Have you ever had one of those days where events overcome you to the point where you just don’t get anything significant accomplished? If so, please tell me what it’s like to have that happen as something out of the ordinary because that’s the way my life is every day. From the time I arise, to the time I arest.

Let’s look at today, for instance …

I got up at a fairly normal time, for me, and was out working by 9:00 am. Diane’s been wanting me to plant the tomatoes in the little area we have outside the kitchen, but it still needed to be cleaned up. Before I went to Connecticut I had spaded it all up, and that’s where it was this morning, but the grass had begun to grow again so I thought it was going to be a tough job. So, I pulled out the old Mantis tiller and went to work to get it running, but that didn’t work out well. While priming the engine, by pushing that little bulb thingie, I managed to split it open causing it to leak a little gas. But, I did manage to get it started, I just couldn’t keep it running. Thinking it was the bulb, I went to a local repair shop and bought a new one. I also bought an air filter, something the Mantis hasn’t had for about 4 years now.

When I got home I proudly showed Diane the new and old bulbs, but the air filter simply disappeared. Really, it did. I know for a fact I brought it in the house from the car, but I couldn’t find it. Normally losing something like that drives me nuts, which is a pretty quick trip, but today I managed to remain calm as I tried to retrace my steps to find it. That proved to be difficult, because I couldn’t remember where I’d been before I discovered it was missing. Both of us search the house, the car, everything, but it’s gone.

After replacing the bulb, I decided to just run it without the filter since it was running just fine without it before, but it still wouldn’t stay running. So, I got to looking around and wound up dismantling the carburetor. I got it all cleaned up and reinstalled, but it still wouldn’t stay running. All symptoms pointed to a clogged fuel filter, but I wasn’t sure where it was. I finally found it at the end of the fuel line in the gas tank. It was pretty clogged and the fuel line kind of disintegrated in my hand, so figure I’ll need to replace that before I can make it work properly. Everyone should be really proud of me, however, for getting it all back together without destrying it.

Since the Mantis wasn’t going to help me, I decided to just bite the bullet, for now, and get busy with the manual version of getting rid of the grass and weeds. Armed with a handy Polasky, a pitchfork, and a rake, I was making real progress when Diane bid me adieu to go work at the St. Helens Senior Center to serve lunch. She does this once a month. I help sometimes, and offered to help today, but she thought she was OK and would have enough help to get it done. So, I remained in the mud … did I mention it was raining? … plugging away. That was about 11:00 am.

At 11:25 am Jennie showed up to tell me Diane needed me at the Senior Center because no one showed up to help. She needed me. After taking a shower, Jennie drove me and Cedric to the rescue. When we got there, some of the helper folks had arrived, but there was still a need. I was going to help serve the meals, but it wasn’t getting dished up quick enough for 3 servers, so I just sat down to eat at one of the tables. Once I was done, however, things got busy … my job was to scrape all the uneaten food off the dishes and place them in dishwater as a pre-rinse for the sterilizer machine. It’s actually an easy job but I had to keep reminding myself to NOT lick the spatula I was using on the plates. That wouldn’t have been good.

Finally, it was done and we returned home where I re-donned my wet, dirty work clothes, and returned to my garden chores. The tomatoes got planted as well as the cucumber plant. This is our second cucumber plant because the first one died on the porch before we could get it in the ground. Poor thing is still out there, all brown with all of it’s arms hanging over the edge of the pot like someone shot it. It’s kinda sad. I think tomorrow I’ll take it out and bury it next to the new cucumber and put a little cross up for it.

Right about the time I finished with the garden, it was time to get ready for my monthly Church Council meeting. Weird, huh? Me on Church Council? How, you may wonder, did that happen? Adding to your consternation, I must report that I’ve been involved with our Church Council for many, many years. At one point I was President for 8 years in a row. I initiated the concept of an agenda, and made everyone follow it, unlike all the meetings for the preceding 95 years. They just went off in all sorts of directions making things really confusing for someone like me who thrives on order and discipline.

When I returned from the meeting, Diane was still in the basement where I left her. She’s been watching our oldest TV in the newly reorganized family room area of the basement. It looks like this:

The plan is to remove the big TV from the upstairs living room and put it against the knotty pine wall. Then, if we want to watch TV, we’ll have to go down there … or into the man room where I have one hanging on the wall over Diane’s computer monitor.

Diane did all the work in the basement and it looks really good. One day I’ll have to take a picture of all the stuff that’s behind where I was standing to take the above picture. It’s a mess. Boxes, and boxes of “stuff”, a foosball table, a computer station, a piano, and the laundry room. Stuff just everywhere, with paths to make it easier to get through. Looks a little like one of those hoarder’s places you see on HGTV once in a while, except you can actually see most of our floor. Using that as a comparison, I guess ours really isn’t that bad.

Now I’ll leave you with some pictures. First is Cedric on the roof where he went to retrieve Panzee’s sock monkey … it’s a squeeky toy that she just can’t leave alone. She’s had it for a long time and hasn’t hurt it a bit …

Next is Lydia’s softball team celebrating the end of their season. One of the coaches, Jennifer, gave each girl a gift basket that had a softball in it. Here they are passing them around to get all the girl’s signatures. I think Lydia is covering up because she tossed a ball up and it didn’t make it to the girl behind her. Either that, or someone said something colorful …

Next is one of my favorite sunsets ever. It was taken on the island of Hawaii in 2009 …

And here’s one of my favorite sunrises, taken from our back porch. That Mt. Hood under the cloud in the middle. I think it blew up that day, but I’m not sure.

I guess that just goes to show you that Hawaii hasn’t got anything on Oregon.

Hope everyone is well, or getting better from not being well, or as well as you can be, all things considered. If you’re reading this, things could be a lot worse … you have a computer, and many don’t … you can see … you have a mouse and know how to use it so at least one of your arms and hands work … you’re probably sitting upright in a chair right now without a seat belt … and you have time to waste.

Later …

I returned to Oregon Monday evening and was greeted at the exit gate by my first wife who  took me home after a brief stop at Arby’s for a sandwich. It’s funny how a person’s mind works to adapt to current conditions so I was still on Connecticut Time, expecting Connecticut Trees, and Connecticut license plates, but everything was Oregon, Oregon, Oregon, just as it should be. So, as I nibbled my food, gazing at my lovely bride, I flipped that switch in my head and returned home mentally, as well as physically. Though it was sad to leave Ruth, and all my Girls and Guys “over there”, it was time to move forward. The mission was accomplished and I think we are all better for it. My one regret is that everyone else from the Left Coast couldn’t go, also. But, life gets in the way sometimes giving us other areas of concern that require our attention. I understand.

By 9:30 pm Monday evening I determined that it was well past my bedtime, even though there was still a bit of daylight remaining. I’ve always found it difficult to justify going to bed when it isn’t dark. Makes me feel like I’m cheating, or something. But, I was tired. Diane blessed me with a kiss and sent me on my way where I slumbered all the way to 5:13 am Tuesday morning. I was still on Connecticut Time. It was quickly apparent that the switch I flipped didn’t include that aspect of updating my brain.

So, I got up, fed the animals, did my pitiful little exercises, took my meds, and even ate breakfast. All without making enough noise to wake Diane. It was a successful endeavor, up to this point, which was good because it sometimes isn’t. I drop things a lot. Like just now … I went to get up and get my 2nd cup of coffee and knocked my iPad keyboard on the floor. Very noisy. But, I do not hear any stirrings from the East Wing, so all is well. She sleeps on.

Back to yesterday … after Diane got up I shucked my jammies in favor of some work clothes and went about the never ending task of moving things around in my shop in an effort to seek order. But, it’s a hopeless venture. The only way to make it “right” is to just stuff everything in a bunch of Avon boxes, donate it, and start over with new shiny tools. Easy to say, impossible to do because lots of my tools, and assorted screws and nails have been in the family for far too long to just casually toss them aside. I still find the need to dig around in my shoe box full of really sharp screws, nuts, and bolts, looking for the one I need for one project or another, and I know, way in the back of my head somewhere, that doing this takes far more time and effort than a trip to ACE to get the exact “thing” I need.

I digress … what’s new there?

After re-disovering the futility of cleaning up my shop I had this image of Lyle’s shop. It’s not large, but he managed to maintain it in a manner which I found commendable by keeping it messy. Actually, messy is just a visual clue that it was well used. And, I would (almost) bet that he knew where everything was out there. Now that he’s gone, so is that knowledge and really important “stuff” will languish on that work bench until there is an overpowering need to recover the space. I think it should be a family affair where everything is removed and divided up for transport, leaving only a hammer, a pair of pliers, sixteen screws, seven nails, and nine screwdrivers of various size and configuration. That’s all Ruth needs. Maybe a crescent wrench for when she feels daring. That’s all.

I continued fiddling around until Diane gave me a rudder and refocused my attention on the laundry room. As some of you may recall, I removed the laundry tub some time ago and rearranged the washer and dryer, placing them next to each other which I couldn’t do previously because the laundry tub was between them. A consequence of removing the tub was the open drain with no trap. With no trap, sewer gas was allowed into the laundry room which caused one of us a great deal of concern because the other one was oblivious as he wasn’t here. This required a temporary fix until the tub can be replaced and it was accomplished with a small piece of aluminum foil wrapped over the end of the offending pipe.

Then I took the laundry tub into the back yard and partially dismantled it so I could power wash it, preparing it for a new paint job. Power washing required me to move that unit from the garage to the back yard. When I checked the oil, it was pretty gnarly looking so I decided to change it. After searching the mechanism for an hour or so, I couldn’t find any obvious method of draining the old oil so I went to my work bench in search of the owner’s manual. It wasn’t there, so I went to my computer to look online, but couldn’t find it there, either. So, I just tipped the entire unit upside down over an old coffee can until it quit dripping. Before doing that, I actually made sure the gas tank was empty so I wouldn’t drip gas all over. Finally, it was done, and the washer started right up, just in time for lunch. We had BLTs.

After lunch, and a short nap, I returned to my task and power washed the tub. It still needs the attention of a wire brush, but we have some nifty paint that totally encapsulates rust, making it paintable. But, I want it smooth and pretty before I reinstall it. This may require the purchase of a new laundry tub.

Once the laundry tub was sufficiently scrubbed, I decided to mow the front yard because the grass, though it rained in the morning, was dry. To get the lawn mower out I had to fire up the downstairs air compressor so I could inflate one of the tires on the trailer, which was in the way, and add more air to the mower’s front tires so it would steer easily.

I forgot … somewhere in there I took the furnace filters out and used the upstairs air compressor to blow them out. I do that occasionally, when Diane tells me to. I think I did this before power washing the tub because I have a vague memory of being dry when I did it.

I love my lawn mower. It always starts right up even though I abuse it … maybe not like Larry and Todd would, but it’s well used. My mower and I buzzed around the house to the front yard and had it done, lickty split. I only took the top couple of inches off, so the bagger held pretty much all of the clippings. So, I continued around to the side yard and did that. Things were going to well, I just kept going around to the back yards and finished it all. On the my mower it takes me about 2 hours to do all of this. If I just let the mower fling the clippings all over the place it wouldn’t take as long, but I suck it all up into the bagger and dump it down by the burn pile. I’ve been doing that for years and I’m always amazed at how the grass just seems to sink into the ground. I never turn it, I just keep adding to it, and it never gets taller than about 3 feet. I suspect there’s some pretty mushy ground under that pile, but I’m not inclined to look because I sometimes forget and step into the pile while emptying the bags, and it’s like thick, liquid grass. Nasty smelling, and will no doubt devour a shoe if given the chance.

By the time I was done the clock said I only had about an hour before Lydia’s game at Campbell Park. So, I took a shower to wash off all the grass.

When we got to the park, the girls were working on the infield, to get rid of the standing water. It looked like the games (it was a double header against Clatskanie) were going to be a lot of fun for the girls, especially if they had to slide, And they were, and they did.

Though it’s June, the weather is pretty iffy. The day wasn’t too bad, but the evening was very cold. Everyone was wrapped in blankies, except me. I had a manly blanket that I shared with Cedric. Thankfully, Jeran was also there and was happpy to take my camera and snap a few shots of the girls playing, leaving me to huddle under the blanket. Lydia made it worse for pretty  much everyone watching because she chose to play without long sleeves, unlike everyone else on both teams. Made me shivver just to see her out there. She did well both pitching and fielding. I think the temp was around 9 degrees, or so.

At one point I was on the phone with Jack when Diane got my attention to stop and watch because Lydia was at bat, bases loaded. She fouled off a couple of pitches then was called out on a pitch that was easily a foot outside. I grumbled, loudly, but the ump didn’t turn on me. Instead of grumbling, Diane got out of her chair, more than once, and took a walk behind the bleachers. Lyd’s team won both games, 11-0 and 12-4, so the bad calls were inconsequential. Still … why teach the girls one thing, then call the game using different rules?

Between the games Lydia came out to visit and wanted to look at some of the pictures Jeran had been taking, so gave her the camera. She buzzed through them and came across a special photo I have of some of my favorite girls giving me the universal gesture normally reserved for bad drivers who tick you off. She said, “Grandpa, what’s this….?” So, I told her the significance, naming everyone in the picture, explaining that they were all Cousins she’s never met, and they were just sending along a special Connecticut “Howdy” to the West Coast. She knew who the Aunt in the middle is, and I’m sure she understood the gesture. She’s 13.

During the 2nd game Jennie showed up while she was on her break from work. She works at Safeway doing pretty much anything that requires to be done in the store. Apparently she had a date with some boxes later because she had a nifty little knife strapped to her waist. She went to get some nachos, her dinner, and left most of them because time ran out on her. She did get to see Lydia bat, however. It was the only base hit she got and it resulted in at least one RBI. Maybe more. I blinked a couple times right about then.

The games were over around 8:30 and we were both tired when we got home so wound things up for the day. I was in bed before 10pm which is a modern day record for me, except in Connecticut it was almost 1am. I’m still not totally connected to Oregon clocks, yet.

Gotta quit now because I’m hungry and my fingers are running out of ink.

As I packed my things this morning, the finality of this journey came home to me. Though the family assured me that my presence was very meaningful to them all, I know for sure that I’m taking away more than I brought.

Thank you Ruth, Larry, Cheryl, Carol, Allen, Martin, Valerie, Susan, Sarah, Laura Laura, Heather, Jay, Justin, Alicia, Julie, Jeffrey, and Arianna for making me feel more important than I really am.

I’m humbled.

Now we must all go our own ways for a short time and heal from this loss. It’s an unfillable void in our lives, but time will round off the edges making it more tolerable. Really, it will. You all know this is true.

Now, about that last group photo of the girls … that’s going to be framed.

Love you all, and Thanks to my lovely bride for this opportunity. ILY

Today was an emotional drain on me because everything kind of cascaded to a close, and I wasn’t ready for it. Like fireworks … just when they’re at their best, they wink out.

Now, I don’t expect that kind of finality to this because I feel connected now, unlike I ever was in the past. Sure, we’re related, and all that, but it’s always been a long distant relationship that really didn’t require emotional involvement. We’re way beyond that, now, and I don’t regret a second of it.

The course of this day began relatively early, around 7am. With Ruth and I in the same room I feared there may be a logjam, relatively speaking, in the bathroom area, but that didn’t happen. We managed to co-habitate without a problem. We didn’t argue even one time. Actually, we rarely saw each other yesterday while she was with the wedding party, and by the time we got back to the room last night we were both pretty beat. She was out like a light. Neither of us took our cpap’s so it was a race to sleep before the other started snoring. She won, hands down, and really didn’t snore. I’m sure I did.

After rising, we went down to the eating area and rearranged all the tables into one long unit, then filled all the chairs. I think there were about 20 of us sitting there munching on waffles, bagels, sipping coffee and hot chocolate, and having a great time visiting.

Then it was time to depart. Cheryl, Allen, and Laura remained behind as the other seven of us headed back to Connecticut. Before getting too far, however, we stopped at a Dunkin Donuts for coffee – DD is the coffee place for this part of the world and I can see why. They are about half the price of Starbucks, and it’s pretty good coffee. Still, a Starbucks would be good once in a while. Guess I’m hooked on that franchise … that and my hazelnut creamer.

As on the trip over, I sat in the back as Sarah wielded her ambulance driving skills, getting us back to the house in fine shape. I spent most of my time editing yesterday’s blog entry, something I’ve never done in the past. Normally you get what I type on the first pass. But, I needed to ensure details were correct, and I added pictures as Diane requested.

Shortly after getting home, we had tuna sandwiches in order to prime our tastebuds for the BBQ steak and/or chicken that was being served up for supper. The rest of the family was coming back to attend in this gala event. Larry and I put the BBQ on the little back porch, from under the covered area, just as the first little pitter patter of rain started. After he got it going, it rained in earnest, and has been doing so pretty much the rest of the day. But, the steaks we cooked beautifully. Don’t know about the chicken, but it looked good. Sarah made the salad, and everyone else brought something to share. I didn’t bring anything except an appetite and apparently that was adequate.

It was an excellent meal filled with many conversations going on at the same time and made me feel right at home. There was a brief pause when Laura wanted to show us a video of Jeffrey, but her SD chip is Sony specific so I couldn’t display it on the iPad. So, in an inspirational move, I suggested we use Ruth’s laptop instead. It had a card reader.

So, as directed, Laura stuffed the card in the reader slot and in promptly disappeared for the same reason I couldn’t show it on the iPad. It was a brilliant move on my part and will be, no doubt, the source of a few stories about me and my technical prowess. Both Larry and I worked on it for a while and, at one point, I snapped off the end of a seam ripper that fell into the slot with the missing card. The seam ripper seemed like a good idea at the time because toothpicks didn’t work.

After making things worse, I backed away and left the rescue to Larry who managed to get the card, and the sharp pointy tip of the seam ripper out of the slot. Thankfully, the computer still works just fine.

Soon it was time for everyone to filter out and head home themselves. It was a sad moment for each of them, and sad for me because as each one departed, my sadness compounded. I’ve only been here a week, but it seems I’ve been here forever. It’s that comfortable. Perhaps if I was required to do something constructive, or meaningful, my tune might change, but I doubt it.

Now it’s time for me to stop and go to bed. My plane leaves at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon and I must be at the airport by 1pm. After getting up, that time will fly, I have no doubts.

I would add a picture, but do not have the energy to look through them right now. Since arriving, I’ve added about 3,000 pictures to my iPad. That includes all the wedding pictures taken from three cameras. Once, home, I’ll use my computer to make it right.