Category Archives: Unblemished Truth

Days 7 & 8 – Naval Station San Diego – Dry Side

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Hi All – yesterday was a blur. It was so blurred that I cannot remember much about what happened other than we picked up a whole Buick load of folding chairs, then went to dinner at the Black Angus in Chula Vista, near where we used to live, a long time ago, then came back to our room where I watched the remainder of the Oregon vs. Washington State game.

Gee … guess writing all that triggered a memory or two …

The chairs, 75 of them, were for the hospitality rooms for the reunion. It’s too many, but didn’t know how it would all work out. So far, everything is fine.

Dinner at Black Angus was very good, but it took a very long time. There were 11 of us and they stuffed us into a back room where the waitresses forget to go very often. Still, the food was good, and we all had a great time visiting. We rode with Chuck and Vonnie, Vonnie drove. They have a Kia Soul which has very quick steering, quicker than Vonnie can react, so it was an exciting ride. We made it back to the room safely, however, so it’s all good. I just love charred parts of a dead cow. Tasty.

The game was fun to watch. It was 23-19, Oregon, at the end of the second quarter when we got back, so it looked like Washington State had an upset in mind, but Oregon roared back in the 2nd half to win 51-26. I verified that by asking SIRI, which Kathie thinks “sucks”, a direct quote. SIRI said “the Ducks pounded the Cougars by a score of 51-26”. That’s another direct quote. She really calls them like she sees them. So, now the Ducks are 5-0. Ah, but the Beavers are 3-0 and looking pretty good. It’s going to be an interesting season.

Today was a whirlwind of activity as people showed up to join our little gathering. Pretty much all the old people who walked through the door re ex Buckley crew members. Well, no all of them. Some of them are girl friends or wives. In all, there are about 130 people floating around the Navy Lodge.

We have two adjoining rooms that we rented for our hospitality rooms and both were packed to overflowing. The noise was absolutely tremendous, a nonstop cacophony of overlapping voices, male and female, covering all the ranges of the auditory spectrum. We may never know how any of those voices communicated a coherent thought to the dozens of listening ears, but they apparently did. I know that’s true because as I looked around the rooms, watching their lips move, and their voices add to the rising and dropping crescendo of happiness, those at whom they were speaking would nod their heads, and move their lips in return. All conversations were one-on-one. I had a few of them with a lot of people I’ve never met before. Our only connection is an old ship that is now nonexistent. Funny how that works.

For lunch we took a few people to the NEX food court. It was an excellent lunch. I’m not going to tell you what we ate, but it was really, really good.

After lunch Diane took a couple of people to the commissary to buy “stuff” for the hospitality rooms and I took a couple of people back to the lodge. When I got there one of the ladies asked me where the nearest bar was. Not knowing, I took them to the package store which took care of the issue. They got their vodka and I made two new friends.

Walking around the hospitality rooms, and the lobby area, talking with all of those people made my throat sore. And it made me tired.

Tomorrow we must arise early and all get on buses for a trip around town. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Day 5 – Navy Lodge Naval Station San Diego

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Greetings from sunny Southern California. With the exception of a very sore throat, from snoring non-stop for the past four days, and a wrinkled back for Diane, because she drove almost 400 miles yesterday, we’re just fine. We’re here, and didn’t let even one of of those knuckleheads on the freeway bend our car. I should say, “Diane didn’t let one of those freeway knuckleheads … etc …” She’s awesome!

Today we drove downtown to Santa Fe Station, where all the trains stop, to visit Five Star Tours so we could pay the enormous fee they wanted to provided some large buses to cart our shipmates around San Diego next week. Our new favorite GPS application, WAZE, took us right to the correct address, but it was difficult to find. The office is located inside the station, in a small room with a sign outside alerting everyone that it was the Women’s Waiting Room. Tricky.

Once inside a very nice lady, with a number of festive tattoos, was more than happy to take our money and confirm the arrangements. Now all I have to do is get the driver’s names so they can drive their buses onto the base.

After that, we returned to our room with thoughts of lunch, but it wasn’t quite lunch time, yet. So, I got on the internet to find the nearest VA facility in an effort to see if they might be able to come up with a spare CPAP power supply for me. I talked with Lucinda, at the Pulmonary Checkin office, then Mary, one of the therapists. Mary said to bring my unit and she’s fix me up. But, we had to get there before 3:30.

We made it to the VA Medical Center in La Jolla by 2:30, and I was out the door in about 15 minutes. It was pretty amazing. That facility is absolutely enormous! And, very customer oriented. I could not be happier. Now, I have a spare power supply so should never be without. What was even more amazing is that Diane found a place to park within 100 feet of the front door in their 80,000 vehicle parking lot. It’s enormous, too.

We hopped back on I-5 South, vetoing the idea of searching for a place to eat in La Jolla and suffer the horrors of rush hour traffic, and returned to our little safe haven at Main & 28th Street. We went to the Navy Exchange food court and had a terrific meal from Panda Express. Both of us had Chinese food on our minds when we headed for the VA, so had to quench that need. It was extremely good. Then we went shopping and returned to our room by 6pm or so. I just made that last bit up because I don’t have a clue as to when we got back to the room.

I spent a couple of hours setting up the new printer I bought to replace the one sitting next to my computer at home because it’s hosed. I don’t like hosed printers.

Now it’s 1/4 of an hour until 10pm and it’s getting sleepy in here. I was allowed to watch the premier of “Last Resort” and I loved it. That’s about the most TV I’ve watched in a couple of weeks. Seems like I’m always doing something else. Guess there’s something wrong with my world since I don’t watch TV like I used to.

I’ve got photos to share, but don’t have them available on my laptop to add here. I’ll work on that tomorrow … if I have time.

Day 3 – Naval Air Station Lemoore, California

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Our stop at Beale AFB was very pleasant. Diane got to watch Dancing With The Stars, and I got to watch most of the Seattle vs. Green Bay football game. The latter was interesting because of the final play of the game that decided the winner. It was really Green Bay, but the officials awarded the game to Seattle for some odd reason. I’m guessing at least one official will be begging for work soon.

We got all packed up and headed for the main gate around 0930. On the way we stopped by Burger King for a breakfast sandwich. Diane had one cup of coffee in the room, but i didn’t because I was waiting for something better … that didn’t happen until we got to Sacramento. I was trying to get SIRI, on my phone, to tell me where the nearest Starbucks was but she kept aiming me at locations 15 miles behind us. I called her names but that didn’t do any good. Thins were better once we got our coffee, from a Safeway Starbucks.

Before getting that far I called Kathie R. to see if she might have a moment to meet us as we motored through Sacramento – she works in an office about 20 feet from the I-5 freeway so it wouldn’t have been a lot of trouble. But, nooo, she begged off saying she was getting a haircut somewhere 50 miles from where we were. So, instead, we had a nice conversation until her barber took the phone away from her. Perhaps we’ll get to see her on the way home … unless she decides to get another one of her hairs cut.

Things went well on the freeway as we headed south, then traffic came to a complete stop about 3 miles from Merced. A ramp ahead was closed for construction of some sort, and the two lanes of 65 mph traffic was being forced to zipper down to one lane. As soon as we did that, the speed went back to 65 like magic, and all the cars and trucks disappeared.

Before getting to the point, however, Diane had me retrieve the remainder of her foot long Subway sandwich and the little carrots so we could snack. After eating 3 inches of the sandwich she reluctantly gave it to me to finish. It was actually pretty good.

Now we’re only about 65 miles from Lemoore. Arrival time is a little shy of 4pm.

Travelling through the San Fernando Valley is pretty boring. I realize that it’s a major food producing area, but you’d think they could spruce it up a little … like paint the median grass green, or just set it on fire and make it black. Brown, all the time, makes me sleepy. Thankfully, it doesn’t affect Diane that way, or I’d be forced to drive. So far today I’ve escaped the hot seat.

Construction, construction, construction … they’re laying down so much cement and blacktop that it’s a wonder California doesn’t just snap off at the Nevada border and fall into the ocean. Maybe if someone took a shovel and made a dotted line along that line there would be no need for an earthquake … nah, that just wouldn’t be right.

< > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > P A U S E < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < >

It’s now 1845 (6:45pm for you non-military minded folks) and we just got bck from the commissary on NAS Lemoore where we purchased a couple nutritious Stouffer lasagne meals. Diane has them simmering in the underpowered microwave as I type. Don’t get me wrong … the room is nice. Nicer than last night.

We arrived about 1500 (3pm), an hour earlier than I previously said we’d get here. That’s because Diane saw an open field and decided to check out the all wheel drive on her Buick. Turned out the field skirted the runway at Lemoore and, for some obscure reason, the fence was down and no one was around. So, instead of having to drive all the way around the base, like we did at Beale, we just drove across it. The AWD works great, BTW.

That’s a lie, of course. There’s no way security would have let us fly across the end of the runway like that. We drove around like we were supposed to. I just had the timing an hour off earlier.

Now we’re going to eat so I’m quitting.

Good News & Other Stuff

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Greetings to you all. Thanks to those who asked about Diane’s mom. Turns out she’s really ok and was just faking it. That’s lie. Her blood pressure was acting up, a lot, causing her to be dizzy. Worrying about tht just escalated the problem because of the stress. Knowing it wasn’t her heart giving out was a huge relief for her because she watched Mel, Diane’s Dad, wither away due to heart problems. It’s a relief for all of us to the point that we were able to make our break for San Diego. She has people who are going to check on her daily and she was OK with us leaving. Well, not totally OK, but OK enough. Plus, we’re cutting the trip short for reasons beyond her health issues.

So, we’re currently south of Salem, Oregon. Our destination tonight is Medford, Oregon, not far from the California border. Even though my chauffeur was up with the sun, and spent an agonizing morning in an overly hot hospital room, she’s perky and driving along quite nicely, like she always does.

I found a new GPS navigation application that’s keyed to commuters. It’s called “WAZE”. It’s free, and really detailed. It’s got all kinds of information posted by other Wazers regarding current traffic conditions, stalled vehicles, and police presence. it also compiles Wazers’ progress down the road and lets others know their progress. It also lets wazers text each other which I think is a stellar idea, especially for those who drive alone. There’s an accident waiting to happen. Still, it’s fun for me.

It’s 4:08pm local and we’re in Albany, Oregon. Well, not really in it, just close to it. I don’t think Albany allows freeways in their town.

So, how about those Beavers and Ducks? Beavers upset UCLA, which is always fun, and the Ducks stomped on Arizona a little bit, 49-0. That secured them a #2 national ranking in the NCAA. Not bad for a little, obscure school from out west. Do any of you remember 2006 when the Oregon State Beavers won the NCAA Baseball World Series? They were the first team in history to lose twice in Omaha and go on to with the series. They were the Cinderella team. Just to emphasize that win, they did it again in 2007.

Time to quit. We’re 84 miles north of Roseburg, and there’s a rest area dead ahead. More later, if I’m allowed.

Emergency Rooms, Coyotes, and Roofers

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Where have I been? Does anyone know? Since my reality isn’t the same as everyone else’s I could use some help to ferret out the “pretend” areas of my life and reconnect with a common reality that’s apparently shared by everyone else. Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy flying around in my reality, most of the time, but sometimes it gets lonely because the only others I see there are captured in their own “moments” and do not communicate well.

Yesterday I was ejected into the ‘real’ world when Diane’s Mom was transported to Good Sam from urgent care in St. Helens for cardiac “issues” related to a “possible” heart attack. We followed the ambulance, and Jennie, Dan, and kids arrived shortly after we did. After monitoring her in the emergency room, for the requisite 3-4 hours, she was admitted for the night and scheduled for a stress test this morning at 0800. After Jean was settled in her room, we all headed back to the ranch, knowing she was in good hands.

Once we got home, being the optimists we normally are, we packed our bags for our trip south which was to begin today. First stop Medford, Oregon. Diane and Jennie are on their way to the hospital as I type so they can be there during the stress test and get first hand knowledge on what’s going on. Me? I had to stay home so I can go to church this morning and answer the questions everyone will have about Jean. Lydia is going with me to play body guard. And visit with her friend, Briana.

Now, about last night …

We packed and puttered around here until almost midnight like we normally do the night before leaving on a trip. The dogs went out and returned quickly for their nighty treat. Couldn’t find the cat, which isn’t unusual, so closed up the house and went to bed.

Shortly thereafter, 3-4 coyotes started yipping in our back yard. Diane let Panzee out on the upper porch so they could ‘talk’ for a bit. Apparently Panzee convinced them to depart, because they did after a very noisy conversation. At times like this, Breezie is a concern because she’d make a pretty nice coyote snack. I know, that’s probably not an appropriate thing to ‘say’, but it’s true. This morning when Diane got up, Breezie was meowing at the basement door, so all is good. The coyotes probably spied her behind the basement patio door which caused all the ruckus. She doesn’t flinch much so that no doubt added to their frustration. I can just see her down there, sitting by the patio door, one hind leg sticking straight up in the air, licking away with an occasional pause to look a coyote in the eye then back to licking.

Since the coyotes are prowling, Breezie will have to spend her nights indoors. The problem with that is, if things turn out OK for Jean, we may not be here to ensure that happens and she may not always magically show up when one of the kids checks the house. In those cases she’s on her own, but she’s a tricky cat that survived outside for a year on her own.

Throughout all of this added turmoil, add the noise created by 15-20 guys ripping off your roof and replacing it … in three days. They started last Thursday and finished Saturday afternoon. Pretty amazing to watch and very very loud the entire time. They did a great job and we’re confident that our house will not leak for the next 30-40 years. That will be a comfort when we’re sitting on the porch, watching the sunrise behind Mt. Hood, when we’re around 100 or so.

Now I must go shave and get ready for church. I have an hour before I pick up Lydia. Since Diane isn’t here, most of that time will be spent looking for the things I need to accomplish my task.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day. If we manage to hit the road today, I’ll be in touch. Actually, I’ll be in touch whether or not we hit the road today. I have gizmos that help me with that.

Gilligan … almost 5

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Today Diane and I took Gilligan, our granddaughter, shopping to celebrate her 5th birthday. She won’t be 5 until October 5th, but since we’re not going to be home it seemed like a good thing to do. The original plan was to take the entire family, but that was ruled out because taking Gilligan and Baylee out in public together is apparently risky. So, we settled on Gilligan alone. By herself.

Grandma brough a festive crown for her to wear, we got her buckled in, and were off.

 

On the way to the store we stopped for lunch at Ichabod’s where Gilligan ordered a turkey sandwich on wholewheat, “yellow butter only.” When she got it she promptly dismantled it and feasted on the turkey, ignoring the bread. It was OK because this trip was about her, not about proper eating habits.

After eating we trekked on over to Fred Meyer to get Batman’s Jail, her choice from the moment she got into the car. Holding my fingers, she led us up and down a few aisles and finally found it. Not something normal little girls would like, I thought, but she was so excited about it, how could we deny her.

Having that treasure secured, we went to the other end of the store, to the dresses, to satisfy Grandma’s desire to get her something pretty.

Along the way she tried out a lot of the furniture, blessing us with one of her signature poses.

 

Once there, Gilligan pulled the first dress she saw off the rack and deemed it the one she had to have. It was the prettiest, most expensive, and most inappropriate one in the entire store. She has a knack for this, we decided, and went about the task of altering her decision to include something more appropriate, but still pretty. We found several, explaining that the first choice was one that could only be worn once in a while, but the many others we offered up could be worn for pretty much any occasion. We even tossed in a matching hat.

She delighted in disappearing into the clothes racks, behind us, when we were distracted by the dresses and other pretty things suitable for little girls, bringing to rigid clarity the reason why one at a time was plenty for us old people. Had Baylee been along, we would’ve never kept up. They are busy little people with devious minds. But, she was always close by, and blessed us with her physical presence when asked … sometimes twice.

 

Finally, she relented, deeming her 2nd choice the better of the two, and we were off to the cashier.

Since she had so much energy, I encouraged her to hop on one foot as we went, which she did for most of the way. Once we got to the produce section she decided to do pushups. I told her to “give me 10,” which she promptly did.

On the way home she decided she’d like to see some cows so Diane drove to the places where cows normally hang out, but there were none to be found. With a sigh, Gilligan determined that cow trappers must have taken all of them and that The Pie Man was in charge. Not sure what the Pie Man reference was it took only a little coaxing the figure out that the Pie Man made cow pies out of the cows provided by the Cow Trappers.

Once home she proudly marched into the house with her treasures, showing her Mom Batman’s Jail before anything else. Heather knowingly said, “Uh huh,” and related that Jeff had recently told Gilligan that she couldn’t have it. This points, once again, to the devious side of things because I’m sure she’s going to look at her Dad with her little head cocked, a gleam in her eye, letting him know that, “yes, she could have it.”

 

Kidlets

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Wow … how quickly they sprout

That’s Jeran, Lydia, and Cedric, the product of Jennifer & Daniel’s begetting, when they were cute.

Here’s the most recent photo I can find of them together, and it includes all their local Cate cousins, as well as Diane, me, and Grandma Jean, and a few others …

Left to Right: Jerrie Anne Diane, Heather, Grandma Jean, Me, Diane, Baylee, Jeff, DanYell, Daniel (back row), Cedric, Jeran, Jennifer, Logan, Shene, Juliette, Gilligan, and Lydia. The only one missing is Tiana.

Our family has grown, Jennie and Dan’s kids are bigger than Jennie, Cedric is starting high school next week … it’s just all getting out of hand. Things need to slow down.

The next thing you know the older kids will be graduating from college and the little ones will almost be in high school. Unbelievable! I know, it’s not unique to us … it’s happening to everyone

Vern

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This is a short tribute to Vern, who departed this plane of existance last Friday, apparently shortly after we got home from our week at the beach. He and Marilynn have been our neighbors since we moved here. We noticed the increased traffic at their house, and suspected something was up, but didn’t know what happened for sure until Marilynn stopped on her way home and told us. I didn’t go next door to ask “what’s up” because I was truly hoping they were having a family reunion. Turns out they were … for a more and more common reason than just for fun.

I can’t say I knew him very well, just enough to say hello in passing, and to visit across the fence when we were mowing our yards. I did visit him a few times, but just to check and see how he was doing because I’d heard that something was amiss, or to give him some plums from our tree when they were ripe. I don’t think that qualifies me for the good neighbor award, but we’re relative new comers to the area and didn’t know the protocol.

I liked Vern. He was a good guy. But I don’t know anything about him other than he was quite a bit older than me. I always thought I’d get to know more about him, but too many things got in the way that prevented me from giving him just a little time out of my day once in a while. It makes me sad to know that I’m “one of those guys” who who didn’t take time to gain a new friend. It would have been so simple.

Vern’s funeral is tomorrow morning. In the afternoon we’re going to a wedding. It’s kind of a compressed version of my June trip to Connecticut for Lyle and Heather.

Now I’m going to be sitting around here wondering what the third event will be … wish me luck.