And add on $600

Since the eldest kid is now back at work, in spite of his boo boos, I thought we'd head for home earlier. Called Delta to make some ticket changes and since they had caused us to be 3 hours late arriving in Baton Rouge and had given us $200 in vouchers I figured I'd do alright. Nada - They could book us early on Friday for the measly sum of $600 +. Of course that's ludicrous so we'll just keep our Saturday flights. It doesn't pay to be a Sky Miles member. I'll have to see if I can badger anyone at Delta when I feel like taking the time to be a pain in the butt. I doubt I'll get any satisfaction. The stay has been very good and son is doing really well. After 9 accidents (minor and major) (some his fault, some not) (over a period of 20 years) perhaps he's finally gotten the hang of it! ( Not being a part of any mishaps.) I hope so! Driving around Baton Rouge is really tough. They had an article in the Advocate yesterday about the huge number of accidents in Louisiana, one every 3 minutes. I kid you not!

Glorious day

Really super glorious day here in East Feliciana Parish. Blue skies, bone dry, will only get into the 80's, light breeze! Grampa took me out to Clinton (most important town in the parish) for breakfast at Johnny B's. It's a real small town kinda dive (not far from the adobe jail) and they serve you on plastic plates etc. But the food was grand and I got a chance to see the end of Plank Road! Some beautiful country down here. Miles of open ranch land, beautiful old homes and ramshakle trailers. So incongruous. Also went to a used book store and got a couple of novels that take place in the South. Found some flip flops that I can wear; they are so comfortable. Puppy's Pop took me to the closest store that sells them in Zachary but the lady said she won't carry them anymore because 2 other stores in Zachary are carrying them! How's that for logic? So off we went to find the next closest store located near Sammy's, a very good Zachary restaurant. Of course the shoe store wasn't open even though her hours were posted and we were there after the opening time. So I'll just have to try again. I've been wearing daughter-in-laws shoes and liked them a lot. Grampa is off and flying with his Southern friend. Very nice man who lives in the neighborhood. Took Puppy for a haircut yesterday. She has little red bows on her ears! I'll take her out for a walk soon.

I take that back

Eldest problem child just texted his wife that the Doctor's have now found a broken bone in his right ankle. They are putting him in a walking cast. He may actually have broken it the week before the "biggie" when he had trouble getting the BMW out of a parking spot at work. No more will be written at this time!!!!

Improvement noted

Eldest child drove himself to work today in his wife's automatic vehicle. Has two doctor's appointments later this afternoon so we'll see how he makes out. Still sleeping on a recliner in the living room but has actually been resting at home for the last 4 days. I imagine that not running around town and just trying to rest has been helpful. We'll be home late Saturday night. We're going to try to get home earlier. We'll see if we can go stand bye on an earlier flight. We have a 3 hour lay over in Atlanta!! I'm getting a bit tired myself. Pretty hot and muggy. We've never been here in September before. I'm already sure that I prefer mid to late October.

No longer waiting!

Coming to you from overcast quite warm Slaughter, Lousiana. Our son was in a motorcycle accident in Baton Rouge so we flew down to help out. I hope we are helping? I think so. He came out of Baton Rouge General yesterday, Sunday, and arrived home about 4pm. He and his Dad and wife are now on their way to pick up the BMW with a trailer then they'll return and Grampa will bring him to his office so he can get some work related information until he is actually cleared to go back to work full time. So far so good. Every one slept well last night and went to the Waffle House for a big breakfast. Son is of course on pain meds but as he needs less and less of them I'm sure he'll be able to do his usual routine except ride the bikes. On the right side one broken rib, broken collarbone, shoulder blade and punctured lung; no road burns to speak of. He wears the absolute safest clothing for riding and the best helmet. It's a good thing or he'd really be a mess. The helmet is all scratched up and the titanium gloves are cracked. His jacket will most likely have to be replaced but all of his safety equipment saved him a worse fate. Good gear. So we thank God that he wears all the "stuff" every time he goes out. Will now be taking a four wheeled vehicle to work once he can drive again. (No not a four wheeler!) I'll get back to the Alaska pictures when we return home October 3.

Waiting

Taken from the ship.

Had an interesting stop already today. After breakfast at Lizzy B's and seeing a beautiful photo album of Ireland we stopped in at a yard sale on North Main Street. What a lot of junk, stuff, and odds and ends! We managed to buy 5 wine glasses for a dollar so we can now afford to break a few more! The owner of the yard sale stuff also owns the Auction in Central Village and a Tag sale/antique business in downtown Plainfield. I believe it's located where the Five and Dime used to be. He's a young man, not forty years old, who buys houses too and rehabilitates them. Quite a character, and home grown to boot! Loved the El Camino and told us about the old cars and bikes he has and sells.

Got an email from Afghanistan and our young Air Force granddaughter is into kick boxing and line dancing for some fun. Thank God she has some outlet to let off steam.

Not much going on here. The weather is downright cold and cloudy. Waiting to see what plans we'll be making for out trek South.

Still sputtering *@#&^%$

Taken from the ship.

I'm still not calmed down! I've been dealing with insurances, on line banking, the VA and other various entities, on line and by phone. I can't stand it! I quit. It was much easier to do business when a real person actually answered the phone and really knew what they were talking about. That being said I still don't feel any better about anything so I'll just go and have a snack!

I think that I'll try to find an asshole quote.

Quote: (This one will have to do.) It is not the crook in modern business that we fear, but the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing. ---Owen D. Young

Good Day

Taken from the ship.

Important things first! Puzzle is completed! ( To all and sundry, this is a jest!)

We picked up the El Camino from the guy who did the headliner late today. Puppy's Pop has just finished almost fixing the bad gas tank opening. What a lot of work that man does! He's incredible. Hopefully he'll explain what he had to do on his blog.

Quote: They can conquer who believe they can. ---Dryden

Woolly Bear Sighting!

It was explained that Creek Street was Alaska's most notorious red-light district from 1902 to 1954. What on earth could have transpired? Must have gotten "religion." "This zigzagging boardwalk on pilings above Ketchikan Creek supported at least 30 'sporting houses' in its heyday." They are now small shops and businesses.

Boy, I saw one fast woolly bear today. He was trucking at the Dog Track. He was fat and beautiful and going all out. I have no idea what that portends. Mayhap the end of this administration as we know it?

Got a bill for the Norwich Bulletin and they wanted $187 for the year and had us down for a 7 day subscription. I called and explained we only get the Bulletin 6 days a week because that's all I can stand. The lady explained that we had paid $159 last year for 7 days! So . . . I told her I thought that they owed us something because WE DON'T GET THE SUNDAY PAPER! She very nicely called back and said that the computers had botched it last year (I had foolishly paid last year not paying attention because the bill never said 7 days. This year it was another type of bill and it said 7 days.) No one knows how come the computer screwed up but . . . we now have our Bulletin paid until next May!!! Pretty cool. It's a good thing I checked it out this time.

Followed Puppy's Pop who was bringing the El Camino to Niantic doing 60mph. He drove me nuts! He said that he was just staying with a big truck because he figured the truck was doing 65mph. Wrong! We even got as slow as 50. We brought the El Camino to have the headliner installed. Also found out that the mouth to the gas tank leaks, so Puppy's Pop is going to have to take the tank out and make a clean cut and something, something, something . . . I'm not good at describing these technical problems! I'm sure he'll explain what needs to be done. The gas cap can't seal the opening properly because the opening is all beat to heck! Will probably have the car back Wednesday. On the way home in the Saturn we used the GPS as a speedometer and it was extremely accurate so Puppy''s Pop is going to install a functioning accessory outlet in the El Camino so we'll have a working GPS unit and a proper speedometer!

Quote: Speech is a faculty given to man to conceal his thoughts. ---Talleyrand

Pleasant Sunday Surprise

Walking in Ketchikan.

Went to Mass this morning not expecting anything different. But . . . at the end of Mass the choir, with one young lady singing the introduction a cappella, sang the most moving rendition of God Bless America. It was overwhelming. So moved were the people in church that no one left and no one was able to give voice to join in. Many just stayed for a while to get their composure back. Eight years ago they just sang Let there be peace on earth. I walked out because I was so distraught that the church seemed to be blaming us for 9/11. There was nothing patriotic in the sermon or the prayers or the songs back then. Maybe these Polish priests have a pretty good idea of what's right! We used to have American priests.

Threw a few horseshoes, read the New London Day and worked on the sky in my puzzle. Productive day! Puppy's Pop even got the air conditioners stowed!

Quote: Let our object be our country, our whole country, and nothing but our country. And, by the blessing of God, may that country itself become a vast and splendid monument, not of oppression and terror, but of wisdom, of peace, and of liberty, upon which the world may gaze with admiration forever. ---Daniel Webster

Eight years. Seems like yesterday.

There are salmon in there trying to get up the fish ladder!

The best remembrance I saw or heard for September 11 was from my daughter-in-law. I'm happy that some people know how "Not to forget!" The papers and media around here were terrible. No headlines; some schmaltzy garbage inside and that was it.

It seems as if Grampa must have gotten sick of my lighthouse in winter puzzle! He faithfully finished the whole bottom of the puzzle and has left me with the sky!!! Perhaps he figures that I'll not start another one when this one is complete. Bad figuring! I've already got two more puzzles on the way!

Quote: Violent natures make history. --The instruments they use almost always kill. --Religion and philosophy have their vestments covered with innocent blood. ----Doudan

Getting into the routine

I've gone crazy trying to get this format back! I tried something new this morning and I didn't like it! How about those bullet holes!

Got heck yesterday. I walked over to pick up grandson after school and he was a bit upset with me because he hadn't seen me at the cafeteria! Had to explain that I only go to the cafeteria on Thursdays and Fridays. That mollified him somewhat. It's pretty hard to explain my schedule to a little one. He showed me how he's beginning to read. Pretty cool.

Loos like the weather won't be too bad today. It was supposed to rain but it looks like it'll be somewhat cloudy and windy with temps in the 60's.

Quote: He who says there is no such thing as an honest man, is himself a knave. ---Berkeley

Weather update

I remember my Pepere doing washes in the cellar with our old copper tub. I don't recall it being mechanized but Puppy's Pop says they used to have gas engines. I also remember the rollers that squeezed the water out before we hung the clothes up to dry. Wow, I've got to stop looking at this old stuff. Of course I was very, very young then! But I think that the rollers had to be added to the washer?

It's pretty cloudy and cool today but a good day for walking; a bit tough on the flying! Found a shagbark tree that isn't dropping its nuts yet and did try a few that fell early. They seem to be alright. So I guess we just have to patiently wait for Fall to do its job! Even the pumpkins are still ripening in the garden along with my ornamental gourds. Hope they don't rot! Still getting Swiss Chard and tomatoes.

Quote: The heart of the giver makes the gift dear and precious.---Luther

Food Problems

Middle child got a hold of Hooked on Phonics and grandson is now reading. Of course it's just the beginning but he's pretty proud of himself. I love it! It seems he's also beat her at Junior Monopoly and she was trying to win! Wants to teach him how to lose gracefully! Good luck. Speaking of games; at the party Sunday one of our nephews who lives in Plainfield brought his wife (who works in engineering for the Mashentuckets) and two kids plus 4 Hasbro Lazer Guns. On my goodness you should have seen all of the kids going nuts playing tag. They had the best time ever.

A few weeks ago I was able to buy some beautiful native peaches. I let them ripen a bit more for a couple of days and then peeled and sliced them up and covered them with home made raspberry sauce. It was the most delicious desert and Grampa eschewed my wonderful concoction. I quit! But I did eat it all, all by myself. (I've been dying to use the word eschewed and finally was able to so! Hip! Hip!)

Last evening friends who own the car parts store came by and brought us some more shagbarks, all shucked this time. Puppy's Pop and I started to put them out to dry up more in the sun on a picnic table. Since I love the things I started to crack some open. Out of about fifty nuts Puppy's Pop could only find 2 that were good. They were black and horrible tasting. So we had to throw all of them in the woods (pun unintended) and I had to call and let our friends know the truth about their gift. That was a lot of work shucking a big bag of nuts. I felt badly about it. Perhaps the nuts got too much rain, like the Tamaracks and so it's a bad year for the trees. I was going to crack a whole bunch of them and put them in maple syrup. Dommage! C'est la vie!

Quote: There is no right without a parallel duty, no liberty without the supremacy of the law, no high destiny without earnest perseverance, no greatness without self-denial. -- Lieber

Time to kick back

Totem Heritage Cultural Center - a few more pictures from the center coming up!

Yes, it went very well. We had 41 people and the weather and food were great. Puppy's Pop and I have already returned the chafing dishes, put all the chairs, tables and odds and ends away and gone flying and walking! This party always peps me up! We'll have some leftovers for a while but not too many. I'm going to tweak the menu for next year. We'll take out the Swedish Meatballs and go with Sausage, Peppers and Meatballs casserole. I may look for something else a bit different too. But I've got a whole year to mull!

Now I have to catch up on two days worth of newspapers! I've switched from the Hartford Courant to the New London Day on Sundays, for good, I think! The Hartford Courant had to admit that it has been plagiarizing articles from other local papers, not a good thing. It's got me disgusted.

Quote: Here's a scary thought. "A well cultivated mind is, so to speak, made up of all the minds of preceding ages; it is only one single mind which has been educated during all this time." ----Fontenelle Figures it would be a Frenchman!

Almost ready

Part of the red light district?

Grampa is on his way in the El Camino to pick up the food! I'm hanging out until it gets here and we get in gear. Breads are made tables set up etc. etc. etc.

Duty

Introduction to Ketchikan. 14,000 inhabitants; among them, fishermen, loggers shop keepers and others - Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshan. Alaska's fourth largest community. Established in 1887 when a salmon cannery was built at the mouth of Ketchikan Creek.

Had my first day of "lunch duty." That was different. I'm not used to the kids all being little! I helped out at three lunch waves: pre-school, kindergarten and first; second and third; fourth and fifth. The littlest ones keep you pretty busy opening drinks, getting water and condiments, picking up spills etc. But they are a riot. Between lunch waves we put on throw away gloves and disinfect the tables. Good idea. They must be trying to stay ahead of the germs! I only stayed from about 10:45 to 12:30 then I went to son-in-law's for lunch and had a chance to talk with his mother before heading out to daughter's house to read before picking grandson up at three to walk him home. He loves to be "a walker!" He thinks that is cool. Today he will be going to Mass with the rest of the school. They will buddy up with the 5th graders. He should have a few new things to tell us today. He'll be coming home with me at one because the first Friday is a short day. Grampa will be glad to have him here in Moosup. Grampa doesn't get picked on too much during the week!

Quote: Clouds - That looked as though an angel, in his upward flight, had left his mantle floating in mid-air. --Joanna Baillie

Lion's Gate Bridge

On our way to Ketchikan. Have to go under the bridge when you leave Vancouver. We were at sea for an entire day. We had time to get to know the ship. If you'd like to see the inside of the Veendam click here. Go to ships, Ms Veendam and Veendam slide show. We had a verandah suite.

Grampa got the kitchen going while I was in Groton yesterday. Cooked up a mean spaghetti sauce and pasta plus fried up some summer squash, peppers and onions. Great supper. While we were eating friends stopped by and brought us a nice big bag of shagbarks. They pick up their grandson in Canterbury and bring him home to wait until his Mom gets out of work. Their daughter has the shagbark trees in her front yard.

I got beat in basketball yesterday even though I had the little one on my side to begin with. Since we weren't winning he decided to team up with his big brother and I went down. After a few walks up and down the hill on their street while they skateboarded and "scootered" I was ready to come home and relax!

Let's see what the results will be!

Almost away from Vancouver!

Well here goes a day of trying to get better collision coverage for the El Camino. As it is they charge us $18 as compared to $129 and $275 for the Saturn and the Stratus for the collision part of the policy. ( The 1937 Ford costs us $240 for collision and it would pay up to the max of $40,000. But there is a mileage limit of 2,500 per year) The collision coverage on the El Camino isn't enough to cover all of the work that's been done on it. So. . . I spoke with our agent and Met has a classic car plan. For $75 more in the premium we can have $20,000 on collision and 8,000 in mileage. I told her to go for it. Now the underwriters told her that we have to have pictures and proof that it's worth $20,000. We'll bring her the pictures this morning and I've also run off the cost of 8 different El Camino's at Auto Trader Classics . They vary from $7000 to $25000. Of course we also have the list of things Puppy's Pop has done to the car but that would be a pain to copy!

We have to go to NAPA in Coventry, RI to pick up the spare tire cover for the El Camino. It'll look better with a nice black cover! Will take time to pick up the wine for Sunday. I get a 10% discount on Wednesdays so that should be a pretty good deal. (Not sharing the German goodies! Getting a bit selfish!)

Later today I'll go pick up grandson from school and bring him home to wait for his Mom to get out of work. That will get him out of school at the right time instead of having to stay after classes for an hour or so in the after school care program. He goes in early in the morning to the same program. I figure he needs a break! (I would!) I'll pick him up on Thursdays and Fridays too.

Just another day

Started out with 45 degrees this morning. Certainly helped the house cool down. Still too early to take out the air conditioners, only the first day of September! What a gorgeous day! Clear, bright, crisp and 70 degrees. Perfect for shopping at Big Y for the party: beer, soda, juice, ice cream treats, paper goods etc. This is fun.