Stuck in Eugene???

Oh yeah, there were storm clouds over Eugene for sure yesterday…and today might not be much better.  At least one person had a humorous take on our wintry weather.  Check out what USBACKROADS has to say about our situation.
We went to Salem yesterday to celebrate the 80th birthday of Russ’s sister, Alice.  What a great lady she is and she was sooooo surprised to see everyone there at her party – it was a surprise.  Even her son, Darrell,  who lives in France was there.  There were so many people that I didn’t get many good photos but here are a few of my favorites.

The birthday girl herself

Alice and Russ

John (Red) and Auntie Alice

Russ got Alice a little bear made by Russ (the company, not my Russ!!).  That way she can have a Russ Hug anytime she wants one.

Russ spent many happy summers with Alice and Elmer when he was growing up,  and he has a deep love for his sister.  I do too!!  She’s a wonderful lady and we are  so blessed to have her in our lives.  Happy Birthday, Alice.

It started to snow pretty heavily by mid-afternoon so we did what any sensible old folks would do – we beat feet for Eugene.  Just walking out to the car made Russ’s hair begin to turn white!!

Yup, that's snow

The drive home actually wasn’t too bad.  The storm was very spotty, with bare pavement followed by snow, then ice, then rain, and bare pavement again.  This was not bare pavement!!



During some of those storm breaks, we were treated to some colorful skies as the sun began to set in the west.  These photos were taken from the car as we traveled south on I-5.

That's a little irrigation stream running through a field filled with sheep.

Had a bit more snow last night with more predicted for the early part of the week. 

There’s just something a little sad about snow surrounding a swimming pool.  And it’s REALLY sad when you have to stick your hand in that freezing water to clear the leaves out of the filter basket! 




But I always think there is a certain beauty in a snowfall, even one as light as what we received last night.  Something about a fresh blanket of white covering all the ugly spots and making the landscape fresh and bright.  Okay, that’s enough already…I said the something good about the snow…it can quit now!!

Winter Blahs!

I‘m beginning to think we will be stuck at home all winter.  Still trying to get a needed test scheduled…no one calls me back.  Have one test completed, two more scheduled, but the important one is the hang-up.  Why do doctors tell you to schedule something and then the office you were referred to never calls back???  I also cannot get an appointment for a physical until February 28.  I didn’t take that appointment because I wanted to be gone by then so now I probably can’t get in until March.  Russ is scheduled for a physical on February 16 so can’t go anywhere until then anyway.  I called 5 minutes after he did (same doctor) and that was when I was told February 28.  They can keep their dang physical for all I care!!  Yeah, you got me, I’m in a pissy mood!

I guess I shouldn’t complain.  Barbara of Me and My Dog is in the hospital after undergoing a not pleasant operation.  Others I have read of recently are facing serious medical conditions.  It just seems that all too often as soon as you are able to quit working and travel, you become entangled in medical problems.  Sometimes I wish we could do things backwards;  travel while we’re young and healthy and work when we are old and miserable anyway!!

Allen and Lolita are trying to decide what to do about retirement.  He asked for reader input and ideas so hop on over there and give him your two-cents worth. 

We went to a BD party for our 12 year old grandson on Saturday.   I FINALLY got a nice photo of Corbin as he was showing off the jean jacket he received from his other Grandma.


Normally Corbin does this when he gets in front of  a camera…



…or this…



He’s just like his dad!  I have very few pictures of his dad when he wasn’t mugging for the camera. 

Next year we will have THREE grands turning 13 within a few months of one another!  Oh my…

We also got to visit with little brother Brendan and the new grandpuppy, Bertie. 



Brendan is a “snuggler”…his big brother, not so much!  The expressions say it all.

Mom, can I dump him on the floor now, PLEASE?

Dad (Joel) cut the cake…Corbin specifically requested something other than a “kid’s” cake.



We’ve been having nice sunny days here but still COLD.  The few wispy clouds we have had, turn into wonderful sunsets at night…mostly pinks and blues rather than fiery reds and oranges.  Russ shot this the other evening out in front of our house.



Unfortunately, our home is in an older neighborhood and we have all these ugly overhead wires.  This is how it might look if we had underground utilities!!



Anyway it was a great sunset and we enjoyed the color while it lasted.  And a Good night to you all!

A Fun Trip to….COSTCO!!

Now, going to Costco is not generally high on my list of things to do.  Oh sure, I like to wander around and look at all the neat stuff, and browse the books, and breathe in that fresh bakery smell…BUT I could do without the hoards of people, and the basket bashers, and the whiny kids…wow, I sound like a curmudgeon!  I’m sure you have never longed to run smack into a cart that some thoughtless person has left abandoned in the center of the aisle while they go off to check out the fresh produce! 

But today I saw something in Costco that made the trip completely worthwhile.  I’m not sure it was completely legal and I am not sure how store security was not involved, but here it is:



As far as I know these are NOT service dogs and those are the only ones allowed in grocery stores.  But who cares?  They were behaving themselves. “Momma” was pushing them with one hand and pulling one of those oversized Costco baskets with the other.  She was creating something of a traffic jam but no one seemed to mind.  When I asked if I could take a picture, she grabbed a package of meat and held it up for her little charges to see. 














I think this little fella was hoping for a sample.  The poor little one in the back didn’t stand a chance.


We got what we needed at Costco, and some of what we didn’t, so it was a good trip.

All the roasted chickens were gone when we got there a little after noon, but we hung around and got a fresh one.  The aroma in the car coming home was enough to whet anyone’s appetite and we were ready to dig in.  I had a bit of left over teriyaki pork loin and a little green onion.  I made some instant rice (don’t tell my daughter!), added the diced pork loin, onions, seasonings and a scrambled egg and we had ourselves a dinner of pork fried rice, Costco chicken, and some of those yummy little tomatoes that Costco sells. 



Geez, this has turned into a commercial for Costco and I don’t even own any stock!

Just to prove it isn’t all about Costco, allow me to enjoy a short rant.  I have had a few minor medical concerns since Thanksgiving and I have put off doing anything until after the holidays were over.  So Tuesday morning I started making calls.  Of the three things I needed to take care of, ZERO have been addressed!  Between no call backs, sloppy lab people, and conflicting instructions, this week has been a total waste as far as medical issues go.  I am not surprised that many older folks neglect their health until they are forced to confront an issue.  It is just so darn frustrating and stressful to deal with the medical community that I would almost rather just go out on the ice flow and let nature take its course.  Not really, but you get my drift.

Okay, end of rant, and I’ll start fresh on Monday and hope everyone leaves their stupid hats at home next week!

That’s all folks…have a great evening.

Animal House

Actually, if you look at our family, it would be Animal HOUSES…I don’t think we have a relative that doesn’t have a pet of one kind or another.  Many of you commented on my post the other day when son John (Red) lost his longtime feline companion, Pita.  He read every comment and said that it really helped to know so many people care and understand.  Thank you so much from both of us.  I am happy to report that John has a new kitty, Margo, a two-year-old rescue.  As he said on Facebook, “I have too much love for kitties to be kittyless.”  John also said, “You're right, I can't replace Pita. But I was thinking about it quite a bit and in Pita's final moments she was so calm and relaxed in my arms. She was truly at peace and felt very loved. If she could talk, I think she would tell me that she was the luckiest kitty on earth. I think Pita would want me to share that love with other kitties as well.”  What a guy.  There are no pictures of Margo yet as she is very shy and John does not want to spook her by following her around with a camera and having a flash go off in her eyes. 
I do have a picture of a new Grand-dog though.  Grandson Corbin will turn 12 on January 9th and he got a puppy for his birthday.  His name is Bertram and he is terrier and Pomeranian.  He reminds me a little of Nellie’s dog, Bosco.








He is an adorable little fella and I think they will make a good pair.




Granddaughter Anna also got a new kitty for Christmas and she is so happy with her.  This is also a rescue kitty, and her name is Shea (Shay).


It seems like many in the RV community have dogs or cats and some, sadly, have lost their beloved companions recently.  There is just something so unconditional about the love you receive from a dog or a cat that makes it so hard when they cross that Rainbow Bridge.  For all of the pet lovers out there, I want to recommend a book.  In a shameless bit of promotion, I want to pass on to you a book written by my brother, David Fritsche.  His book has been out for a while now but he recently published it as an affordable e-book and I think many of you would enjoy it.  If you have ever loved a pet, or if you have ever lost a pet, this book will touch your heart. 


My brother got his first German Shepherd Dog (GSD) when he was only 15 years old.  She was a descendant of the famous Rin Tin Tin and he has been forever a lover of that breed (and all other dogs too!).  His book is not only a memoir of the dogs he has loved  in the last 50+ years, it is a testament to the human/animal connection.  There is no one that I know who has lived a life of love, acceptance, and forgiveness more than my brother.  In his younger years, he was a police officer in our small California town and helped them begin a canine unit.  In later life David went on to other careers, but his dogs were always front and center of his life.  


This book, The Dog is My Shepherd, is full of stories of his relationships with those dogs and is by turns, humorous, insightful, and sometimes poignant.  Below are links to both the Kindle and other e-Reader versions.  If you like dogs, you will like this book.  Enjoy and pass the word along to other pet lovers in your circle of friends.



Other e-Reader versions


Kindle version







David is also the author of the German Shepherd version of Barron’s Dog Bibles.    If you are considering owning a German Shepherd or already own one, this is a great book by folks who know dogs.

I had a wonderful birthday today and don’t feel a day older than I did last year!!  Thank you all so much for your Happy Birthday wishes.  It really meant a lot to me.  Hopefully we will be back on the road before too much more winter passes us by and we may even see some of you all back in California or Arizona.  Safe Travels to you all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNA

May your day be merry and bright

 

and all your meals be right!!!!

Let’s go out for pancakes!!!!!!!!!!!!

You’re my best friend and the love of my life…so glad!

Had Some Jobs to do…

We are probably behind the curve in cleaning up the Christmas mess but we had a big list of stuff to do today.  We were going to get all the boxes down from the attic, de-decorate the house, take the tree out, put the Christmas wrap back in the attic…you know the drill.  The we looked out the window and saw beautiful bright blue skies and decided the Christmas junk would still be here any day of the week.  After all, we’re retired and don’t HAVE to do anything on any certain day.  When you get a gift of sunshine in January in Oregon, you go with it.  The header photo shows 58 degrees and it actually ended up a couple of degrees warmer than that.

So we took Rusty and Poppy and headed for the lake.  Of course I forgot my camera but we had a nice walk and enjoyed the spring-like weather.  Rusty was tired after that so we dropped him off and picked up the camera and set off to climb to the top of Skinner’s butte (in the car of course!).  This is just a small hill in the middle of down-town Eugene and is part of Skinner Butte Park.  Eugene Skinner was the founder of Eugene.  There are great views from the top, especially on a day like today.  We could see all the way to the Three Sisters (only two could be seen) in central Oregon, about 100 miles away.




We could see the river with the I-5 bridge.  A few of you have this used route lately.  We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!!




We could even see Autzen Stadium, home of the Rose Bowl Champion DUCKS!  (Did you really think I could write a blog today and not mention my Ducks?)




And I could see Poppy straining at her leash wanting to take her Daddy for a walk.




At the bottom of the butte, there is a sheer rock wall that is a popular practice area for rock climbers.  I think this is basalt columns but maybe a soil scientist would know better than I?? I really don’t know much about rocks and such.  This one fella was enjoying the warm sun on his back as he made his descent.



I think this fella was just getting started in the sport but he seemed to be having a good time.  Poppy found this activity incomprehensible but she enjoyed watching!



After all that activity (watching counts, doesn’t it?) we were hungry and went to Marie Callendars for lunch.  I forgot to take pictures but it was sure good.  Russ had a Cobb salad and I had the  special of chicken pot pie, Caesar salad, and a piece of pie for dessert for $10.99.  I had a $5.00 off birthday coupon (tomorrow’s the day), PLUS we both got a free piece of birthday pie so it was a really good deal.  Neither of us could eat pie with lunch, so with our two free pieces, plus the piece that came with my meal, we came home with three pieces of pie…HOT DOG!  Russ chose apple since he didn’t get the apple pie at Carpo’s when we were in Santa Cruz.

We did finally get to a couple of things on our list.  Got the tree down and out to the curb since tomorrow is garbage day, and got the Christmas wrap boxes back in the attic for another year, but that’s about it.  Tomorrow is another day and the stuff ain’t going nowhere!! 

OH, wanted to tell all you grandmas out there…if you want a fun game to play with you grands, try this one.  It’s called Story Cubes.  The games consists of 9 dice which are divided among all players…it really doesn’t matter if you have 1 or 4, it’s all fun.  Each die has a different picture on every side.  Everyone rolls their dice and the players take turns starting a “Once upon a time…” story, using the pictures on their dice.  The next player must take up the story and add to it using his pictures.  The last player brings the story to a conclusion.  It is great for interacting with kids and for stimulating their imaginations…something that is sometimes lacking in today’s electronic age.  At any rate, it sure gets the minds and mouths moving and can become hilarious.  No scoring – it’s just for fun.  I highly recommend this game…might even be fun for adults!

Well, that’s a wrap folks!!

I Smell Roses

In case you didn’t know, this is Rose Bowl Day and in just a little while, I’ll be watching our beloved Oregon Ducks take on the Wisconsin Badgers for the Rose Bowl trophy.  This should be a well matched game and I sure hope the Ducks finally win the Big One!!  So, since I’m going to be pretty busy the rest of the day, I will just share a few of my favorite Duck photos…for good luck!!  (These are all OLD photos!)


This is Bekah and Doug in our driveway with the Duck motorcycle.  The is the motorcycle and driver that roars across the field to start all Oregon home games.  The Oregon Duck mascot rides on the back of the bike.  It’s a great tradition.  This was a great honor to have the motorcycle come to our house.  Bekah had burned her leg on the exhaust pipe the day before at a Daisy Ducks (booster club) meeting and Doug felt so bad he came to the house to see her.




For several years, I sent the girls to Cheer Camp every year.  They got to perform at a women’s basketball game and they all had a great time.  Emmie was too young here but she participated when she was old enough.





Emmie may be too young for cheer camp but she is still an Oregon fan.




Bekah doing her Duck cheer.



Grandson Tim (left) and nephew River at a pre-game banquet.  We all bleed green and yellow in this family!!



Bekah cheering another Duck touchdown at Autzen Stadium 2007.



John (Red) is probably going to kill me, but I think this photo is so funny.



Yours truly with Ducky at some Duck function.  Did you know the official name of our mascot is Puddles?  No one ever calls him that…to us he’s just “Ducky”.  He is the only likeness of Donald Duck allowed as a school mascot by Disney…and that’s another whole story.





At the Holiday Bowl 2006…unfortunately we lost but we had a grand time.



My sis, Laila, and me at a crazy hat day at Daisy Ducks.  The symbols on the hats mean “I love Daisy Ducks”



Russ blows his Duck lips at the Washington game in 2003.  Unfortunately, that fine tradition is now outlawed.




And so I guess you know who we’ll be rooting for in today’s Rose Bowl game.  Merikay will be there rooting for her Badgers and I sincerely hope she and Craig have a wonderful day, but I still want my Ducks to win!!!