CHRISTMAS 2008 ON THE NORTHWEST COAST
You know that it has been a difficult year when your surgeon is in your speed dial and your vehicle can find its own way to the local pharmacy. We are very thankful that Julie’s cancer has an extremely small statistical chance of recurrence and that she is gradually gaining some of her pre-surgery strength back. According to the anesthesiologist, because Julie had so many surgeries over a short time, her recovery time for memory and strength could be a year or more. Apparently the drugs these days are better than those of yore, but can play all sorts of tricks on the body.
You know that it has been a difficult year when your surgeon is in your speed dial and your vehicle can find its own way to the local pharmacy. We are very thankful that Julie’s cancer has an extremely small statistical chance of recurrence and that she is gradually gaining some of her pre-surgery strength back. According to the anesthesiologist, because Julie had so many surgeries over a short time, her recovery time for memory and strength could be a year or more. Apparently the drugs these days are better than those of yore, but can play all sorts of tricks on the body.
The drug induced memory lapses open up all sorts of possibilities for me to gain advantage in our relationship, something I have rarely, if ever, experienced. For instance, I could have acquired more motorized and/or floating toys and she would have believed me when I told her that we shopped together for them. I did not do this which shows great strength of character on my part. I could have taken a solo fishing trip to Belize and then waxed poetic about our romantic walks on the uninhabited beaches. More strength shown by me-self. I did not do this either. Wow, what a great guy I am.
Julie is well, if a little distracted at times, and is back at the boutique a couple of days a week to get her “girl time” fix and golfing whenever possible. This is her new sport and I am told if you go with her you must be a sport to relinquish any thoughts of decorum or golf etiquette. Her group is the one laughing all of the time.
We did take a month long road trip through California, a good chunk of Arizona and parachuted into Albuquerque for the wedding of our Niece and to meet up with our recently unemployed daughter. Alisha finished her time in New Orleans as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and we took the opportunity to meet her in Albuquerque for a caravan back to Oregon. Alisha’s little hatchback vehicle was packed solid to the ceiling, with a flexible bag type container strapped to the roof. I was impressed that she had not added significantly to her possessions while away for almost two years; impressed until I learned that the U.S. Postal Service was covering for her, with Julie’s help. She and Julie drove the car to Tucson, where we resumed our visit with the family, and I had the pleasure of driving Alisha’s car the next leg to Santa Barbara. I was looking for 3 cubic inches at a time to rearrange the interior load so that my knees would not be hitting the turn signal arm and to give me a small visual path to the right side mirror. I have faith in a lot of things, but blind lane changes are not included in the list, especially through Los Angeles. Julie and Alisha took the convertible road rocket and all I saw was their dust. Somehow I must sharpen my negotiating skills to get the upper hand in these matters.
Back Home in June: As you may know our home on the lake is very small, a fact which is especially true when the number one daughter moves in for a while. We are not used to having Alisha’s personal items scattered about since she moved out in 1999 to attend ASU, but we managed OK. Alisha is not, oh, how shall I put this, neat. At one point I got in the shower and found no less than 9 types of soap wedged in every conceivable crevice of the two shower caddies. I use one. What all of the others are for I have no idea and cannot imagine that one would get cleaner using several at a time, so I’m guessing that that is not the real purpose. If you know, please write me privately because the girls are not telling me. Alisha moved back to Portland as quickly as possible, but not before helping me pound a few nails of our own around the homestead. I think she was showing off because she is very good at construction. She is now trying to get into various graduate degree programs after taking the GRE a week or so ago. The ones in foreign lands or far away places are especially interesting to her. Surprise, surprise.
Eric’s move to Bend, Oregon has been a mixed bag. Finding meaningful employment has been like chasing the salmon downstream as the carcasses wash over the waterfalls and return to the sea. Economic conditions deteriorated rapidly in Bend as homebuilding shut down in mid-stride. When the economy goes south many people take that as a queue to return to academia for enlightenment and to beef up their credentials, and apparently both of our offspring are of like mind. Eric is taking on-line business classes and is enrolled for spring at Central Oregon Community College for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Being an EMT is something he has talked about since he was about sixteen and it is great to see Eric pursue this path. It seems to us that Eric has had sufficient on the job training in crisis management, both during his stint in New Orleans ten years ago and during the coffee roaster years, and has always remained cool and focused when the adrenaline flow increases, so this pursuit of study toward an EMT certificate should be a really good fit for him.
Eric has also continued his interest in music, and since his house has a built-in extra room for all of his recording gear, he may be able to spend some time working at it without competing with Sponge Bob Square Pants on the television. He has a fine voice, something he did not inherit directly from his parents, and we hope that he finds a place to showcase it someday.
Eric’s S.O., Rachel, has found a position with a non-shouting attorney group that she really enjoys (as compared to the previous Napoleon complex boss in the same profession). An S.O. in today’s world is a “Significant Other”. This is a perplexing term for me as it does not really have the ring of romance. Eric prefers “fiancé’”, but I think there should be a major push to come up with new terminology and then legislate its exclusive usage. This would keep numerous statehouses occupied and away from the real mischief our elected folks prefer to rain down upon our heads and wallets.
Lane, Rachel’s son, is a delight and at four years old is beginning to get a sense of humor about the oblique things only a four year old would spend any time thinking about. He can deadpan with the best – no smile, nothing, nada – just a straight face so that you think that his question might be sincere. Then he nails you.
Deaven is living in Portland now with Mom, Fae, and growing new neural connections by the bucket load. After being raised by Eric almost exclusively for the past eight years they believe that this move is best for her and we do not disagree (which would be useless anyway), but we miss the more frequent visits with her.
While we have toyed with the idea of selling everything and moving to California somewhere near San Luis Obispo for a lifestyle makeover, macro economic events (and stupidity of business leaders) overtook everything and may have eliminated that possibility for the foreseeable future. We’ll see. The pull South is fairly strong because of our vague memories of dry days and blue skies.
No sé el futuro, sino la esperanza de estar allí.
(I do not know the future, but hope to be there.)
I am just trying to get in the mood for our upcoming two month, plus, trip to Sonora.
Fleas, (Feliz Navidad),
Lee & Julie
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