Birthday Girl

I celebrated a birthday a few days ago. They're getting harder to face each year as I get older and older. Some days I feel as old as dirt. Others, I wonder how I got to be this old, especially when I still feel like I'm about 20.

It was a nice day. I wondered who would be the first to wish me a happy birthday, figuring it would be my sister-in-law, who was taking me to lunch to celebrate. But surprise! Don called me about 8 a.m. and he was the first! DD Heffalump was next, calling about 11. Sis-in-law was #3.

We ate at Sweet Tomatoes, she had never been there before. It was a good lunch, and afterwards we went to Walmart. She bought me a helium butterfly balloon.

I was still full from lunch, so Don & I had a light supper, then off to my brother & sister-in-law's for the family celebration. It was originally going to be at twin #2's apartment, but it was about 100 degrees that day so sis-in-law offered their air-conditioned home for the party.

My gifts were great, all needed and/or appreciated. From Don I am getting a new genealogy program that works with new Family Search, have to download it still. And the promise of a dinner out in the very near future. From dd Ardyth, the gift that keeps on giving--coupons for a great activity every month. September's is a walk through the historic NW part of town (I grew up there and it has changed a LOT over the years) and dessert at Rose's. I read through all the other months, and there are activities like a manicure/pedicure, movie night, homemade ice cream night, and more. DDs Myra and Pink Avenger made me a beautiful red & blue quilt, which is now residing on our bed. Heffalump had previously given me a dvd titled "Lt. Robinson Crusoe," which starred Dick Van Dyke and was a Disney movie from the '60's. Ezre gave me some storage crates to use in my "new" craft room. Brother & Sis-in-law gave me a red bag, red umbrella, and a package of M&M's Premium Triple Chocolates.

There goes another year, all shot to heck, as Don has said. Let's see what the next year brings.

That Was the Week That Was - August 8-15th

There are often times when I'm driving in the car or doing other mundane things, that I think of something to blog about. So far this week I haven't had any of those times. It's just been a fairly busy week, so this will be another "That Was the Week that Was." I think there was an old TV show by that name, back in the '60's.

Saturday (8th):
Our annual "Blue Lake" family picnic. Only this year we held it at #2 dd's house. She has a nice fenced back yard with lots of play structures for the kids, a large patio with plenty of seating, a big gas barbecue that can cook lots of hamburgers and hot dogs at one time. We had a good time. There was a big water fight, too bad the 90+ degree weather didn't extend to Saturday, it was a little chilly for me to be wanting to get all wet.

Sunday (9th):

Church today. Our choir sang. It was the first time our "angels" weren't with us so that we sounded better than we really are. We started out strong, then the pianist hit a wrong note and everyone started the third verse on the wrong note. We corrected it a little later, but not soon enough, I'm afraid. Yikes! I think I want to hang up my voice for a while.

Monday:
The director of Columbia River Chorus, the Sweet Adelines Chorus I'm a member of, probably has (or had) Swine Flu this past week. He had attended Harmony University in Missouri (Kansas City or environs, I think) a couple of weeks ago, and was exposed there. Yikes! He is recovering, or so he was the last I heard.

Tuesday:
Went to the Temple, it was nice to be there. Very busy. It was the first day they were open after their summer break, and it was hard to find a place to park.

Wednesday:
Ack--another trip to Tigard, this time for Board meeting for Columbia River Chorus. I got the joy of driving all of us from Vancouver there, since I was in the only van and there were 6 of us. I hate that drive, but nonetheless, I did it anyway. Not fond of driving in Portland, especially the freeways, and during "rush hour," but I always get through it. Don't know why I dread it so, I know it's not pleasant--but I can do it! I AM WOMAN! HEAR ME ROAR! And don't get in my way!

Thursday:
Another volunteer day at the Clark Co. Genealogical Society. We're inventorying all the books in the library--which is in the thousands. My computer data-entry helper came and did lots of corrections in the library catalog, and I worked on inventorying the Oregon shelves while my partner Larry finished up Clark Co. Another lady came in for some library training. It was a busy day.

Friday:
Not much went on, although I did go to Trader Joe's to stock up on some of the fun foods we like to eat from there. DS Joe came over for dinner and a visit.

Saturday (15th):
Went garage saling with dh, we were looking for a small radio to use in the bathroom, and a bookshelf for my "new" craft room (since twin #1 took hers out of my new/her old room. We were successful on both counts. Had lunch at Sonic Burger, then went for a drive past Lacamas Lake and region. Came home, took a nap, did computer stuff, went to Walmart and now dh is working on a friend's car door problem.

This-n-that:
TweakMASTER 3, one of the software titles I do technical support for, was released a week ago. I am hopeful my work will pick up so I can make a little money. I used to do pretty good at it, but business has been slow for the past year or so. Drat this economy, anyway!

I'm thinking of writing a book. Nothing exciting, just a family history of one of my lines: the Millet's of Voluntown, New London, Connecticut. At the geneology society library I was reading a magazine article while eating lunch, which was about a woman who wrote a book on her family, and suddenly all sorts of cousins appeared out of the woodwork. I need some new cousins, especially from descendants of a couple of sons I have lost. Of course, these cousins may not even know who they descend from, but I'd love to straighten this family out.

Potpouri

Clip Job

Today I got my hair cut. We hear of high unemployment rates in our area as well as nation-wide, but it must not apply at the Great Clips I go to. I got there about 9:30 this morning, and there wasn't anyone else in the place getting their hair cut. And there were at least 4 employees there, one was washing the hair of another employee, one was sitting down waiting for me, and the 4th was also sitting. Normally at this hour there is usually just two hair people there, and several customers waiting for attention. I guess money is good there if they have either hired more people, or added a couple more for this early hour (they open at 9). The gal who cut my hair looked young, perhaps a recent graduate of hair school. But she gave me the best cut I've had in a long time. She was very conscientious about making sure it was even, took her time to be sure it was done right, and actually styled it very similar to how I do it. For some reason, most hair cutters style it their way, and it isn't "my" way so I was pleased that I didn't have to go home and fix it.

I'm Only Buying Yarn

#3 dd told me that Fred Meyers was having a "buy one get one free" sale on their yarn this week. I need more yarn like I need another child, but those were magic words to me, so on my way home from getting my hair cut, I stopped at Fred Meyers, since there was one sort of on my way home. Turned out it was "buy two get one free," (I must have mis-heard or mis-remembered) but what the heck, I want to make a sweater (if I can find the pattern I have used in the past), and two skeins of yarn isn't going to do it. Plus, I got 7 oz. skeins instead of 5 oz, so hopefully I will have enough. But it's Red Heart yarn, which I can afford if I end up not having enough. Or I can go back before tomorrow and buy a couple more. As I walked in the door, I walked right by Women's apparel. Gee, I haven't had anything new for a while, and dh gave me a little $$ a while back to spend on myself, so why not? There was a "buy one get one free" on their clearance rack, too. I picked out two tops, one was clearanced at $30, the other $28. So for about $14.50 each, I have two new tops. A great buy, until I realized that I seldom spend that much on a top--Walmart's prices are MUCH cheaper. Oh well, one is a nice one for church, the other is casual. I also bought a deli sandwich for my lunch.

Cash For Clunkers--Whose Idea Was This, Anyway?

I don't know if you are all aware of the rules for this debacle, or what they do with your "clunker" when you trade it in, but I think this a ridiculous program. We got a postcard in the mail last week, promoting this stupid plan, and telling us that our 1992 Pontiac Transport minivan qualified for the program. Under the guidelines, you can receive either $3,500 or $4,500 trade-in on your "clunker." Well, I've never thought of my Transport van (which ds is driving) as a "clunker," but since it's rated mpg is 18, it qualifies. I always found that it got better mileage than my MP3 minivan, but checking their web site, they claim that car is rated at 19mpg, which is not low enough to qualify. The program is trying to get old gas-guzzling automobiles off the road, get people to buy a new fuel-efficient car, and save Detroit at the same time. Trouble is, you can pretty much buy any car, including foreign cars, as long as they get better mileage. The amount you get off the new car depends on how good the mileage is. Now if they were really interested in saving Detroit, they would say we have to buy American made cars. And do you know what they are doing with the trade-ins? No, not reselling (after all, the Feds want these cars off the road). No, they are destroying them. I heard several ads for this program on the radio today as I drove around, bragging about taking sledge hammers to these cars and destroying them. One of my dsil's watched a video online showing them pouring something into the motors to seize them up, then crushing them. ACK!

Now, I find several things wrong with this program.

1. Most people are driving these "clunkers" because they can't afford a new car. So they fall for this line, and suddenly saddle themselves with a $300-$400 car payment for the next 5 to 7 years.

2. The "clunker" cannot be any older than 25 years old. So most of these "clunkers" being traded in are 1990's and even 2000's models. The real, true "clunkers" are still on the road (I'm talking these vintage big old 70's & '80's gas hogs).

3. Those of us who drive "clunkers" because we can't afford or don't want to buy a new car, will eventually be upgrading to these '90's and 2000 models. Or would, if we could find any to buy. The fools who are falling for this program are conveniently allowing the Feds to take these cars off the road. What will we buy when our current "clunkers" wear out? Well, I guess we're all slated to ride the bus. Which hurts the economy because suddenly, there will be fewer people licensing cars each year, buying car insurance, gas, oil, tires, etc.

4. With fewer of these cars around, those who kept their "clunkers" will find car parts hard to come by. None of these cars will be in the wrecking yard, the makers of parts for these cars will cut back because after all, there isn't the demand for them. If you can't fix your clunker, what do you do? Give in to the system and buy a new car (but the Cash for Clunkers program will be non-existant by then, so no help there)? Ride the bus?

I imagine the junked out, crushed cars will be shipped off to Japan, where the Japanese auto makers will melt it all down and use it to make more cars to sell to the stupid Americans!

I don't think there's anyone with half a brain running our government these days. They need to listen to real people. Real people are who get these guys elected to office. I will remember this when the next election comes along.

I am grateful that we are within walking distance to most everything we need should the day come when we can't fix and drive our "clunkers." And on two bus lines for those places that we can't walk to.

Moving Day (or why I've decided never to move again)

Yesterday was moving day. No, not for me, but for one of my daughters.

When they were married a year and a half ago, they were pretty poor, and couldn't afford much in the way of rent payments. So they settled for a small, one bedroom apartment about a mile & a half up the road from us. It wasn't a bad apartment, just small--and these two kids have a lot of STUFF! It made a nice home for them, until recently. They have a lousy upstairs neighbor, had a ceiling cave in due to a leak in same upstairs neighbor's apartment, then were visited by rodents who found a hole in a wall not fixed by the repairmen who repaired the ceiling and wall damage done by the leak.

DD's husband now makes pretty good money and their lease was up, so they decided it was time to move on up in the world. They also decided they wanted no more upstairs neighbors. Just a couple of weeks ago, dd found the ideal place--a 2 bedroom townhouse in a small complex not too far away. So yesterday was "moving day."

Helpers began arriving as early as 7:30 yesterday morning (myself, dh, and dd's twin sister). Followed shortly after by my brother and his minivan. Then in-laws arrived at some point while we were delivering the first two loads to the new digs, and eventually the twin dd's dh found his way there. I say "found his way," because when Don & I were arriving with another load, here was twin dd standing on the curb, and off in the distance we could see a red vehicle climbing the hill towards us. Twin dd said that her dh had passed it up unknowingly, then called her cell phone for directions. The red vehicle we saw was him.

Cell phones are marvelous inventions--they were used a LOT yesterday!

Did I mention it was also more than 90 degrees yesterday? Did I mention there were stairs involved?

We had 3 pickup trucks, two mini-vans and one Toyota car shuttling things from the old place to the new. By 2-ish, we'd all had enough. But most importantly, almost all of their belongings were now at their new home. They've paid rent on the old place for August, so what's left as well as the cleaning, can be done another day or two.

They sure had a lot of "stuff" for a couple who has only been married a year and a half (almost).

And in another month, we'll probably be doing this for the twin dd, too! Ack! But twin dd promises their move will be easier, since her dh didn't have as much stuff.

It's been almost 20 years since we've moved, and I hope it will be another 20 years before we move again. And we'll pick a different time of year when we do move--I hate it when it's HOT!

Hot Enough For You?

Hot Enough For You?

I HATE HOT WEATHER!

Therefore, it was a pleasant bit of news when my online USGW friend Sundee, who lives in Colorado Springs, reported that it had been cool and rainy in the Springs a few days before we were scheduled to depart on our annual trip to visit my dad.

I didn't exactly trust her weather report, though, because traditionally it has been very hot each time we've visited. So I proceeded to pack one pair of jeans and about 3 or 4 capri pants, t-shirts, one long-sleeved denim shirt and one hoody. Also my lightest-weight pj's.

Surprise! Sundee was right! Well, the day we arrived (Sunday July 19th) was a little warm, but not bad--since we're used to weather in the '90's when we visit, but it was only about 80-ish. And this was certainly MUCH better than what we left behind (85-90's). Monday through Wednesday was cool enough to wear my jeans, and we saw lots of rain and thunderstorms while we were visiting. We almost got rained on in the Garden of the Gods, and we did get rained on while shopping in Manitou Springs.

But HORROR of HORROR'S! One of my friends back home reported that it would be in the 100's this week here in my Pacific NW city! I was tempted to stay in Colorado, but of course we couldn't. So here we are, dealing with 100+ degree heat.

I went to Tar-jay this morning, as I needed freezer bags to put my grated zucchini in. Left home around 9:30, and it was already almost 90 degrees. I really wanted to stay back in the Back-to-School corner of the store, since there was a GREAT breeze from the air conditioner blowing there. But that may be a place to visit later on today. I just checked our thermometer, and it's 102.4 degrees out/82 in. I wish I could stay holed up here in the family room with the air conditioning unit running full blast, but alas! More zucchini await me, plus cleaning up the kitchen and making a macaroni salad to go with our dinner tonight (sandwiches).

I'm thinking of setting up the sprinkler in the back yard and running through it, just like our kids did when they were little. Stay cool, everyone!

"Quite a Trip"

It hardly seems possible that our annual trip to Colorado Springs to visit family is over for another year. We left on Saturday, July 18th, and got back home on Friday, July 24th. A little shorter than usual, but then so were our funds. We really wanted to make this trip without adding to our credit card debt, and I'm happy to report that we did just that.

We rented a car for the trip, at the insistence of Kt, who accompanied us. Glad we listened, as the Toyota Corolla we ended up with was air conditioned and had comfy seats. She kicked in for the price of the car out of her tax refund. The car did well, got between 31 & 35 mpg, had a smallish gas tank so we didn't break the bank each time we filled it up.

We drove straight through, mostly to save money for motel for one night. While we made the trip okay with no mishaps, we wished we had stopped for the night--we were beat!!! Sunday night we slept for at least 10 hours to make up for it.

We rented a motel room while in Colorado Springs. We used to stay with my folks, but their house is so hot and we are getting to old to deal with discomfort. A couple of years ago, when my brother went with us, he suggested getting a motel, and we are all happier for doing this. My folks are getting older, and when you're used to two people kicking around the house, suddenly adding a few extras can be a hardship. We arrived at their house every morning anywhere between 9:30 & 11, depending on if we did any shopping or other activities first. We'd leave to go back to the motel anywhere from 7 to 8 p.m., enjoying a couple of hours of channel surfing (no matter how many channels there are on cable, doesn't seem to be anything worth watching), air conditioning, and comfy beds. I went to bed earlier on this trip than I have in years, and for the most part, slept pretty good.

Our touristy trips included a mini-hike through the Garden of the Gods and shopping in Manitou Springs for souvenirs to take home. We've made this trip so many times that I was all "souvenired out," but did buy a little something for Hi-D (who took care of our house and pets) as well as my buddy in Sweet Adelines chourus. Kt bought a few things for her dh. We both bought post cards and stamps, then forgot to mail them out.

The trip home was another straight-through drive, but we had a better night's sleep the night before, so it wasn't so hard. We did stop for a couple of hours at a rest stop and slept before continuing on.

Hard to believe it's over for another year, and that we're making plans already for the next trip.

Chapman Revisited: Or You Can Go Home Again

Yesterday was my second granddaughter's high school graduation. The ceremony was held at my old grade school. Now, before you wonder how a grade school auditorium can be big enough to house graduation ceremonies for a high school, this is not your typical, 400+ graduating class high school. Both of our older granddaughters attended Metropolitan Learning Center, a part of the Portland Public School system, and home to grades kindergarten through 12. Enrollment is limited, obviously, because the facilities aren't large enough to include students from three different school levels in one former elementary school building. Maggie's graduating class was about 25 students.

Although we saw the school from the outside for many years, neither of us had been inside the school since at least 1963, when my brother graduated from 8th grade. We arrived early, parked the car next to Wallace Park and had a leisurely stroll through the park to the school. We had one of our daughter's with us, who remembered her aunt & uncle taking her & her twin sister & brother here to play when they would come to visit. My memories included being in the sheltered area and doing craft things (anyone know what gimp is?) during the summer, to watching my brother play little league baseball on one of the ball fields; catching a glimpse of Bill Walton and some of his '77 Trail Blazer teammates playing basketball there, the wading pool (no longer there) where I stepped on my first bee and got stung, thereby solidifying my fear of bees from that point on. The old sandbox is no longer there, either. We used to build elaborate road systems using our shoes as bulldozers to construct them. Ah, many a summer day was spent playing at this park.

Walking up the front walkway of the school was another moment in time travel. I remembered the row of rose bushes lining the walkway. While I doubt they are the same ones that were there from the mid 1950's to now, at least someone decided not to tamper with the past. There were a couple of statues added to the walkway though, a nice touch. I remember a date on the building, I think it was "1928," but I couldn't see it as we approached. Up the stairs we went, and the old auditorium was still in the same place, still had the same hard wooden seats, the curtains looked the same as when we attended. I had forgotten there was a balcony, but seeing it brought back memories of the all-school assemblies and getting to sit in the balcony when I was in the upper grades. Both my brother and I fondly remember seeing some great movies in the auditorium during lunch recess. "Godzilla" and "It Came From Beneath the Sea" were the two we remembered. For a nickel you could catch about 20 minutes or so of the movie each day during lunch recess. I seem to remember that Fridays the movie was free, so if we were short on funds, we saw the end of the movie on Friday, but not the beginning or middle.

When my brother arrived, the first thing he recognized was the door to the principal's office. It's in the same place, and he said that if anyone ever put up a plaque commemorating the student with the most visits to the principal's office, he's pretty sure his name would be on it. Waiting for the ceremonies to begin, we reminisced about the old teachers we had and the rooms we occupied. I doubt that any of our old elementary teachers are still living--at least our 8th grade teacher would have to be over 100 years old now if she were still alive. She was planning to retire when I was in 6th grade, her class planned a great retirement party for her, but she was still there long enough to teach both me & my brother. I know she was old, and her favorite subject was English. Anytime there was a spare few minutes before lunch, recess, or going home, she'd call a few students by name, direct them to the blackboard, and give them a sentence to diagram. I was a master sentence diagrammer back then, a skill that I never used again after 8th grade.

As we wandered outside following the ceremony, we looked at the old hopscotch and 4-square painted plots on the cement play area; noted the new covered area that wasn't there when we were students; the tennis courts that were there, but we didn't use them as students; the back fields which housed two baseball diamonds that are no longer there; and the hill that we used to run up and down in the younger grades. You know, usually when you revisit a hill in later years, they are smaller than you remember them. This is the first hill we saw that was actually bigger, or so it seemed. We didn't go into the basement of the building, but we both remembered playing prison ball during lunch recesses on days when it was too cold or rainy to play outside.

It was a lot of fun going back to our old grade school. It sure jogged some long-forgotten memories for both of us. If you haven't visited your old grade school in a while, I hope you get the opportunity to visit some day.