Driving Into the Unknown

         It’s been a number of years since Roland had purchased a suit.  An embarrassing number of years.  We used to go to the Big and Tall or the Men’s Wearhouse to get a proper fitting.  Douglas County doesn’t have the same variety of clothing stores (or any store for that matter) as is offered in the larger cities.

          Roland had seen an ad for Shaquil O’Neal wear at JC Penny.

We had gone to the JC Penny in Roseburg.  Though there was a small selection of suits he could try on, the formation around the shoulders gave one that he had been propped into his suit as a scarecrow hanging from a pole.  We needed something else.

          The clerk had told Roland that Eugene would have a much larger selection.  Thus on Saturday we took the time to make the drive to Eugene.  We drove through fog practically the entire way there. It feels weird having such a limited view of where we are going – having faith that the road will take us to our destination though it feels like we are driving through the unknown.

rest stop mile marker 179

 As we approached Eugene, the fog had cleared and we could see more scenery again.

          I had considered taking my kindle as I really don’t like shopping and it would help pass the time as Roland tried on suits, but I knew I was getting low on battery and did not want to gamble on taking it there and having the battery need charger after only two minutes or so. 

          When Roland told me to hold his phone, I downloaded a game to pass the time.  I don’t know that the variety of suits was any larger at the Eugene store – not in his size.  He is limited.  We did end up with a suit coat and pair of pants and ordered another pair of pants and a vest.  Plus he got two more white shirts. 

          We went to Red Lobster for lunch.  The lobster pizza is fantastic, but I don’t recommend the lobster mashed potatoes.  I didn’t care for the sauce.  I really did enjoy the pizza.

          Afterword we went walked over to the Men’s Wearhouse as Roland wanted a raincoat that would fit over his suit.  Nada. Well, they did have a wool coat.  Wool coat in rain.  Smart.  440 dollars.  No thank you.

          We passed a site called “Good Feet”.  Roland has flat feet and has been hurting.  We were there for maybe 20 minutes as he answered questions and walked in their shoes as opposed to his own shoes.  We did not make a purchase.

          We drove to Springfield so that we could pick up some cables and transmitters at Best Buy and then we started home.  What a long and expensive day!

on the return to Myrtle Creek

Dash # 21 About Mom

  

                                                              Mom’s Doll Patsy

                Corey loved when mom would tell about her beloved doll Patsy.  I can’t remember how old she was or how long she had had Patsy for.  It was back in the days when dolls were made out of porcelain or similar material that breaks quite easily, and perhaps it was never meant to play with, but then why else would you give a small child a doll if it was intended to be played with.

          Mom said that she and Patsy were roughly the same size.  She said she was going down the stairs and tripped.  She and Patsy both took a tumble, only my mom survived and Patsy didn’t.  She refers to that as a time when “Patsy was killed”.  I’m guessing she must have been younger than five as the four names she liked all began with “K” and was determined she would name her four daughters those names when she was grown and had four daughters.

                                                Riding the Train

          Mom also referred to the time when they moved from Ogden, Utah to San Francisco, California.  Her father had already gone ahead and was later joined by my mom, her mom, and my mom’s baby brother.  Mom was three and they traveled by train (my grandma did not learn to drive until after she had turned 63).

          Mom says that her mom had to focus her attention on the baby (perhaps she needed to change his diaper) and had asked some soldiers (or other uniformed personnel) if they would keep an eye on my mom until she returned. (Grandma was trusting of others and back in the day, it didn’t appear that she had a reason not to).

          Mom said the soldiers were playing poker and she was sitting on the lap of one who showed her his cards and asked if she knew what he was holding.  She said she did and he told her not to tell the others.  She didn’t.

                                                Education

          Mom also said she learned to read when she would sit in her father’s lap and he would read the newspaper and point to the words when he read out loud.

          That is all I can remember at this time.  But one more story about my grandmother on my father's side.

                                      Drive Until the Gas Runs Out

            Grandma Helen said she could drive her father's car and wanted to prove it to her friends. She took the car without her father's knowledge and drove around the block - several times.  Her initial plan was to go around the block once and return, but as she approached her house the first time, she realized that she didn't know how to stop and so she drove her friends around and around until they finally ran out of gas.  Needless to say, her parents did find out that she had driven the car without permission.

        In San Francisco, Grandma Mary relied on public transportation.  As I mentioned above, she did not learn to drive until after age 63.  I have always admired her sense of adventure and proving to us that you are never too old to do what you set your mind to doing.

        

     

Morning Fog = Super Warm Evenings

The fog looked worse when I left the house than it does in these three pictures.

I used to watch fog and clouds surrounding the hills south of us.  

The longer the fog lingered in the morning, the warmer it was in the evening

Not that 65 or 67 is especially HOT -but when you consider the snow storms

just three weeks ago.  Dreary skies.  Grey and Drab.

But afternoons bring blue skies with enough coolness in the air that it's bearable

But by 3:30 and 4:00 it is unbearable. 

The fog has moved to the north side where we are and surrounds the entire city like we've been sucked into an endless vapor

It doesn't have an order nor is it bothersome like smoke from burning leaves, but still envelops us as though we are on an eerie set of a Halloween movie.   I don't know what time the fog starts.  I'm not up that early. 

I know it lifts before 10:30.  We had a fire drill today and it was nice outside.  Still cool, but clear enough that we could see all the other classes that went out the same exit.

I can see across the hills this morning.  I wonder if that means if won't be as  hot for us today as it was yesterday.

Welcome the Fog

                After fire season, the misty fog and rain are always welcome signs for our thirsty part of the world.  It does impair the vision to see far ahead.  I drove in it yesterday as I had an assignment through the school.  At least the light can be seen through the fog, unlike the darkness I had to drive the day prior.  I told Roland that when we set the clocks back, I will need him to drive as I won't be able to see at the time that I've been going.  But I would do okay to leave just an hour later - I think.

                Currently, the fog covers the sky and hides everything past the neighbors' house.  Usually, it lifts by 10:00 or so.  I don't think the sun peeked through until 11:30 yesterday.  I was on recess duty and had to find my sunglasses.

                I have been at the middle school most of this week, but not today.  It is teacher intervention and all of the students and subs are off today. I would like to spend time with Jenna but have been neglecting my room with each assignment that I've accepted. This week I've had four math classes each day.  Most of the classes have been learning about integers.  I would rather help in history or English than in math.

                Even though there is no school today, there is a homecoming dance tonight.  Jenna plans on attending.  She would like to be dropped off at the school at 5:00.  I think she is currently getting ready for it.  She still has seven and a half hours before she leaves.  Silly girl.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise . . .

          Jenna has early morning seminary.  She started this morning.  Arrangements have been made for taking the students from the church to the school - though I had planned on assisting with that this morning.  From the time she left the house to the time I arrived at the church was one of the quickest hours I have ever experienced in my life. 

          I had forgotten about her being in seminary or school traffic or buses or how much I loathe driving in school traffic.  I had somehow managed to forget all of that during the summer.  As soon as I pulled out of my driveway and saw a school bus, I thought "Oh, no." And then I had to fight the brightness of the sun on top of that.  Good grief.

          How is it possible that my baby had just barely turned eleven before our official move to Oregon and now she's a freshman in high school?   It's been nearly 14 1/2 years since I had given birth to her.  Wow! Time flies.  The older I get, the quicker it goes.  Why could it have not gone this quickly for me when I was a student?  A junior high school student particularly.  I am theoretically a student now.  The class I am currently taking is halfway over.  I barely remember it starting.  Even my accounting classes have gone fairly quickly.

          As I type this post, I have been given the opportunity to contribute to a car pool starting tomorrow.  That means I won't have to drive!  or even feel obligated to drive.  There are three in the class that will be going to the high school.  Small class.  

          Jenna's brothers and I all had the option of making seminary an elective during school.  Jenna would have that option if she were attending school in Roseburg. I can't help but believe Jenna would be going for the early morning seminary regardless.  She wants to take choir and drama.  I think she would enjoy painting or drawing as well, but is limited to how many electives she can take.  Right now she seems to want to put the perfuming arts above the liberal or graphic arts.

          I hope she has a great year.

The Sights and Sounds of Utah . . . NNNOOOOOO

          Corey has had to deal with the challenge of driving to work in Las Vegas construction or attempt to try and maneuver himself around it.  Ah, the good old days (not) of experiencing that very thing in Salt Lake.  I suppose Las Vegas and SLC can afford to put up detour signs - though it seems inconvenience - there is the option of using other streets.  Not so true in this part of Oregon.

          I told Corey that has been another plus to living here.  Sometimes I have noticed Roseburg streets seem at a shutdown, but here in Myrtle Creek, the road construction has generally been less than a week.  Cones go up, signs go up, but they either move down the road or else disappear altogether.

          There was the inconvenience of going South on Old Pacific during a few months last year, but hey, Old Pacific is a long road connecting Myrtle Creek to Tri-City and a way out to Riddle.  As inconvenient as it was for many, it did at least move.

          This year there has been construction on a neighborhood road leading out to Old Pacific.  The signs have moved - but seem to be making their way into the neighborhood rather than out of it.  Currently, there is the option of turning right instead of left and winding my way through the adjoining neighborhoods - but I prefer going to the light than around the neighborhood.  At the rate the signs are moving, it will be inconvenient to try to go either direction.

         

          The news forecast told about an expected heat wave for Roseburg.  No No No.  I want the temperatures for the past six weeks to continue.  Heatwave not welcome!  When Jenna and I passed the fire department this morning, we saw that the fire danger sign had been changed from moderate to high.  NOOOOO  

          The largest class in attendance to the water fitness last year had been 15 - or maybe 16 with the instructor.  On Friday we had 20 in attendance - our largest class yet.  And the pool was cold again.  Body heat does not penetrate in the water or else no one had any to give

          I haven't been to the pool for four days and my body has been rebelling as I haven't had a good workout.  I chose not to go on Monday as it looked cold out, and though the temperature of the pool has been opposite of the air in years' past, that has not been the case this year.  Yesterday my stomach was giving me problems and I thought being in the water would only add to those problems. 

          We were told that the water was the coldest Monday than it had been all summer.  It was also learned that the thermostat/heater has not been producing accurately.  I had that figured out last month.

          We could hear police sirens in the distance sounding closer to us and had expected to see them.  After we returned home, I was hanging wet clothes on the line.  I could hear yard buzzing coming from my neighbor's yard.  We don't have a garden this year. I haven't missed having to go out and weed and so forth.   

Spring Break is Near Its End

            Spring break is over for Jenna.  Her cousins don't need to return to school until Wednesday.  I gave Jenna the option of staying home today, but she doesn't wish to ruin her perfect attendance.  Plus I think she is wanting a break for the chaotic noise level that has been a part of our house for the last four-going-on-five days.  That's right, Bill and Kayla brought their three children for a spring break visit.  I didn't even tell Jenna - which I'm glad, as I had my dates wrong and had expected Kayla a lot sooner thinking her children had the same amount of spring break that Jenna did.

            Funny thing, Jenna had asked if I would take her to the library on Thursday - which actually happened to be a part of my agenda - thinking that her cousins would be here already - but they were actually due to arrive that very day.

            I drove Jenna to the library so that she could paint a flower pot and hoped that Bill and Kayla would be able to meet us there.  We pulled up to the library at exactly 12:34.  Upon seeing the numbers lined up in order, Jenna told me to make a wish.  I said I wished some family member could be with us.  Our wish came true after 3:00.  I have much to post about and seven titles saved in drafts.  Only one class this mod, so hopefully I will be able to make the time to add details to the titles and post them.

showing off her flower pot creation

seeing Kayla and family in our driveway

            Roland is now back at work.  Bill has to go to Roseburg for an unexpected expense involving the car (another post) and my plan is to take Kayla and the kids to the library for story time and then we will have a picnic and drive around.  I'm tired.  I need to get dressed.  See that Jenna gets off to school.  She has talked Bill into taking her.

High School Reunion Without Internet

          My dad graduated from high school in 1954 or 1955.  I think he attended every class reunion there was until he got sick.  I think my mom must have attended all of his high school reunions as well. She has never gone to her own.  Nor have I.  Mostly I didn't care.  I didn't even like high school.  Why would I want to go back?

          I believe the first high school reunion offered a barbeque at a local park I believe on a Saturday afternoon - and may have attended that one had I been in town, but I was on my mission at the time.   The second reunion announced was located at some prestige resort in Park City.  I didn't have that much money to spend nor did I believe there would be many there that I would want to see for that much money anyway.  I don't remember being invited to another reunion after that - not that it would have mattered.  I hung around seniors all three years in high school - and more in the first year than the last two combined.  My senior year was actually a lonely memory.  Not a lot of good memories there.

          Roland and I have a friend in McMinnville who was in Roland's graduating class.  Enthusiastically she had contacted us both to say that there was a reunion in New Jersey on September 16, and perhaps the three classmates who ended up in Oregon could meet at Beth's house and talk to their former classmates through Skype.

          Roland, Jenna and I left the house just before 8:00 a.m. and headed toward McMinnville.  We  stopped at the Costco in Salem.  Every Costco I have ever been to doesn't open until 10:00.  The Costco in Salem opens before 9:00 - that would explain the overly full parking lot at only 10:20.  I felt like I was back in Salt Lake with the heavy amount of traffic and somehow felt like an even larger sea of people in the aisles.  Did not care for that at all.  Don't think I would like to live in Salem after all.

          We arrived at Beth's before the other couple.  Their former classmate has the same first name as I.  Roland did not remember her.  But they did remember all of the same people for the most part.  They reminisced about those they knew from high school and what things are going on now.  Beth could not get her server to work the entire time we were there.  Just as well.  The phone never rang and so they didn't get to talk with any of their other classmates.  But I think they actually enjoyed it more than they would have with wall-to-wall faces and no breathing room.

          Graham had prepared a really nice meal for us.  There was London Broil, tuna steaks, potato salad, and assorted vegetables.  I think the others brought the cheesy potatoes.  Graham had also made the best avocado dip I have ever tasted.  There was a trifle for dessert.

          Beth had asked if we'd be staying overnight.  We had packed a bag thinking we might stop in Salem on the way home, but for some reason the car ride home always seems a lot quicker than the destination from home.  Roland drove straight to the house.  We had only stopped one time to use the facilities. 

          Between Salem and Eugene Jenna and I watched the sunset for forty minutes.  I wish I had pictures of what we saw - but at 65 mph and a point and shoot, I knew the pictures would not capture the true beauty that we had seen.