised us with chocolate strawberries and champagne on the day--and lots of folks wished us a Happy Anniversary. 

The last day on the ship we were in Clarkston, WA on the Snake River...and across the river is Lewiston, ID. We took a tour of the 2 tiny towns. There was a small aircraft museum with several old airplanes all in flying condition. They were restoring a DC3 to near new condition...but the vehicle I liked the best of a 1920-ish bright yellow Ford pickup truck. A far cry from my "new" hybrid Ford F-150 pickup. The only thing that is the same is the bright blue logo with "Ford" written in it. I'm guessing it's Henry's signature (but I don't know that for certain).

The trip home was long. We flew out of a 1-gate regional airport in Lewiston, ID. The American Cruise Lines bus picked us up at 8:30 for our 12:10 fight. There was a waiting room at the tiny airport and we waited for the hours to tick by. About 11 ACL brought us our lunch (they did not want us to starve) which we all enjoyed...then we left the lounge for TSA check in. At tiny airports TSA is not a hassle right now. Soon our 'zone' was called and boarded the plant. The flight to SLC was about 70 minutes. We landed on time and had to wait all over again. About 4:45 boarding started and we left SLC about 5:30. The flight to home was 48 minutes long and we arrived early. The folks were waiting for us and we deplaned without incident--but we had been up since 6:30 AM and we were tired. We found our car and drove home. Once home we stopped working. I sat down and didn't move much until I went to bed. 

This morning reality hit. There was no Sky Lounge for me to get breakfast. Ava did not have my coffee ready for me. In fact we had no breakfast food in the house. We quickly dressed and went to the store and bought breakfast stuff (as well as few other supplies) and came home. 

The luggage is still in the back of the Jeep. There is "stuff" to do, but we are still tired. A few folks have called wishing us Happy Easter. The stuff will get done...just give us some time to rest up from yesterday.  We had a good little vacation!

River Day

 Yesterday we had a "river day" which means we cruised upriver without stopping. On an ocean ship it's called a "sea day" and we like sea days. The river day was equally enjoyable. It was a lazy day as we sailed up the placid river.

I got up early to have breakfast in the lounge. I like breakfast there as it's informal and the food is good. (But the food is good everywhere on the ship...and it's plentiful too.) I sat in one of the comfy chairs in the lounge and looked at the river. It was a gray day (we're in Oregon after all) but the views are stunning. Mountains line the river--every so often there's a field that's plowed waiting for the next crop or there's a vineyard. There's great long strings of trains on one side of the river as well as cars and trucks wending their way from point A to B. There's lots of vulcanism along the river too. Mt. St. Helens is not the only volcano in the area, and over the millennia, many basaltic flows have left evidence behind of the fiery past.

At 10 I went to a Lewis and Clark lecture--another excellent talk given by Clive our resident historian. Then I stayed for the cookies--gotta have fresh cookies. There was a scavenger hunt to work on and of course more talking and sharing with the pax. Lunch came and for some reason I was not very hungry so I had a 1/2 portion. This ship regularly offers half portions of food and it's a good thing. After lunch there was a cooking demonstration. I now know how to make an "Apple Galette." We were told the apples are so good in this neck of  the woods because of the soil. All that vulcanism has made the soil rich and perfect for apple trees.

Then we got into trouble. We bought another cruise. This one on the Tennessee River from Nashville to Charlotte--it will give us an opportunity to visit friends in TN too. I asked for the special chair and was told it would be NO PROBLEM. You gotta love American Cruise Lines. 

Next stop was another L&C lecture, then cocktail hour, then guess what? Dinner. We had prime rib last night and my favorite dessert--ice cream. 

The day ended with us in the Lounge looking at the river. There was night time entertainment but we were tired so we went to our cozy room and I instantly fell asleep. A lazy river day will do that to me. Today we stop somewhere, I think Pendleton, and we'll get off the ship. In the meantime, we're enjoying our Columbia river cruise.

In The Dalles, OR

I've been to The Dalles one time a long long long time ago. Needless to say I don't remember it as I was probably under 10. I remember the name as not too many towns start with "the." My mother used to talk about The Dalles because she thought it was pretty.

That was then, and this is now. I find the scenery along the river to be pretty. It's teeming with wildlife and traffic and it's fun to watch it go past the boat. However, The Dalles is not all that scenic. It's an old town that has seen better days--then, to add to that--it survived a fire a couple of years ago and I don't think it has recovered completely. Having "survived" the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA I understand that it takes time for the scars of a fire to heal. 

We took the loop tour of the town, which took about 35 minutes. It's not very big. We could have stopped at a couple of museums on the loop tour but then we'd have to walk and neither of us are great a long distance walking right now so we passed the museums. Nevertheless it was a good little loop that gave us a flavor the town.

We spent the morning listening to the resident lecturer talk about the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery. I'm a huge Lewis and Clark fan, so I found the lecture most interesting. In the afternoon, the lecturer brought some "artifacts" from the era of the expedition. He had a replica of a 2-inch Thomas Jefferson medal that was given by L and C to the Indian Chiefs as they sailed up the Missouri river. About 230 Thomas Jefferson medals were forged in 1804 and only 6 have been recovered--no one knows what happened to the rest so I was excited to see a copy. L&C wrote in their journals when they gave out a medal, but they never stated who received the medal. One of many mysteries of the expedition. 

Another good day on the American Harmony. We listened to a future cruises presentation and think there are few more river cruises we'd like to take--and we were told that I could get my recliner chair too. That is good news.

We're skipping entrainment tonight--we tired from doing nothing so we'll go to bed and get up early. The ship starts to wake up at 630 and if you want a nice breakfast in the Sky Lounge you gotta be there early. We are on the boat all day tomorrow so we'll see some pretty scenery as we cruise up river toward Pendleton, OR.

In Kalama

We stopped in Kalama today. A tiny town with a pretty port. It was supposed to rain...but it did not. We were going to go on the shorex to Mt. St. Helens but we skipped it as my back was hurting too much. On a positive note I told housekeeping that the bed was really bothering my back and guess what? They delivered a reclining chair to our room. I'm a very happy camper. This is one more example why I really like American Cruise Lines. They listen to their customers and try to make things right. It's hard to argue with RIGHT.

So instead of seeing Mt. St. Helens, which we had seen not too long after she blew her top, we stayed on board and I went to a bookmark class. There's usually lots of stuff to do but today they were expecting four bus loads of folks going to MSH and not much was planned. There were not many people on board, so we had the yacht to ourselves. I always like that feeling. The cookies arrived on time, and we enjoyed the sunny but cool day. We are still upriver from where we embarked the boat which seems kind of strange. We took 1 step forward and 3 steps back. The Dalles is our stop tomorrow and we will finally sail past Stevenson where we got on the river. 

The food is great. I had some sea bass with a yummy risotto for dinner. A long time ago I learned to stick to easy desserts, so I had the best dessert possible...a dish of ice cream. 

From dinner we went to the lounge and saw a fun one-man show who did a reprise of many Broadway songs. He was a quick change artist too, so each song had him in a new costume. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. 

The day is winding down now, I have the alarm set of 6:30 so I can catch breakfast in the Sky Lounge (my favorite place) then there's a 9:30 event; and at one-ish we'll take a drive thru the Dalles. It's a very nice cruise.

Astoria

Astoria, a town on the Oregon coast, named after John Jacob Astor, is a painted village of Victoria homes sprinkled across the hillsides. Our guide said the town was older than San Francisco, but when I looked that up in the august source called "wikipedia" I read that San Francisco was founded in 1776 and Astoria in 1811. You can figure out the "right" answer.

The town was founded by Scandinavians--folks who liked cold weather, rain, wind, gray skies, lots of trees, the ocean and fish--lots of fish. In the old days, we were told, there were 55 canneries in town processing tons of salmon. Back in the 1850s the salmon grew to be 7 feet long and weighed accordingly. The canneries made lots of money and built the town. The salmon are no longer 7 feet long and not as plentiful, due to overfishing (much like the "Grand Banks" on the east coast which is overfished too). 

For me, the highlight was seeing the location where Lewis and Clark exclaimed "OH JOY!" When finally seeing the ocean after their long trek across the North American continent. They were not near the ocean exactly, about 11 miles from it, but it was the first place they saw breakers hitting the shore. I can only imagine their excitement at seeing those waves. They camped in Astoria during a cold muddy wet winter before heading back east. Their original plan was to catch a boat that would take them around the tip of South American and sail to DC...but the boat never came along. 

After our shorex we came inside and warmed up. I don't think it got above 45 degrees today. For a "desert rat" that's pretty cold. We warmed up, ate lunch; found fresh cookies, napped a bit, looked at the scenery and did not do much of anything. It was a good day. We went to dinner and then to the port talk for tomorrow and saw the entertainment. I thought of Eddie during entertainment as our fellow played the piano and trumpet at the same time...at one point he even covered the keyboard and played an elaborate song. I've never scene that trick before. Eddie can you give that a try?

American Cruise Lines continues to provide a great cruising experience. The food is good and plentiful--and happens at the drop of a hat. If you are sitting in a lounge, someone will come by and offer you something to eat. That person will even save cookies for you if you are away on a shorex. Tonight she said that there will be cookies on the shorex as she did not want folks to not get their fresh cookies. 

We explored the ship a bit. We found the free laundry (with detergent no less) on deck 2. We also found the fitness room at the back of the ship with machines to wear away all  the food that we are eating. On a side note--you can order a 1/2 portion of food--and that's a good thing. 

Tomorrow we head to Kalama, named after a Hawaiian person, and IF the weather is good, we'll take the shorex to Mt. St. Helens. There's a 95% chance of rain, and that means there's a 95% chance that the DrsC will not go outside. Don't worry though, there are ton of things to do inside the ship too.

On the American Harmony

We are onboard the American Harmony, our floating home, for then next week. Our first stop today was Multnomah Falls, which was beautiful. The long cascade of water dropping dramatically down the gorge is mesmerizing. There's something about waterfalls that makes you want to watch them over and over again, and Multnomah was no exception. Because it's early spring, the waterfall was flowing full stream ahead.

From there we were supposed to bus to Stevenson, WA and board our boat...but our bus died. The other 3 buses made it without a hitch, but not ours. A call for help brought out a replacement bus within an hour and we were on our way. The pax in the bus took the delay well--can you believe no one complained? I was proud of us for taking the disappointment so well. We arrived at our ship about 45 minutes late but we still had time to eat a full lunch; learn how to use our life jackets (tho it will not save our lives). We also met the crew and the wonderful folks who make all the food.

At 4 there was a lecture on the Bonneville Dam on the 90 foot lock which we missed...we went to the lounge in the back of the ship and looked at the gorgeous scenery instead. We stayed there till dinner time and went to the formal dining room and had another delicious meal. I'm ordering 1/2 portions as there's just too much food. Now don't get me wrong...I'm still ordering full portions of dessert. Tonight I had a cute little creation of chocolate and raspberry that was to die for. One person at our table ordered the same dessert with ice cream and frankly I don't know how he ate it all as it was r-i-c-h. The servers give you want you want. There was an open bar after dinner--then entertainment....sadly we missed the entertainment as we were just too tired. Everyday at 10 and 3 there are fresh cookies. Throughout the day there are goodies to eat. If one goes hungry on this cruise, it's not the fault of the boat.

Tonight we are cruising downriver to the Astoria, OR which is on the ocean. We will spend most of the tomorrow exploring Astoria before sailing back up river. 

It's been fun so far. Lots of neat people to meet. Lots of well travelled folks with stories to tell, All is good on the Columbia river. 

In Portland

 We made it to our destination, Portland, early. The flight from our little 3-gate regional airport (I was told it was a 1 gate airport but there are 3--and TSA was working and there were NO delays) was perfect. Our tiny airport was efficient and nice. We were told to arrive 2 hours before our flight time, but we did not need to. There were NO waiting in lines and the TSA Pre-check worked without a problem. We boarded on time and flew to SLC. Again, no problems there. Last flight was to Portland and again, no problems. Upon landing, we were greeted by personnel from American Cruise Lines, our favorite domestic river cruise company, and taken directly to the shuttle to Embassy Suites. All worked like clockwork. I might never fly out of Las Vegas again where the hassle is great; the distance is far and the parking is ridiculously expensive. The regional airport has $7.00/day parking and I got a space right in front of the doors. It hardly gets any better!

The flights were uneventful...the way we like them. I saw Zootopia 2 on the flight to Portland which was a fun diversion and it ended right before we landed--so it had perfect timing. As we were getting ready to land I looked out the window and saw 3 volcanoes. Two were perfect "Fuji" type cones but the third was not--the third was Mt. St. Helens which of course blew her top in 1980. The other two were Mt. Hood and Mt, Rainier (in Washington) I think. I've asked several locals what the names of the 3 volcanoes were outside of Portland and NO ONE knew all three. There was agreement on Hood and St. Helens...but a big question mark as to the third. The Internet has not been much help either. SO if you know the names of the 3 volcanoes outside of Portland, please tell me.

So far the trip is going well. It's fun to be on "vacation." I don't have to worry about anything as it will all be done for us. The next few days are going to be very relaxing cruising up the river to Clarkston, WA.

Tomorrow starts early with our luggage collected at 7 AM. We go to breakfast at the hotel and at 9 we have an excursion to Multnomah Falls before we board the boat in Stevenson, WA. We are ready! Nighty-night.

Cruising Down the River

My family has an ancient phonograph recording of 3-year-old me singing "Cruising' Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon." I mention this because starting tomorrow we are going to be cruising down the Columbia River. Every time we go on a river cruise I think of that old song.

We'll get up early, drive to the airport and fly away, hopefully without much TSA ado. We are flying from a small regional airport with only 1 gate, so I'm hoping it will not be congested. I called the airport and I was told they were open. 

Watch this space. I might be able to post pictures of the river, but right now, my picture-posting capability has been hindered by the owner of the blog (that's Google btw). If I can post pictures I will...if not, I'll try to describe what is going on. 

Talk to you soon!

Scarpetta

For the last couple of nights we've binge-watched a "new" program on Prime called "Scarpetta." Because we saw it, you don't need to. It's not worth your time.

The program is loosely based on the best selling books written by Patricia Cornwall. Her main character is Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic scientist and Chief Medical Officer for the State of Virginia. The novels are great fun to read. I have enjoyed all of them over the years, so when a series was announced I was hopeful it would be as good as the books. Alas, the books are way better. 

Nicole Kidman plays Kay Scarpetta and Jamie Lee Curtis plays Scarpetta's sister Dot. In the books the two do not get along. In the series the sisters truly dislike one another. The bickering and arguing is done well but it's painful to watch. Dot has a daughter who lives with her auntie Kay and she has a strained relationship with her mother, Dot. As the story progresses, there are flashbacks relating to crimes from the past. They star a 25 years younger Kay Scrapetta and Dot. The flashbacks are difficult to understand and not necessarily linear. Different people play Kay and Dot, which helps determine if the story is set in the past or the present. Of course there's a crime. Of course there are autopsies and medical reports. The supporting characters play their roles well but there are gaps in the story.

After 8 complicated episodes, the season was finally over. All I can say is the story was not woven together well. Both of us had a hard time following the story. What started out as a series of promise turned otherwise. In my humble opinion, don't waste your time. BTW the only reason we watched the whole season is we kept hoping the story would get better. As you can tell, it did not improve. 

Costco

The other day a new Costco opened nearby. On Sunday we took a drive to see it. Sure enough--a brand new BIG Costco. When we arrived at the front door there were 3 electric carts waiting for us...we gladly took possession of 2 of them. For the next hour or more we rolled up and down the wide aisles and took in what this new store has to offer. It was fun in so many different ways. First and foremost--I was inside the store. I've not been to a store in a quite awhile as I don't have the energy to do so. Yesterday, we rolled up and down the aisles and had a blast. Thank goodness for electric carts as they made that little miracle happen. YAY.

Costco was too crowded to have roller car races (we did that one time at the Santa Maria Costco) but we saw and I conquered. We left the giant warehouse and bought fuel and then we continued to our next destination. I was tired...and happy at what I had accomplished. At the second stop, I stayed in the truck while the other DrC went inside. At the third stop, we went to lunch. 

Lunch perked me up a bit and then we had to get home...and that's the second surprise of the day--the other DrC drove. He's not driven much in the last couple of years but yesterday he drove the 40+ miles home. We accomplished 2 milestones yesterday. I went to a store and he drove. Hooray. 

That might not sound like a big deal, but for us, right now, that's BIG. Ever so slowly, I'm getting back to normal. The eye doctor thinks I might have a TIA in my eye. He said that it will take time. I need to be patient and grant myself the gift of time. I'm trying--it's hard. Remember, we're all in this together.

Good News

Yesterday I went to the eye doctor for yet another check up and this time the news was fantastic. I have "normal" vision. The double vision is GONE. It went away on February 10 and has not returned. What a blessing. The doc said the "event" caused swelling of the cranial nerves and now the swelling is gone. I was concerned because I need to renew my driver's license this year--I wanted to know if I could pass the test...so I took the test and I could. This summer I'll renew my license.

Because I have visual acuity I've started making critters again. I've made five kitties as they are the easiest. Unfortunately I cannot post picture of my five kitties as the blog won't let me...in fact the blog is giving me a "hard time" right now. SO--I'm hoping it will publish a text only message with the good news. I CAN SEE.