The Final Countdown

Between Valerie and myself, one of us has been the editor of our local union's newsletter since about 1990. This morning I was working on the layout of the next newsletter, and stopped to realize that after this one I'll have two more to put out -- and then I'm done with it.

Nominations for union officers came up over the last two meetings, and I declined to accept the nomination. Frankly I'm glad that it's almost over with as this extra little job has always managed to steal a good portion of what would normally be a day off. Not that it hasn't been fun, and -- yes -- it was a paid position, but I've lost the desire and the interest to keep doing it.

It wasn't as tough when we lived in the Boise area, but since we moved to Garden Valley in 2000 the drive down and back is at the minimum a 100 mile round trip. It's become a chore that I no longer look forward to doing, and thankfully it will be passed along to fresh blood soon enough.

I wonder if I'll find something else to take its place, or just give up on any kind of writing altogether? I've got this mostly unread blog going on its one-year commitment, but after the year is up, then what? I've got an idea for a knitting blog, that instead of featuring the daily rantings of one person would actually enlist the stories of other people worldwide on why they knit. People who might have a tale to tell -- once -- and then they'd be done, unlike the person who is doing a daily journal. Perhaps this theme might catch on or perhaps it won't, but it might be interesting to see.

I need to talk to a couple other computer literate knitters first, because if something like this becomes a hit... I might find myself needing help just keeping up with it. Plus, if there's a way to turn a hobby into something that generates a little cash flow... who am I to say "no"?

A Good Weekend

Every six weeks Valerie and I get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off from the Post Office. We are fortunate that the routes we have are both on the same rotation, so we have the same work schedule. This doesn't always mean that she gets the day off, as she's on the overtime list and this weekend she wound up working both her Friday and Saturday, leaving only Sunday to rest and recover.

But, now that my mother is living in Boise, there is always something to do when a little spare time pops up and Valerie is off slaying postal dragons. And so it was that this weekend we spent a little time seeing the sights.

This past Friday my mom and I piled into the car and made a run to Costco, a place I wind up going for lunch supplies and a few other items that tend to come in large quantities. We took a less than direct line of travel, and went driving through some neighborhoods looking at the various fall colors, including a hilltop view of downtown Boise and the entire Treasure Valley from part of my mail route.

After Valerie got home from work we all got in the car and drove north to McCall for dinner at one of my favorite places, "The Mill". The scenery was incredible as the sun set over the mountains ending what had been a warm fall day.

Saturday dawned and after making mochas for my mom and myself, we set out to return to her apartment. We didn't go the direct, paved way but instead drove through the mountains starting on Alder Creek road and winding our way to Idaho City, and then drove back toward Boise along State Highway 21.

As an added treat we stopped in (unexpectedly) at the Idaho Sewing & Vacuum Center where my cousin Gail works. She hadn't seen her "Aunt Nina" in many years, and was beside herself when she recognised who had just come in the store. Facial expression can say a lot, and when someone lights up with the joy of reunion you've witnessed one of the greatest expressions you'll ever see.

How Much Longer?

It must be nice to be a cat, spending most of your time snoozing away on anything that's soft and cozy. The little cat pictured here is "Kittle"; she's 15, diabetic and causing me to wonder how much longer she's going to be around.

She can't keep dry food down anymore, and when we feed her canned food she'll usually lap up the juices, and occasionally pick at the food. She's been losing weight, and doesn't get up to greet us when we get home at night like she used to do in her healthier days.

There are times I'm tempted to take her into the vet for the "final" time... and then the next day she'll seem to be perfectly fine, purring loudly whenever she's near us. I'm hoping that nature will take it's course before we feel we have to come to a decision of that nature. This has been our favorite cat... and making a choice like that wouldn't be an easy one.

How the West Was Moved...

This week's installment is brought to you by U-Haul... truly a moving experience. (The photo was taken looking out the passenger's window and we descended a long grade into Lauglin, Nevada.)

My mother has made the move from Arizona to Idaho, and somehow survived the ordeal. She decided to opt out of the "easy way" of getting here (flying) and chose to be the navigator in our 14 foot boxed van. Two days and 850 miles later we were in Boise. But I shouldn't end the story before I begin it...

One of the reasons Mom chose to ride on the ground was the opportunity to "see the sights" -- something that can be a bit challenging from 38,000 feet. Getting her in and out of the van wasn't easy, but they are a little more accessible than they were a few years ago. Still, even with help climbing in and out of one of those vehicles can be tough on older joints and her knees were screaming a new song after a couple days of this routine.
We opted out of going over Hoover Dam because of the security requirements: they wanted a "walkable aisle" in the van, and the right to inspect anything they needed to (and we were responsible for repackaging it). Having read that on the website, I figured the 25 miles around would be a lot easier than hoping to find an inspector who was in a good mood and didn't feel we were a threat to the security of America. So we took the spur from Kingman, Arizona into Laughlin, Nevada and then headed north to Las Vegas.

We had talked about hitting a buffet for lunch while in Las Vegas, and to me there is none better than the Carnival World Buffet at the Rio. (Well, there probably are better ones, but to a non-Nevadan this one is pretty amazing.) I pulled off of Interstate 15 on W. Tropicana Avenue, south of where I could see the Rio and thought that I'd then travel one of the side streets to the hotel. This faulty reasoning is where the trouble began.

The street I wanted to use (South Valley View Blvd.) didn't go through; it seems that a railroad track intersects that street between Tropicana and West Flamingo (where the Rio is located). Valley View dead ends right by the rail line. Great.

I thought we'd head a couple of blocks east and try again. Polaris Avenue yielded the same result; dead end at the track. Now I could get back on the Interstate (which was thick with traffic and scary in a U-Haul) or I could head out further west on Tropicana until I hit another major street and try heading north again.

After crossing under a bridge with the railroad above us I knew it was safe to turn right, and Arville St. took us all the way to Flamingo, and then another right and it was off to the Rio. We had to circle the entire complex to find a parking area the was empty enough to park the U-Haul and then it was off to the casino, Mom in her wheelchair and me providing the horsepower behind her. Needless to say that the buffet was in the section of the casino furthest from where we had to park!

Lunch was good, with more food choices than a person could possibly consume in one (or five?) sittings. We then loaded up and got out of Las Vegas as fast as possible. Road construction was everywhere, and vehicles with very wide loads were blocking both lanes in a crowded and narrow part of the freeway as they slowly lumbered up the road. I was very happy to get that mess behind me!

We stayed in Ely, Nevada at the Hotel Nevada. It's actually a fairly nice place for an OLD building, and the showers seem to be their claim to fame. They're hot one minute and cold the next and then back to hot again. Guests are warned that this is going to happen, and that it's part of the "charm" of an old building with antique plumbing.

The following morning we were up and out of there before sunrise heading ever northward toward Idaho. There were a couple of areas where road construction was delaying traffic, but I got there just as the pilot truck was getting ready to lead people through in the direction we were travelling, so we lost no time having to wait.

We arrived in Boise about 2:30 in the afternoon and then spent the evening at our house in Garden Valley. The following morning a crew of my misfit friends helped up unload the van, and moved Mom into her new apartment. There wasn't much room for her with all the boxes, but over the past few days Valerie and I have been working to reduce that load and make the place livable.

I got her computer up and running yesterday so she has contact with the "outside world" once again, and on Friday we took her new power chair outside for it's maiden voyage: a trip to a branch of her bank which is just about a block away from where she's living.

All in all, I'd say "Mission Accomplished!"