A New Chapter in Life

 

 My last post was titled "How the time does go by." Well, that was posted nearly eight years ago, and how the time does go by. 

For several months, I have been struggling with health issues. It all seemed to begin last August, when out of the blue I came down with a case of sciatica. It was the worst case I have ever had. There was fire in my leg and no amount of stretching or exercise would help. After a few days and a few visits to urgent care, I noticed that my right foot (same side as the sciatica) was swollen. 

This time I went to the ER, where I was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which essentially means I had a blood clot in my right lower leg. I was given a prescription for anticoagulants to prevent further clots, and sent on my way. 

Eventually, I was able to get relief from the pain in my leg by visiting, perhaps, the world's best chiropractor. He diagnosed the cause of the sciatica as a spasm in a little tiny muscle in my hip called the pyriformis muscle. Two quick treatments with TENS and ultrasound, and the pain began to resolve. 

Fast forward a few months: I began to notice that my stamina wasn't what it had been, and I often felt light headed when I would get up out of a chair. This progressed to the point where I felt short of breath and fatigued after the least little exertion. Along the way, I had lost my favorite primary care physician (PCP), who selfishly moved away to pursue his own little life with never a thought that I needed him. 

I began working with a new doctor, who was far less invested in my problems. When I complained of my light-headedness and fatigue, she prescribed statin drugs, which are typically prescribed for high cholesterol, in spite of the fact that my cholesterol levels typically run low. 

After I made enough noise, she ordered a cardiac monitor, which I wore for a month 24/7.  I had also complained of some visual aberrations and was referred to ophthalmology. Dr. O, the ophthalmologist, who is very thorough, ordered an MRI of my brain, to rule out cerebral aneurysm. That came out normal. When the results of my cardiac monitoring came back, the cardiologist said everything looked normal. 

I kept trying to think of other things that could be tested. By now, I think the new doctor thought I was a kook. She stopped replying to my emails and instead had other doctors or nurses reply. I got so frustrated that I became rather passive-aggressive and decided to just "live with it." 

Finally, the symptoms worsened to the point where I needed someone who could figure out what was going on. I found a new PCP who took a real interest in my symptoms. He got me right in for an exam that included extensive blood work. The results came in late the same day. That was last Friday: I am anemic, my white blood cell count is elevated, and my blood platelet count is alarmingly low. I was advised to go directly to the ER.

If you've ever been to an Emergency Room/Department, you know it is an agonizing process to wait your turn as all the other people, who seem to believe their problem is worse than yours, get called in one by one for their turns. We arrived at the ER about 4:45PM. At around 9:00pm, after x-rays and blood draws and a urine sample, I was finally placed in an examining room. The ER physician came in promptly and took my history. She returned a short while later and said that the pathologist had looked at my blood samples and found abnormal white cells. She said, "It looks like it could be leukemia." 

After Jill and I had taken a moment to gasp and try to take in this impossible information, the doctor said she was going to admit me, but there was a wait for a room to be ready. It was after midnight when we were finally settled into the room. Then began a night of taking my vital signs (CNA), doing assessments (RN) and taking more blood samples (phlebotomist).  I had no idea that so many blood samples could be taken and the well not run dry!

The staff was wonderful. I felt as if I were visiting royalty. Jessica, the RN who came on duty at 7AM was so efficient, professional, and at the same time sweet and engaging, that she quickly won our hearts. She treated Jill with as much care as she did me. As I reflect on that 8 or 9 hours that we were there, I can't believe it was such a short period. I received a transfusion of red blood cells, which made a huge difference in my light-headedness and shortness of breath. I even made a couple of laps around the hospital floor. 

Because we live in Dallas, Oregon, and Kaiser Permanente, our health coverage provider, does not have a hospital nearby, the above scenarios took place at Salem Hospital, with which Kaiser has an arrangement for just such situations. In the end, though, Kaiser would have me transferred to their Sunnyside hospital, which is a bit more than an hour from home. 

When the time came for me to make the transition, an EMT came into my room. I was sitting fully clothed in the recliner in my room. I got up to greet him, and he said, "Are you Tom?" Now this was said as if he was surprised, nay dumbfounded, to see a well-looking man greet him. He excused himself and went out to the nurses' station. When he came back, he said, "I thought there was a mistake. I was expecting someone barely alive. You look great." 

"Thanks," I replied. He thanked me and said this was going to be the easiest run of the day, for which he was grateful. The time came for us to leave, and Jill and I bid a literally teary farewell to Jessica. 

I sent Jill home so she could get a good rest and help Tara, our eldest, celebrate her 43rd birthday. Meanwhile, I had a nice ride in an ambulance from Salem to Sunnyside. Since my condition was stable, there was nothing for the EMTs to do, so I had a lovely chat with the fellow who rode in the back with me. He did take some vital signs (by now, I think I must be the most vital person in America), but mostly we chatted about his career and mine and hobbies and the heat. (It was 106 degrees when we got to Sunnyside). 

I was trundled to my room, 455, where I was greeted by Morgan the RN charged with my care. She got me settled in, did my assessment and then had a nice long chat with me. She and Jessica are cut from the same cloth. Morgan is efficient and professional, but warm and engaging. I felt as if I were with family, being treated like royalty...again. God bless the nursing profession. 

About 9 PM, the admitting physician came in to get me oriented and let me know what the game plan includes. Today, the hematologist, Dr. Mansoor, came in for a consultation. He had reviewed my chart and remarked how healthy I am, other than the blood dyscrasias. "Yes," I said, "I'm disgustingly healthy for someone who is so sick." He said I can expect to get a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow, which will provide a definitive diagnosis. Then I will have a consultation with the oncologist who, I hope, will be able to answer my remaining questions. After that, I expect to be started on chemotherapy.

So, I have been at Sunnyside for about 16 hours now. I got a really good sleep last night. I've had at least four or five blood draws and a similar number of "assessments," which amount to listening to heart and lungs and doing a visual scan for signs of change in my condition. The staff are all wonderful; even Jason, the RN who awakened me at 5 AM from a sleep so deep that I was disoriented and incoherent. When Morgan returned for the day shift, Jason brought me a cup of coffee. I have therefore forgiven him for the rude awakening!!

Jill will be here soon. I was able to have a shower and a lovely breakfast. So, I am ready for a visit from my true love. Stay tuned for further details.

How the time does go by!

Eight years ago today, I put Jill on a plane to San Diego.  She arrived eight hours after our first grandchild, Josiah, was born.  We have the indescribable privilege of being in San Diego today to celebrate his 8th birthday.

The day started with his mom treating him to doughnuts, one of his favorite foods. His special request was for a bacon maple bar.  I can tell you, it was a good choice. Auntie Tara, who got up at zero dark thirty yesterday and flew down for the occasion, was snoozing this morning, and Laura and Judah had to go out. So, Grandma and Grandpa hung out with Josiah, playing games and watching Phineas and Ferb.

When Laura got home, we spirited Josiah away for an afternoon of fun.  First we went to In 'n Out Burger for lunch. Yumm! Josiah was presented with an official In 'n Out Burger hat.  Then it was off to Toys R Us, where he got a helium balloon, a paper crown and the chance to pick out his own birthday present. 

Later in the afternoon, we were invited to Mr. Don and Ms. Char's house.  They are across-the-street neighbors who treat our Josiah and Judah like their own grandchildren. They had ice cream sundaes and presents for both Josiah and Judah, whose birthday is on the 19th, i.e., next Monday. Over the years, Jill and I have become very friendly with Char and Don. I expect we will go out for lunch or dinner with them next week.

We came home and found that Tim had come home from work a bit early to celebrate the birthday.  We had Tim's dad's recipe pot-roast for dinner, at Josiah's request. Then we had Baskin Robbins ice cream cake for dessert, complete with self-relighting candles.  Josiah got a kick out of that.

So, now it is bed time for the boys, and the adults are ready to hunker down for the evening. The best part of the day, for my money, was that Josiah was a perfect gentleman.  He was patient with his little brother and grateful for his gifts.  There was never a hint of self-importance expressed.  Thank you Tim and Laura, for giving us such wonderful grandsons.

Annual family getaway at Pacific City.

We are at Pacific City for our third annual family gathering.  We have all of our kids and grandkids with us.  It's the best time of the year. We arrived yesterday to find the funky little beach house has been renovated. We knew there was a new owner who was upgrading, but we didn't know how it would look.

Well, it looks good. It's still funky, but it is more liveable.  The floors are all new. The formerly locked hot tub room has been turned into a game room with a pirate theme. It is really cute. And wonder of wonders, we have wi-fi!  The kids who have to do work can do it, and the rest of us can post on blogs, etc.

I took Pogo out for her morning duties and met up with our dear daughter-in-law, Katie. She had taken her dog, Brillo, and all the kids out for an early morning stroll on the dunes.

After grandma Jill made breakfast for everyone, the kids had fun playing with the iPad.  Even the not quite 2 year old enjoys wi-fi.

Later, grandma and grandpa and Pogo took a walk on the beach.  It is beautiful here.

 After hiking back up the dunes, we sat on the warm sand.

After a while, the rest of the family showed up.  Of course, grandpa forgot to get pictures of that.  I'll try to do better.

Ubuntu to the rescue!

I have been toying for some time with the idea of installing Ubuntu (oo-BUNT-too, a Linux OS) on my older laptop computer. So, last week, I did just that.  So far I am impressed. It is very stable and very fast (reboots in under a minute!!).  The only problem I am having is that, to date, I have been unable to get the Ubuntu machine to "see" my  Windows OS machines on the home network. They can see the Ubuntu machine, so I am sure it is some setting on the Windows machines that needs tweaking.

At any rate, one of the things I like about Ubuntu (aside from the fact that it is FREE) is that it comes with just about everything you need on a computer.  Firefox browser is included along with an office suite called Libre Office, which is almost a duplicate of Open Office, the suite I use on my Windows computer. Both are compatible with MS Office; and both are free. There is a good music player, a DVD player, a photo viewer, an application called Ubuntu One, which is very much like iTunes. You can purchase music, and it allows you to store everything you need in the cloud and sync with mobile devices.

In addition to all of that, there is an app store with various kinds of programs that are either free or priced under $10 (most under a dollar). I will admit that there is a bit of a learning curve, although, for those of you familiar with Mac, there are a lot of similarities, since both systems are based on Unix OS. So, all in all I can't find anything about this OS to complain about. I'm sure there is a fix for my network problems; I just have to find it.

Ubuntu, like other Linux OSs, is open source software, which means that anyone can make changes to the software, without fear of copyright infringement.  It is this open source feature that makes the software so inexpensive.  The Ubuntu community as a collection of individuals is constantly developing and improving the software as a labor of love, so there are no stockholders who have to be paid to support the work (although, you can donate to the cause, if you like).

If you are a computer geek (I am a very minor geek), this OS may be just the thing for you. Even if you are not, but you would like to have one computer that can do everything you want on a stable and speedy platform, give it a try.

NOTE: I am not a sales rep for any OS, and no gigabytes were harmed in the writing of this post.

The United States of America died this week

First the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) shot down Arizona's immigration laws by eviscerating them.  Then the President, by executive order, said that what SCOTUS left of the law is not to be enforced, or the police of Arizona will be held criminally liable. Furthermore, FBI and Homeland Security are not to take calls from Arizona law officers who are trying to do their duty.

That means that, essentially, the US government told Arizona, "You are not a sovereign state. You have no right to defend yourselves against the onslaught of thousands of people pouring across your border, intent on stealing your jobs, your land and your livelihood." Done.  There are no longer any sovereign states to be united. There is just a malevolent dictator and his henchmen, who will now rule with an iron fist from Washington, D. C.

Now, today, SCOTUS has upheld the abomination called, ironically, the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as "Obamacare." The outcome of that decision will be less healthcare at a higher price. In addition, the taxes contained in this massive Federal Government power grab will surely sink the ship of state.  Between the outrageous debt run up by this administration ($5 trillion and counting) and the onerous burden of Obamacare tax increases, there is no way the U.S. economy can recover. We are in for an economic depression that will make the one in the 1930s look like a bad day at the Blackjack table.

Add to those effects the fact that Obamacare doesn't recognize the right of a physician or pharmacist, whose conscience tells him that the taking of a human life through abortion is a crime against humanity, nor does it recognize the right of millions of Citizens, whose consciences and religious beliefs tell them that abortion and birth control are not the business of man but of God to opt out of the culture of death.  The result is that the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights has been eliminated. The other nine will fall like dominoes.

As the result of the decisions SCOTUS has handed down in the past week, the noble experiment in freedom and personal and economic liberty that was these United States of America is dead.  There can be no economic liberty, when the government can tell us we must spend our money on specific goods or services. There can be no personal liberty, when the government can tell us what we must believe. There can be no freedom, where there is no economic and personal liberty.

Who is responsible for the death of The United States of America?  Is it the nine people who comprise SCOTUS? Is it the President? Is it the Congress? No, it is you and I.  Because we have elected fools to powerful offices; because we have seen the Federal Government not as a body with limited power, designed to take on those few tasks that the sovereign states could not (national defense, disputes among the states) but rather as a sugar daddy, who should provide us with all the things we don't want to pay for; because we have allowed control of our schools to be removed from the local school district to ever more remote places (state and federal government bureaucrats); because we have failed to demand that our children be taught truth, instead of the fairy tales that the government has fed them in preparation for the very demise of the nation that we have been treated to this week; because we have placed self-esteem ahead of self-sufficiency, political correctness ahead of reason, the "wisdom" of man ahead of the wisdom of God, the responsibility for this death belongs to you and me.

I suppose that this post is a little like closing the barn door after the horse is gone, but I believe that reasonable people can reverse these mortal wounds to our nation.  The iron curtain fell, because people of courage stood up to the dictators in the Soviet Bloc.  Let us not wait 70 years to stand up and say, "No, we will not cede our freedom to tyrants." It is not too late to revive our beloved country, if we will pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor, as the Founding Fathers did in the first American Revolution. For the sake of America; for the sake of your children; for the sake of your grandchildren, stand up and be counted in the new American Revolutionary Army.

Ta-li-hoe

Click the photo for a slide show.

Another terrible day in paradise today as we traveled from Lone Pine, CA to Incline Village, NV at the north end of Lake Tahoe.  The weather was beautiful, and the driving was pleasant.  Jill, in her usual inimitable manner, acted as ship's photographer as we traveled along our way. 

We noticed over the last two days that as we passed from the Mojave desert to the northern Sierra Nevada mountains, the landscape and plant life changed dramatically.  You will notice in the slide show that we started out with some pretty barren looking mountains, but the further north we drove, the more we encountered trees, and especially lodgepole pine.

We also encountered three lakes of note along our route. First we came to Mono lake, which is a large and by the looks rather shallow lake in California.  Then just as we were approaching the Nevada state line, we came upon the deep blue of Topaz lake.  This lake appears to be much deeper, and there was a lot more recreational activity along its shores and out on the lake itself (think water skiers).

Finally, we came to our destination, which was the incomparable Lake Tahoe.  I say incomparable, but for us Oregonians, it is impossible not to compare this beautiful lake with our own Crater Lake.  They are different in size and nature, but the color of the water and the surrounding mountainous terrain at both venues is remarkable similar.

We arrived early enough to do some exploring along the lake shore, before we settled in at the Parkside Motel. This facility is an older motel that obviously caters to skiers during the winter.  It is cozy and comfortable, but it is not spectacular. Nevertheless, off of our private deck, we have a view into the pine forest that surrounds the area.  It is quite lovely.

We went to Azzara's for dinner. It is a modest Italian restaurant with a quaint ambiance.  We ordered a pizza that included caramelized onions, sweet sausage and fresh tomatoes.  It was wonderful... and I believe we can reproduce it!  For dessert we shared a cannoli filled with a creamy riccota and chocolate chips. Molto bene!

Tomorrow, we are off to K Falls, but more about that later.

Lepus californicus

Today, we left San Diego, bidding a tearful good bye to our daughter, Laura, her husband, Tim, and their boys, Josiah (6) and Judah (2).  Surprisingly, they didn't throw us out sooner. We had been with them for 13 days!  We always enjoy each others' company, and it never feels uncomfortable or as if we are in the way, while we are with them.

We drove up I-15 to the junction with US 395 and then continued on through the Mojave desert, finally arriving in Lone Pine, CA.  This little town is the first one of any real size we encountered since Victorville.  It is done up as an old western town and has the main drag along US 395.  We toured some of the residential area. There are some lovely homes.

We are staying in the Comfort Inn at the south end of town, although I turned in here:

My better half, nixed that one, so here we are at the Comfort Inn, enjoying a tall cool drink on the private balcony that looks out on this:

 Below us on the lawn, I can count about 18 black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus...Ahh, so that's where you got that cryptic title for your blog!) who are just nibbling at the grass and having a splendid supper.

Lepus californicus

Anyway, those wascally wabbits are not having any more fun than we are, even if the temperature is 94 degrees at 6:38 PM.  Below you will find a photo, and if you click on it, you will be treated to a slide show. So, enjoy, and stay tuned for more fun along the way with the old pilgarlic. 

By the way, the odd looking trees are Joshua trees, and that Red Mountain, I presume, is the source of the name for the town of (you guessed it) Red Mountain, CA.  The map shows a portion of the road we drove today.  These pictures were mainly taken along that stretch.

It could be worse; it could be raining!

We stopped in Walnut Creek on Thursday and had a lovely visit with Bob and Sandi and Tess. The evening was warm enough that we dined al fresco on flank steak, grilled corn on the cob and a salad. There was bread, too, and a lovely cabernet sauvignon called Earthquake.  I don't know that it was earth shaking, but it was very good and made an exquisite accompaniment to the dinner.

We got on the road, next day, about 8 AM.  Traffic was a good deal lighter than I had expected in the bay area, and we whizzed along in our new car, making better time than anticipated.  At Grapevine, we stopped for lunch and to check fuel economy. That leg (Walnut Creek to Grapevine) netted us 32 mpg! Not bad for a car that is still in the break in stage.

And then there was Los Angeles.  We arrived in the greater L.A. area at 1:50 PM, where we came to a stop. Traffic was worse than I have ever seen in the big city, and it didn't improve.  Oh, yes. Occasionally, we were able to get up to the speed limit, but never for very long.

The drive through Camp Pendleton was trouble free, but then we hit Oceanside and the Friday afternoon-going-to-opening-day-of-the-county-fair traffic.  Stop and go, stop and go all the way to the fairgrounds' turn off at Via de la Valle.  At last, traffic thinned out and we toutled along at 65...until, that is, about a mile north of the I805 junction. From there it was stop and go all the way into San Diego.

At last we arrived at the Sagawa residence, a mere four hours after we came to a stop on the freeway in L.A. And to think we had covered 100 miles in such a short time! I told the kids, we are planning our next road trip to visit them, to commence the day after they move north of Grapevine, CA!

[Note to self: DO NOT drive in SoCal on a Friday afternoon, if you want to get any where!]

It is good to be with the family again. The boys are big enough that they get excited to see us, without having to go through a "warming up" period.  We look forward to a pleasant visit.

On the road...no dogs...no kids!!

We are on a getaway, nestled in at Callahan's Lodge in Ashland, OR.  It is so strange not to have to worry about a dog. She is home with Auntie Tara, while we make a road trip to San Diego to visit Tim and Laura and the boys.

We had a leisurely lunch in Roseburg at Brudke's, a funky little restaurant with tired decor and tired waitresses (who, nonetheless, were pleasant and as attentive as they could be, given that they were short-handed today).  The patty melt that we split was quite good, and the onion rings and bleu cheese salad dressing were above average.

The weather has been glorious; sunny and mild.  The highest temperature reported by our new Mazda 6 Sport Sedan was 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  It made for a pleasant drive from Dallas.  And we have been more than pleased with our new car.

So, here we are at Callahan's. The setting is lovely; the room is large and well appointed, with wood burning fireplace, jacuzzi tub and a nice king bed.  Our room is on the ground floor, looking out on a grassy yard with a waterfall fountain and a wonderful variety of trees.  I can see pines, cedars, oaks and a couple of varieties that I don't recognize.

After settling into our temporary diggings, we took a walk around the property. The grounds are mainly natural, except for the big backyard. If there is a downside to this place, it would be that the highway is nearby and on about a 5% grade; many a truck has gone by using its exhaust brakes. With luck, that won't disturb our sleep.

Click the photo for a slideshow

We are happy splurging on this rather spendy lodging and look forward to dinner in the beautiful dining room.  In the meantime...perhaps a soak in the jacuzzi...who knows??

Rockin' in Rock Springs

So, we flew out to Denver to help eldest daughter move back to the Pacific Northwest. She has lived in Denver for ten years, and now she wants to  be closer to family.  To that end, she submitted her resignation from a wonderful job and asked the folks to fly out and help her move "home." (Her boss was so sad to see her go that she first offered more pay; then she offered to find Tara a husband; and finally, when those ploys didn't work, she offered to allow Tara to telecommute until she finds suitable employment in the PNW!! And you thought YOU were indispensable!)

We arrived in Denver on Thursday and  have been packing, cleaning, sorting and generally reducing 10 years of living to fit in a 16' rental van.  This morning we threw the "last minute box" into the back of the van and hit the road.

 Photos courtesy of my beautiful wife. Click photo for slide show.

Our route has taken us north on I-25 to Cheyenne, WY and then east on I-80 to Rock Springs, WY.  This little town is about the size of our hometown of Dallas, OR, but because it is located on the interstate, it has more amenities.  There are numerous hotels, and lots of churches (which, of course, we have in Dallas--once renowned for having the highest per capita number of both churches and taverns!).  There are lots of eateries and some very pleasant looking homes.  Every gas station seems to have a liquor store attached...and you thought gasoline and alcohol didn't mix!

So, here we are, comfortably ensconced in the LaQuinta Inn, chosen because they welcomed Tara's cat.  We were greeted at the front desk with fresh, warm cookies.  When we got checked into our room, we returned to the front desk area for some appetizers of crackers and cheese, provided by the establishment.  Morning promises to bring a hot breakfast, including biscuits and gravy! Gotta love LaQuinta!

Every person in America needs to see this video:

Men of Science

Sometimes we don't know which of our skills will be called upon on any given day. Today, it was my turn to "build a volcano, Grandpa."

When the request came from Josiah, I was ready to dismiss it. But one of the rules grampa-ing is that you can't disappoint your grandkids.

Josiah, had concocted a brew of carbonated water and salt, which he planned to have come out of the volcano, once Grandpa had built it. But I was not convinced that would be very satisfying, as volcanic eruptions go. Nevertheless, Josiah's idea stirred up an old memory of Chemistry 101.

Now that I had a plan for the eruption mechanics, all I needed was a volcano. A little printer paper and some aluminum foil rolled into a cone made a good mountain. Now for the magma chamber. Finding a discarded drinking water bottle, I thought, "Aha!" But then I decided the bottle was too tall. I cut it into a top and a bottom and discarded the middle. Then I taped the top and bottom together and mounted the little bottle in the mouth of the volcano. Now for the trial run.

I scoured the house looking for lava, to no avail. So, I made a quick run across the street to Quick and Easy and came back with $1.88 worth of "chemicals." I took Josiah and the volcano outside. I had secretly put some baking soda in the heart of the volcano. Then I poured a little vinegar down the vent hole, and to Josiah's ultimate satisfaction, the volcano "erupted."

I told Josiah that, of course, God makes the best volcanoes. Nevertheless, he was pretty happy with Mt. Grandpa!

Summer fun

Yesterday, Tim and Laura took off on another husband/wife outing...sans kids! That meant we got to hang with the boys.

Judah promptly went down for a long nap, so grandma and Josiah built a fort out of chairs and sheets. They had a lot of fun playing in there, until it just got too hot for grandma. Josiah continued to play in the fort, using grandma's computer for entertainment, as he watched an episode of Spiderman.

Finally, Judah got up from his long nap. He was hungry, so we fed him what anyone would feed a two year old: salmon salad on crackers with sharp cheddar cheese! (Well, isn't that what you would have fed him??)

Next the boys wanted to go out into the yard. It was a hot day (for San Diego; official NOAA temperature 80 degrees) so they wanted to play with water. Grandma turned on two hoses a trickle and gave each boy a big plastic bowl. They had more fun filling the bowls and pouring them over themselves and each other.

Laura and Tim arrived home about five and brought wonderful things from Costco. Tim went to work in the kitchen and on the patio, and soon we were dining on grilled veggie-kabobs and basil-stuffed Rainbow Trout! Yum!! Laura whipped up some seasoned cous-cous, which was a perfect accompaniment for this splendid repast.

During and after dinner we watched "Tangled," which is an animated version of Rapunzel and was quite entertaining. All and all, I would say it was a perfect day!

Too much fun...

Click the Photo for Slide Show

We have the privilege of visiting our San Diego kids and grandkids this week. We arrived Wednesday and wasted no time having fun. Tim picked us up at the airport and dropped us at home, before he went back to work. Josiah had a play date, so we left Laura home to nap and took Judah on a shopping trip. We stopped to have frozen yogurt on the way home. Then we went to Josiah's Capoeira (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) class. After the class we met Tim at Sammy's Woodfire Pizza for dinner. We sat outside and had a fine time with good pizza. When we came home, we watched a little Padres baseball. Everyone was tired, so we went to bed early.

Yesterday, Tim had to work in the morning, and Laura had an appointment. Laura dropped Tim at his office and went to her appointment. Then she picked him up for a date, so Jill and I got to take care of the boys for the whole day. Laura and Tim went to lunch and a movie and then to the waterfront for happy hour.

Meantime, we played games with the boys, and then we took them to the park that is near the house. They had a lot of fun playing on the playground equipment. Afterwards, we walked to the "Cup of Yo" frozen yogurt store and had a treat.

Back home, again, we fed the boys dinner and gave them baths. We would have had them in bed by the time Laura and Tim came home, but we were a little too slow with the bed time reading. Instead, we had family fun for a while. Then Judah went down, and grandma and grandpa watched a Phineas and Ferb movie with Josiah.

Bedtime felt very good.

This morning we sent Tim off to work. The rest of us went to In and Out Burger for an early lunch, and then we went to visit the U.S.S. Midway (aircraft carrier) museum. Josiah had a great time sitting in aircraft cockpits, and he and his mom went for a ride in a flight simulator. I'm glad I declined that one. I think I would have lost my lunch! They really did some spinning and up and down action! Laura looked a little green when she came out.

Currently we are sitting at home. Laura is fixing dinner. Grandma is playing Beyblades with the boys, and grandpa sat down to write a blog entry.

Stay tuned for more adventures of the ol' Pilgarlic.

The Power of Family

Click the photo for slide show

I was just reading the blog of a friend who is living in Oman and teaching English. She is a talented writer, but she hasn't posted much lately. She says the reason is that, by the time she gets around to posting, the "news" is not current, or she gets interrupted and loses her train of thought.

I find that I can empathize with her struggles... well, all except the part about being a talented writer. I haven't posted on this blog for a couple of months or more. It is not that my life has been uninteresting, because it has been full and rich and exciting. The problem is that by the time I think of blogging, I am either too tired, or too rushed or not in the mood. I guess, for me, the bottom line is that life is for living and not for writing about. I have never been good at keeping a journal. I last a couple of weeks and then I fade out.

So, this post is not going to update my life from the previous post until the present time. Rather it is to describe a wonderful week with my family.

About four months ago, Jill and I were talking about our wedding anniversary. This is a landmark year for us. We will have been married a decade come Thursday. We talked about a romantic, tropical getaway. We looked into Hawaii, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, but none of them was generating enough excitement to take the fore. While we were spending a few days on the Oregon coast in our motor home, we realized that what we treasure most in life is not romantic time alone, although we do enjoy that, but rather to spend time with all of our kids and grandkids together.

A plan was hatched. We have fallen in love with Pacific City, a little resort town on the central Oregon coast. We decided that it would be the perfect celebration of our 10 years of marriage to assemble our blended family at the beach, along with some games and activities that we could all enjoy.

We floated the idea to our kids, and they all got on board. So, last week, we flew Tim and Laura and the grandsons from San Diego and Tara from Denver in for a week. Pat and Katie drove from Monmouth and we made our way a-la caravan to the coast. We rented a funky little house that is literally right on the beach. It had just enough beds and funky beach house charm to provide the perfect venue.

We stayed four days, enjoying one another's company. We played board games and games on the beach. We ate in the Pelican Brew Pub that is right on the water and has great food. The ladies went shopping at the Lincoln City outlet mall. Pat and I stayed up late one night having one of the heart to heart talks that always fill me to overflowing with parental pride and love.

On the last evening of our stay, we were all ruing the fact that our time at the beach was about to come to an end. Someone pointed out that there was a beautiful sunset in progress, so we all left the game table to go and see. While we were admiring God's handiwork, one of the kids said, "Let's do this again next year." All of us agreed with that sentiment. As we all retired to our rooms, Jill and I marveled at the incredible joy that our family shares. Even though we are a blended family, it feels to me like the fulfillment of a life long dream to have a flock of kids and grandkids to enjoy.

We came home on Wednesday, but the fun did not end. Tim had had to leave for home and his job the day before, but Laura and the boys and Tara stayed on. On Thursday we took the grandsons to Red Robin for lunch (Tara's treat) and to the Riverfront Park in Salem, where they played on an outdoor play structure and road on a beautifully restored carousel. We had ice cream and then headed home.

On Friday, Jill and I did some shopping, while Tara entertained her best friend, Sarah, and her husband, Ben, who live in Portland. When we arrived home, Jill and I joined in the fun.

On Saturday, we hosted a baby shower for Katie, who is scheduled to deliver our first granddaughter in August. While the ladies had their party, Pat and I took Josiah to another park with a friend of Pat's, whose wife was at the shower. Dave had his three year-old son, Ethan, with him. We played for an hour or so and then walked over to the pizza parlor to feed the boys (all of us boys!).

We arrived home in time to say good bye to some of the ladies, while others had already left. Next, we began gearing up for something we had promised the boys: a weenie roast on the patio, followed by fireworks on the driveway. It was the first time we have used the fire pit since we moved to Dallas, and it was a hit with young and old alike. The hotdogs were followed, of course, by s'mores. It was a good old Fourth of July celebration (even if it was on the 2nd). Before Judah and Josiah went to bed, Tara put on a rather impressive fireworks display for us.

This morning, Laura and the boys had to be at the airport at 9:00 AM. So, Jill drove them to Portland, and Tara and I went to church. It was a fun daddi-o/daughter date. We went to Tater's Cafe for breakfast after church. Jill met us there and we had a fine, if overly generous, meal.

Perhaps, the highlight of the week for me was one evening, when everyone but Jill and Laura and I had gone to bed. The three of us chatted over a glass of wine, and Laura said that she and Patrick and Tara had had a discussion, during the beach trip, in which they agreed that I had been a positive influence in all of their lives. Laura and Tara had individually and independently sent me Father's Day cards in which they wrote that I represent to each of them the kind of father figure that they wanted but never really had growing up.

I was touched to my very soul. As a man who has never produced any biological children, I have always dreamed of leaving a legacy to the next generation. Now it seems that my dream may be coming true! Thank you to all of my wonderful kids. You are the joy of my life. I could not ask for a more wonderful family.

(Pssst! Jill, I love you for helping me build such a wonderful family!)

Getting on with it...

Take a day that is mostly sunny. Add a fence that was supposed to be finished in October. Sprinkle in a dash of urgency, the result of facing hernia repair surgery, and what do you get? A guy who wants to get on with the landscaping but is frustrated by obstacles.

So, I got out in the yard today and finished the gates that I had hoped to install in October. I also trimmed off the tops of the ragged fence posts and installed the fence post caps that I purchased last summer. So, the fence is, at long last nearing completion. I would have finished it today, except that the local handyman center (van Well Hardware) didn't have the gate latches in stock that I wanted.


I have a dental appointment in Salem on Monday, so I will stop at Lowe's while I am in town and pick up the latches. One more afternoon, and I can have the fence construction complete. Jill has promised to put sealer on the fence, as soon as Tom kills out the poison oak in the backyard and the weather permits.

In another development, I was able to complete the wiring of the garden shed. Well, that is, except for actually hooking it up to the power source. That will require a trench from the back of the garage to the front of the shed, which I haven't had time or weather to complete yet. Once the trench is dug, the completion of the wiring will be a snap.

So, we have been doing some projects. I also decided to buy a TV antenna and ditch the dish. The antenna is not yet installed, but the hardest part is done, i.e., pulling a coax cable from the attic into the low voltage junction box I had installed when we built the house.

Patrick wanted me to bring the antenna over to his house to see what we could pull in channel-wise. Consequently, I have not installed the antenna yet. It was very strange; we hooked up the antenna at Pat's house and were able to pick up 33 channels on one TV set, but on the big set in the living room, we were unable to get a single channel. I believe that the tuner may be to blame. More cogitation is required.

I hope to set up the antenna at home on Monday. I am scheduled for some minor surgery on Tuesday, and although the surgery is minor, I am going to be unable to to do much work for about six weeks. So, I am feeling pressure to deliver!!

Through the Bible in 90 Days

Jill and I are having a great time reading the Bible in 90 days, along with our church. We have taken the B-90 Challenge. We have been at it for one week, and we are already through Genesis and Exodus. It is really entertaining to read the Bible at this rate. Sure, some of the genealogies are a bit dry, but they are important to the overall understanding of the saga.

I once had occasion to read the Bible in 60 days. It was a great experience, but I think 90 days is a nicer pace. Using the B-90 Challenge Bible, it is a mere 12 pages a day of reading. I have tried the "Bible in a year" plans, but they go so slowly that you can't really keep track of the story. Then I lose interest and fail to continue...usually somewhere in Leviticus.

So, if you haven't read through the Bible recently, I recommend this plan. If you are a believer, you really need to read through the Bible periodically: it is God's love letter to you. If you are not a believer, reading through the Bible can't hurt you, and it has been such a powerful influence in the world for the past 3,500 years that you really ought to know what is in it.

There is a thief in the neighborhood!

Finally, after three + months in our new home, I was able to get out and do some yard work. Landscaping in winter is difficult at best. In our yard, when it has rained, walking is hazardous...it makes you taller. What I mean to say is that the clay soil tends to collect on the bottom of your shoes, and after a time, you actually can accumulate enough that your shoes no longer touch the ground.

Today, the ground was comparatively dry. So, of course, the first thing I did was get out the hose and attach a sprayer. I sprayed the new shoots of poison oak that are coming up all over the back yard. I hope that, by starting now, I can pretty much eradicate this noxious weed before summer is over.

Next, I put on my burglar's mask and dark glasses and went across the street to steal some plants! Well, that is not 100% true...well, actually the only truth in that statement is that I went across the street. I didn't have to disguise myself, and I didn't have to steal plants. Our contractor has graciously told us that we may take any plant materials that are on any of the lots in the development on which no one has built a house.

I found the mother lode of ferns. So, I dug up five nice big ferns and planted them strategically under the oak trees in the back yard.

Jill got a picture of my good side, while
I was digging holes to plant the ferns.

Then I turned around, and she got my bad side.

Pogo came out to help, too.
She is the official family sniffer

I call this the "dance of the fern planter."
Just tamping down the soil.

In all, I made three trips to Duane's dig-'em-yourself nursery. In addition to the ferns, I found three lovely Oregon grape plants. Here's the final result:

The little plant on the left is one of the Oregon grapes.

Isn't this a lovely fern? There are dozens like this still available.

I added another fern behind the tree, so Jill took another photo.

This photo doesn't do justice to the bed I filled
within a semi-circle of trees. There are three
ferns and two Oregon grapes. I can't wait to get
some bark dust to scatter around them.

It will be a while yet before we can put in lawn, because I need to have someone come and dig trenches so I can put in the sprinkler system first. I also plan to make a waterfall and a dry creek bed in the back yard.

I have made some composite photos of the overall plan for the front yard, as well. My hope is that, when we finish, it will look something like this:

Front composite photo.

Side yard composite photo.

Snow today in Dallas

OK, OK, you people on the east coast and in Indiana, don't laugh...we had some snow today. Yes, on 1/11/11 we had (have) snow falling and sticking...kinda.

Earlier in the day, the sun was out, so I decided it was time to take Sadie out for some exercise. She fired right up; although, I am embarrassed to say, it has been since October 23rd that her engine last ran. There has just been so much to do, getting into our new home, that Sadie has been a bit neglected. She sits, cozy, in her garage; no need for winterizing, because the garage is insulated.

Part of my motivation was that we received a ten cents a gallon discount coupon for gas at Safeway. With Gas currently at $3.119 per gallon, ten cents off seemed like a good time to fill up. We disconnected Sadie's various umbilici, gingerly drove her out of the garage and down the hill to fill up. It turns out the discount is only good for the first 30 gallons, which means we saved $3.00; not a fortune, but enough for a caramel machiato, one of these days.

The gas station attendants were very kind and washed Sadie's dirty windshield while we were there. When we were finished (40.7 gallons later), we headed for the countryside to give the old girl some exercise. We had a lovely drive out to Perrydale, a little farming community a bit north of Dallas. The countryside was gorgeous, Sadie purred, and Jill and I reveled in being on the road. In fact, we determined it is time to plan the first camping trip of 2011.

While we were on the road, I started the Onan generator for a little exercise and ran the electric heater in the coach. It ran like a top...the generator, that is...well, the heater did fine, too. We returned home, parked our venerable lady and went in to have lunch.

That's when the snow began to fall. I felt pretty smug. I got Sadie gassed up at a discount, gave her some exercise, enjoyed a drive in the country with my best girl, and got home before the snow began to fall.

It is odd how a particular day or occurrence affects one's soul. I told Jill after we got home that, somehow, taking Sadie out for a drive made me feel that we are finally settled at home in Dallas. She told me that, whenever she is feeling grumpy or having cravings, all I need to do is take her for a ride in Sadie...or give her some chocolate...or, ahem.

So, yes, we had some snow in Dallas today. I am not exactly regretting that I gave away my skis before we moved, but we had snow today in Dallas.

A little Christmas fun

I think Laura had more fun with this crazy cat toy than anything else this Christmas.