Airplanes & Automobiles

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

Today was fun. We fiddled away most of it by Diane getting her upper and lower digits sanded and painted while I labored away in the yard fixing a broken pipe for the very last sprinkler on the line that feeds all the flower beds around the front of the house. Yes, I did that. But, I must admit that had Jewel not reminded me it was broken, I wouldn’t have done it. So, it’s really her fault that I had to do that. She did, however, save me a load of grief by reminding me about it. For that I’m thankful. I got it done, and I’m not in trouble.

After Diane returned from the paint shop, she finished packing her suitcase in preparation for her trip today. That was my clue that I better start wadding up stuff to put in my suitcase because I was going with her. She said I could.

Having traveled a lot during my life I consider myself a very accomplished packer. So accomplished, I might add, that I even helped Diane pack hers. I rolled up all her underwear so they would take up less space allowing her to include more shoes for the trip. I also rolled up all my underwear, and socks, so she could get more shoes in my suitcase, too. Regarding underwear, since we’re only going to be gone for about a month, I was going to use the old rule that one pair of underwear is good for four days. You know … wear them right the first day, turn them around for the second day, turn them inside out the third day, turn them around the fourth day. Then throw them away. That way, I could get by with only 4 pair. Diane overruled me on that so I packed 20 pair. That means the last 10 days of this trip I’ll be going commando. I’m toying with the idea of slipping a commando day in various places during the trip to ensure I have a pair to wear home in case I get strip searched at the airport. That wouldn’t go over well, I’m sure.

Anyway, we finally got everything together, took our bags down to the Walters’ home and loaded them into Lydia’s Envoy for the trip to the airport. We did that because we got a room at Embassy Suites next to the airport so we wouldn’t have to fight early morning traffic. That, and the Envoy would give the Walters family something to drive home in on their return flight from Illinois. Here we are getting the Envoy from Lydia. I’m not in the picture because I took it. In case you were wondering.

We arrived at Embassy Suites at 6:30 or so, checked in, had a great supper and scored a free cheese plate and a pony bottle of champagne, for Diane, because my linguine was cold. Yes, it was that simple.

After supper we sat in the room waiting for Jennie to let us know their plane was on the ground. Then we waited about 15 minutes and headed for the terminal which is just a hop and a skip from Embassy Suites. Sadly, everyone in Portland chose that exact time to make a run past the arrival area of the airport which made a normal 5 minutes trip last about 20. But, we made it, got them, and made it back to Embassy Suites in time for Dancing With The Stars and the kids headed home. It worked out very nicely, time wise.

That brings us to this morning.

First, Diane made an observation that the garlic in my linguine the night before was apparently seeping from my skin in a potentially offensive manner. This was caused, no doubt, because I found an entire clove of garlic under all that linguine, and really large shrimp, and ate it. I like garlic, but apparently eating an entire semi-cooked clove isn’t a good idea. She said that when I took my shower this morning all she could smell was garlic. All I could smell was soap. When I was done she could only smell garlic when I talked so she started feeding me Altoids. Lots of Altoids. And she did all the talking.

Our flight wasn’t until 10:45 am so we went down about 8:30 to get a ride from the shuttle van guy. We had two bags to check and two for carry on. My bag to check turned out to weigh 54 lbs which means it would cost $50 above the normal free bag check. Diane’s only weighed 40 so we dropped to the floor and moved things from one case to the other hoping to get below the weight restriction. When I put it back on the scale it came up 51 lbs which was apparently within the acceptable maximum and let the lady let it go on through.

Then we trundled our remaining two bags down to gate C2 to wait for our flight. Diane signed us up the the TSA pre boarding line some time ago which allows us to bypass the long lines because TSA has already done a background search on us and knows we’re not scary people. It’s pretty handy.

Finally they called our flight and we boarded the plane for Chicago. That’s where we had to change planes for the final leg to Bradley Field in Connecticut. Getting to Chicago required us to orbit the earth about three times in our Alaska Airlines 737 before they let us land. I must say, though, the seats were comfortable and we had plenty of leg room so it was quite comfortable. Then we switched to an American Airlines 737 that apparently had 20 more rows of seats than the Alaska leg. We were jammed into a row where my knees were almost touching the seat in front of me and it was not comfortable at all.

Enough said about that. American Airlines is off our bucket list.

While in Chicago I called Cedric, who is still lingering at Great Lakes RTC until October 1st. RTC isn’t very far from O’Hare International Airport, but getting up there wasn’t practical for the short layover we had. So, we talked. He’s done well and is on his way. We’re pretty proud of him.

The flight from O’Hare to Bradley was less than 2 hours but it felt much longer than the Portland to O’Hare leg simply because it was so uncomfortable. This is Chicago in our rear view mirror.

Now it’s past midnight here in Connecticut and I really should be sleeping, but it’s really only a little after 9 pm in my head. Tomorrow we’re going back to the airport to pick up our rental car that we will use for the rest of the trip here on the east coast and turn it in at the airport in Norfolk, VA next month. If the car rental is like those we normally have, I won’t be allowed to drive it because Diane won’t let me. She only puts herself down as the driver. That actually suits me just fine. More time to sleep.

Now I must quit.

Ahmed, Off to Chicago, A Wedding, Lydia’s Eye, & Golf

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

I just learned that Steph Curry, 2-time NBA MVP has endorsed Hillary as his choice for president.

I don’t know about you, but this is exactly the kind of validation I’ve been looking for to help me make an informed decision about the upcoming election. Though I didn’t know it, I’ve apparently been waiting for a very young, multi-millionaire sports figure to share his favorite candidate with the world so we can all make the correct choice.

Now my research is complete.

Yesterday we had to get up at 0430 so we could leave by 0530 to have Ahmed to the Cinema 7 at Eastport Plaza by 0630 for a bus that didn’t arrive until 0700. He and all of the exchange students were going to the Pendleton Roundup for their first rodeo. Pretty exciting stuff. It was fun watching all of these kids from all over the world mix and mingle as the good friends they have become, and it made me wish, again, for a more peaceful world where adults could do the same thing. Sadly, when some of us get older power becomes a narcotic-like addiction for a small minority that poisons of the large majority. Why is it, do you suppose, that we allow that to happen? It’s really sad. Everyone of us can look to our exchange students for the example necessary to change the world. That is, of course, an opinion. Ahmed will be back next Tuesday to resume his new life as a temporary Oregonian and will probably be wearing a cowboy hat.

After Ahmed boarded the bus, the rest of us, Daniel, Jennifer, Jeran, Diane, and I, sought sanctuary in a nearby eatery for sustenance. Seems like it was a iHop, but I just can’t remember. When we finished eating we learned that Jeran didn’t see the need for a jacket of any kind for their trip to Chicago for Cedric’s boot camp graduation. That required a trip to a nearby Wal*Mart for resolution.

Then we were off to the airport so they could catch their flight to Chicago so they could see this regal looking guy:

Then Diane and I returned home in time for me to join my friends, Larry, Larry, and Howard for coffee at the Kozy. It’s always fun at coffee. You should join us sometime.

After coffee I don’t recall doing anything of significance the rest of the morning, so I must have had a nap. That’s become an afternoon routine for us, it seems, whether we plan it or not. We just nod off for a short period of time, not to exceed 2 hours. The nap was necessary because we had to journey to the McMiniman Road House on Cornelius Pass road to attend a wedding for Jessica and Reece. Jessica is Jewel’s daughter, the one who flew in from Perth, Australia for that purpose. With her intended, Reece. He flew in, too. As did a contingent of his family. The wedding was very nice. The bride was extremely emotional and happy. The groom was solid throughout and walked out with a look of triumphant satisfaction on his face.

Jewel, I probably need not say, but will anyway, was a basket case. Over the top happy for her Jessica and Reece. So, we were, too.

While we were doing all that, Lydia was on a bus to Hermiston, Oregon to play another soccer game against another 6A school. All by herself. And the rest of the team, of course. She said it took 4.5 hours to get back home but it was a happy trip because they won 2-1. They scored their second goal with 6 seconds remaining on the game clock. Good timing. After Lydia got home she went blind in her left eye when taking out her contacts due to an apparent scratch on her cornea. I know how severely painful that can be from personal experience. Since she was home alone, Jennifer asked if we could look in a check her out, so I did. I did it because Lydia also has a nasty cold which Diane would catch in a heartbeat by getting near her. So, it was up to me. I took her to a local eye doc who said the main problem was a bad infection for which she prescribed drops. I got them, dropped a drop in Lyd’s eye then left her to rest in the dark house while I fried up some eggs (over easy) for her. I checked on her again this afternoon and found her in far better spirits. She can open her eye a little now, and she said it’s better already. Still, the drops must go in and she’s taking care of it as directed. While there visiting, I heated up a can of beef vegetable soup for her to ensure she ingesting something. We chatted for a long time while she worked on it. Then I had to leave, giving her strict instruction to text me “911” should she need me for anything. Then she melted my little heart, the way she always does, when she hugged me good nite and said, “I love you Papa.” Before I left I patched up her eye so she wouldn’t have to hold a rag on it all the time.

This morning I was forced to get up early in order to go golfing with the West brothers. I don’t know why it is that I always seem to go golfing with brothers. Unless, of course, I go golfing with Jim. He has brothers but has yet to invite any of them to golf with us. That would be OK. I did pretty good and will definitely be going out with those guys again because I beat them both. I suspect, however, that should we play on a regular basis that we will all fall into alignment and golf at the same level. Since we’re going to be gone for a while, I suggested that they hook up with the Peal brothers to in my absence. Turns out their next day on the course will be this coming Tuesday, the day we fly east.

Now it’s time to quit. My eyes burn.

Who’s The Happy Guy?

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

Just a quick note to report that Cedric is doing well in Navy boot camp. His letters are up beat and plentiful. Having been there I know the satisfaction of sending lots of letters in the hope that the receivers reciprocate in kind. His Mom & Dad, Jennifer & Daniel, and siblings, Lydia & Jeran, ensure he gets mail. I’ve only written once and need to do that again.

You can tell by the photo that he’s pretty relaxed and actually happy to be there. He’s learning a lot and we’re very proud of him.

He graduates next month, a moment he’s ready for now. I understand. His Mom & Dad, and Jeran will attend. Diane and I were going to go also but we’re already committed to a trip to the East Coast a few days after his graduation and just couldn’t justify the extra cost ($700+) of backing up our ticket 4 days. So, we hope to visit him in Ft. Lee Virginia, his next stop on his way to the top.

Physical Therapy, Boot Camp, and Long Trips

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

I graduated from Physical Therapy today. My therapist, Brett, said I passed. Now all I have to do is keep doing the exercises he prescribed for me that most folks on physical therapy don’t do.

The first thing I did during my session was spend 8 minutes on a bike. Today Brett dropped me to 5 minutes. Sitting adjacent to me was Kay, who I didn’t know until I asked her what a nice girl like her was doing in a place like this. From that I not only learned her name, but also that she had her knee replaced a few years ago and comes back to the facility to keep it limber to ensure she continues to have no problems with the knee. I wish Diane could have talked with her. She’s leary of knee surgery, even though she would benefit immensely from having it done. Now I’ll share that by sharing that I’ll be in trouble for about a week. What’s new there?

Diane, my Social Secretary/Travel Agent/Best Cook Ever/Friend, spent most of the morning talking with a couple of airlines to see if she could redesign how we used some airplane tickets we already have in order to allow us to visit Cedric after he graduates from boot camp in September.

The current reservation has us leaving Portland on September 20th on Alaska Airlines to Chicago where we switch to American Airlines for the trip to Bradley Field in Connecticut. Since Cedric graduates from Boot Camp on September 16th, Diane is trying to back up our first leg of the trip on Alaska to leave on the 15th, then pick up the original American Airlines flight on the 20th. I don’t know where it stands, right now, so can’t provide results at this time.

News at eleven.

I must add, considering that I’m sharing the news that we will be away from home for an extended time, until October 16th or so, that the home will still be occupied by Jewel who has easy access to a bazooka, 3 shotguns, a couple of 9 mils, various yard tools, and a flame thrower. Plus the dogs, of course. They will be here, too.

So, for any of you Facebook cruisers who have a notion to visit our home thinking it’s vacant, keep that in mind.

We also have video surveillance installed.

And a ex-feral cat.

Cedric’s Party & My Big Blue Yoga Ball

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

I gave Jewel my favorite Apple ear buds to use while working in the flower beds and the first thing she did was cut the cord with a pair of scissors. Consequently, she was tuneless for a while.

Diane and I were going to be camping at Big Eddy Park this week, but her Mom, Jean, decided to live on the edge last Friday and broke her wrist in 15 places. Trying to pull an unwanted tree out of the ground. To make a bad situation worse, it’s her right hand, the one she uses the most. So, with her right arm splinted and wrapped, she’s learning to use her left hand for all her needs and is doing a very nice job of it. Not bad for almost 89. It was only broken in one place and it’s not a complete separation, but I’m sure it hurts like one. Tramadol is making her life much easier and is also helping with her back pain. Mom is doing great and we could probably have gone camping but we’re more comfortable sticking around in case she get adventurous and breaks something else.

Yesterday was Cedric’s farewell party. He doesn’t leave for boot camp until July 17th, but the party had to be held early to ensure all of his friends could make it. It was well attended by all members of the family, many friends, and at least one new friend who recently arrived from Hawaii. We all ate a bunch of Subway sandwiches and had a great time. We even saw Cedric a couple of times as he passed through. He was a busy guy.

One of the highlights for me was that Ceiarra hugged me back. Made my day. She hasn’t done that in the past.

I had a new chair for my computer. It was a huge yoga ball and, surprisingly, it was very comfortable. It actually got me high enough that my keyboard was in an ergonomically correct position. Less tiresome to use for Jerrie’s little arms. Plus, I could bounce up and down a bit while working which satisfied my whimsical side. Everything was just great until about an hour ago when it blew up and dropped me about two feet to the floor. I landed on my little 72-year-old elbows, the back of my head (against the wall) and my skinny-ish butt. It was pretty exciting, I must admit. For about 1 second I was in total free fall so now I know how an astronaut feels in outer space. Really. I do. However, I bet their elbows, back and head don’t hurt once gravity returns.

I didn’t get up right away because I wasn’t sure if everything would work. This caused Diane concern and she wanted to call 911. I declined. I got up all by myself and don’t limp any worse from my sciatica than normal so I guess things will be alright. Until tomorrow morning, at least. My left elbow is already starting to swell from the impact so Diane will probably make me go to the doctor.

She’s gonna have to drag me there.

Cedric, Jewel, Diane, Doug, Junior, & Taylor

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

Gee! It’s been a week since my last post and I can’t comprehend that amount of time slipping past me without registering. Just a blink of the eye and it’s gone. Perhaps I had a bunch of naps which could account for some of that time, but certainly not a week. I don’t think. Now I must reflect and see if anything interesting happened. If not, I’ll make something up.

First up is Cedric. He was 19 years old last Monday, the 13th. If you’ve read a few of these, you may already know that he’s poised for a trip to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center next month to begin boot camp. He enlisted on the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) a few months ago but had to wait for a spot. He’s excited about getting on with his life and we’re happy that he is finding his way. There will be more news about his progress as information is made available to me.

Last Monday, the 14th, was a double duty day for me because I was out of the house shortly after 6am to go help put out flags around town. Why did we do that, you may ask? It was Flag Day. One of those days that not may folks know about any more. So, now you have it. Keep that in mind for next year. It’s not a paid holiday, but one that gives us another opportunity to pay tribute to our Stars and Stripes.

After flags were in place, I made a trip to the St. Helens Golf Course for another round with the Peal Boys, Doug and Junior. That’s always a fun time. I actually played a pretty good round, too. Had two pars, one of which was a potential birdie. My drive made it to the green, something I’ve never done before. What fun is that!? Jimmie O wants to team up for a round at Wildwood soon so I’ll have an opportunity to see if I can survive 18 holes. There will be a report on that later, too, if I do good.

After golfing, we had a McBurgerville lunch then Doug dropped me by the doctor’s office for a scheduled visit with my cardiologist. This was the followup regarding the cardiac event I had a few weeks ago. I think it was a few weeks ago. I forget. Perhaps some of those brain cells that help me remember stuff got messed up somewhere along the road. That happens, and it’s OK. We all forget stuff. The one thing about forgetting stuff is where I am doing something up stairs and find I need “something” that’s in the basement but can’t remember what it is when I get down there. When that happens I walk around in my work shop and talk to my tools, and random pieces of wood, trying to get some help from them to remind me what I’m after. Generally I remember and find what I want, but sometimes I just find something else more interesting that what I was previously doing. When Diane discovers that I’m missing, she gets me back on track to finish the original task. She knows I forget, and I told her that it’s really only going to be a problem if I rush from the living room to the bathroom than can’t remember why I went there. I believe she has a stash of Depends somewhere to assist when that moment comes.

Thursday morning I had coffee with my friend, Larry. My other friend Larry played hooky so we didn’t have a quorum for the weekly meeting. Got to have three in case something comes up for a vote to ensure we don’t wind up with a tie. I believe the rest of that day was spent slumbering. I’m not sure. Diane may know. You’ll have to ask.

Friday we made a trip to Scappoose to pick up Jewel, our new gardener and dog sitter. She’s been on Hawaii, the Big Island, for the last 38 years, or so, (I’m guessing, of course), and is pretty much a native of Kailua/Kona. Coming back to the NW is like coming home for her. Thankfully the weather has cooperated, giving her a warm welcome. The sad thing about her return is that when we visit Kona we won’t have her to visit with. Because of that we may just not ever go there again. The good thing about her being here is she likes our dogs and she likes to pull weeds so we are applying a lot of pressure on her to just come live with us, like forever, or at least until she gets settled. She and I graduated from Scappoose High School together and it’s fun getting reacquainted after all these years. Because she was our Prom Queen I didn’t have a chance of ever dating her and now, look! We’re living together. It’s ok, though, because she and Diane are long time friends.

Friday afternoon we all went to the Riverfest Beer Garden down by the old court-house where we attended a OLCC training session about checking IDs for folks entering the area. We had to do that because Diane signed us up for a two-hour stint Friday evening. The training we received amounted to someone reading us a brochure that indicated the necessity of ensuring only competent adults were allowed in to drink beer then quickly shifted to “Signs of Visible Intoxication”. Here they are:

Bloodshot, glassy eyes
Slurred speech
Spilling drinks
Rambling conversation, loss of train of thought
Difficulty handling money, picking up change
Lack of focus and eye contact
Difficulty standing up
Stumbling
Swaying, staggering
Speaking loudly, then quietly
Difficulty remembering
Slow response to questions

After that list is a reminder to the trainee that drinking while on duty is against the law because serving alcohol responsibly requires a clear head. That kind of got me because we weren’t serving alcohol. We were just checking IDs. Still, it was part of the training. After that little pause, another bulleted list of “More Signs of Visible Intoxication”.

Can’t find mouth with glass
Mussed hair
Disheveled clothing
Loud and unruly
Urging other people to have another drink
Annoying other guests or servers
Aggressive or belligerent
Making inappropriate comments about others
Foul language
Sullen, moody

After having all of this read to us I was convinced that the list was made specifically for me because I have almost every one of those problems without ever consuming alcohol. The first set of bullets apply to me from the time I get up in the morning until after I have my afternoon meal. After the meal, the bottom set of bullets apply. Except for the foul language. I don’t do that. Can’t say I’ve never been guilty of that, but I don’t practice that form of communication any more. It’s not productive. Diane said.

While at Riverfest, I had a chance to greet Taylor and find out how school in Las Vegas is going for her. She was working in her Mom’s Yo Place Frozen Yogurt trailer.

Yesterday was a fun day in the yard for all of us. Jewel is a gem, no pun intended, and a hard worker. It’s to our advantage that she loves digging in the dirt. Diane decided that she would try mowing the lawn which turned into an adventure for both her, and me. I found some really good face masks that allowed her to be in the open air, covered with grass clippings, and still breathe normally. Without it she would have been so choked up she’d’ve had to stay in side. Grass is her main nemesis. That and strong perfume.

Anyway, I got her moving on the lawn mower, after jump starting it, then turned her loose. Since I forgot to show her about putting the ignition key in the correct position for mowing in reverse, I had to drag a battery and cables to her and get the mower going again. Then she did an absolutely perfect job mowing the front yard. Things went south when she moved around to the side yard and she discovered that getting around trees posed a problem for novice lawn mowers. First, she ran into the holly tree and killed the engine. That required another jump-start. Then she dropped one of the front wheels into a hole and killed the engine for another jump-start. The last one was when she got tangled up in the grape vines and couldn’t extract herself. Another jump-start. It got to the point that whenever I heard the mower stop I just deserted my blackberry vine eradication efforts and took the batter to wherever she was. The most entertaining episode, however, didn’t involve a killing the engine, but almost killing herself, so to speak. She was mowing around a low hanging forsythia, thinking it couldn’t be all that hard to slowly mow under the dangling branches. I just happened to look up and saw her flying out from under the branches at full speed, leaning back as far as she could to avoid contact, and it looked like she was riding a bucking bronco. All she would have had to do was put one hand in the air to prove she wasn’t hanging on with both hands. What happened was when she leaned back she pushed the forward hydrostatic clutch lever all the way down and didn’t realize it as she fought to extract herself from the scratchy branches with minimal injury. It took her a good 30 feet to stop because she was going downhill, and when I got to her she was in hysterics, having a great time. It was really funny, and I’m glad she didn’t hurt herself. Just wish I could’ve had a video camera at the ready when I saw her take off.

Since nothing can top the mower episode, I’m going to quit. Diane’s looking forward to finishing up the back yard tomorrow. I’ll be standing by with the camera this time.

Cheers!

Does your vote count? – Shipmate Cedric – EOU Softball

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

It’s Tuesday, May 17th. That means its primary day and if you don’t get your ballots in before midnight, or thereabouts, your vote won’t count. Actually, it probably won’t count anyway since most of the other states have already made the decision for us. That’s emphasized by Hillary not even bothering to visit Oregon, something she did for most of the other states during their primary vote which means she’s just going to concede us to Bernie because I suspect she figures she just doesn’t need our support. Either that, or she doesn’t feel that she’s going to get our support, so why bother. Just an opinion. I could be totally wrong about that as I have been about far less import events in the past. No doubt this up and down trend will continue till I suck my last breath.

To aid in this voting effort, Diane is spending all day today, and won’t be home until the wee hours of the morning, counting ballots, helping to ensure everything is on the up and up. She does this every year and it wears her out, totally, every time. But, hey, they pay her $9 and hour for all that work so why not? Might get enough for a full tank of gas. We’ll see.

Me? I spent the day in self-imposed isolation, kind of, by mowing our entire yard. It looks right nice. Thankfully it dried out quickly from the last rain. I was unnecessarily concerned. After that I had time to take a shower then pick up Cedric for his meeting with the Navy recruiter. He does this, along with other Delayed Entry Program enlistees, on a regular basis while waiting for his trip to boot camp. Cedric will be going in mid July. I don’t know about the others.

Considering what happened last week (that trip to the emergency room?) you’d wonder why I would be left all alone with instructions to not use any dangerous tools (scissors are now on the list), but I was allowed to drive Cedric to Hillsboro. Kind of inverted logic, I think? But, it worked out OK and I’m home safe, as is Cedric. I guess the thought was I’d be safer in the truck going 55 than I would be going up or down stairs at home, in case I had another “near” Syncope event. A purely Syncope event is when you actually faint. I didn’t do that, but it was close. I think things like that happen so that you are unconscious when you hit the ground. I’d think that would hurt a lot less than being awake for the entire event. I’ve not had a recurrence but I’m still scheduled to see my cardiologist on June 14th. I’ll let you know how that goes whether or not you’re interested.

Eastern Oregon University (EOU) softball made it to post-season play this year for the first time since 2000. I know that’s true because I looked it up. I looked it up because I figured someone might ask if that’s true. Well, it is. As far as I can tell. My interest in EOU softball is because Diane and I have matching EOU cushions, and I have both an EOU shirt and hat. We have those because we cashed in on a prime opportunity to get stupendous bargains at the EOU book store as they closed out their stock last year. We were there to watch our Niece-niece Maryssa play for the EOU team. She’s a sophomore there now. On May 8th she knocked in the winning run that earned her team their first conference title in school history. Impressive.

I guess I’ll wrap this up and watch a couple of movies while I wait for Diane to get home. She’ll be upset that I stayed up waiting for her, but that’s OK. I just need to know she’s home safe. I could go to bed, I suppose, because the dogs will alert me to her arrival, but I’d rather see if I can stay awake. It’s only fair.

Later …

Cedric the Sailor

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Jerrie Cate

The title sounds like there’s a story involved here, doesn’t it? Perhaps so, but it’ll be a short one because I didn’t get my nap this morning like normal.

The story is about our Grandson, Cedric, who has completed most of the tasks required for him to join the United States Navy. His parents worked really hard with him to make this happen. Yesterday I was honored to be his last contact with the civilian world before his paperwork is reviewed, he’s sworn in, he’s probed and prodded, and assigned a job … I passed him into the custody of the recruiters in Beaverton.

Once I left, they drove him to an undisclosed location where he was locked in a hotel room last night to discourage any escape plans he might have in mind. He was allowed to keep his phone so he wasn’t totally shut off from civilization, and I was able to text him to see if he was OK and to find out if they fed him. His phone answered “yes”, but you know how texts message are … you never really know who’s sending them.

Later last night he texted to report that his swearing-in ceremony will be around 3 pm this afternoon and that family members are invited, so we’ll be able to check him for bruises.

He’s on a delayed entry program so it could be 3-4 months before he’s called.

It’s really different now than when I joined and was whisked away to San Diego within a matter of minutes after being sworn in. Much too quickly for me to change my mind. I raised my hand, said “I do,” and BAM! I was in San Diego, and bald.

Cedric is excited and apprehensive about moving on with the next phase of his life. Everyone is sad that he’s leaving us after being around for the last 18 years because we were just getting used to him. We’re also excited to see what happens, and live the adventure vicariously with him.

This will be fun.

Graduation, Soccer, & Jimmy Buffett

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Jerrie Cate

After a grueling 12 years of cramming, Cedric Dean Bradley is on the verge of graduating from High School. All he has to do is get through the ceremony this evening at 7 pm and the party tomorrow. His graduating class is the first one from the Columbia County Christian School in Warren, Oregon. Sadly, it will also be the only high school graduating class because next year the school will only be K-8. So, he will be a part of history. For his next adventure, he hopes to join the Navy as a Chaplain’s assistant then use his that experience and his GI Bill to fulfill his desire to be a Youth Pastor. So, here’s a two photo rocket ship ride of Cedric from pre-school to August 8th at his Great Grandma Jean’s 88th Birthday Party …

He’s all growed up now but his Mom is going to have a difficult time cutting him loose to join the big herd. Oh, that’s him on the left in the photo, in case you didn’t know.

For soccer, I only have this from yesterday where Lydia’s High School team participated in a jamboree against a host of other teams from the greater Portland area. They played The Dalles and Century, and beat them both. The Dalles was 4-0 and Century was 1-0. Jennifer and I suffered through a 1.5 hour delay, due to no umpires, in the horrendous heat to watch all this. It was brutal.

The significance of the above photo is to show you how Lydia spent most of the game, watching her team keep the ball away from her goal. She’s the little yellow speck near trhe mid-field line.

Diane was on another mission in Portland watching a facility make eyeglass lenses so couldn’t participate in that delay. Because of it, however, she was able to make the 1-hour drive from home to arrive just in time to sit down and enjoy the last 35 seconds of the game. Since I was the one who determined that she could make it in time for most of the game I spent the remainder of the day on Diane’s NHWTP List. For those of you who are partially acronymically challenged, that mans Not Happy With This Person List.

On the way home she drove us down to the St. Helens docks which is always peaceful and provided a moment of solitude where I could (hopefully) eliminate the need for further punishment. Imagine our delight when we discovered that Jimmy Buffett’s little sister was in town.

Now, I’m not suggesting that Jimmy’s Little sister is a cabin cruiser. No sir. I’m just thinking that maybe it was named after her even though I have absolutely no idea if Jimmy has a sister or, if he does, if her name is Jenny. This is all pure speculation on my part. Still, it’s kinda fun to live in my head and enjoy the possibilities.

Have a good day.

Parades, Old Guys, & Yogurt

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Jerrie Cate

Yesterday was the opening ceremony for the Scappoose Summerfest aka Sauerkraut Festival aka Scappoose Pow Wow. I add all those “aka’s” to give you a bit of history for the event from its beginnings. The entire time I was growing up, for those village events I remember, it was the Scappoose Pow Wow Parade. The reference, of course, was to the Scappoose heritage that has a distinct Native American association. Our High School mascot was always an Indian caricature fondly called Ichabod. With all the bru ha ha going on about offending Native Americans, the focus changed from that heritage to another one of Scappoose’s finest exports, sauerkraut. The exports were from the Steinfeld’s Pickle plant which was located conveniently across Highway 30 from the Scappoose Elementary School making it an easy target for school field trips. Seinfeld’s did well in Scappoose and I remember seeing their products for sale at many Navy commissaries during my Navy career. Most notably was on the island of Guam.

Anyway, Steinfeld also made sauerkraut so that became the theme for a while but the company was sold, the pickle plant was torn down, and big homes were erected ending the era of Steinfeld forever. Now it’s just another neighborhood that older residents point out to new comers with the caveat “that’s where the old Steinfeld pickle plant used to be.” An interesting point is that even during Summerfest events you can still find Sauerkraut Ice Cream for sale. Not something I’d buy unless I happened to spend a considerable amount of time at the ever-present beer garden first.

Last year I marched with 9 other old guys at the front of the opening parade down 1st Street, all of us wearing our VFW and American Legion hats, and each of us bearing one of the following flags – American, Oregon State, POW/MIA, VFW, American Legion, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The prime requirement for flag bearers was that they had to be able to walk half a mile. Those who couldn’t, rode in a flag bedecked trailer pulled by a beautifully restored Bronco owned and driven by one of my golf partners, Junior. We did OK during that parade, even though we didn’t do well keeping in step, but we got it done.

We did the same thing again this year and were blessed by the presence of a Marine recruiter, SSgt Copeland, who knows everyone in the county. Having an active duty Marine with us was great because he wore his uniform and made us look especially good as we marched smartly down the street. While lining up, I made sure I got next to SSgt Copeland for the trip because I was pretty sure he was well-trained in CPR and could toss me in following trailer should the need arise. It didn’t, but it’s good to be safe.

SSgt Copeland is holding both the Navy flag (mine) and the Marine Corps flag so I could exit ranks to snap these shots. What a great guy.

I’m happy to report that everyone made it through the parade in fine fashion and we did a respectable job of remaining in step thanks to the efforts of a young Afghanistan survivor who called cadence for the entire trip. He was the left man in the back row so, unfortunately, some of those in the front ranks couldn’t hear well enough to appreciate his efforts. Our back row did an exceptional job, making up for those who were audibly challenged this day.

After the parade we disbanded and went to the Scappoose Veteran’s Park where numerous vendors were plying their wares. The American Legion group was there to sell raffle tickets in an attempt to make a little money for us to assist veterans, our primary purpose. One of the items is a Mossberg 500 Tactical Shotgun. We had a discussion about where to get the raffle tickets printed at one of our meetings and me, not having learned raising one’s hand during such discussions sometimes results in situations involving a lot of work. Consequently, I created the tickets, printed them, perforated the tear off portion, and cut them all up. There were 500 of them that are being sold for $5 each. The raffle drawing will happen on Veteran’s Day, 11/11, at 11:11 am. If you want one, let me know. The raffle will continue until all 500 tickets are sold, or the drawing date arrives. Second prize is $200 and third prize is $100.

My ticket format, which I plagiarized from the quilt raffle tickets I made for Diane, allowed me to get 10 to a sheet. Perforating the stubs, and cutting out each of the tickets required 15 trips to the paper-cutter for a total of 750 manual evolutions. It took a while. This is what the progression looked like during one of my mandatory rest periods …

One of the fun things that happened in the vendor line was when I encountered Terry & Jen in their Yo Place Frozen Yogurt Wagon. You can check out their ‘real’ Yogurt Shop here. They coached Lydia’s softball team for a number of years so we got to know them well. This wagon is unique to the West Coast and was designed by Jen. She is truly an entrepreneurial pioneer. It was good to visit with them and enjoy their product on this 100 degree day.