Near Death Experience

2/4/2018

Well, I nearly died last Sunday. And, after a few days, I have calmed down enough to put the trauma down onto (virtual) paper.

So, there we were, at the Bs; doing laundry while watching the Seahawks miss. field. goal. after. field. goal. 

Mr. Sears Home Service swears he’ll get the washing machine fixed when he comes out for THE SEVENTH TIME next week. So we had a couple loads to do until then.

I was chowing down on some nachos when my Beloved deposited Basket O’ Clean Laundry #1 at my feet. Not really sure why it’s right there; perhaps she thought I needed a footrest. Whatever the reason, I bravely decide to continue on my nachos. And that is when I nearly died.

....

For some reason, J decides to hop up, boldly stride over to MY laundry basket and BRAZENLY grabs a handful of Hardy Laundry. 

Just like that! Nary a By Your Leave Good, Sir; just grabs another family’s (another MAN’s) clothing.

Who does that?!? Seriously, who does that?Maybe it’s an Iberian Peninsula thing. You could ask around.

Regardless, this isn’t something we do in America.

“You need to fold them right away or they’ll get wrinkles, Mr. Hardy!” 

J was so intent on her mission to Kill Her Guest that she didn’t notice I was sitting there frozen, nacho halfway to my mouth. 

‘Cause I sure wasn’t thinking about wrinkles. No, that wasn’t my utmost concern. What was foremost in panicking brain cells was:

My Bright Red Extra Sexy underwear; seen only by Wendi and God (the former very much appreciating them but the Latter’s opinion is...well, UKKNOWN), is SOMEWHERE IN THAT BASKET!!  It could be in that pile that J just grabbed! She might; in her delightfully clueless way, be about hold up my clean but very naughty unmentionable. 

“Oh, Mr. Hardy! What’s this? Is there something wrong...Is this supposed to....? Ooooh...Oh my!

L would look at said undies for two seconds, swivel his eyes back to the TV and Never Look Me in The Eyes Again.  

Xander would similarly get VERY interested in whatever was on the tube. 

And Wendi would start laughing. Cackling!

And, right there in the B Living Room, I would die. 

Just PLOP! DEAD, right there. 

“Local former teacher is DEAD for unknown reasons. Dumb-ass Foreign Teacher has NO idea for cause of death.” 

....

All these thoughts took about 1 second to race around the brain before I sprang into action.

“My..clothes! Those mine!” 

Despite my eloquence, J started folding. Just like that! No thought for proprietary! What kind of a monster would do that?

After about 3 seconds of attempting to make her stop using only the Power of My Mind(!), I decided to start on the World’s Fastest Folding Job on the remaining items in the basket.

The next minute-minute and a half’s results were not my best laundry-related work but they certainly were the fastest. I would fold 5 or 10 ten things while completely focusing on J’s hand as it reached for another bit of clothing. As I said, not my best work.

(Fold, fold, fold) Janet plucks out....Xander’s pants!

(Fold, fold, fold) .......One of my...tee-shirts!

(Fold, fold, fold)...Looks like...socks!

Finally, 2/3 the way to the bottom: triumph! Tighty Redies were found! 

By me. 

Into my More Cowbell shirt it went. And then it was onto the remaining 1/3 at a much leisurely pace. 

And breathing. 

One final coda was finding some of Wendi’s tawdry-wears at the bottom of the basket. Those also got slipped into the stack.

The rest of the game was good; though the outcome was a disappointment. The Seahawks losing a very exciting game, Wendi and Xander heading home by halftime and me guarding that %#¥€! basket as if my life depended on it. 

Which it kinda did. 

So that’s the story of my (most recent) near-death experience.

 Let this cautionary tale teach you Life’s Most Important Lesson: friends don’t fold friends laundry.

Gotta go to work now.

Summer 2017

9/02/2017

Summer 2017

            Well, it’s Labor Day (the saddest holiday of the year) and I am scrounging around for any reason to avoid going into work so why not do an end of summer write up? It’s a great way to dwell upon the all the interesting happenings of the past two and a half months.

            Summer started (as all proper summers do) with a trip to a local casino to watch an 80s cover-band by the name of Mullet. It was a pleasant evening and my ears have almost stopped ringing.  Of course, Wendi and J (AKA: “The Instigator”) had to get a photo.

            Speaking of All Things 80s, Wendi and I decided to crash the Liberty Bell High Class of ‘87’s 30th High School Reunion. Okay, “crash” isn’t correct as we had permission from the reunion’s organizer. We had such a blast at our 30th last summer, we figured why not. It was fun though only about half the class showed up. Seems both comforting and disturbing that ’87 is still dysfunctional three decades later.

            However, of greater importance is the fact that TM: one of the class’s popular members, told us that Wendi was “hot” and I was “boyish” and “personable”. It’s been 31 years but I am finally admitted among the ranks of the cool kids.

One more item checked off the bucket list.

            In terms of amount of time spent, our biggest task was Xander finishing his summer homework. When he joined his high school’s AVID program, he was given some books to read and write about: Catcher in the Rye, Animal Farm, and Lord of the Flies. Plus, he had a boat load of AP Human Geography work and decided to take a Health class to free up an elective during the school year.

Actually, Xander only was required to read ONE book for English but the syllabus wasn’t very clear on this point.

            Let’s just let that sink in, shall we?

            Most of you know that this spring, we adopted two cats from the Human Society. Well, Tanith and Brooklyn really became a Major Force in our lives this summer. If we thought packing for Xander was a lot of work, he had nothing on those two fur-balls. And, of course, trying to find a cat sitter can make a person quite desperate.

            The most profound change they’ve made is in moi. I’ve become one of those old farts who talks lovingly to his cats. Yep, I’ve become a Crazy Old Cat…(uh)...Gentleman*.

(*Yet despite this and my continued love of musicals, still straight. Go figure!)

            Other things? Well, I spent a good amount of time and money learning to pick locks. For all my effort, I’m in no way good at it but I have opened every lock in this house and had a bit of success with a Master Lock. It just took 30 minutes of frustration each time but I now know this is possible and will get better at it with continued practice. In an actual emergency situation right now, my lock pick of choice would a specialized tool known simply as “a rock”.

            In a similar self-improvement development, I also spent some time trying to improve my memory. This being brought on by a rereading of Moonwalking With Einstein. Again, slight improvement it’s a comfort to know this goal is definitely doable with diligence. And I will not go quietly into that night of failing memory without putting up a fight.

            Ah, actual news you can use. The one Game Night we managed here in July was topped off by a contest between American Coke (high fructose corn sweetener) versus Mexican Coke (cane sugar).  To my surprise, most of us (2/3s) could tell the difference.  Wouldn’t say that one was better than the other; just slightly different.

            Need another reason to find me annoying? I am completely in the thrall of my Fit Bit. I reached my “One Million Steps For The Summer” goal with a couple of days to spare. And then celebrated with cake and ice cream.

            No, not really but I gotta say that this little watch thing has had a bigger impact on my life then any other piece of technology since…. maybe the iPod Touch from 8 or 9 years ago. I’m moving more and that’s good. (About 16K steps for yesterday’s hike along the Elwah River.)

            My one cautionary note is that the last time I forgot to wear the Fit Bit before going out, I mainly just sat there stewing the whole day. To borrow from Socrates, the unquantified walk is not worth walking.

            In early August, a whole mess of Heaths met at the Ranch for a Reunion. Despite the 1,000 degrees and forest fire haze, it was a pleasant time for all. Well, except for the one young lady who got a mosquito bite and spent the rest of the day crying. (And no, this wasn’t Wendi.) I feel…. embarrassingly glad that my wife is the offspring of Harold’s third wife. (AKA: The Keeper.) Harold’s first and second families had very different lives than Wendi and Holly.

            One treat for Xander during this long hot weekend was Uncle Gregg taking him out sailing at a local lake. Thus Uncle Gregg continues to run up the score in the “Which Hardy Men Remembered Xander’s Birthday” contest. Truth be told, it’s not really a contest anymore. As my Beloved has often reminded me; my side’s Menfolk are a just a truckload of dullards.

            On a somber note, please be grateful that you’ve been spared the disaster that so many of our fellow citizens have experienced this summer. You never really appreciate what you’ve got until you’re faced with a soul-crushing calamity which can cause you to question the very existence of a Benevolent Creator.

            I speak, of course, of being forced to go see Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Thanks, J The Instigator!

            The other experience of note was already written about: going to OR to see the eclipse. It was a whole lot of preparation, money, and travel for just a few minutes of wow but, well…WOW!  Glad Xander insisted we go. And I’m nearly ready to forgive The Beaver State for not letting me pump my own gas.

            One last item. This will be the last mass email like this; at least for the foreseeable future. I’ve had some comments that not everyone finds everything I find fascinating all that fascinating. Well, rather than risk giving offense, I will simply find another medium to work out my many issues (writing or otherwise).

Well, time to move on.

Brian

(AKA: Mr. Boyishly Charming With The Hot Wife)

A Tragic Tragedy Told in Three Parts

9/3/2016

The Scene? Suburb House, Anytown, USA The Time: Today

-Part 1-

Son and father are getting ready to leave for the Library. Son picks up his shoes from the shoe rack, turns them over, exposing some sort of.... organic material in the treads. The exact nature of said material is not known. Careful not to touch what, he assured his father is probably just mud, the boy slips his shoes on and precedes to start to wipe his feet vigorously on the rug just inside the door.

“Uh, son!?! If that's what it could be, why are you doing that inside the house!"

“0h, right!”

-Part 2-

Boy enthusiastically throws open door, crosses threshold, and immediately starts wiping on our Welcome Mat.

"Son, think about what you're doing. Dog crap is not welcoming!"

Son. (Sigh) Looks exasperated at his nitpicking pop.

-Part 3-

A few moments later, father walks out the door when son, who had been standing quietly on the porch, yells out “0h, wait! My key!'' and rushes past Dad. In 20 feet from door to desk, the young man manages to leave a small dollop of organic material on the Living Room floor. He is too embarrassed and apologetic to notice the single tear slowing making its  way down his father's cheek.

-End Scene-

Class Reunion 3.0

8/9/2016

(Written Sunday, sent to a few classmates for vetting that evening, posting to our class (Liberty Bell High-Class of 86!) FB group early Monday.)

I will try to keep this reasonably short but a favorite writer of mine once told me she had to write about something in order to figure out how she really felt about it. So, my confusion is your...uh...…. gain(?)

First and foremost, in answer to a hotly discussed question from Saturday night, Al Bosco (or “Bosco”  as he known to his legions of fans) is the singer for the band Magic Carpet Ride. Here is the URL:

http://magiccarpetrideinc.com/?page_id=34

It was very bittersweet as we left W/R's last night. Both Friday and Saturday were delightful; even more so than Reunion 2.0.

It's.... amazing that Wendi and I can talk for hours with people we literally

haven't seen in a decade or two (or even three). This may shock you all but we are actually quite quiet people. Tested and found to be way over on the introvert scale. (My Beloved is a therapist after all.)

What brought us out of our shells? Of course the first answer is all the stories. How did I miss PH flying feet first down the hall? Of more importance, how did R end up with soooooo many tales involving me doing really dumb things? Memory being a fickle b***h, I tended to view my years at MVMS and LBH as the story of a “Plucky Young Fellow overcoming adversity in order to Get The Girl and Ride Off Into the Sunset.”

Sadly, it seems to be more a tale of God Has a Soft Spot for Dumb­ Asses.

(Shrug)

I can live with that. Probably best to be reminded of such things at least every decade or so.

Another reason we were so hesitant to leave Saturday night, despite the great fondness mosquitos have for Wendi, is that it was a delightful reminder of where we come from. Our roots. We are coming up on two decades living in Silverdale; well over twice the years spent as a Valley resident but we aren't really “from”  Kitsap County; we just live there. Does Silverdale even have mayor? Not a clue but I can tell you what was on the agenda at the last Twisp City Council Meeting. Where we grew up will always be our spiritual home town and you all helped renew this bond.

Our son will graduate in five years with several hundred classmates; most of whom he probably will feel very little connection with. To my mind, that negates any advantages a big school can offer.

Nostalgia isn’t the worst of vices and I suspect its hold on us will only strengthen as the years go by.

The final reason for not wanting to leave? Maybe it's just me but sometimes I will put off going to bed because that's a bit like hitting the "fast forward" button. My head hits the pillow and the day is over and it's on to something else. Leaving felt a bit like that. We knew that once we left for home, we wouldn’t see most of you till 2026.

And, this crazy thing called life being what it is, Saturday would most likely be the final time we saw at least a few of you. Just because that's the way life works doesn't mean we couldn't attempt to stop the world, if only for a little bit. A few bug bites (on Wendi) were a small price to pay for just one more story, one more memory, with so excellent a group guys and gals.

Final regret we had. To those few classmates we didn’t get to speak with, we'll try to do better in '26. No doubt, we'll be sporting Facebook brain implants, Google Glasses (version 11.5) and jet packs so that will hopefully make it easier. Everything will be better with jet packs.

Though, even they will pale in comparison to T's awesome Mustang. You take care of that car young man, you hear?

In fact, you all take care of yourselves, okay? You won’t want to miss "Sappy Essay 4.0" now would you?

Thank you.

Even More Appreciative of Good Friends/Good Times, (and to be honest, my hair),

President Brian

Of Brian and Wendi Fame.

Semper, Semper

8/2015

Today, one of my long wished for dreams came true. 

No, not that one.

Not that other one either.

Nope, today Xander and I took a tour of US Coast Guard Station Seattle. This is where a young fresh faced Seaman Hardy served from '89-91. Not sure on the math here but in the...uh..decade since I wore the wore the uniform, some things have changed. The boats are bigger, more high tech. 

"Good God! They forgot the helm on this boat!

Uh, Mr. Hardy, we use joysticks now.

I knew that!" 

And there is a whole lot more security now also. Sign of the times.

But what hasn't changed is more important: the mission.  They still save lives, protect property, monitor the environment, guard the borders, etc,.

And occasionally give tours to (appreciative) old farts waxing nostalgic about how things were back in the day.

I was delighted to note that one of their "olde timey" photos on the wall featured two Coasties I served with. 

Okay, delighted and disturbed.

If you want see Uniformed America at its best, it can be found at Pier 36 in Seattle. Give them a call. I get the feeling they love giving tours. I know I loved being there. 

Brian 

Semper Paratus 

Selling the Ranch

6/30/2015

Well, tomorrow marks the first two weeks of summer. Based upon all the fun-looking things posted to FB, the Hardys have been slacking. Sigh. This is what happens when I’m in charge. 

First of all, Xander is now officially too old for M&M summer camp. He’s quite delighted but I am scrambling trying to keep him occupied. There have been rumblings of going swimming with neighborhood friends and he came very close to going to Wild Waves. Sadly, Xander’s continued need to improve his writing skills put the kibosh on that plan. Maybe sometime in the future when he isn’t working at Sylvan or swimming at the Y. We just got his report card yesterday. Definitely more practice at writing. 

One activity we’ve just started is OT for his terrible handwriting. Right now, it’s one hour a week down at Port Orchard Group Health campus. Wish we’d started earlier but…..

Let’s see; Sylvan, OT and swim lessons. Okay, we’re not just sitting around watching the bug zapper. 

Fun stuff? Yes, there has been a bit of that also. Xander spent the first 5 days of summer at the Ranch. Always a good time. Last day of school, he and I met Tina in Darrington to exchange the kid; about a 3 hour drive for each of us. 

Wendi and I had two childfree days where she worked and I…worked. But at least I was done in the classroom by Friday early afternoon (a personal best) and got to see the Avengers and Jurassic World. I’ll take it. Then Saturday, we drove over to the Valley for our niece’s wedding. Best wishes, Alana. Hope marrying at 18 isn’t a hasty idea. Granted, we Hardys waited well-over a decade to get hitched so maybe we’re not the best judges on this. 

Something the boy and I are now doing on a semi-regular basis is working his shoulders. Robin the OT told us that you don’t get better handwriting by strengthening your dominant wrist but your dominate shoulder. So, we’ve been tossing the soft ball around (something we already do but now it’s with an academic purpose). Also, Xander is tossing a tennis ball at a fixed spot on the side of the house and (in theory) catching it. Further, I have introduced him to Manly Art of Chopping Wood. We’re actually out of wood to chop right now. Maybe one of the madrona’s will keel over from sheer Wendi Hatred. We can hope. 

Speaking of my Beloved, she’s decided to quit Group Health. This process will actually take a long time as she’ll want to meet with all of her patients to discuss this. So, we’re talking months, not weeks. Months in which we will try to save as much money as possible. Which means I need to spend less. 

Whoops. 

You know what would help us save a big stack of money? If we could earn a boatload of cash by selling a couple of art pieces Tina gave us a few years back. That would be really cool. But in order to do that, it would be good to actually know how much they (two lithographs by David Roberts) are worth. Mother in Law has no idea; she bought them in the 60s from a wealthy friend with a cash flow problem. Doesn’t remember how much she paid but is sure they’re worth something. 

So Brian has spent the past week investigating the exciting world of art appraisers. And by that, I mean “Pissing My Life Away Doing The One Thing Actually More Boring Than Watching a Bug Zapper”. Well, we’re close now. We took the pieces over to Seattle yesterday and gave Erin the Appraiser a stack of money to work her magic.

This process seems to be working in the opposite direction. 

Be that as it may, we’ll get the report in a week or two. Lord Willing, whatever worth is assigned to them will be at least as much as we paid for the appraisal.*

Xander’s been racing through all the Doctor Who DVDs he checked out from the Library. It’s amazing how enthralled he can be by 25-35 year old BBC programs. (Oh, I mean programmes.) And he’s now figured out how to watch them on his computer. That’s…..learning, isn’t it? 

At the end of the week, we head for Hawaii. Whoo-hoo! Just a few days back, I rented a car using our Hilton time share points. That’s a first time I’ve done that. For our last trip to the Aloha State in 2012, we waited too long to get a car. Now, a Jeep Grand Cherokee will be awaiting our arrival at the airport. That’s the plan anyway. And the $15 total fee we paid is 1/4 what the single taxi ride from the airport to the resort cost us our last trip. Take that….Taxi Person!

Naturally, I am working vigorously on my tan. Does anyone have one of those paint sample things? Because I may have gone from “porcelain” to “pearl”. Getting to “ivory” would be a nice end point before hitting the beach. Got to "represent" Puget Sounds and all. 

****************************************

Sigh… And now the big news. When visiting Tina a couple weeks back, she told me she would be speaking with a realtor soon about putting the Ranch up for sale. Tina plans to stay in the Valley but I’m not sure what her living arrangements will be. She’s probably not sure herself. We haven’t spoken since then. Based upon the selling of the old Ranch House (where the oldest photos below were taken), she estimates the sale will take 1 to 3 years. I’m hoping for a long sale for purely selfish reasons but my head says the old Ranch House was on the market during the Great Recession and the economy is much better now.  

Well, I can’t say I blame her. Not logically. It’s a huge responsibility with costly ongoing upkeep. And she’s just one 70-something grandma living by her self. Yes, Tina has every right to simplify her life but I will miss the trips east. 

Correction,  I won’t miss the long trips; just being at the Ranch.  So much of my life, starting as a terribly uncouth high schooler in the mid-80s, took place here: prom, sneaking in a bedroom window after prom (Note to self: Don’t send this to Tina.), getting married, every Christmas since the late 80s and then watching my kid discover the Ranch’s magic for himself. And saying good-bye to the departed.

And, like all good things, getting the most out of this wonderful experience by sharing it with friends. 

It will be hard to say good-bye. This place has been an island of stability for most of my life. Okay, its occupants have filled that role as well. :) 

So, I plan to spend as much time as possible with my family over at the Big Valley Ranch this, well, summer, fall, winter, and so on. As long as we’re not trespassing on somebody’s else’s property. Xander hasn’t managed to catch all the fish in the ponds so we’ve got some work to do. 

Time to drive the boy forth….

Brian 

* File This Art Predicament Under: One of Brian’s Problems That None of His Friends Give a Shit About.

Thrilling Weekend Part 1

7/20/2014

Well, here I am enjoying the comforts of the living room couch. Wendi is at the other end. Tina's upstairs getting ready for night two of her stay. I was almost positive she'd planned a two night stay but today I learned it was three nights. Uh...yea?

We're thinking we will do some shopping tomorrow for a sleeper/sofa; one we can put upstairs in the library. Not saying we will buy anything but if we come across an adequate one......

Missed a heck of a Secret BBQ yesterday. It was a slightly smaller crowd than planned as the W Clan canceled relatively last minute. JM also didn't make it.  But that still left us with the Bs, Ss (B and E), and PH. Plus us Hardys and Tina. Wendi was completely fooled though when she called to say she was coming home, I sounded a bit too silly not to raise her Spidey Senses. (I was talking on the phone in front of everybody and said I was just walking around in my underwear.) 

One bit of news I got was that Mrs. J won't be our 3rd team member. She has accepted a position in Gig Harbor. Hmmmmm. Guess that's more work for Mrs. K. Hope she finds a good 5th grade teacher.

Well, my beloved is glaring at me from the sleepy and sensible end of the couch so I'll have to save my description of the Valley burning up for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

7:51 Sunday. Actually sort of slept in. Unusual. Maybe couch living agrees with me.

Anyway, then yesterday afternoon, we went over to Bellevue to Stuart and Britt's place for niece Tamara's....2nd birthday. It's more an excuse for a whole gob of Heath's and Emorys and various other relatives to get together. There were about 30 peeps there all told. Xander was the oldest kid there and naturally assumed his God-Given Role of trying to keep everything organized. There was a huge box in the rec room downstairs which he transformed into a fort. Cool kids inside. Unwashed masses outside wanting to get in. Kind of like being a fifth-grade teacher at CC.

Later, we saw him leading a small group of kids outside. Well, attempting. Seems there was a large contingent of small rabble rousers who just were not following the plan. Actual quote, "Kids, this is a fire drill! Not a stuff your face with fruit drill!" 

The life of a future hall monitor is not an easy one.

I am willing to say outright that the reviews of my BVB Burgers were much more glowing than those of my brother in law's. Granted, the judges were my wife and Tina and, well, me but I happen to agree with their judgement. 

Sister in law is back to bringing her own small cooler of Coors Lite with her to such social events. Which she finished. Most....unique.

Why did the Ws not show up on Friday you ask? They had to drive to Eastern Washington and decided last minute to leave a day early in order to beat the forest fires which were (are) making cross-state travel a hassle. This is the case if you are going through Central Washington like they planned. 

Seems there are mess of fires in the dry half of the state; including a couple in and around the Methow Valley. The town at the bottom of the Valley, Pateros, had a good portion of its downtown burned down on Thursday. And Twisp and Winthrop have been under evacuation warning on and off for the last couple of days. Adding to this joy is the fact that the electricity has been out since Thursday. (Fires knocked out the one power line into the Valley.) Nobody knows when it'll be back on but it could be weeks. And also cell phone service is mostly out. 'Cause why the hell not?!?

I must admit, this does put a bit of a damper on our future travel plans. We'll just have to play it by ear.

Also, it makes me want to go do something useful over there. Bring a generator or 5 gallons of gas. Something like that. I'll call Dad and see what he thinks. Brother Jeff's Methownet site is down and that's never down. Wonder what's going on over there. 

My first step will be to get off this couch. 

This comfy couch. 

The things I do for the Greater Good. Wish me luck.

Brian
Sent from the wild and crazy side of the couch.

Thrilling Weekend Part 2

7/22/2014

Woke up way early. Couldn't get back to bed and so decided to load up the car. Have now done so but it's still way too early to go visit people or swing by the store. Might as well update you all on the Valley Situation.

From where I sit in the Ranch Living Room, things look wonderful. Sky is clear. There's a light breeze. However, if I look directly south, all the hills in the distance seem to be smoldering.

I took a drive south a few miles past Carlton yesterday when I arrived yesterday. There were a lot of burnt fields and I noticed a few missing structures. No doubt a native would have noticed more than a few.

There didn't seem to be anything still burning on the west side of the Valley but there was plenty still burning on the east side; mostly south of Twisp. The fires got more noticeable as evening fell.
Brother Gregg's house didn't look in the path of anything but a strong wind going in the right (or rather: wrong) direction can change things very quickly.

Spoke with Jeff and Mariah last night. It was a long day. Which preceded a longer day all the way back to Thursday, when the stuff really hit the fan. He said a few small little hundred-acre fires whipped up to into one huge inferno in just a matter of hours due to some vengeful winds. That the news keeps mentioning the hundred homes destroyed while showing footage of Pateros. However, only 30ish of those were in Pateros and the rest were in the Valley. (Though I don't mean to poo-poo the suffering of those 30 families; just to give idea of the proportional suffering.)

We Hardys have had our fire-related loss. Jeff has 20-acres up the Loup with a small house he's rented out for many years. It's now gone as is the "Taj Maj-shed" and an old tractor.  Jeff hasn't been up there yet. Not ready to face that yet. Not sure how much time Jeff's renter had to flee.

Possibly as devastating is the fact that Jeff and Mariah's wireless internet business is in trouble.
Right now, there is no power in the Valley and won't be for days or more likely, weeks. Jeff said there is some talk of bringing in huge FEMA generators but for now, the Valley is dark but for scattered little generators chugging away.

Ironically, that's actually helping Methownet. Once people do start getting power, they will notice that their internet isn't working. And won't be working for some time. You see, one thing that burned in GREAT quantities over the past 4 days are PUD telephone poles. (Yes, they actually carry electricity but saying "electric poles" would be confusing.) Well, Methownet used those poles to help with internet coverage for this far flung Valley. So, while the Public Utility District will be motivated to get all their infrastructure back, Jeff would really like it all back, like yesterday. He and the team are probably already at work trying to figure something out. Soon. The Evil Corporations are quite eager to crush the hometown competitor.

Provided Gregg's house survived the night, his losses were some sleepless nights and his livelihood. Construction has come to a stand still and will remain so for who knows how long.

So, the Valley is mostly without power and internet. And phone service is spotty. Well, even spottier than usual. The AT&T cell tower was damaged so that network is down for the count. Sadly, they actually had the better Valley coverage. Verizon is fine but I have to go to Twisp to make a call.

It's almost 7:30 and most likely, people are up. Or they should be, the lazy bastards. I will go visit Gregg, Konnosan and Jeff and Mariah's shop in Winthrop.

Onward.

4:17 PM
Awaiting the arrival of the Edmonds' Ferry.

Things look much better after I took another tour. First spoke with Gregg. He was actually on his way to work on a house way up the Rendezvous but we met at Hank's Market in Twisp. Mr. Conrad is about the most popular man in the Valley for his foresight in buying a $250K generator so he could keep his supermarket and gas station open on the off, off chance a bunch of fires would knock power to the whole Valley for who knows how long. He'd be elected King were there an election right now. None of the current officials have covered themselves in public adulation. Nobody knows anything.
Generators are very popular right now.  They've got one up at Gregg's construction site. G-Man was quite happy about that turn of events. I expect there will be a bit of a building boom in the next year.

Tina was very interested in getting one or two generators for the Ranch. One for the house (or rather the freezer) and one for the pump. The local supplier ran out of their very over priced and underpowered models which gave the Ranch's handyman, A, a chance to possibly pick up a couple of more suitable models from this side of the Cascades. Hope he was successful. As I said, cell phone service is ghastly so I don't know how that went.

Swinging by Methownet, things are looking promising there also. Through some electronic alchemy, internet service should be somehow, possibly up and running by the end of the week..(?)

Not sure the details. Bless his heart, Jeff always attempts to explain what he's doing, and I always nod and think of bunny rabbits.

He hadn't been up the Loup yet but Gregg had and showed me the pictures he'd taken. Just foundations left.

Thus, yet another structure I worked on comes to a grisly end.

Tina sounds like she wants to go back tomorrow. I will highlight the smoke, lack of power and phones when hinting she could certainly stay in Silverdale at least a few more days. Xander will certainly lobby hard. However, the Great Tragedy My Past Three Decades is my utter inability to get a Heath Woman to change her mind once it's set.

Might go with the grandson angle.

So that's the update from the Methow Valley. I expect the local businesses would really appreciate your patronage if you feel like heading over. I'd originally planned to do so this weekend but that date may need to be adjusted. We shall see.

Take care.

Brian

This Summer

7/14/2014

    Been a while. Summer's been mostly working on the To-Do list. Not terribly exciting. Last weekend, Xander and I went over to the Ranch to goof around. It's much more relaxing; without Harold, a foot in the grave, demanding all of Tina's time/energy. 

That's her grandson's job.

My mother-in-law is currently figuring out how to minimize the damage that Harold's f'd up will is wreaking. He so wanted to be generous but didn't leave any $ with which to do so. But Tina signed off on his estate planning when they updated everything 3 or 4 years ago. Wish she hadn't so completely trusted all his assurances.

One benefit is Tina's current #1 priority is making sure her will will be trouble-free for her heirs. A goal I can whole-heartedly support.

Wendi is about a month into her new job at Group Health. We love the new income. She is struggling to keep up with the paperwork. This is the first full-time job she's had since Xander was born. 

I've done one day hike so far this summer; last week. It was a 14-mile slog and I was embarrassingly sore the next day (or two). 

My compadre S and I plan several more day hikes, all in the Olympics. 

I am also planning lots more days of clamming. Thus far, my son and I have caught a mighty total of three and a half clams. Not really a good return on our $18 investment for my license. 

As to our summer plans, here is my thinking. We have roughly a week's vacation each summer. Last summer it was Las Vegas. Well, this summer, Wendi won't be able take any time off so it'll just be X-Man and me. Now, a couple weeks ago, I got my enhanced driver's license so Canada is now an option. Hilton has properties up in Whistler and I was wondering if you wanted to go up there for three or four days in August. I'd take care of lodging and you'd take care of transportation. 

You interested enough for me to inquire further? In Vegas, we got two rooms connected by a living room for four nights. Wendi's friend V and husband were supposed to take the other room and Xander was to have the living room hide-a-bed but the W’s had to cancel last minute. Xander was quite pleased to have his own room.

So, what do you think? I realize this is a bit last minute. Wendi is usually in charge of organizing the Family Summer Vacation but since she ain't goin'; her interest is minimal. I plan to throw myself on her mercy very soon. 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter. Oh, and also read The Martian. Best book I've read in years.

Adios.

Mr. Brian

My Son, The Moron

5/12/14

Sad to say the results are in and are conclusive. The test, developed at some of the finest universities in Europe and North America, consists of one deceptively simple question. 

In a room with a low ceiling AND a chandelier that your mother has lugged from house to house for over 35 years, your preferred entertainment would be:

A) Reading Quietly.

B) Practice Swinging Your Light Saber. 

You may be able to guess which path my son chose. 

I told him that he'll need tell mom tomorrow when she calls but that he shouldn't worry about it.

Well, maybe he'll find a good woman more interested in looks than brains. 

Worked for Dear Old Dad.