Just got my hair done and need an opinion about the style. I think it’s a little too curly for my rugged nature.
Found a new series on Paramount + that you might like. I plan to binge watch it the next time I’m left alone for a while. Of course, one of my humans will have to dial it up before they leave because I have a real problem with remotes – there are three of them. Maybe if I hold a pencil in my teeth, I could push just one button at a time. Yeah! That might work!
I can do this all day. She’ll cave and put the plate on the floor eventually.
I got to meet some new humans the other day, Brian, Kelly, and Annie. I think they’re related to my primaries in some way. They just showed up in our driveway the other day. I don’t know why, and no one told me they were coming. I’m apparently out of the loop about this stuff.
This is Brian, Kelly, and Me.
And this is Annie, and Diane. You already know Diane. She’s the other primary human I live with.
Sadly, my other primary human, who takes all the photos, didn’t put a lot of thought into getting a photo of all three of them together. How dumb is that? I think he’s getting really old. I heard the other day that he’s like 560 years old in dog years.
We have a trailer so it’s really not ‘camping’. It’s more like RVing. Camping requires a tent. That’s my belief, anyway. Could be wrong, but I’ll stick with that belief until someone gives me empirical proof that I might be mistaken.
So, after getting home from our last getaway, I got a little eager about getting things put away and violated a prime directive about opening the refrigerator too quickly.
Yeah. That happened to me. Seventeen eggs fell and only two survived. Yup. Just two of them. All of that happened in slow motion for me. Kinda like when you fall? Time slows down so you can anticipate the impending pain longer.
This can also happen with cherry tomatoes. I have a photo of that one somewhere but can’t find it.
One thing I failed to mention while sharing Lydia’s birthday … Bob, Steffani, and Berke were visiting us so they also attended the party. This is them with Max.
Somewhere in there we also had a hail storm. I think ‘hail’ is an Indian word that means ‘bouncing rain’.
We also went to a concert by this guy. Luke Yates. Look him up. He tours the USA playing in small venues like our humble church in Warren, Oregon. The group he toured with was New Legacy Project, but they disbanded recently and Luke chose to honor his commitment for venues already scheduled by going solo. He is without a doubt the best piano player I’ve ever seen. He’s amazing.
I guess I kinda wandered off the title topic, huh? That’s just the way my mind works as most of you already know.
Better quit while I can. Is anyone watching the NCAA Ladies basketball games? I’m pulling for Iowa. Just watch UCONN take down USC. So, The final four should be lots of fun.
Here I am, sitting in my recliner, Max hanging out between my legs, watching an NCAA Men’s playoff game (Clemson vs. Alabama) while Diane watches a recorded episode of The Bachelor. Living the dream.
In case you missed it, Kelsey (sp) won and got a humungus ring. Also, Alabama won the game. I don’t know who they play next. The game I watched before that one was UCONN vs. Illinois. Quite an amazing game. When the score was tied 23-23 UCONN went on a 30-0 run which kinda sealed it for them.
Now I’m compelled to lean into the goofy side of my brain. You may stop reading at any time and use your time in a more constructive way. I won’t mind at all.
Recently, Diane and I, and Max, spent a few days at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook where we didn’t even take one walk on the beach as a complete family. Max and I got out because he made it very clear that if I didn’t take him out he was going to crap in the trailer. That would not have made Diane happy. The weather was crappy so it really wouldn’t have been upset. But, we walked on the beach numerous times to avoid an unwanted nature call on the couch. He’s never done that but sometimes it’s difficult to deny physical needs that are ignored for too long. So, we walked and played.
The tide was out most of the times we walked making the beach appear to be enormous.
I tried to get him to run in the waves, and he did for about 30 seconds before dragging me back to the high tide mark that was littered with thousands of dead velella. They were odiferous and Max found them to be very appealing to his sensitive nose.
Left to his own devices he did his best to roll his little body in the sweet perfume of dead sea creatures but I won that tussle. He still needed a bath which he got when we returned to the trailer.
Those things were everywhere amongst the rocks.
To make the trip a little more enjoyable, we came upon some waterfalls that dribbled themselves onto the beach. They were very pretty and I did my best to get Max under them be he wasn’t having any of that.
Instead of choosing to rinse under one of the waterfalls he wandered toward the incoming tide, climbed on a rock and was promptly washed off into a roiling spin bath. I wish I had had some soap with me. I would have taken a photo but didn’t want to take a chance of dropping my phone into the water. Just trust me when I say he was thoroughly soaked when I managed to get him back to dry ground.
I just realized, like just now, really, that I’m on the verge of failing my 2024 resolution already. And it’s only the 8th! I suspect that some of you might disagree with the “on the verge” claim and, instead, believe I’ve already exceeded the self-imposed timeframe for failure. For those of you on that side I submit that whatever rule I imposed is subjective meaning that I can change it any time I want. So, I’m still OK here.
It’s cold out there. Wet, too. Because of that double whammy it’s an adventure to take Max for a walk. My raincoat actually keeps me dry but Max’s raincoat is more like a sponge. I think it’s more of a coat to keep him warm instead of dry. But, that’s all he has. Considering the weather, I think Diane should do a little shopping and get something that’s a little more waterproof for the little guy. Don’t you? Maybe after she reads this, she’ll do it.
It might be a good idea to get him one that serves as a life jacket, too, because the creek out back is getting pretty high, almost to the point of overflowing into the yard. Keeping Max dry is our problem, not Max’s. He likes the water and doesn’t care how high it gets.
It’ll go back to normal eventually. Thankfully, he hasn’t fallen in while it’s running this high and fast. He’s not afraid of it but he respects the potential disastrous results should he venture in for a swim. I’ve had talks with him about that and I think he gets it. If he falls in my only recourse would be to make a beeline to the point where Milton Creek joins the Columbia River. That’s only a couple of miles away. If I miss him there then he’s getting a trip all the way to Astoria, another 60 miles. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be dog-paddling that far. So, he keeps his distance.
We were going to make a trip to the coast later this week to watch the King Tides, and maybe see a couple of whales on their way south, but the rain, and the forecast for more rain isn’t encouraging. I know, we’re Oregonians and we love the rain. That’s true. But we don’t have to go out a play in it like we did when we were 7. Did I mention that it’s cold, too?
We’ve been dealing with RV woes for the past couple of months, trying to get new weather stripping around the slides and seal up a couple of leaky spots that annoy us. Nothing catastrophic, just annoying. I took the RV to a local dealer who recently moved to St. Helens from Gresham (I think) and explained what I was hoping to accomplish, and they gave me a quote for “about $700” which I thought wasn’t too bad. Labor’s the biggie at $159/hr. After they had it for about a week I was called and told the job is done and I could go get it.
I was happy to do that because there’s a huge mattress in the garage that needs to go back in it so we can park the truck inside. When I got there, I paid the bill, then I went to get in and take it home. First, however, I checked the items I had address to see how it was done and discovered that, gee, it wasn’t done. I know, should have checked first, right? True, but I’ve had other items fixed by them since they moved in and trusted them.
The Reader’s Digest version is that they addressed all the issues but didn’t finish any of them. The bill was over $900. I received assurance that all the discrepancies I pointed out while serving as their QC guy would be fixed at no additional cost to me.
Another week goes by and I get another call to come get the rig because the work was done. I paid them a visit and let them know I was going to check it out. The maintenance supervisor went with me. I checked all the items I’d previously address and found that it still hadn’t been addressed and the main leak in the driver’s area was worse than ever.
Another week trickles by and I get another call to come check it out and find that the leaks have stopped, the floor was dry, but the gasket around the main slide was still in the “partially fixed” stage. The same stage it was in the first time I was called to claim my finished rig. I personally pointed it out to them 3 times what I figured should be done and was obviously ignored. The lead tech acknowledged the failure on their part claiming that the guy he had working on it was focused on the leaks, not the gaskets. I believe he might finally understand that Jerrie isn’t pleased as he headed for the exit.
That’s where I left this mess last week sometime and I’m waiting for them to call me again to report completion. Diane told me to be stern and “don’t pay them another dime” or else she’ll go talk with them and it won’t be pretty. So, to keep from having to scrape up some bail money for her, I need to follow this to the end all by myself.
Looking forward to the next phone call reporting completion of this project.
This is the rig, you may recall, that we took on that Utah trip, pulling a big Silverado. It worked great but I decided during that trip that I’m getting too old to drive something this big.
So, not long after returning home we bought a replacement that we can tow behind the Silverado. Makes more sense, right?
Now, on another note, did you know that the front glass on an iMac is held in place by magnets and that the LCD screen is secured with only 8 teeny, tiny, little screws.
I’ve always wondered what the insides of this thing looked like.
I’ve made numerous attempts to sit myself down and greet everyone, to bring you up to date on what’s happening in my vicinity. Every time I move this direction, something of extreme importance pulls me away, then I forget. In my defense, please note that it was a distraction that prompted the forgetfullness. Had the distraction not happened, there’s a very strong possibility that I could have remembered all on my own, sooner than how I did that just now. Yes, there was no distraction today. I must, however, say what’s on my mind before I leave the computer because it’s possible I might not come back right away. Especially if the bathroom is the reason I might have to leave.
I take Max out back, when he asks, so he can go lay in the yard and listen to the creek rolling slowly past us. He’s also out there so he can keep a close eye on any strange deer that dare to wander close to his yard. He kind of sits there, daring them to invade his space. While on guard duty, this guy was bouncing into the ground about 3 inches in front of Max’s nose. He was fascinated. He could have easily chomped it in two, but he just watched. The reason for his bouncing was because he was dying of some dreaded dragon fly disease as he promptly ceased fluttering as soon as I gently placed him in an open mason jar in a vain attempt to save him. It took me a while to figure out that it was some sort of extinct Dragon Fly. A scary looking dude, for sure. To give you a sense of size, he was laying in the bottom of a quart jar for this photo.
On another eventful day, I moved the RV out of our driveway in anticipation of receipt of our tonneau cover for the truck. It was to be a freight delivery and I wanted it in the carport which was blocked by the RV. All I had to do was back it into the street, then place it in the public area next to our property. Unfortunately, someone erected the mail boxes right in the perfect spot where I couldn’t see them. I was more concerned about not running in to one of the six cars parked in our neighbor’s driveway. I was about 2 seconds too late in putting on the brakes to halt my progress. So, I knocked the structure over and didn’t feel a thing. But I knew it was done.
After parking the RV I dragged the structure across the street to the car port and dismantled it. After looking in the wood shed for a viable 4×4 to replace the vertical post, I gave up and called Jeff who just happened to have one about 5 feet long. Perfect. I told him there was no hurry as I had to dig out the old post, and whatever held it in place. As I chipped away I discovered that I was apparently the 4th person to knock it over as the remains of two installs still existed next to the one I broke. Learning this made my involvement in the mishap more tolerable. Kind of like a right of passage for the neighborhood. I guess I can mark this task done on my list of things to do.
Yesterday, while walking around the block with Max, I came upon an elderly lady who was retrieving groceries from her car. I thought, “I can help do that”. I my effort to move toward the car I had get myself from the street onto the sidewalk. This is when I discovered that when moving to a higher elevation, even 6 inches, one is required to lift both feet, one at a time, at least as high the desired destination. In the past, doing this was second nature. Something I didn’t need to think about at all and it seemed reasonable that I didn’t need to think about it then. Balance and gravity defied my efforts and my attempt to give this lady a hand resulted in a spectacular tuck and roll tumble leaving me laying on my back near the back of the lady’s car. There was a silent moment, as she looked down on me, when I was tempted to ask if she could use a hand. Then reality took over and I thought a better idea would be for me to regain a vertical position and see about recovering a little dignity. Yes, I fell down in public. A few people inquired about how was I, and did I need help. I knew nothing was broken because I’m an expert tuck and roller. I just skinned my right elbow and right knee in the process.
Max insisted that we return home immediately to seek medical attention. I agreed. By the time we made it to the house my elbow was bleeding quite nicely but the knee not so much. Since I didn’t think about it, and Diane is all business when it comes to stopping someone from bleeding, we have no photographic evidence that this event ever happened. So, I just found a skinned knee on the internet. Mine is worse than this.
I couldn’t find a suitable photo of a skinned elbow so most of you will have to recall one from your childhood.
Max, though a little dog, right at 20 lbs, has made it known that we need a king size bed. Before he showed up, the queen bed seemed like the proper size, and we already had one, so that’s what we’ve been sleeping on. Then along comes Max.
The photo is deceptive because he’s lined up properly but when the lights go out he lays crosswise, making both of us move out of his way.
When you look at the next photo you can help but wonder how he can sleep with his head jammed against a table leg, next to a paper shredder …
… or like this …
… and still find it necessary to make sure everyone in the bed with him knows you’re there. I know, we could banish him from the bed but it’s really difficult to do when he looks at you like this…
It’s been a while since my computer called to me so let me first apologize to those of you who find it hard to get through a day without something from me to get you going. Or, maybe it’s called to me when I wasn’t wearing my hearing aids. That’s probably more likely. As for you who suffer minor withdrawal pains due to my neglect, you seriously need to get a life. Or, read an old post from 2012.
During my absence we did things. As soon as I figure out what they were I will share with you. Until then, I’ll ramble on. Perhaps doing that will release the lock my mind has on significant events that you are dying to hear about.
Max, our dog, has a weight loss program that works perfectly for me. I didn’t know dogs could do that. I suspect that all dogs can if their adult friends just pay attention. For me, it’s around the block at least twice a day that amounts to about 1/2 a mile or 3000 steps. Sometimes we take adventurous routes that require many extra steps. Max doesn’t care and it’s good for me. I’ve lost 20 lbs somewhere along those streets. That loss worked out to a loss of four inches around my waist. I can pull my belt tighter to indicate a 5″ loss but it’s a bit uncomfortable. We keep looking for those lost lbs but apparently someone else needed them more than I did. Truthfully, I’m not looking very hard for them and I’m pretty sure Max could care less. He’s not looking for lbs. He’s looking for places to pee. So far he’s pretty much staked his claim to the entire block by anointing every telephone pole, power pole, fence post, bush, and garbage can near the sidewalk. He wears me out.
Once we get back to our house I let him off the leash and he leisurely strolls to the creek and wades in until the water is halfway up his side, then lays down to cool off. It’s been very warm lately so can’t blame him. The excessive heat is helping algae/moss grow like gang busters. After his cool-off period, he wades out to the long strings of moss, sticks his head in the water to get a mouthful then he pulls it up and shakes it like he’s trying to get rid of it. Very strange. Sadly, all this wading in the creek and trying to kill the moss causes him to smell like an Everglades swamp monster of some sort. He doesn’t mind, but Diane gets a bit testy when he jumps in her lap to share.
Last Sunday we drove to Albany to support Jeran as he gave the sermon at his church, North Albany Community Church. He’s been serving an internship there since graduating from Corban University. He did an excellent job and it was very satisfying to witness the growth in his faith. Max had to stay home but he would have enjoyed it, too. It was outside in the church amphitheater.
After a nice lunch at one of Jeran’s favorite places …
… we headed back up the freeway to release Max. We were gone about 6 hours and Jeff took him out for a run at noon so he wasn’t abandoned. He’s just got a way of making me feel like I’m abusing him, the way he hangs his head and looks over his glasses at me. He’s very convincing.
Diane’s busy studying maps, and making reservations on what’s going to be a marathon trip in the RV. Making it more interesting is that we traded the Equinox, our tow car, for a large truck. So, now the truck needs to be set up to tow. We haven’t decided if the RV is going to to the truck or vice versa. Maybe we’ll just switch it around randomly as we travel. Wouldn’t that be fun? Actually, no it wouldn’t.
Watching the news is pretty sad lately what with all the hot weather. Most of that is happening along the route Diane is plotting for us through Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. Things can change quickly, however, and we’ve got a ways to go before we head out. Still, plans need be made and that’s one of main things Diane loves about traveling: studying maps and making reservations. She’s really good at planning for us.
On the way back from Albany this guy passed us. Looks like he’s pretty serious about his squirt guns …
Now I must stop and do something productive. Diane said.
On this day we didn’t do much in the way of playing tourist. Our main goal was to get gas for the rental so we wouldn’t run out on the way to or from the Polynesian Cultural Center which is waaaay over on the other side of the island. I think it’s something like 34 miles away. Sounds close, but with speed limits normally 35-45 mph, and unpredictable traffic, it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. There are, however, always drivers who think it’s necessary to get places faster than anyone else. It’s them who make traffic unpredictable. Diane dismisses them easily. In general, drivers here are pretty nice.
Getting to the base gas station was a journey worth mentioning. First, our GPS took us to an AMR Gas station located next to a small NEX in a military housing area, but the station was closed forever. It was interesting because the GPS took us to the small exchange on a previous trip so it was deja’vu all over again.
I asked a young Marine, who was headed for the store, where the station really was and he gave us good information. Turns out it’s hidden away behind the main NEX and Commissary that we’ve visited a few times already. Diane got us next to an empty pump right away but I caused a bit of delay to our line because I couldn’t figure out how to get the fuel door open. There was no inside release, so I went back to it and smacked it with my hand and it popped right open. That didn’t work the first time. When it opened I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a cap for tank behind the door. Turns out that the door seals against the filler spout making a cap unnecessary. Never had one of those before. The guy on the motorcycle behind us wasn’t impressed.
Anyway, we got the tank full, then drove back to the parking lot that takes up a lot of space around the yacht club and what I call the Hilton Lagoon. That’s the one that’s in front of the Rainbow Tower.
Diane drove to the very edge of the parking area and was waved into a spot next to a group of local surfers. The view directly ahead of us was Diamondhead, to the left Waikiki Beach. Couldn’t have hoped for a better spot.
We broke out our brand new folding chairs and parked them between a couple of large canoes that we stranded on beach and just sat there taking in the view.
It wasn’t long before a lady named Faith struck up a conversation with Diane. They talked for a while until we had to move because the middle canoe was returning to the next, where we were sitting.
Faith’s husband, Saul, who grew up in NYC, his wife is from the Philippines. We have no idea where they currently reside, but that doesn’t matter. We had a nice visit.
Eventually, the sun went down. I could tell because it got darker so I took another photo of a sunset. I’ve got hundreds of these, but they never get old.
Then we left, making one of the drivers circling the parking lot very happy, and drove back to the hotel. Diane got out and headed back to the room while I assumed driver duties and drove to the Hale Koa parking lot that I’m sure I mentioned in previous posts. It’s a pleasant walk back to our hotel.
That’s our routine.
See you on Day 9. I should have information about the Polynesian Cultural Center for you.
Another lazy start to another beautiful day. Every time I check the temperature, it’s 82. Makes me wonder if my temperature taker is faulty. Doesn’t really matter. Whatever the temperature may really be, it was a beautiful day.
Our primary destination was the MWR (Military Welfare and Recreation) office at the NEX (Navy Exchange). We got there around noonish and decided before we did anything else, we’d eat something. So, we went upstairs to the food court and visited Taco Bell. “Really,” you may say, “Taco Bell?” Makes one wonder, doesn’t it? Well, we go where our stomach tells us to go. No reason to go elsewhere. I had a Crunchwap and Diane had two Chicken Chalupas. When we opened the bag we discovered that each of those orders included one crunchy taco. I, of course, had to eat the unexpected extras.
Then we went shopping for shirts and stuff for all the people we left behind to make this trip.
Diane is the expert shopper and does way better when I’m in a different part of the store because she thinks I’m hovering, trying to speed things up. That’s not true. I just want to be near the love of my life. But, to make her more comfortable by spending my time in the electronics section looking at TV’s, and laptops.
When Diane was finished it was after 4:00 pm and we hadn’t located the MWR office yet. So, I took my tired feet around the corner from the NEX main entrance and found the office. The door was open so I went in and was promptly told they were closed. They close at 4pm. I thanked the young lady behind the desk and said, “Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.” As I exited I heard her say, “We’re closed tomorrow” which drew me back inside. She said they are only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Great! I thought. Then she said there was an annex office on the main Navy Base that will be open tomorrow, 9am-4pm. She even gave me direction which was very confusing to me. In her effort to clarify, she asked if I knew where Willamette Street was. When I heard that name I perked up because it’s a NW name we know well. She mispronounced it, however, like a visitor. You know what I mean – she said it like Will-uh-mette with emphasis on all the wrong syllables. Like a foreigner. Being who I am, I had to explain that I’m very familiar with that name and told her how to pronounce it properly. She took it well.
So now we must go back to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base tomorrow on our way to Waianae. We’re actually finally going to the beach. Been here six days and haven’t even got our feet wet.
But, we’ve been busy.
Now for some random stuff …
First, here’s a photo of the front of our hotel. Our room is up there somewhere.
A sign Diane wants after we get the new floor in the Cricket House.
Here’s a fun sign we’ve seen a few times while traveling the freeways.
Simple advice, right? Well, let me tell you that drivers here pretty scary. It’s pretty much guaranteed that after a light turns red, at least one car is going to run it. Sometimes more. Not joking.
It’s been two months since my last post so I feel compelled to report that any any information you’ve seen about my demise is incorrect. I was going to say “it’s a lie” but that just sounded a bit harsh in my head. I’m actually fine. Diane isn’t totally sure about that but I think I’m OK.
I’m currently sitting next to my favorite wife, staring through a double pane, rain-splattered window at the stormy Pacific Ocean. Sounds a bit dreary, doesn’t it, but it’s really not. The ocean is Diane’s Happy Place, rain or shine. And, since today is her last day of her 75th year here on earth, she gets to do whatever she wants. Yes, today is her birthday, but it isn’t official until 8:08 pm so she’s going to lounge peacefully in the waning hours of #75. She’ll probably be amazed that I remember the minute she was born because she’s pretty sure I’m losing my mind. But, 8:08 was the hull number of the first ship I was assigned to – USS Dennis J. Buckley DD-808.
Next on the today’s list is lunch at Norma’s in downtown Seaside. We’re staying at the Tides, an airbnb studio condo. We’ve passed by it many times on our trips to the ocean so it wasn’t a surprise find. It’s been here a long time. Yesterday when we arrived it was revealed to us that although it’s evident many upgrades have been done to our unit, none of them included the addition of a refrigerator large enough to hold enough food for multiple days. It’s a tiny little thing suitable for a dorm room and it doesn’t have a freezer. Also, when we could not get any hot water from the taps we learned from the office that it was “luck of the draw” (his words) about who got the hot water first. We were told that the folks in the room next to us got it first by filling their tub for the ir child to play in. Made me go “hmmmm” a couple of times. After waiting an hour or so, and running the hot water tap for about 5 minutes, we had hot water.
When we first took our seats in front of our assigned windows there were quite a few folks out walking their dogs. All of them were chasing balls thrown by their humans. It was fun to watch. By “quite a few” I really mean 7 or 8 and none of them were close to each other, avoiding the chance of someone picking up the wrong ball..
Also on the beach, some with dogs, were joggers. I’ve never been one of those so I find it hard to relate to the joy of running. I’m OK being a slug, just sitting here watching them trot up and down the beach in the rain. We’ll enjoy part of that thrill when we leave our room and face the rain on our walk to the car. Diane was happy to learn that I brought my raincoat without being reminded.
The past couple of months have been eventful which is part of the reason why I’ve been idle. The other part is because I couldn’t seem to conjure up enough motivation to sit down and do this.
I know there is a lot to share, but none of it is readily available at this moment, so I’m quitting and will do some studying before starting a new post.
Beyond Van Gogh is here for a while, at the Empire Polo Club. We were going to go to this in Portland previously, then Diane learned that it was going to be in Indio during our trip to this part of the world. So, plans were changed to visit that venue here. Never been to a polo club before. Just seen them on TV and in the movies. Seems like a complicated chore for horses, dodging all those long handled croquet mallets, and banging into the other horses. We didn’t get to see any of that, of course, because the Van Gogh event took precedence. It was set up inside an enormous building that is apparently used for polo matches when it rains. Which isn’t very often.
When we first entered the building we encountered a series of small billboard like displays that gave the history about Vincent Van Gogh as well as some short letters that he wrote to his brother Theo and their co-owned dog Buster. Sadly, Buster liked Theo best which is why Vincent never painted a picture of him.
I did my best to read every one of them because they were actually interesting. There was no mention of Buster on any of those letters so I don’t think that’s true about him being co-owned by the brothers. I’ll bet they didn’t even have a dog. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I just made that up.
After zig zagging through the gallery of Vincents life we exited through a doorway into the larger room where the magic happened. As the users said, the display is on a 37 minute loop. There was no set time as to how long viewers could stay watching the display but the fact that mentioning the 37 minute loop planted the seed that after 37 minutes it was time to leave.
The swirling display changed constantly for 37 minutes so it was difficult to keep our eyes moving in such a manner that allowed us to see everything. There was some danger that we’d have to sit through the display again to ensure we didn’t miss anything. You may have noticed that Vincent painted numerous pictures of himself. That because, as a struggling artist, he couldn’t afford to pay models to sit for him. So, he painted what was available to him.
Seeing all these works by Van Gogh was mesmerizing and very calming as soothing music was played for the duration of the show. Starry Starry Nite, played in a subtle minor key by a bunch of stringed instruments, was prominent, but you had to listen hard to catch the melody.
There were a total of three 2-butt benches scattered around the vertical displays and about minute 26 we were fortunate enough to be near one when it was vacated. So we sat for a while. Then a lady stood lurking near us making Diane nervous. It was evident that she was just waiting for an opportunity to replace us on that treasured resting place. So, at minute 39 we relinquished it and moved on to the last stop, the gift shop. The only things we got were a refrigerator magnet and a wall hanging of Starry Starry Night. Where it will eventually hang is currently unknown but we’re pretty sure the magnet will find a place on the refrigerator.
Leaving the building we were funneled around the side of the building which was next to one of the many polo fields in the area. They take their polo seriously in Palm Springs. There are numerous fields like this all around the city – easily hundreds of acres of them.
After Van Gogh it was time for lunch so we randomly chose Sloan’s to satisfy that need. The food was excellent as was the service. We were pleased with our choice.
Then, we went ‘home’ to our desert oasis. That’s actually true because the name of the resort at which we’re staying is the Desert Oasis.
Friday we have tickets to Sunnyland, one of the many mansions in the area. We both will take a tram tour of the grounds and Diane will get the full meal-deal of a guided visit inside. While she’s doing that I get to watch a movie.
Hope all is well on the home front, and wherever you might be. Stay safe.
Temporary Sanity ... 