Just thought I’d jump in here and post something on my birthday. Lots of folks have sent me birthday greetings, which is very cool – thanks, ya’ll! Anyone else who happens to have a birthday today, Happy Birthday to you too!
I’m off to buy myself a new pair of running shoes and go to the gym this morning. After that, I may just goof off for the rest of the day.
The following quote, one of my favorites, is from a book, Up Country, by Nelson Demille.
“The journey home is never a direct route – it is in fact always circuitous, and somewhere along the way we discover that the journey is more significant than the destination and that the people we meet along the way will be the traveling companions of our lives forever.”
No, I’m not off the grid, just sidetracked from blogging this month – not for lack of ideas, I have plenty of those, some written down and some in my head. This post will look more like a Facebook (or is it FaceBook?) post, kind of chatty and non-substantive, but hopefully fun.
I went shopping for a Valentine’s Day present for my wife the other day. I had decided that the ticket was something practical rather than flowers that wither and droop in a few days. So I went to Kitchen Kaboodle in Hillsboro to get gadgets. Well, actually, I ended up next door at New Seasons first, because I had just come from the gym where I worked out and did a half-mile swim, and I needed a mid-afternoon snack. I found something and asked a person in the deli if they would warm it up for me. While I waited I went over to the beer aisle – New Seasons always has unusual beers, and I like to try new beers. I found a nice one, brewed by the Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, a Belgian pale ale called Orabelle, not too hoppy with a nice kick to it (8.3%), grabbed a six-pack and got my warmed up food and headed for their little cafe to eat. On their menu, I saw a couple of quotes that I thought I’d share before I end this modest post.
Vietnamese Proverb: “When you’re eating fruit, remember who planted the tree; when you’re drinking water, remember who dug the well.”
One more quote for good measure in honor of Valentine’s Day, this one a bit of an oddity by Jonathan Swift:
We Oregonians brag about our wonderful state, its beauty and all the things there are to do there, and it’s all true – come up and see us and we’ll give you the grand tour. My dad (God bless him) used to call it “God’s country”. Perhaps God lingered a bit when he created Oregon. Speaking of lingering . . .
Mamas and the Papas: California Dreaming
Has Anyone Seen my Sunscreen?
Sunshine is probably overrated, but I have to admit I do like it. Sitting in the courtyard by the pool, with a cup of coffee, writing in my journal, it felt great! I actually had to go to Walmart and buy sunscreen yesterday – hey, it’s February, and I live in Oregon, what can I say, I wasn’t prepared for the sun.
What about People?
I wrote a blog post last year about people – you can go take a look.
I’ve always considered myself a “people” person, perhaps growing up in Texas gave me that personality trait, that willingness to talk to a total stranger. Everyone you meet can be your friend, just say hello. Anyway, we were in SoCal last year, same place, same hotel. We came down for my brother-in-law’s celebration of life. I’m glad we did, it was a well-said goodbye to Chris, who was a good man. One of my favorite quotes says it better than I can. Here’s a piece of it – “the people we meet along the way will be the traveling companions of our lives forever.” Use the link to see the whole quote and some other quotes that talk about life and people.
Case in Point, about People.
As I was saying, I like meeting people. On that trip about a year ago, I was sitting out in the courtyard enjoying that wonderful morning sunshine and drinking coffee. I got into a conversation with Jack. He was a Spurs fan, but he wasn’t from Texas, said he had driven down from Seattle the night before. Anyway, he told me about himself, ex-Navy, an Aviation Mechanic who served at Oak Harbor and El Salvador but no carrier duty. We talked about how boring that long drive on I-5 was, which is why we decided to fly on this trip. Maybe our paths will cross again in the future.
I met Theresa on the way out on the plane, she was in the seat next to mine. She was on her way down to California to see two of her eight grandchildren. The people you meet . . .
On this 2016 trip I’ve met a bunch of people, some who are friends of relatives, spending time at our favorite pub in Santa Clarita, enjoying the dart tournament (Bob throws underhanded), music and food and drinks (I got to try three new craft beers!). I met Terry, an ex-Alabaman, who is thinking about moving to L.A. and came out to look for a house. In the hotel fitness center, I met Mo from Simi Valley. He asked me about the thing going on Burns, if it was affecting me where I lived. We got into a brief political discussion about the federal government and the “compulsory” laws that we were supposed to obey. I decided not to argue the point since he was lifting a lot more weight than I was. :}
What’s Next
Not sure what my next blog will be – content now to enjoy one more full day of sunshine before we leave to return to the rain.
That small bird was really proud of himself – I drank the whole thing!
blazinbernie
Looking for a Rufous 