A day for remembering

The rain started here about noon and has continued on and off since then.  We're supposed to get more of the spin-off from Harvey tonight and tomorrow - about 2" here.  Nashville and West TN are due to get maybe up to 11".  The devastation is just incredible.  Anne and Nick have been able to get come clearing out done, with the help of grandchildren.  But I don't know what they're going to do long-term or where they'll be staying.  They have a son living nearby, but he had 3" of water in his house.
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John died two years ago today.  Like Beth told me on the first anniversary of Joe's death, it doesn't hurt any more today than any other day.  But it's still a day to be especially close.

Heavy heart

My heart aches, Houston.

Anne, Nick are safe, with water

In their house.  Love, Hugs!

Car thing

Jesse has gotten my car repaired.  Margaret says it drove very well when they took it to her house.  Now the plan is that sometime within the next week, they'll bring the car back to me and Margaret will get her car back.

All happy now!

The Eclipse!

Margaret and Jesse picked me up about 12:30 ET.  We drove north and west, and stopped in a grassy area next to a McDonald's in Pikeville,  TN (look it up on Google maps).  We were not alone - there were about a dozen other cars there, and groups in every church and school parking lot we passed. It was fabulous! The glasses worked like a charm, and the totality lasted about 2.25 minutes. There were cumulus clouds around near the horizon, but around the sun, it was absolutely clear. It didn't get as dark as I had expected, but definitely dark and cooler. And we heard the crickets start up as soon as it got dark.  We left when it was about half-way "off", and got in the only traffic we had seen thus far. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I'm SO glad Margaret made that happen for me.

On another front, they left to take my Nissan back to Margaret's for Jesse to look at and to evaluate it for his possibly fixing it.  They left me with Margaret's Ford Escape, so I have a neat car to drive.  We're all open to all possibilities now - keeping it, buying something else, my buying Margaret's Escape and her buying something else.  Who knows where all this will go.

Sunday Stealing

Here's something different for this week.  

1. What is a normal thing that took you an embarrassingly long time to learn? To get along with my sister.
2. In what ways are you old-fashioned? I'm a grammar snob.
3. What is the best sandwich you've ever eaten? Where did you get it? What made it so delicious? I love a really good Reuben.
4. What are you currently not bragging about that you should totally brag about? I can't think of any hidden talents.
5. What food have you never tasted and are most interested in trying? I'd like to try Korean food sometime.
6. What history facts were you surprised to learn because it was never covered in school? The civilizations that existed in the Americas before 1492.
7. What is something that you waited entirely too long to start or stop doing? What made you say "Why did I wait so long?" Painting.  Unfortunately I don't do it any more.
8. What socially expected thing do you hate doing the most? Making small talk with strangers. 
What thing about polite society really grinds your gears?
9. What is something about your city that I should know if I'm going to visit? What is the hidden "must see" that you always tell friends and visitors to not miss. The Sculpture Fields; the Hunter Museum of American Art.
10. What do you miss most about childhood? Easy movement without pain.
11. What "fact" did you learn in school that is not true or no longer true? That there were no civilizations in the Americas prior to 1492.
12. What's your favorite piece of useless trivia? Raccoons are terrible thieves.
13. What's your best go to homemade "lazy" meal? Something somebody else cooks.
14. What's the title of this current chapter in your life? Chapter 3 - Creakiness.
15. What is a habit or practice that you learned from your childhood that you didn't realize was "weird" until you were an adult? Always carrying knitting with me.

Sunday Stealing (on Thursday - from 8-5-17)

Freckles and other oddities

Do You Have Freckles? Nope
Do You Sleep With Your Closet Doors Open Or Closed? My closet door never gets closed.
Can You Whistle? Yes, but not the two-fingered loud kind.
Did You Wake Up Cranky today? No.  I'm a morning person, and can't remember ever waking up cranky.
Zodiac Sign. Pisces
What Is Your Eye Color? Brown
Take A Vitamin Daily? Not a multivitamin specifically, but several prescriptions and supplements.
Do You Sing In The Shower? No
What Did You Have For Lunch? Today was soup and sandwich day - I had clam chowder and a Reuben, plus some carrot sticks and strawberries.
Do You Watch The Olympics? I watch some sports in both the Winter and Summer games.
Do You Prefer To Swim In A Pool Or The Ocean? I don't really care, just enjoy being in the water.  I haven't been in the ocean for several years - I'm not steady enough to get there.
Bottled Water Or Tap Water? Tap water.  In general, I think it's ridiculous to pay for bottled water.
Do You work Better With Or Without Music? It doesn't matter.
Can You Curl Your Tongue? Yes
Is There Anything Pink Within 10 Feet Of You? I'm surrounded by all things Flamingo - so yes!
Have You Ever Caught A Butterfly? Not that I remember.
Are You Easily Influenced By Other People? Not really - it depends on how much respect I have for "another person".
Do You Have Strange Dreams? I don't usually remember my dreams.
Do You Like Going On Airplanes? It's not very pleasant any more, but it's still the best way to cover long distances in a limited period of time.
Name One Movie That Made You Cry. Oh, there are SO many!
Peanuts Or Sunflower Seeds? Peanuts
If I Handed You A Concert Ticket Right Now, Who Would You Want The Performer To Be? A nice chamber ensemble would be nice.
Are You A Picky Eater? Unfortunately, no.
Are You A Heavy Sleeper? Pretty much so.
Do You Fear Thunder / Lightning? No. I love an occasional good thunderstorm.
Do You Like Your Music Loud? Not really.
Would You Rather Carve Pumpkins Or Wrap Presents? Wrap presents.
What’s The Next Movie You Want To See In Theaters? I haven't seen a movie in a theater in about a year - don't even know what's available now.
Been On The Computer For 5 Hours Straight? Of course.
Do You Like Meeting New People? Yes, but not in large groups.
What Are Three Things You Did Today? Went to Silver Sneakers, went to meals, knitted.
What Do You Wear To Bed? Pajamas.
Do You Wear Jeans Or Sweats More? Probably a toss-up, but I'd rather wear sweats.
Name Something That Relaxes You. I'm pretty much relaxed most of the time.

After Charlottesville

I have two things I want to share - one old and one new.

From South Pacific (1958) - You've got to be carefully taught.

Today's blog "Margaret and Helen"

Sighhhhhh!

I thought I had all the car stuff almost settled, and now it turns out that almost nothing is.  The guy who was going to buy my car is really looking for a small truck.  He thinks one of the other maintenance guys is interested, though.  On the "new car" front, that may have fallen through, too.  I talked to the guy this morning.  He decided to talk the sale over with some of the other family members, and some of them have expressed an interest in the car.  He may get back to me in a day or two, if none of them really want the car.  Sighhhhhh!  But I've talked to Margaret and Jesse, and he's sure he can fix my car.  So it's beginning to look like I might be keeping the good ol' Altima.

AND, just to keep things interesting, the ceiling in my living room started flaking off last night, with pieces hitting the floor.  Maintenance came quickly this morning.  Turns out it's the popcorn-y paint that hadn't been properly primed and was flaking off in big pieces.  He scraped a bunch of it off, and has put on a first coat of something.   I guess nothing ever goes smoothly, does it. Not even the painted ceiling.

Home again!

We got back to my place about 12:30 am ET Sunday morning - after getting up about 4 am Alaska time (a 4-hour time difference - one hour earlier than Pacific time).  The trip home went fairly smoothly, except there was no wheelchair pusher at the gate in Atlanta.  There were chairs, though, so Margaret loaded me up with the carry-ons and pushed me herself.  Our checked bags arrived safely and the Chattanooga shuttle was at the stop when we got there, and surprisingly, no traffic tie-ups on the way home.  We even stopped for burgers just before getting to my place, so we had something to eat when we got here.

The trip was great.  We saw wonderful glaciers (Mendenhall, Marjorie, Sawyer glaciers up close, plus many others not so close).  We had stops at Skagway (rode the train), Haines, and Petersburg, cruised Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm. We saw lots of eagles, otters, sea lions, seals, a pod of orcas, several humpback whales.  And ate seafood at nearly every lunch and dinner.  The staff, crew, and other 91 passengers were helpful and delightful.  I can definitely recommend the American Cruise Line and this itinerary.

We didn't sign up for another trip though.  We'll talk with the other girls and see what we can work out.  It was great being with Sue and Randy for the first few days exploring Juneau.  I wanted to see how I would do traveling this time.  I'm not nearly as "low maintenance" as I used to be, and I wound up working Margaret a lot harder than I would like.  We'll see what works next.

The very next event will be the total solar eclipse.  I could watch it as "partial" from my deck.  But Margaret is going to come get me and drive us about 30 miles from here out on some country road. We'll be right in the "totality" band, and get the whole experience. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing!