Scooter Saga

We left for Maui right after New Years (1/3/2020) and returned to Portland 2/20/2020.  Almost seven weeks!  It wasn't seeming as long as it used to before we made friends there.  Kai Makani was truly starting to feel like a second home (only warmer) .  In addition to having visit from mainland friends, Earl and I were having a grandchild visit for the first time completely on her own*.  The airlines consider passengers 14 and over "independent travelers"—yay! Too close to whales In addition to the tropical flora there, Maui also has amazing wildlife.  We have white egrets in our complex.  They're less obtrusive than the Pooping Pigeons (that we can see anyway).   But we also saw a rare, endangered monk seal basking in the sun.  Local  conservationists  were quick to tape off a wide area to keep nosy tourists at bay.  Snorkelers, divers, and swimmers  usually see plenty of turtles and fish.  The humpback wh...

I was scooting in downtown Lake Oswego, waiting to cross the street. Art Martin "Hello Tammy", a fellow pedestrian said.  I was used to being recognized, but it's usually as the anonymous lady on the scooter.  I'm pretty hard to miss, but I rarely hear my name.  Looking up (it's always up) , I recognized Art, even though it had been awhile since we spoke.  Even longer since he had rescued me*– 2011 to be precise.  I had naively referred to him then as "elderly" and worried about what my folly would cost him.  He goodnaturedly reminds me of that frequently.  Now here he was, nearly 10 years later, out for his daily walk, healthy, and unchanged by the years.  That'll teach me...There was only 13 years between us. Old friends Art invited me to join he and another friend from my early scooting years.  I met John Burns and his wife Audrey in 2011 as well**.  He and Audrey had moved to an Assisted Living facility and I lost cont...

I started thinking about Christmas around September and settled on a Monte Carlo theme even before there was a reunion in Las Vegas.  The more I thought about it, the more fun it sounded,  I had thought our Mardi Gras Christmas was the biggest doo–dah, but no–oo*.  Retirement allows for time to indulge our inner 'Martha Stewart'.  We never would have done this in our working days.   I'm very good about coming up with ideas that someone else has to implement. That usually falls to Earl.   Mediterranean food?  He can do that Décor?  Pam can do that The Tree?  Jill can do that The Christmas Village?  The granddaughters can do that Gaming table layout? Earl can do that Moving the furniture? Earl and JJ can do that  Hire party help? I can do that.  Jeez, I needed to do something. The first issue that came up was, of course, the Christmas tree**.  "How about something smaller?", Earl said. Nope,...

Las Vegas isn't my favorite city and having a family reunion* there on Thanksgiving weekend didn't sound like the best idea—initially.  But this was a "passing the torch" wholly to the next generation, so I decided to keep my generational lip zipped and go with it. Our niece Kathy, is a local resident living in Summerlin, an area about 10 miles from downtown Vegas.  Together with our nephew Richard, her cousin, she tackled planning with wedding-like effort and they  blew it out of the water.  They built it and, OMG, did we come!   Even though the Oregon/Washington contingent flew, most of the California and the New Mexico family drove.  So why then ?  Well, we have lots of school–age children, so taking advantage of the break and minimizing academic absences was a good move. Vegas weather in November can be cold (it was) but relatively temperate.  Although Thanksgiving is the start of the holidays, Chanukkah and Christmas were still...

Disclaimer:  These posts happened in 2019.  Before the COVID–19 virus turned our world upside down.  Although I had plenty of material, I just couldn't get motivated to write.  Things may seem a bit out of date, but I just needed to decide to get busy and move on to 2020. The good part to owning a half interest in the co ndominium in Maui is that Earl and I can use 24 weeks  a year.  Our partners have to get by with only 8 weeks a year.  The bad part is that we get more meetings and home maintenance.  I know, I know. Quit whining. A first world problem...  The day before we arrived, there was a huge brushfire.  It closed the only road between Kihei and Lahaina.  Closing roads is a very low bar, since Maui isn't known for having many alter nate routes.   Fortunately by the time we got there, the road was open, the traffic was manageable, and all we had to contend with was the fire smoke.  Since the...

I have discovered that, as someone with Spinocerebellar Ataxia*, sometimes I'm my own worst enemy with regard to preventive health care.  Historically, I've always been a compliant patient, but frankly, having a disability has caused me to become a bit medically avoidant.  We had planned for our exit, but hadn't given the same attention to our maintenance.**  There was enough on my plate to keep track of.  My primary care provider said that I was due for everything.  Certainly, I couldn't control my Ataxia, but I could at least be proactive when it came to general health.   I just needed to do it and quit putting it off – sort of.   Adopting the philosophy,  "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", I began to list the essential healthcare to–dos. Dental cleaning and exam?  Absolutely!    Annual eye exam?  OK Annual mammogram?  Nope.  At 70, it's every two years.  See you next year.  I can hardly wa...

I always swore that I would graciously accept our grandchildren's preference for independence, adventure, and friends when the time came.  My children's grandmother never did. (Jeez Ada, it's adolescence, not personal! *)   They didn't need adults to play games, ride bikes, or go to the Sunriver mall anymore.  Although they still required some planning and transportation support, the annual family vacation went away and the 'friends' trip became very different.  The kids weren't the only ones to plan a 'friends' trip.  Earl and I were going to meet our long time friends this year in Sunriver and then join Heidi and Michael at the end, thinking that, although the grandkids and their friends were teens, they were still children.  We thought the Tenisons might need some help with four kids.  Spoiler alert: They didn't. Turned out, our friends couldn't make it. So Earl and I adjusted and joined Heidi and Michael for a laid back getaway...