Home Again, Home Again, Ziggety Zog!

Well, we made it. We had so much fun with Christy and her boys while they were here. Then we went to Houston with Amy and had a great week down there. We got to stay with Cheli and Grampy on Saturday night and visit with Jennie and Alisa on Sunday before they took us to the train. Our ride home was an adventure. Calysta told everybody that she had been to the beach. I didn't need to worry that my home would go to pot while I was gone--it looks exactly like it did when I left--party stuff here and there--same food only now older in the refrigerator (I asked Bobby what he ate while I was gone and he said, "oh I don't know, this and that") --laundry patiently waiting--so I am not bored and wondering what to do with myself yet in my retirement! My ears are full of wax, my head aches with sinus mess. I really wish I wouldn't get hung over and full of the morning after when I know I didn't have the night before! Tomorrow we start the procedures to get Bobby's back repaired so that'll be the main focus for a while now. Ready, set GO...

In Texas

I think I'll replace my profile photo. It's one I had taken at work and looks altogether too "professional". That really won't do. I am loving this week at Amy's house. Her boys are being darling. Calysta is having a good time playing new games and being the "little sister" (sometimes they're pests, you know), and of course, it was wonderful to see Karie (and finally her little biscuit) even for just an afternoon. It's a great thing to see that your children grew up to be capable, smart and kind--I don't think it gets any better than that! We're doing sewing machine research so I can make a good decision when I get home. So far, the best recommendation is a reconditioned older Singer--definitely not a new one. I dunno. If anyone has another opinion, I would love to hear it. I have great grandbaby quilts to design and create--I'll make one and the others will be like it--same as I did the grandbaby quilts. Tonight we're going to Bunko (Bunco?) and I will finally discover what that's all about--I have been hearing about this for a long time from many different people, but never participated. Then we're driving to Galveston and the beach tomorrow--can't wait for that--it's good for my San Diego girl's heart. It's early and I'm reading a book, so I'll go work on that--no, not work, just read.

checking in...

I'm visiting with Amy and her family in Houston this week. This morning we're going to Curves--I hope I find some there. My foot is at it again. I don't know what gives with it, but it's maddening--sitting for many hours usually will do it, though. Bobby and I sold our new motorcycle and cargo trailer. It's a bittersweet thing. We didn't really want to sell, but riding was getting progressively more difficult, so--well, there you are. We got the price we asked. Going to ride over tomorrow to Austin and see the beautiful and pregnant Kare-bear. I am still trying to wrap my brain around becoming a GREAT grandparent! yikes. I remember my great grandparents. They were very old even the first time I remember them. mercy. Amy is up, the kids are still asleep and the washer is running. The week has started. I think it's going to be a fun one...

GOAL!!

Well, today's the day. Going in to work for my last day. "Day" isn't actually accurate--precisely, that is. I'll be there at 0800 as usual, but leaving around 1100 or thereabouts. Yippee! I have had Amy and Christy here this week with Dylan, James and Jake also. Yesterday Calysta came--of course Mark has been in and out all week, too. I had the pleasure of watching Jake and Calysta playing yesterday afternoon, and it was a testament to how he is treated when learning a new skill or just in general, maybe. Calysta asked him to hook up her Wii Disney Princesses game so he did. They were in the living room and he was showing her some of the finer points of how to play with the remote and Wii generally. His voice was gentle and his words were kind and insructive. What a wonderful little guy! I think they'll have a lot of fun next week when we're all at Amy's home. I can't wait. Bobby will have back surgery on Wednesday, August 19. I'll let everybody know how that goes afterward. Bye--next time you hear from me I won't even remember what I did for a living. hehehe

m-m-m

Well, I just discovered that I like Lingonberry Preserves--and Swedish flat bread isn't bad either. Together they make a perfect snack. Thanks Amy!

The Long and Winding Road...

I am off work today. It's lovely. I got up and got Poppy off, sat down at my computer and read blogs. Christy and her family will be here later this morning. This will be a fun day. I have 2 1/2 weeks left before I retire--16 days--and only 12 more to actually go in to work. I have cut my hours to 6--9 to 3:30--not too bad. It's just that I'm not really doing any actual work at this point--just teaching others how and what to do and when--makes me tired to think about it. This is reminding me of lying down in deep plush and purring--I guess my alter-ego is a cat.

Places to See and Miles to Go

Amy WW has started a series about places she would like to see. It made me think about our plans to do exactly that in the next few years. In fact we already started. We went to Vermont and stopped at Niagara for a day (and night). Wonderful. We went to Alaska on a cruise. Beautiful. We also went to Novia Scotia on a cruise and thought that was a truly extraordinary place and would love to go back. The thing is, when we went to Vermont, Hurricane Katrina hit and we changed our route back and missed Washington, D.C. So there's a place we want want to visit. When we went to Alaska, we were in the middle of one of the worst storms to hit the Gulf of Alaska in a long time, and missed most of the stops until we got to the inland waterway--and two people died. When we went to Novia Scotia, the last picture Bobby took on the way out of the Hudson River and we were looking back, was the World Trade Towers, and the date stamp on that picture is 9/8/01. So we had to scramble on our way back to get any flights at all, as New York harbor was turned into the Morgue after 9/11. We were told not to travel anymore by several of our friends. :) Well, we will, and included in the places we would like to see are Hawaii and the Northwest USA. Being born and raised in San Diego, I never thought much about Hawaii, but after living nearly 30 years in Oklahoma, I think I would love to visit there. Some friends of ours moved there last year and have invited us to stay with them when we go. So, we will likely visit Hawaii. Since Bobby has cousins in northern California and Oregon, we will most likely visit there, too. There are other places, and I thank Amy for bringing up this subject and making me think about it again. Stay tuned...

Winding Down...

I'm at the weird place in a job where I am just about out the door, other people have been assigned to do my various (legion) tasks, and they're still learning how to do them. I have written two quite large books about this and that--what to do when this happens, when to do what, the cascade of daily chores and how this must be done first so you have all the information you need to complete something else. Whew! ech I am not actually doing anything. I organize, put into piles, make lists, sit and read articles on the internet. There's a whirl of work going on around me, but I'm in the eye of the storm and the other side of the storm is not on its way. :) One thing I have realized is that I do a LOT of stuff. The funny thing about this is that I don't really care whether or not anyone does anything with what I have produced for them. If they throw it all out and just skate by with mininum--OK. I'm no longer invested in it. I know the manager of my department is concerned. I think his concern is enough for the whole department, and I am happy to let him worry about it. That's all. I'm in a really great place...

Today

I was sick yesterday. Since I don't actually get sick very often, it always seems like an assault to me. My stomach was taken over by demons--the kind that make you feel like vomiting would save your life. ech Well, the demons have been exorcised but I'm in that sort of half-light place where it feels that they went off and left a lot of pop cans, gum wrappers and grafitti all over the place. But I can think about getting some work done around my house--I did nothing yesterday, and go grocery shopping--again, nothing yesterday, and maybe even cooking a little ahead for next week--yep, nothing there either yesterday. 40 days to go until I retire. Now I'm excited for my girls and their boys to come. This is going to be such a fun couple of months!

Loose thoughts

Today is Flag Day. When we were little, Gramps (Ralph Beaman, Grammy's father) had a tall flagpole in his front yard and raised the flag on each "flag" occasion. Our neighbors the Carters (they lived next door to my great grandparents, Pa and Ma) also had a flagpole. On the flag morning, Gramps and Mr. Carter always hurried out to raise the flag--Gramps would always mention that either he beat Mr. Carter or Mr. Carter beat him in raising the flag. If you were quiet in the morning you could hear reveille blow on the Naval bases down near the harbor--that was Gramps' cue to get out there with his flag (actually on the nights when I was still awake, I could also hear taps blow at 10:00pm). The truly interesting part of this story is that Gramps died on June 12, and was buried on June 14th (Flag Day) under a waving flag (as a World War I veteran, he also had a flag-draped coffin). In fact, all the flags were flying in San Diego that day for his ride from the Funeral Home to the cemetery. I know he would have loved it. He used to take us (Bobby and me) on Sunday afternoons to the cemetery to feed the swans. He loved those swans. His grave is located right across from the swan lake and just down from the flagpole. It all just seemed so appropriate! Tomorrow is Scott's birthday. He would be 39! Christy says that is hard to imagine, because even though he is her older brother, he always seems like a little guy. I have 54 days until I retire. I can barely wait. I can't remember the last time I anticipated an event with so much eagerness. Plus, I'm going to get to see Amy and Jakey (don't know if James can come--haven't heard that part yet) and Christy.