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Showing posts with the label driving

DL Trial and Persistence

          I don't know what it is like in other states or if COVID is to blame for the system or what have you - but just being able to land a test driving appointment is no small feat.  A person has to visit the site not only daily but multiple times throughout the day - hourly if possible.  Jaime started her search in June or July and finally landed an appointment with the Roseburg DMV on September 9th but continued her search until something opened up in Canyonville.  September 10.  Had we known then what we know now we would have just kept both. We arrived a half an hour early to appointment.   The room was the busiest I have ever seen it. She wasn’t able to check in until 15 minutes prior to the appointment time.   We had proof of insurance but no expiration date.   She was dismissed and could not take the test. We were given information for third party testing – which she did in Roseburg.   The ins...

Snowed In

                 I probably mentioned in a few posts that the geographical boundaries are huge in the ward where I currently reside.  We don ’ t have snow but there are some members who woke up to snow.  Some made it to church.  At least one family was snowed in and unable to make it to church.           We took Jaime back to Ashland.   During our drive we encountered some areas of slow moving traffic due to snowfall.   It ’ s weird to think about.   It does look pretty in the hills and mountains and brushed on trees.   We did not encounter any problems.   Oregon snow (at least the western end) has nothing on Utah snow.     

240 hours

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Ten days have pass since I have last written lots of driving  in the car a lot of miles a lot of time. Spring Break in the car 10 days to visit three sons and three sibs in the car Lots of driving We'd gone north  to drop off Bonnie  and then the high school for parent teacher conference  and then our way  out of town First to Layton to see Biff and his wife and daughter We ask Tony to bring his family as well   They drive up from Salt Lake and we eat breakfast 11 in all   And then we go to Rush – a family fun center with overpowering loud music and neon lights   bowling, bouncy houses, lazer tag, arcades, rides, did I mention LOUD   I think it is called RUSH because you are getting the same kind of rush that you might get from drugs – or so I assume.   I have never done drugs.   No desire. I was already disoriented from being in the car.   I don ’ t nee...

Backtracking to Earth Day

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This post really has nothing to do with Earth Day . . . it just happened to take place last week: Thursday April 22nd.               I woke up early and thought I would surprise Roland by lowering my bed and snuggle with him.   However when I started scooting toward him, his side of the bed began to rise and then he told me he thought I was doing it.   I didn’t have his remote!   But neither did he.   We searched for it on top of the bed, removed the covers one at a time and looked beneath the bed.   I lowered my side and climbed on the bed to see if the remote had fallen between the crack that separates our mattresses. It had.   Only it hadn’t fallen as far as the floor but had somehow nestled itself under my mattress.   I had to use a long object in order to push it out.              I took Jenna to seminary so that Roland could go back to bed if he wante...

Every Day is Saturday: Days Two and Three

               Cow Creek was given a huge amount of vaccines for their tribes and those working at Seven Feathers.   By the first week of March it was announced that any friends or family of those employed at Seven Feathers.   The announcement said that candidates had to be at least 65 years of age.   But when we called to get Roland set up, it was learned that I could be vaccinated also. Roland and I received our first shot on March 16.   We were given cards which provided a date indicating when we would be available for our second shot on April 13.   We hadn’t heard from the clinic and so went down to see if we could get in.   That’s when we learned that April 13 was not the accurate next shot date but the date of eligibility.   We still had to set up an appointment. The soonest we could get in was yesterday. Now just to backtrack a bit.   If you are a faithful reader you will remember we spent Roland’...

Let's Just Leave the Clock Setting Alone

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https://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/usa-canada-start-dst-2021.htm   Daylight Saving happened on March 14 th this year.  Oh, joy.  After a month and a half of not being able to drive to the church in the morning there finally came a time that I could leave the house at 7:10 and then gradually at 7:00.  For about a month after Christmas I had left the house at the very time that seminary got out before Jenna ’ s instructor volunteered to bring her home until it was light enough for me to see. https://dlpng.com/png/6598304 The first week before spring break was too dark for my eyes – but I didn’t have to go to the church until this week as the six youth were in quarantine the week before spring break started.  Thankfully, after the youth returned to their normal routine it has been light enough to leave the house by seven.  That gives me an extra ten minutes to drive around the creek instead of crossing over the bridge that leads to downtown.  I prefer...

My First Car

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          The first car that I had ever purchased was a used chocolate brown Volkswagen Dasher.  The only images I can find are of hatchbacks but I am certain that my car had a trunk.  I didn ’ t want a hatchback.  The saleman had tried selling me a Ford Pinto.  I did not want a Ford Pinto.  I did not care for the salesman ’ s tactic. I went and found another salesman. not exact but think similar to what I had           It was a cute little car, but NOT a spontaneous one.   I would have to warm the car up at least an hour before going anywhere.   I would let it warm up and allow the car to run for about five minutes and then I would have to give it an extra few minutes before I was seriously ready to go.   I don ’ t even know what year it was or how many years I had it.             When I left for my mission, I allowed my brother Patrick to driv...

The Temperature Has Dropped . . . Immensely

             My sister had posted a picture of the snow that fell upon the Salt Lake area.   We haven’t had snow.   We haven’t had much in the way of rain.             The sun teases us.   It seems to invite us to go outdoors to play.   After all, the skies are beautiful.   The trees are gorgeous with color.   It’s enticing – at least in the afternoon.              Last month I was leaving the house at 7:00.   I would drive to the church to pick up Jenna.   I could see at 7:00 though it was more of a challenge to leave at that time by the end of the month.              For most of this month I have not even been able to at 7:30.   I had made arrangements for someone else to bring her home.   Next month we set our clocks back.   Thus it will be even darker.     ...

A Week Without Internet - well not quite . . .

            I ’ ve heard it said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions – meaning if a person doesn ’ t act upon the thoughts he or she has the purpose is unfulfilled.  For three to four weeks the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Western Region representatives have been asked to call those that they preside over for ministering assignments call those that they minister to in order to learn how long it would take for everyone in the area to be contacted.  We were given a heads up that we would be making calls on Saturday for a mock earthquake drill which would go into effect that morning.  All of the calls were to be made within a two hour frame beginning at 8:00. My plan was to offer a fervent prayer before I started calling each of my sisters as I have not had much success at finding many who will answer the phone – especially on a Saturday morning.   No time is a good time and there is no ...

Long Day

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            The RS Pres. asked if I would pick up a food order in Winston.   I Googled the address but I did not like the option it showed on how to get there.   I DON’T wish to stay on the freeway so I can exit at 119 just so I can return back down.   There had to be another way.   I blew up the map and paid attention to the landmarks that were near the dentist office that I go to.   The addresses are on the same street!   I’m not going to get off 119 when I can get off 112 and work my way up.   That’s what I’ll do.             Yesterday morning – before I was even out of bed – I thought about two streets in Myrtle Creek that don’t go through.   One cannot get from the post office on Broadway to a resident who lives towards Chestnut or Neal.   It ends at Spruce on one side and dead ends on the other.   ...

MLK Banker, Stubborn Healing and Mormon Deer

            We have not adopted a celebration tradition for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – though Jenna did have a nice suggestion:   watch Tangled because there’s that song “I have a dream” – only we couldn’t seem to find our copy of Tangled and the Myrtle Creek library doesn’t even carry anything that recent.               We had three bananas that were somewhere between brown and black.   I planned to purchase some vanilla ice cream to make smoothies or banana ice cream.   This would be in honor of “milk” day as my niece had initially thought MLK to be.   I had told reader’s to refer to her blog in this post, but alas, she has made it private and so no one will have that opportunity anymore (including me).             Roland suggested we play Monopoly – and though it’s not mine nor Jenna’...