CALL ME MAYBE

As I was tapping & swiping away on my smart phone the other day, I came across a Facebook post that asked, "Do you remember your childhood phone number?" Of course, I immediately said to myself, "Lucerne 2-7087." It seems there were many people who also recalled their phone number from back in the days when we all had prefixes since there were tons of phone numbers entered in the comments. It also got me to thinking about other dark age telephone memories.

Did anyone else have a party line? You shared one phone line with another family. If you picked up the phone to place a call & heard talking, that meant the line was in use. You had to wait to make your call. In order to call your party line, you had to call the operator & request to be connected. Yes, we just dialed "0" & a woman magically (& quickly) came on the line to assist us.

That reminded me of Lily Tomlin's comedy bit from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In back in the 1960s. She had a recurring character named Ernestine who was a condescending telephone operator complete with all the wires that plugged into the console. I loved her snooty, nasally lines, "One ringy-dingy. Two ringy-dingys" or "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?" If you have no idea what I'm talking about, look it up on You Tube. There are tons of clips.

In my own little world back in the day, telephones were tethered to the wall with a cord & the handset was also connected to the base unit with another cord. There was a dial with the numbers (& letters since you had to find the first two of Lucerne) that you inserted a finger into dragging the dial around to the stop then letting it rotate back before dialing the next number. You had to sit where the phone was to have a conversation with another caller.

My grandmother, Nannie, was one of the first people I knew to purchase a 50 foot cord that connected her phone to the wall. This gave her the freedom to roam the kitchen or living room while she talked to her friends. Of course, she had to carry the fairly heavy base of the phone in one hand & hold the large handset to her ear & mouth as she paced & chatted.

After hundreds of calls, the long, straight cord would begin to twist much like a yo-yo string gets tangled after a lot of use. Apparently Nannie turned, paced & stepped back over the cord as she became enthralled in her conversation. We did our best to straighten her cord but my mother had to drill into her to STOP immediately if she felt it wrapped around her legs. We certainly didn't want to find Nannie entwined in her phone cord on the kitchen floor. Since my grandfather was quite hard of hearing, she would likely have been there until his next meal!

The next innovation was the push button keypad that lit up when you picked up the handset. I'm not sure why we needed to make phone calls at night without just turning on a light but apparently we did. I think that push button method saved 30-45 seconds off the time it took to make a call - depending on how many 9s & 0s were in the phone number. The Slimline & Princess phones came in pastel colors & were the epitome of style.

I remember how exciting it was when we got our first cordless telephone! It was huge - I could barely wrap my hand around it & when it rang, you had to pull up a foot long antenna on the top of it. Looked like something straight out of a science fiction film. But, amazingly enough, you could wander around as you talked to your friend or go into the other room to find something. What will they think of next?

And that brings us to today. Do you think Alexander Graham Bell had any inkling of what his invention would become? Everyone has their own phone (a thin, small rectangle) in their purse or pocket & it works most places with no cord or antenna in sight. You can text people, look up anything on the Internet, check your Facebook or Twitter feeds, email friends, play games, take photos or videos, pay your bills, watch TV & sometimes even make a phone call on these incredible little devices. How did we ever get along without them?

WAS THIS MY SIGN???

Many of you know that my mother-in-law, Bruni, passed away a couple weeks ago. She was 89 years old with a myriad of health issues. I was never apprehensive about listening to whatever Bruni wanted to say. A couple months ago Bruni told me she was ready to die, adding she wasn't afraid. Given her amount of pain & suffering I empathized completely, gladly listening to her & never discounting her feelings.

A day or two after her lung cancer diagnosis & a little over a week before she died, I had a conversation with Bruni about Heaven & the afterlife. She said she was raised Lutheran, attended church with her mother but didn't know if she really believed. I shared with her my belief that God gives everyone (good or bad, faithful in life or not) one last chance to believe & accept eternal life when they pass on.

We both discussed the stories we've heard of people who have "died" & come back to this life. How they said it was beautiful & there was a bright, white light beckoning them. Many didn't want to come back. Finally Bruni grinned & said, "You've convinced me!" I smiled back saying, "Okay, your job is to somehow let me know that I am right after you get there."

Back in the 80s, my sister, Karen, saw our Grandpa Frank hours later on the night he was shot & killed. I wrote about his murder here in a December 2015 post. Here is Karen's account: "I awoke startled but not scared & he was sitting in the chair next to my bed. I was definitely NOT dreaming. He was smiling as if to say "it's ok". I was calm, no words spoken, but I felt a sort of relief because my biggest horror of the whole thing that night was thinking about Nannie having to see him very much wounded, and when he was sitting there he looked just like he always did, so I think that's what was behind him telling me he was ok."

In 1991 on what would have been my mother's birthday a few months after her death, my then 15 year old son told me he "saw" her that night. He was quick to point out that it was like a dream but it was not a dream. He literally SAW her. She was at his model train club & told him that everything was alright but they didn't converse. She & Darrin were close, spending lots of time with his model trains. I totally believe both of their experiences.

I was on high alert looking for my sign from Bruni at her funeral & burial service but nothing happened. The next day we started cleaning out her clothes, shoes & personal things at the house. Again, no sign, nothing unusual.

Well, after dinner tonight Lou was doing the dishes & I was clearing the table when I heard a loud crash that sounded like things falling & breaking. It went on for several seconds, a lot of racket. I thought what in the world did he drop & walked into the kitchen saying, "That didn't sound good. What happened?"

Lou was still at the sink & I saw that by the fridge (6 or 8 feet from him) there were three glass Corning Ware lids on the floor. Lou said, "The cupboard just opened & the lids fell out then it closed again. Be careful, something broke." I looked but none of the lids were broken. Then we noticed that my wine glass was broken. I had set it on the counter below the cupboard to finish after dinner. The wine glass had broken in several pieces but it didn't fall over. One of the lids must have hit it on the way down. 

Lou commented that it was really weird since they fell from the top shelf of the cupboard way in the back. I agreed, it was really weird. Neither of us have touched anything up on that shelf in months, maybe years. I didn't even remember that we had those small Corning Ware dishes. Lou wondered if we had a small earthquake but nothing was shaking & we didn't feel anything. That's when I said, "Hmmmm, I wonder? Is that my sign from Bruni?"

At the risk of sounding like a whacko, before writing this post I contacted several people for their thoughts. My friend, Darlene, said, "Well, you don't have to convince me!" She related that her partner of many years contacted her a few times after her death. Another friend, Judi, explained how she & her ex-husband had agreed to contact each other in a specific way after one died. However, she figured that was null & void after they divorced & both remarried. When he died a few years ago, she was never contacted but completely believes it happens.

My sister believes it was definitely Bruni & she broke my wine glass to make sure she got my attention. I took it a step further saying that her kitchen was her domain - it was important to Bruni. When she was in the Board & Care five years ago & we were all in her kitchen putting things in the wrong places for months, she insisted on putting everything in its correct place immediately upon her return home.

Since no one has come out (so far) & told me that I am indeed a nut case I decided to share this story with all of you. So, what do you think? Have you had a similar experience? Was this my sign from Bruni that I was right?

BRUNI.....MY "MOTHER-IN-LOVE"

I lost someone very special to me last week, my mother-in-law equivalent, Bruni, who passed away on December 2, 2016. I miss her dearly.

Brunhilde Gabriela Padgug had been married to Lou’s dad for almost 35 years. Over the 15+ years that Lou & I have been together, Bruni & I developed a close, loving friendship. Many, many years ago we started referring to each other as “daughter-in-law” & “mother-in-law” even though Lou & I never legally married. Since I often say that Lou & I are “married in our hearts”, it dawned on me one day to suggest to Bruni that she could be my “mother-in-love”. She smiled broadly & said, “I like that!”

Bruni was 89 years old. She had a myriad of health issues & was a two time breast cancer survivor. The past few months she had been in terrible pain which was ultimately diagnosed as lung cancer. The transport company was scheduled to bring her home to begin hospice care last Friday at 4 PM. At 1:40 PM, I got the call from Lou that Bruni had died at the nursing home. I had just said good-bye to Charley & was driving back from the Bay Area to be there when Bruni arrived home.

I don’t want this post to be about the details of her death but rather about celebrating her life & our relationship. She was always loving & caring toward me BUT Bruni was never afraid to speak her mind which I admired greatly about her. Bruni grew up in Germany during World War II before immigrating to America as a young adult. Here is a link to the Obituary & Guestbook that Lou & his family wrote which explains more about this amazing woman. (Please disregard the ads for sending flowers.)

Five years ago Bruni suffered a terrible fall that shattered her elbow & broke her hip. It took eight months in the ICU, hospital, nursing home & a board & care to get Bruni well enough to come home. Her accident occurred less than a week after the birth of my Charley Ellen. During her time in the board & care home, I made a point of visiting her weekly – just the two of us. That is where our relationship really bloomed, moving to an even deeper level. Bruni & I shared hours & hours of “girl talk” that will remain strictly between us. As awful as that time was for Bruni & all of us something beautiful came out of it – I gained a true friend & a genuine mother-in-law. I know that Bruni felt the same way about me.

We continued our private chats these past years when “my Lou” took “her Lou” to doctor appointments. Both Lou & his dad share the same name but my Lou is not a junior since they have different middle names. Lou’s family calls him “Louis” but I’ve always preferred calling him Lou like all of his friends & acquaintances. Bruni & I came up with the “my Lou” & “your Lou” to differentiate between our two guys.

Bruni didn’t have any biological children but loved her adult stepchildren as her own. She always asked me about my Charley & took great delight in hearing my stories or seeing the latest photos of a proud grandma. When Bruni was in the board & care, Charley’s mother & I brought four month old Charley to meet Bruni. Upon seeing her, Bruni exclaimed, "What a tiny baby! Can I hold her?” Bruni’s face lit up as she smiled down at our little sweetheart in her arms.

We shared many meaningful discussions regarding end of life among other things over the past month. The last time I talked to Bruni was in the nursing home less than 48 hours before she died. The entire family met in her room with a hospice nurse to gather information & learn about the program. When I took her hand & bent down to kiss her good-bye she squeezed my hand tightly & pulled me to her. She whispered something in my ear that was typical Bruni & brought a huge smile to my face. In a room full of people Bruni shared something intimate & personal with me – which will remain just between us. We both smiled broadly & I said, “I love you” to which she replied “I love you, too.” Those were the last words we spoke to each other. 

LITTLE BITS OF CHARLEY

Today I found a small hairclip in the recessed handle of my upstairs dresser as I went to open a drawer. My Charley put it there on her last visit. For the past year when Darrin & Charley stay with us, we find all sorts of pleasant little reminders in various places around the house.

I have tons of old costume jewelry in a big box on my dresser. The huge majority of it I never wear so it has become Charley's "treasure" chest. For years she has known she can play with all of it. Necklaces & Mardi Gras beads are hung over every doorknob, every handle & every place that something can be hung. My straw hat that rests on a small table upstairs is adorned with a beaded necklace & an earring hung through the brim.

The most fun are the surprises. A few weeks ago, I was dusting the top of our huge king size headboard upstairs. It has a mirror behind it & cupboards on the sides. In order to dust the top I have to stand on the bed. To my delight, I discovered a bright pink feather from her boa & a bracelet perched on top of the headboard!

Following a previous visit, I noticed my old watch laying on the edge of the stand that holds our world globe. The globe resides on the landing halfway down the stairs where they change direction. Every time I walked down the stairs I noticed the watch & smiled. After several days Lou asked, "Did you know Charley put your watch on the globe?" I grinned & replied, "Yep, makes me feel all warm & fuzzy every time I see it." I didn't move it until a few days before her next visit.

Our downstairs bathroom has a jungle type theme. On top of the toilet tank I have three small animal print votive candles. I normally arrange them in a single level triangle. Every time Charley is here she stacks them on top of each other. They stay that way for days or sometimes weeks - again, always bringing a smile to my face each time I see them.

There is also a small leopard print decorative box on top of the toilet. The lid flips open & inside I have a couple of plastic bugs. The story behind the bugs is that many years ago, Lou & I stayed in a castle hotel in Wales. There was a huge tower with turrets & a tall spiral staircase that guests could explore. A few tiny bedrooms were passed on the way up. Finally there was another small room with a bed, table & lamp at the very top. The bed was made but turned back as if it was ready for someone to climb in. Being nosey, I pulled the covers back a little & squealed when it revealed a giant plastic spider!

It must be human nature to look into or under things so I bought the bugs to good-naturedly startle people who might peek into the little box. Charley knows they are in there but rarely plays with them. A couple hours after they left, I observed the two plastic bugs relaxing on top of the box. They will likely remain there for several more weeks.

My dad still has necklaces, beads & rubber bands hanging off of his exercise bike & has no plans to move them anytime soon. He has an old small straw broom which now has multi-colored pipe cleaners sticking out all over it. That, too, will stay put. It really is an interesting piece of "Charley art". He has the same feeling as I do - that they make it seem just a little bit more like our Charley is close by.

We put up my dad's four foot artificial Christmas tree & decorations with Charley last week. She really wanted to do the decorating so we let her put the ornaments & candy canes on the tree all by herself. I showed her how to stand back to see where she needed to put another ornament. She was thrilled to be completely in charge of the decorating pointing out that she had never decorated a Christmas tree all by herself.

Sure, the ornaments aren't spaced evenly & there aren't any at all on the back - the candy canes seem to be lumped together near the bottom within easy reach. But it is the most beautifully decorated tree I have every seen! We were all in agreement that we wouldn't change a single thing since our Charley was the sole designer. She will be back on December 29th & we are having what her daddy has dubbed "Second Christmas" with all our presents under her perfectly decorated Christmas tree!

ELECTION AFTERMATH

I have purposely avoided commenting on the numerous doom & gloom Facebook posts these past few days. Amazingly enough, the world has not ended & the sun has risen each day since Donald Trump was declared our President Elect. Social media has been filled with threats to move from the United States. Countless people are protesting & rioting in the streets. Many fear that the country as we know it is coming to an end. Pessimism & hate are rampant.

When I began this blog I decided on just a few rules one of which was no politics! It has been my experience in the past & present that no amount of arguing has EVER changed anyone else's mind regarding their political views. That has been especially evident during this nasty, vindictive campaign & the resulting election.

I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I don't vote for a candidate because of their party affiliation. I align with Democratic views on some issues & Republicans on others. I vote for the person because of their convictions & their qualifications. Many years ago I changed my voter registration to "Decline to State" as my protest of the blatant partisanship that I believe is far more insidious to the well being of our government than any one candidate ever will be.

That being said I was completely shocked & utterly stunned that Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in this presidential race. I was deeply disappointed & a little unnerved that I am so totally out of touch with "Middle America". Apparently it doesn't matter to half of the voters that Donald Trump is a bully, gropes women, is obnoxious on so many levels & has made unfounded accusations toward many citizens including Hillary Clinton. They still went to the polls & elected him president. Unbelievable!

Although technically they didn't elect him since Clinton received more of the popular votes than Trump, but he received more electoral votes. The electoral college has the opportunity to correct that on December 19th when they actually cast their votes. These supposed safeguards were put into place by our founding fathers to combat just such a situation as we have currently.

In fact, Alexander Hamilton is quoted as saying, "The electors would make sure the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” If there was ever a time that a man without requisite qualifications was elected this is it. For the record I signed the petition (along with 3-1/2 million other Americans) asking the electors to fix the error.

But the facts are that Donald Trump is our President Elect barring any long shot change by the electors. I will choose to follow the gracious lead of our current President Barrack Obama & our first woman candidate, Hillary Clinton. Both of them asked each of us to "give Donald Trump a chance to lead our great country". I will NOT resort to hate mongering & accusations. I will give him a chance - but with a wary eye on his every move.

I still believe that we live in the greatest country in the world & thank God everyday that I was born here. Our system of government is set up so that no one person can do things on their own. Donald Trump cannot just decide to singlehandedly abolish Obama care or throw Hillary in jail or build a wall along our Mexican border or deport every Muslim.

It saddens me that so many of my Facebook "friends" are spouting such hateful vitriol. This is a time to come together as citizens of this great nation. I certainly don't like Donald Trump but I don't want him to fail because that means this country I love will fail as well. If those of us who voted for Hillary Clinton resort to the abominable behavior that President Obama was subjected to by mean-spirited detractors after his election 8 years ago that makes us just as repulsive & hateful as them. I will choose to take the high road & give the man a chance.

Lou & I don't let the terrorists stop us from traveling & I certainly don't intend to let an obnoxious celebrity businessman who managed to get himself elected president stop me from loving & supporting this amazing country of ours. We will survive & ultimately thrive once again. Worst case, we'll vote him out of office in 4 years & move on. One thing that heartens me tremendously is that the young people of our country have it right. The 18-25 year old voters overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton! 

ODDS, ENDS & UPDATES

HOORAY! CUBS WIN!!!!

Did any of you watch that World Series Game 7 last night? That was one for the ages - a dramatic, emotional, roller coaster ride of a baseball game!  All I can say is, "Wow! And Double Wow!"

What more could a baseball fan ask for? The Cubs hadn't won in 108 years, the Indians hadn't won in 68 years. The game was tied & went into the tenth inning. A Cleveland starting pitcher came in as a reliever for three innings after pitching two days before. A Chicago reliever threw ninety pitches over three consecutive games - unheard of in the baseball world. Players stepped up time & time again until finally the Cubs were victorious.

I love my Giants & we've had quite a ride for the past six years with three World Series titles (which I certainly hope isn't over yet!) but if we had to lose this year, at least we lost to the World Champions!  Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs' organization, players & fans - you all earned every bit of it!  And to the Cleveland Indians - you put up a hell of a fight, hold your heads high! Your time will come.

PAUL'S BOOTS REVISITED

A couple months ago I posted the story of Paul's Boots - my best friend, M'Lynn's, tribute to her Australian husband. To refresh your memories, Paul passed away a year ago July while planning to hike the Appalachian Trail. Although both he & M'Lynn knew he would never make the 2000+ mile trek, she had the idea of finding some hikers to carry his boots along the trail.

Her idea snowballed into REI getting involved & filming a documentary about Paul's Boots on the trail. The 37 minute film is currently on Netflix & the You Tube video has over 165,000 views as of tonight! Go to www.youtube.com & search for "Paul's Boots" to watch it. It is truly remarkable but make sure you have a box of tissues handy. M'Lynn & I email every few days with the latest count of viewers....just amazing how this has played out.

REI flew M'Lynn & Paul's brother, Arthur, to Maine for the conclusion of the months long journey of Paul's Boots. Arthur carried his boots the final five miles up steep terrain while cramping up & struggling but he refused to give up. It was Arthur's first time overseas & his first time in the U.S.

I had the pleasure of meeting Arthur when I drove up to Reno to visit M'Lynn at her family reunion. REI graciously agreed to fly them home to Australia from Reno so M'Lynn could spend a few days visiting with her family who she had not seen in person in 18 years. If you haven't watched the documentary, I promise you that it will be 37 minutes well spent. The stories of the hikers are inspiring & moving. REI did a magnificent job of producing this film & M'Lynn did an incredible job of bringing to fruition her loving gesture for Paul.

CATCHING UP WITH OLD FRIENDS

Finally, I just want to say a few words about one of the good things about growing older. At the age of 66, I can say that I have had friendships that date back 45 years. Having a history with people who have been in your life for decades is a warm, comforting feeling.

This past weekend Lou & I drove up to Virginia City, Nevada, (about 2-1/2 hours) to reconnect with an "old jumper friend", Dave, who I had not seen in around 25 years. My ex-husband was a skydiver & we literally spent every weekend at the drop zone for many years when I was in my early 20s. There were so many people who I felt a close kinship with - M'Lynn was initially a skydiving friend.

Anyway, Dave is having some health issues (getting old sucks in that respect) & we have been saying via email that we should get together sometime. I finally said, "Sometime is now." Dave & his wife, Breck, opened a Kettle Corn shop in downtown Virginia City & moved there a few years ago. We had a great visit & reminisced about the good old days.

It was a very special day - AND their Caramel Corn is to die for!  Dave even made me some of their special Chocolate Caramel Corn.  If you are ever in Virginia City stop by & check it out. They give free samples!

CONGRATS CUBBIES!

Something special happened tonight. The Chicago Cubs are going to the World Series for the first time in 71 years. They last won the World Series 108 years ago. Both of those were a long ass time ago. The Cubs deserved it!

I have been a San Francisco Giants fan since they first came to California back in the 1950s. Giants fans & players have had a magnificent ride with three World Series wins in the past six years. We have experienced the euphoria of winning the ultimate prize in baseball. And it feels freaking incredible!

The Cubs fans & the city of Chicago now know that feeling with even more emotions swirling around in their hearts since their journey has been so very long in coming. The Cubs beat my Giants in the first round of the playoffs this year. They earned their conquest & I tip my hat to them. It must feel amazing to get that huge monkey off their backs.

Tonight they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, the hated rivals of the Giants, which made their victory much more palatable for us Giants fans. As much as I wanted my Giants to continue their unbelievable streak of even year World Series wins, having won in 2010, 2012 & 2014, this is the Cubbies year. I cheered them on big time as they sent the Dodgers home for the season. Now, I will root for them to break the curse & FINALLY win the World Series against the Cleveland Indians.

As tonight's game neared the end, what took my breath away were the expressions & emotions on the faces of the fans. You could see the hope, the fear & the sheer disbelief on the face of every person - young, old & in between. They were afraid to believe that their long, long wait was over. It literally brought tears to my eyes as the camera found person after person praying, hoping & agonizing over the impending victory.

They just interviewed Dorothy, an old lady in the stands, who has been a Cubs season ticket holder since 1984. Both of her brothers, who were huge Cubs fans, too, have passed away. She wished that her siblings could have been with her to share their triumph. When the reporter asked her how she was going to celebrate, she smiled brightly & replied, "I'm going to have a Jagermeister!"

If our Giants couldn't win it, then let's hope they lost to the ultimate World Champions!

GO CUBS!!!!!

SONG LYRICS

A few days ago I heard an old seventies song by Three Dog Night called “Joy to the World” – no, not the Christmas song. This one is rock ‘n roll at its finest. It was also featured in the movie "The Big Chill" which is one of my favorites.  The song starts off:

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog.

Was a good friend of mine.

I never understood a single word he said.

But I helped him drink his wine.

And he always had some mighty fine wine."

This song has a rockin’ beat & is good to dance to – geez, now I’ll REALLY date myself & say that I sound like I’m on American Bandstand back in the 50s & 60s. If you aren’t old enough to remember Rate-A-Record, Dick Clark would play a new record (yes, a small round vinyl disc) & have kids rate it. They would give it a numeric value & say things like “It has a good beat & is easy to dance to”.

Anyway, it is a catchy tune that makes you want to dance & move. Back in 1970, when I was newly married to a skydiver, our group of parachutists hung out at a local hotel near the drop zone where the manager loved the jumpers & gave us free reign of the place. We’d play “Joy to the World” on the jukebox probably ten times a night since it was such fun for dancing. Another favorite was "Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando & Dawn.

To this day whenever I hear “Jeremiah was a bullfrog…..” or "Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me....", I am immediately transported back 45 years to that other world. That got me thinking about how powerful song lyrics can be. Most of us have a few songs that immediately trigger a memory from long ago.

Back in the old days, I recall listening to a record over & over to figure out the lyrics. You would lift the needle, back it up 1/16 of an inch & place it down to hear it again then scribble down what you thought you heard. Now, all you do is Google “Joy to the World Three Dog Night lyrics” & they pop up right in front of you! It is so much easier but not nearly as much fun as listening over & over & asking all your friends for help.

It was a common occurrence before the Internet to go years without knowing the correct lyrics to a popular song. Often times people sang along substituting their own incorrect interpretations. When I first heard the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, “Bad Moon on the Rise”, I thought for sure John Fogerty was singing, “There’s a bathroom on the right”, not "There's a bad moon on the rise".

My son turned into a big Beatles fan in high school (I raised him right!) along with his best friend. I recall them listening to “Norwegian Wood” & thinking that “this bird has flown” sounded exactly like “whispered the phone”. I was a semi-genius for interpreting for them....especially since I explained that "bird" was a slang term for "woman" in cockney English.

For me, the Rolling Stones song “Get Off My Cloud” was impossible to interpret. I had no clue what Mick was saying for most of the song until a few years ago when I finally Googled the lyrics. Even with the translation I couldn’t begin to make heads or tails out of what the song was about. It sounds like blah, blah, bladdy, blah, blah…or something similar. And honestly, knowing the lyrics, it still doesn't sound anything like what I read. Oh, well, maybe some things aren't meant to be understood.

I suppose the best advice is to simply crank up the volume & sing along when a favorite old song comes on the radio!

CRISIS AVERTED

I'm pretty good at finding things. When Lou can't find his wallet, sunglasses or cell phone, much of the time I can join the search & ultimately help locate whatever has temporarily gone missing. Today my skills were put to the test with the "lost princess."

First I should mention that my natural frugality flies out the window when it comes to my Charley. Yesterday we celebrated her birthday a couple weeks early since she will be back in New Mexico when her actual birthday rolls around. I had bought her a kid's camera, a Shutterfly puzzle with photos of her & Daddy, a pair of suede Bearpaw boots, a furry vest to match & two long sleeve tops to wear under it.

Charley, my sister (Karen or Zizi to Charley), & I went to Costco to pick up pizza for our party. The guys all stayed at my dad's & every one agreed that, "They won't get out of Costco without buying Charley something else." They all know I can't resist that little sweetie when she really, really wants something. Alas, they know me too well. And, you know what? I'm good with that.

The line was really long to order pizzas so while Zizi waited, I pushed Charley around in the cart looking at Halloween & Christmas things. First, she wanted these three big witches stirring a cauldron that ran on electricity. It cost $139 & Gaga couldn't afford that, plus she couldn't take it with her to New Mexico without buying a couple more plane tickets. She did understand that. Oh, by the way, I had already bought her a crazy looking zombie a week ago.

Then she spotted a box of eight princesses (all the ones from Disney movies - Elsa, Anna, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Merida, Tiana & Rapunzel). They were only about four inches tall & each had a dress that if you squeezed the bottom, the princess could slide out the top so they could interchange clothes easily. Of course, Charley (& me, too) knew all the princesses & which dress belonged to each one. It didn't take her long to convince me that she HAD to have them & she added sweetly, "It IS my birthday." We found Zizi who immediately started chuckling when she saw the box next to Charley in the cart.

Back at my dad's, Charley went in first carrying her box of princesses. They guys all laughed, too, & said, "We knew it!" The princesses were a big hit & she played with them last night & this morning. Today Darrin, Charley & I went out to run errands & to Taco Bell for lunch. Two of the princesses came along in the car. Upon returning home, Charley brought them in the house. I thought she had Tiana & Ariel with her.

When I counted them to put them in her present bag for the trip home there were only seven. Oh, no! We determined Ariel was missing. A search of the car turned up nothing. While Darrin packed up things to load the car for their trip to Hayward, Charley & I looked everywhere in the house for Ariel with no luck.

Darrin & Charley were pretty sure that she had Tiana & Rapunzel, not Ariel, in the car earlier. Rapunzel was accounted for as were all the others. I knew it could be disastrous later on if Ariel was nowhere to be found. We looked under furniture, in the office, all over the kitchen, behind cushions, in the bathroom, but Ariel was still missing in action. Finally, Darrin says, "Charley, I think we have to call off the search since it's getting late & we have to leave." I assured her that when I found Ariel, I'd mail her to Charley wherever she was. But I was still worried that tonight it may be a major catastrophe if Ariel was not found.

Charley thought she took her upstairs to our bedroom so we went up one last time even though we had looked there before. She told me where she set her but she wasn't there. However, I turned around & saw Ariel standing on the shelf behind our bed beside a candle! "There she is!", I exclaimed. Hooray! The missing princess was found!

Charley yelled at the top of her lungs, "DADDY! WE FOUND HER!!!" Crisis averted as Ariel joined her fellow royalty in the gift bag! Whew!

PAUL'S BOOTS

As many of you know, one of my best friends in the whole world, M'Lynn, has lived in Australia for the past 18 years. She is certainly the longest running friend in my life. I met M'Lynn 44 years ago (yikes!) at the parachute drop zone in Livermore - I was 22 & she was 25. It is a friendship that has stood the test of time - & then some.

M'Lynn's partner of 17 years, Paul, passed away last year just prior to his 54th birthday. Yes, we both robbed the cradle if you did the math - her more so than me. Back in August of 2009, I traveled to Australia to visit M'Lynn & Paul. They drove for over an hour to pick me up at the airport at 6:10 AM - now that is a real friend & Paul was right there by her side! They welcomed me with open arms & I thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality.

Paul was an avid hiker before his health deteriorated. His dream was to hike the Appalachian Trail. Even though his body wasn't able, his mind was willing & Paul made big plans to accomplish this feat. To help her grieve the loss of her long time life partner M'Lynn came up with a far-fetched idea - she wanted his hiking boots to make the journey if he couldn't.

M'Lynn is nothing if not determined & I'm pretty sure she could move mountains if that is what was needed. Paul's Boots are nearing the end of the Appalachian Trail right now! Here is a link explaining how that all came about: http://blog.rei.com/paulsboots/ 

I encourage you to click on the above link before reading any further to get an idea of what has transpired. If you have an extra 10 minutes, listen to the podcast about M'Lynn's letter to The Dirtbag Diaries - but keep a kleenex handy. I never even knew what a podcast was until I listened to M'Lynn whine about having to listen to Paul's account of every hiking podcast that he insisted on sharing with her.

A few months after Paul's death, as she choked up, M'Lynn told me what she wanted most in the world was to have him listening to yet another podcast in the next room, sharing every detail with her, then quietly bitching about it all to me while he was at the computer finding more information to tell her.

Now, fast forward to today. M'Lynn has had a photographer from REI at her home in Australia this past week filming bits of Paul's life for a documentary that REI is doing on Paul's Boots along the Appalachian Trail! How cool is that?!!?! I saw some beautiful photos taken at a National Park where Paul & M'Lynn hiked often when she first arrived in Australia. One of her best friend's sons & husband (all of whom I was fortunate enough to meet when I was visiting) accompanied the photographer on his quest.

The day after tomorrow, REI is flying M'Lynn & Paul's brother to Maine so they can be present at the end of the Paul's Boots journey! There have been some beautiful stories & photos along the way. It has been an emotional & amazing adventure for everyone involved. REI & The Dirtbag Diaries have done a remarkable job of turning this crazy whim of M'Lynn's into a reality. Thank you all - can't wait to see the documentary!

Because this is M'Lynn's first trip back to the U. S. since leaving 18 years ago, she is flying to Reno for a reunion with her kids, grandkids & 90-something mom before returning to Australia! AND since Reno is 2 hours from where I live, I'm driving up a week from Monday to spend a few hours with my best friend!!

STARBUCKS & CRAIGSLIST

Years ago, like 15 or more, I would occasionally frequent Starbucks for my drink of choice back in the dark ages - a grande, nonfat, decaf mocha - now there are way more choices. At the time, I'd shell out close to $3 or so for this concoction & enjoyed sipping it as I carried around the familiar cup with the Starbucks emblem that showed I was pretty cool.

At the risk of upsetting any Starbucks fanatics, please don't take offense at the following opinion. I hadn't been in a Starbucks in years. At some point it just kind of dawned on me that I really didn't need to spend $4-5 for a calorie-laden drink that tasted good, but certainly wasn't all THAT great....once again, only my opinion, don't yell at me. Hell, I can get a bean burrito & a senior drink at Taco Bell for half that! 

These past couple of days were spent using Starbucks as my office of choice for caregiver interviews for my dad & given the length of the lines, I'm pretty sure my opinion is in the minority. BUT as an "office", the $5 "rent" for an hour of neutral meeting space wasn't a bad deal at all!

There is a Starbucks on every corner it seems so finding one that was convenient was simple. We would agree on a location, I would arrive about 10 minutes early, order a nonfat, decaf mocha, with whipped cream, (gotta have a little fun) & grab a table. To make identification easier, I would text the applicant, "I'm at Starbucks, wearing pink pants & a pink & white floral top. You can't miss me."

As I waited, watching the shear number of patrons, regardless of the time of day, who popped in to each Starbucks was eye-opening. I had no idea how many people frequent Starbucks for all sorts of hot & cold drinks. It seems that there are Starbucks on every corner now but yet everyone I went to was always busy.

Years ago I read an article that stated something like - take a product that most people drink daily, can make at home for pennies or buy for less than a dollar at any number of fast food or convenience stores, then fancy it up a bit & charge triple the price. Does that seem like a sound business model for success? Well, Starbucks has done just that - quite successfully.

All these years later, Starbucks is alive & well STILL doing the exact same thing. I decided a long time ago that my opinions differ from the general public much of the time. The steady stream of customers at every Starbucks where I met potential caregivers kind of confirmed that conclusion. It still amazes me how many people spend a whole lot of money on fancy coffee drinks.

This is my second time around finding a new caregiver for my dad since we moved him to Roseville. Our current caregiver is leaving the end of the month after being with us for 16 months. Finding her was my first foray into using Craigslist (with initial meetings at Starbucks). I've heard the horror stories of transactions gone wrong on Craigslist & was really leery of trying it.

My son pointed out to me that now days everyone uses Craigslist & those headlines are just a few of the millions of postings on Craigslist. "Plus," he added, "You put up flyers with your phone number & email address on them around town. That way people know your real contact info. On Craigslist, the initial responses are all done through the website without anyone knowing your exact info." I had to agree he had a damn good point.

The response was great the first time around giving us several good people from which to choose. This time it was even better with well-qualified, enthusiastic candidates who made my job much easier. I received 32 responses in a little over two days of the ad being live. I'm a believer!

Sure, half of them weren't applicants we were interested in but I replied to each one thanking them for their interest. I interviewed four wonderful people today & three of them are meeting my dad tomorrow. Honestly, I have no front runner so I'm tasking my dad with making the ultimate choice. I expect to have a new caregiver in just a couple of days - four days after putting the ad on Craigslist. Ya gotta love this twenty-first century technology!

AIR TRAVEL FROM HELL

Can anyone answer this question - "When did air travel go from a civilized way to reach a destination to a fucking nightmare?" People used to dress up to travel. It was exciting to board an aircraft, enjoy the service & jet off to places unknown. You actually had room to stretch out a little. Often times the planes weren't full so you had a whole row to yourself. They fed you a basic meal & you usually arrived at your destination relaxed & ready to enjoy your vacation.

Well - not anymore!  Eleven days ago we flew to Boston for a road trip that ended in Philadelphia. The flights to Boston were uneventful but not terribly comfortable. They were packed & every year it seems they take away another inch of legroom. That's okay if you're 5'4" like me but not if you  are 6'3" like Lou. Every plane is completely full. The only time you are fed something that could possibly be construed as a meal is on an international flight. Domestic flights you are on your own for food. And at airport prices, it is as bad as ballparks but without the ball game to watch!

But we know all that & do our best to take it in stride since air travel is still the quickest way to reach the other side of our country. Even with delays & issues & being packed in like sardines, you can travel 3000 miles in less that a day. I try to keep that in mind.

Occasionally, you have the travel day from hell. Today (or yesterday actually) was one of those days. We left Philadelphia at 1:15 PM Eastern time - at least that was the scheduled time with a one hour layover in Dallas before arriving in Sacramento just before 6 PM Pacific time. The entire country has been in a heat wave which translates to thunderstorms & turbulent weather back east.

Our first flight was delayed about 30 minutes, however, the captain assured us they could make up the time for a close to on time arrival in Dallas. But we sat & we sat & we sat on the tarmac. What the hell is tarmac anyway? Isn't it just asphalt? We had to reroute because of "weather" & finally took off almost two hours late. I figured the chances of making our connection were slim to none. Our only hope was that the connecting flight was also delayed. Didn't happen.

We immediately checked with an agent in Dallas & yes, as I expected, our flight to Sacramento was long gone. There were two other flights to Sacramento that we could standby on but the odds were not good since they were sold out. She booked us on a morning flight out but we could either sleep in the airport or try to find a room at our expense. Tons of flights were delayed or cancelled due to the inclement weather.

At the gate for the first standby flight, we noticed a flight to Las Vegas that was now boarding that had been delayed, also. I asked the agent if we could get on that flight & a later flight to Sacramento but she was one step ahead of me already checking that. Three other people were in the same predicament as us. Two agents went above & beyond getting us on that flight with a 10 PM connection from Vegas to Sacramento. We would get in at 11:35 PM. A hell of a lot better than tomorrow sometime. As we ran to the gate, they announced a cancellation of a flight to Atlanta. The agents literally groaned.

The flight to Las Vegas sat on the tarmac for another hour since flights were backed up but it didn't matter since we had hours to kill in Vegas. That also meant we could eat a real dinner since I was resigned to my evening meal consisting of wine & peanuts.

We were literally the last ones on the flights from Dallas to Las Vegas and from Las Vegas to Sacramento so Lou & I had center seats a few rows apart. On the final leg leaving at 10:05 PM after a really, really long day, our boarding passes weren't recognized. What the fuck? The gate agent told us to see the woman at the counter. She was helping another man but I interrupted & apologized that we needed help NOW. The customer was gracious & understood. I can totally understand how ordinary people go ballistic. I was close to there!

Fortunately we got on the damn airplane & made it back to Sacramento at 11:30 PM - but our luggage didn't. I expected that to be the case since we had no clue what flights we would be on. We filed a report along with a ton of other passengers & are optimistic that they will deliver our suitcases tomorrow morning.

Now, I am home late at night typing away since we left the air conditioning off during our trip & the nationwide heat wave hit us, too. We returned to a house that was 88 degrees & miserable. Lou went upstairs to bed immediately but there is no way I can sleep in this heat. It is 1:45 AM & 83 degrees now. Maybe I'll actually get to sleep sometime before morning.

A SPORTS MOMENT

Even though I have lived in Sacramento for almost 15 years, I have been & always will be a San Francisco Bay Area sports fan at heart. I lived the first 51 years of my life in the East Bay. As Bay Area sports fanatics we have been blessed with numerous championships over the years.

Back in the 70s, the Oakland A’s won three World Series in a row. The San Francisco Forty-Niners won five Super Bowls during the 1980s earning them the title “Team of the Decade”. Also in the mid-seventies the Golden State Warriors won their first championship. Even the Oakland Raiders, who our family has traditionally always hated, won three Super Bowls during the 70s & 80s. 

We did sustain an almost 20 year drought of Bay Area championships until our San Francisco Giants won the first of three World Series in 2010. They have won the World Series every other year which means this is definitely our year for the fourth Major League Baseball title. Go Giants!

The Golden State Warriors finally won it all again last year, 40 years after their first NBA title. This year they posted the most wins in a regular season of any team EVER in the NBA. We had followed them religiously as they moved through the playoffs & into The Finals. I think most of us just assumed they were so good they would breeze through it all & win their second straight championship in Cinderella fashion. 

But, alas, it was not to be. The Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James played just a little bit better winning it in seven games. I meant to post this a couple weeks ago but life intervened & my time was taken up with my granddaughter, friend visits & vacation planning.

As much as I love sports, in the end it really is just a game, not life or death. It comes down to who played better on a given day. This year, sad as it was a couple weeks ago, the Cavaliers did what they had to do & we didn’t. Life goes on & there is always next year. The Warriors are already planning ahead having just signed superstar Kevin Durant!

Sports has been the primary connection between my dad & me since I was a small child. Over the years we have shared all these championships together along with countless other sporting events.  

I am now 66 & he is 87. In years past he could switch between three sporting events on TV like a real pro never missing a big play. Now, he can barely change channels. Often times he doesn’t know the score & I have to bite my tongue when he just can’t discuss sports like we used to do daily. His interest will wander & he often prefers watching Jeopardy or old movies to a sporting event. He hasn’t been the father I grew up with or my fellow sports fanatic in many years. Our roles have reversed, basically I am the parent & he is the child.  

The Warriors game seven happened to fall on Father’s Day, where they played & lost to the Cavaliers. I was staying with my dad for a week while his caregiver was on vacation. Lou came over to watch the game with us. After the game Lou headed home & my dad says to me, “Let’s have a consolation glass of wine.” 

We love our wine but rarely have any after dinner except for special occasions. So, I said “Sure”, & poured us each a glass of wine. What came next as we watched all the post game press conferences & reporting was almost like it used to be. We talked about many of the above mentioned Bay Area sports championships over the years. He brought up lots of memories that we had shared back in the day. 

For a short time, it almost felt like my dad was back. We were interacting & discussing events almost like we used to do. The irony of it being Father’s Day was not lost on me. We had a definite “sports moment” over a glass of wine or two. Yes, the Warriors lost but for a few minutes I was reminded that the connection between father & daughter was still there.

SECRETS & SURPRISES

Thirty-five years ago or so, I learned that small children don't keep secrets well. I recently discovered that is still true today. But in many ways that is a good thing since any adult caring for a child wants them to know they should definitely tell if someone has told them to keep a secret. I'm not talking about those kinds of secrets here, but rather just keeping a secret to surprise someone or spare their feelings.

Case in point - last week I was planning Darrin's Father's Day gift with Charley while he was at work. It was early in the morning & I had her decorate & "sign" his card from her. She also put stickers all over the envelope & wrote "Daddy" on the front more or less....mostly less. We put the card in the envelope & I asked her if she wanted to lick it. She did, so I showed her how to carefully lick it & stick it shut.

I told her we had to find a rock that was a few inches long & fairly smooth so she could paint it & we would write his name on it. It would be a paperweight for his desk at work. I explained how if you have lots of papers & want to keep them all in one place you put a paperweight on them. I added that Daddy would think of her every time he saw it on his desk.

We couldn't find a rock around the apartment complex but I told her I would keep looking for one explaining that we still had time until Father's Day. We discussed not telling him so he would be surprised when he opened his present.

After that we watched a couple of Scooby Doo Mysteries, did a few puzzles, played princesses, ate lunch, went to the Dollar Store for more stickers & puzzles, stopped by Kennedy Park to ride the carousel & the train, climbed on everything at the playground & shopped at Target buying Golden State Warriors shirts for both of us.

Darrin takes the Amtrak train to work since commuting in the Bay Area is a nightmare. The train station is less than a mile walk from his apartment, it's about a 40 minute ride then a short walk to his office. He is able to work from home part of the time but I come in to stay with Charley when she is with him so he can go to work. She & I drive down to meet his train in the afternoon.

As he exits the train, Charley runs into his arms showering him with kisses. She usually wants Daddy to sit next to her in the back while I drive us home. They were in the back seat getting her seat belt on while I walked around to the driver's side. I opened the door & heard Darrin say, "You licked it?" Charley replied, "Yeah, I licked it. But we couldn't find a rock." I smiled, shook my head & said, "It  has to do with Father's Day. Don't ask." He smiled back.

I couldn't believe it! After not talking about it since morning & all that we did during the day, the first words out of her mouth are about "our secret".

That reminded me of a time when Darrin was around six. My parents had gone away for a couple days. We lived nearby so it was our job to stop by their house before & after school & in the evening to feed their dog, Faira, & let her outside to do her business. Faira was a total house dog. My sister & I always believed they treated their dog better than us most of the time.

Well, one morning, I thought Faira had come back in the house & gone to their bedroom. I took Darrin to school, went on about my errands, picked up Darrin & went to let Faira out that afternoon. When we walked in the house, I saw the dog outside through the glass door. She was not a happy camper & I knew that my mother would not be pleased that her precious Faira was left outside all day. We let her in & all was fine.

BUT I knew that I had to tell my parents what I had done. While relating this story to my sister, she asked incredulously, "And you told them?" I replied, "I HAD to, Darrin was with me. You know he would have ratted me out." It was a long time before they went somewhere again that they couldn't take the dog with them.

SAFE AT HOME?

Have you ever had your home burglarized? It is a feeling of total violation & a sense that you will never feel safe again. Fortunately, this particular recollection is not a new experience but rather an old one that has been brought to the forefront again recently.

Back when Darrin was three, a little younger than Charley is now, I played tennis on a local women's team. My parents watched Darrin for me during the few morning hours each week. After tennis I brought my son home early one afternoon, unlocked the front door & left him in the living room playing for a few seconds while I ran back to the car to grab my tennis gear. Back in the house as I rounded the corner to the kitchen, I noticed the door to the garage was open, I thought, "I know I locked that door when I left."

The horror hit me as I realized that the door frame was splintered with pieces of wood all over the floor. Someone had smashed in the door shattering the wooden frame. I guess my natural protective mom instinct kicked in because I immediately went into the living room, picked up Darrin & said in a loud voice, "Mommy forgot something from the car," as I walked out the front door. I didn't know if anyone was still in our house!

The neighbors on one side of us both worked so I went to the retired woman's house on the other side. Fortunately, she was home & let me use her phone to call the police. Since there was nothing construed as immediate danger by the police they took their sweet time arriving. I also called my parents who were a few blocks away. My dad came over as we waited for the police.

Outside the house I noticed that the side gate to our backyard was open which I was sure I would have seen as I pulled into our driveway. We never left it open. Suddenly, my heart was racing & I felt nauseous as I wondered if someone was indeed in our house when I left my child briefly in the living room or when I grabbed him & we walked out the front door? Did they leave the gate open as they made their escape through the garage?

My father finally went in the house to look around & found nothing. Our bedroom had open drawers that had been rifled through but the only items taken were a few pieces of jewelry & our handgun. Had I interrupted the thieves? The police filed a report but they were not optimistic that anything would be recovered. It wasn't.

What really struck me was feeling unsafe in my own home. Most of the time we feel that if our doors & windows are locked we are safe in our house. It is our sanctuary that will keep us protected from harm. But yet, someone had come into my house by kicking in a door & rummaged through my drawers taking whatever they wanted. It was such a feeling of violation by strangers who invaded my territory.

I took a self defense class soon after that. Although it helped a little, it was months before I could go to bed & feel even semi-safe in my own house.

What triggered these long ago recollections is that Lou & I have noticed our neighborhood is not the safest anymore. We installed an alarm many years ago using it religiously when we leave the house. After realizing that we can arm the motion sensor from the stairway, we decided to start using the alarm at night, too. However, we quickly figured out a system to prevent us from setting it off in the morning since we've each done that once already.

Lou asked me awhile ago what I thought about getting a gun. Given the history of my grandfather being killed by gun violence & the fact that I have owned guns (& know how to use them correctly) my gut reaction was "yes". I'm okay with it if we make absolutely sure it is put away when Charley is here & we follow strict rules regarding NEVER coming home unexpectedly.

I hate that I feel compelled to want to have a gun in the house. I hate that we feel the need to set an alarm every night. I hate that I am reminded of a terrifying time when my home was invaded years ago. But mostly, I hate that Charley has to grow up in a world where this is all commonplace.

What are your thoughts?

KID'S DAY

Kid's Day was celebrated last Thursday. What, you may ask, is Kid's Day? Well, let me explain. One afternoon about 32 years ago, you could almost see the wheels turning in my 8 year old son's brain as he contemplated something. We had celebrated Mother's Day for me & my mother. As we were discussing Father's Day plans a few weeks later, our child asked an interesting question, "Why isn't there a Kid's Day? There is Mother's Day & Father's Day."

We replied with our parental logic that he had birthdays & Christmas to receive gifts & celebrate. Darrin replied, "But you have birthdays & Christmas, too." We pondered this conversation for all of about two minutes before deciding that he was right & we should definitely celebrate Kid's Day. That day a new holiday was born.

Kid's Day was not a specific day but was celebrated between Mother's Day & Father's Day. There were all kinds of ways to observe it. The very first Kid's Day, shortly after Darrin's declaration, consisted of us letting him skip school to attend the premier of "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" movie with his father. Hey, kids need "mental health" days, too.

Some years it was incorporated into a family getaway for Mother's, Father's & Kid's Days or it could be a special event or, occasionally, just a gift. Mostly, it was a way to show him how special he was to us & how much we appreciated him. Over the years Kid's Day became less of an event as Darrin grew up. But it was still resurrected on occasion since he will always be my "kid" regardless of his age.

Now, that Charley is four, I started explaining the concept of Kid's Day to her the last couple of times I've seen her. I told her the story of how her daddy "invented" it & that we were going to start celebrating Kid's Day with her. Darrin & Charley have been staying with us for a few days so I took the opportunity to introduce her to her first Kid's Day this past Thursday.

To keep the day appropriate for her age, we started with a trip to Krispy Kreme donuts. She loves her sweets & loved watching the donuts move down the conveyor belt by the hundreds as they fried in the oil. Her favorite part was the machine that flipped them over to cook the other side. After much consideration she chose a chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles. I had my favorite, a glazed devil's food one.

From there we headed to Toys R Us where I let her pick out her first Kid's Day gift - which given our history, turned into gifts (plural). I knew this was going to happen since Gaga is a total sucker where Charley is concerned. We managed to whittle the ten things in the cart down to four.

She chose a Periwinkle fairy doll (Disney fairies are a favorite), a set of six Frozen action figures including Sven & Olaf, a princess dress & a new feather boa (she loves to play dress up). Her "old" feather boa has lost over half of its feathers these past couple of years. It seems that my natural frugality flies out the window when it comes to spending money on Charley.

We spent the afternoon of Kid's Day in the pool. It has been really hot so the pool was warm enough for Gaga to enjoy it with her. Later I had the table set for dinner & was busy cooking away in the kitchen when Charley says, "I want to eat outside." Our pool area is really beautiful. It looks like a free form pond with dark walls. There are large rocks around it & a waterfall. We have a covered area next to it with a table & chairs. It is a lovely setting & Charley really likes eating out there.

We tried to convince her that it was too hot but she was adamant. She & Darrin went outside to check it out & see if it was feasible. When they returned to the kitchen Darrin stated, "Charley really, really wants to eat outside. And after all, it is Kid's Day." So, we had our dinner outside in 100 degree weather & nobody seemed to mind at all. It was a great ending to a wonderful Kid's Day!