Family Hopping

 

We had made arrangements for Ryan (aka Tony) to come pick us up from the bus depot.  He met us at 6:15 in the morning and took us to my sisters house where we would sleep – or attempt to anyway.  We were introduced to the family dogs Sadie and Donny.  Gary was asleep on the couch where we’d be sleeping – or trying to and Jerry asked if we would give him permission to use us in a youtube video.  He then taught us a geography game which I had assumed he wanted us to play while filming for the youtube video.  But that is a far as it got.  Perhaps we weren’t worthy subjects for his channel?

          For the most part we spent time with Ryan and his family while Ryan was off and before the kids had to go back to school.  We played games with them and then Ryan took us all to Dee’s for dinner.  After he brought us back to my sister’s house, we played games with her family.  Playing games with different family members really was the highlight of our being there. 

          On Saturday we helped Todd (aka Bill Jolly) with cleaning the church.  Later Ryan came for us and we went to the park.  It was hot and the kids wanted to go swimming.  Jai or I had suggested going to Fairbourn to run through the fountains.  We drove from the park toward the Fairbourn station and Ryan parked in the lot of West Valley Library. As I was getting out of the car I realized that I had left my backpack at the park.  Thus we did not make it to Fairbourn as we stayed in car and headed back toward Vista Park. So grateful that my backpack was still there when we returned. 

        We chose not to go back to Fairbourn but to the apartment where Ryan's family lives.  He and the kids played in the pool while Jaime and I played games with our very pregnant Chelsey.  Jaime and I had brought our suits to Utah but they were in our suitcases back at Todd and Shelly's house and I didn't think returning for them would be worth the extra amount of driving it would take as       Utah is under construction.  Every spring and summer it always takes longer to get from point A to point B than in the fall.  So many roads.  So many polycones, barrels and signs.  So many detours. We crawled through traffic each time we were in the car 

There was construction on the road, on buildings, parking lots . . . very overwhelming.  So happy I had not driven.

     Todd and Jaime were watching an episode of Star Trek: Strange New World. I was talking to Richard on the phone and excused myself and went downstairs as to not disturb Todd's program watching.  Sadie was down there and had chewed me out for being in her territory.  Fine, I did not want to be there anyway.  Richard said I sounded tired and should get some sleep.    I slept great on Saturday night. Apparently I was out the minute my buttocks hit the couch.

          On Sunday we went to my sister’s ward.  There was a youth that gave the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting.  What an awesome prayer.  So refreshing hearing a youth give the prayer in Sacrament meeting.  There are two wards that meet in the building.  Each ward has their own sacrament but will combine for the second meeting to account for more activity.  That is a brilliant idea!  Wish we had that option.

The Banker Makes the Rules

           Recently Richard purchased the game “Roseburg-opoly”.  

He had wanted to buy “Salt Lake opoly” for a while now – not available in Oregon.  I wonder why.  Or Disneyopoly.  It really does not matter what version, it’s still Monopoly – a long drawn out game with only one winner who diminishes every other player with greed and absolutely no mercy.  I hate it.  Too much like real life in many cases with the business world.  I’m not business minded.  Never have been.  Never will be.

          Richard is a stickler for the rules but will add the luxury of reason the “free parking” space (or in this case “I love Roseburg”) exists: 

to collect all of the money that was thrown in the middles of the board due to paying taxes, hospital bills and so forth.  Also in the Roseburg addition properties can be mortgaged for face value and not just half or partial as the authentic monopoly. And instead of buying houses and hotels players buy blocks and keys to the city.

          When Jaime and I are bankers we will add all kinds of rules more out of convenience and less from a business perspective.  Properties can be bid on once they are landed upon.  Players don’t necessarily have to pay full price.  Players can also stay in jail (or traffic jam) for as many turns as they need before rolling doubles and do not have to fork out 50 dollars (in the Roseburg addition it is 100) automatically after three tries. Most importantly player does NOT have to build evenly.  You want to purchase a hotel without buying houses - go for it.  It doesn't have to be an even build. Neither Jaime nor I often are banker.  Both would prefer playing something else.

The Attack of Pearl Hairball

The attack on Pearl Harbor was devastating.  A surprise military attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. The base was attacked by 360 Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,300 Americans were killed and another 1,000 were wounded(from Trivia Today) 

Jenna had a first grade teacher that I'm sure must have mentioned it - though not in detail.  Jenna obviously hadn't stored it into her memory and appeared to be experiencing a dyslexic moment as she read the card.  She was eight at the time we were playing a game with my mom (which I have mentioned here)

 

It wasn't her intention to be disrespectful.  She hadn't realized the errors of her ways until her grandma practically chewed her out.  We had been playing Apples to Apples and the Green Card said "Horrid"  I had put down "Bad Dogs" and mom put down "the Attack at Pearl Harbor" only when Jenna read the card she read " the Attack of Pearl Hairball" which she didn't fully understand but didn't think a hairball was as bad as a "bad dog"

Mom was more with it some days more than others.  She truly was offended that Jenna had mispronounced the word as she suspected Jenna was trying to make fun of the situation - which certainly was not the case - but that's what mom's mind was telling her.  She got all defensive and told Jenna how horrible and awful it had been.

My mom was only two when the attack took place, but she did remember being scared.  She had been born only two months and two days before the war started and thus was only six when the war ended.  She was raised in San Francisco and remembered newsreel footage played before the cinema's featured movie.  She remembered having air raid drills at the school.  She remembers hiding when the sirens went off to announce that the war had ended;  in her six-year-old mind it meant that San Francisco was under attack.  Jenna decided it really was worse than "bad dogs" and apologized for the misunderstanding.

I was probably six when I made an ex or a cross on a paper and put tails on each of the sides making a swastika.  I thought it was cool looking.  Mom got upset about that, too.  I didn't know.  Anybody who has followed my blog for the last five years know that I would never do something like that with the intention of hurting.    According to the holocaust teacher resource center, the swastika was a sign of good luck that has become a symbol of evil (see here)

I really love how the veterans and servicemen are truly honored in Myrtle Creek.  I don't personally know who puts the flags up each holiday and remembrance day, but they are always there lining up the bridges and main street.  It looks so awesome.