The Last Adventure... (of 2009): Day 4- 1.8k words

Monday 12/21/09 - Happy Winter Solstice

6am - Ned slept in, and G wanted to get up early, so we were awake at the same time, and had a nice morning conversation.  It's so nice to start off each day with G like that.  I enjoy her down to earth approach to spirituality very much.  Somehow, she can make even the most esoteric concepts seem so plain, simple, and obvious.  It's quiet a talent she has, and I’m very lucky to have her as my lover, my confidant, my friend, and my teacher.

7:30am - Off to Starbucks for foo-foo coffee and an internet connection.  G had seen a sign for one the day before as we were looking for a motel, so we went in the 'superstore/ mini mall', and looked around.  We couldn’t see the Starbucks sign anywhere from the entrance, so I asked one of the checkers.

She was on the phone to her boyfriend (is what it sounded like to me), and was too busy to turn to look at me.  She simply pointed her finger over her shoulder behind her.  I shrugged at her disconcern, and headed off with G, across the vast acreage of the mega-complex.

After traversing thru the isles for what seemed like a few city blocks, we ran into another employee and asked him if he knew where Starbucks was.  He said, "Yeah… go back to the entrance and go up the escalators to the second floor."

When we got to the escalator, we noticed the girl at the check out line was still talking on the phone.  I was surprised she didn't turn around as I burned a hole in her back with my disgust for her lack of interest in anything other than her obviously personal phone conversation.

When we got to the coffee counter, we were pleased to be greeted by not one, but two, happy and sincere employees.  Maybe the checker just hadn't had her morning coffee yet.  These two young things certainly made up for it though.  Not only pleasant personalities… they also had bodies on them that warmed me up, even before I had a chance to have any of their coffee.

The place didn't have an internet connection, so I bought myself a cup to go, and we headed back to the truck.  Not far down the road we found a little mom & pop restaurant that had a "free wi-fi" sign, so we went in, and found another smiling face.

I didn't get her name, but she was a very friendly waitress with bright eyes and a happy voice.  She brought us our food and kept our coffee and water glasses full, for the 45 minutes or so that we were there, and didn't mind at all that I had brought my own coffee in with me.

I felt like Goldie-locks… the checker was too-oo cold… the gals at Starbucks were too-oo hot… and the one at the restaurant was ju-ust right.

As we were packing up our laptops and folding up the roadmap, a gentleman in the booth next to us turned around and asked me if I wanted him to tell me an easy way to get to where I was going.  In my typical 'smart aleck' voice, I said, "Sure, you can tell me, but I'm gonna go the way I want to anyway."

Fortunately, he could see the smirk on my face, and the mischievous twinkle in my eye.  When he finished giving me his directions I asked him if the road we were on connected to the freeway, and he said it didn't.  Good thing he offered his assistance, he saved us who knows how much time we would have spent wandering around the side streets.  I love (Portland) Oregon.

As we were heading for the door, the waitress wished us a safe journey, and I told her that we really appreciated her attitude, and commented on her glowing personality.  She looked sincerely at us and said that she was glad that her effort was appreciated, and then explained that she was feeling down because her father had died several days ago.

Funny isn't it, how different people are.  The memory of the sourness of the check out clerk at the mega store was gone… sweetened by the friendly and caring people we found shortly thereafter.

We went out to the truck and just as I was ready to pull out of the parking lot, I stopped… jumped out… and grabbed a twig of the mistletoe I harvested the other day.  My intention was to share it with friends and family along our journey, and this gal was a perfect recipient of my holiday offering.

Neither Gaeir nor myself wanted to visit the arboretum as we had talked about, and since we weren't meeting my oldest daughter Kellie, in Seattle until around 5pm anyway, we decided to head for the coast, and take the scenic route to the next destination of our adventure.

About an hour out of Portland, I pulled over and had G take a picture of me, in front of my 'dream house', a log cabin with a large covered wrap around front porch.  The home was situated on what looked like it could easily have been turned into a little 'pitch and putt' golf course.  I spent a few minutes standing there on the side of the road, pretending I was the owner of this beautiful property.

 

The small highway thru the heavily forested mountains to the coast was very beautiful.  At two of the passes, the light rain turned to a gentle snow, and Gaeir and I were as happy as we had hoped we would be when we headed out from Santa Cruz.  It was only three days ago, but it already seemed like another lifetime.  We were both accomplishing what we wanted.  "Brain off", was the mantra I had been saying, and continued to repeat, as a reminder to her to relax and enjoy this time away from her responsibilities, schedules, and commitments.

When we got to the coast, we detoured about 12 miles, to visit "Haystack Rock" in the tourist town of Cannon Beach.  It was a little town with a big rock.

From there we headed north and crossed the Columbia River at Astoria.  We were now in the State of Washington, and G and I both mentioned almost exactly at the same time, how we felt the 'mood change'.  Something about this State has always made me feel different, and apparently it has that effect on other people as well.

Another minor detour just down the road had us going in circles in another vortex near Long Beach.  We were following the clearly marked signs on the road, but for the life of me it felt like we were going 180 degrees in the wrong direction.  My inner gyroscope is usually very dependable, so this was a very disconcerting feeling for me… the feeling of confusion and apprehension continued to grow for several miles, until at last I felt the effects of the vortex weakening, and that we were going north again.

At our next stop to empty our bladders I made G shake her head at me again.  It had been a while since I'd done or said anything goofy, so I was happy to get a little reaction out of her when I went out of my way to park in a spot that was clearly marked as a place not to.  Have I mentioned yet in this story how 'easily amused' I am?

4pm - We got to Seattle about an hour early, so I took G on a loop across the two floating bridges on Lake Washington.  First, we went east across the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, then west across the I-90 bridge which passes thru Mercer Island, one of the highest high rent districts in the Seattle area.

We pulled up to Kellie's house about 15 minutes early and gave her a call to check on her schedule.  Luckily my oldest daughter has a better sense of time and responsibility than Ashley.  Sometimes.

She told us she had been tied up at work, and that we could either wait there for 30 minutes for her to get home, or that we could drive about 10 minutes and pick her up.  It was an easy choice.

My feelings as I saw her come out of the building where she works, and walk across the sidewalk to the truck, are hard to convey.  Kellie has a very strong and distinct air about her.  Without anything close to cockiness, she is able to portray her confidence as an easy and comfortable self-assuredness.  I am proud of all my daughters, but there has always been something about Kellie that makes me feel that the world is a better place because of her.  Who am I trying to fool?  I feel that way about all my daughters.

When we got back to her apartment, we opened each other's presents and shared some laughs.  She had previously told me she wanted to wait until I was published, and then autograph her copies of my short stories before she read them, but when she gave me two HUGE books, and specifically told me she expected me to read them, I went out to the truck and grabbed my stories that I had originally planned to give her.  Both of us were polite in our excitement about the gifts we received.

We met Kellie's mom at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and had a pleasant meal.  I've talked quite a bit about Mimi in several of my other stories, so this time I'll say something nice… Gaeir LIKED her!  I cannot remember anyone's first reaction to Mimi as being anything but almost fearful of her (besides me).  G said she was able to see thru her loud, obnoxious exterior, and see the 'hurt child'  behind all her manic distractions.  I was touched… both by G's assessment, and… of Mimi's attitude towards Gaeir.

After she realized that she was 'being heard'… she calmed down enough to allow some of the other people at the table to be able get a word in edgewise.  I wish I would've been able to get pictures of the looks Kellie and I traded during the conversation… priceless.  The best way to describe them is for you to imagine what it would look like if someone was rolling their eyes, without rolling their eyes.

We got home to find that Toren, Kellie's roommate, had made our bed for us on the living room floor, and we all quickly settled down for the night at around 9pm.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 7- 600 words

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th - DAY 7:

6:00am - Up and at 'em.

7:00am - Took Peter to school, and had some small talk and some big talk… about his mom.  Apparently she's been doing fairly well with her 'bi-polar' issues, primarily by staying faithful to her prescribed medications.  In my opinion she's a very good example of the old adage, 'there's a fine line between genius and insanity.'

She is one of the most gifted people I've ever met… focused and extremely capable of great things when she wants to be.  Like some of us though (me included), the voices in her head tend to distract her, and she gets sidetracked and goes in unproductive directions.  I used to tell her that if she went towards the light, instead of the dark, that she would get everything she ever wanted.

8:00am - Coffeeing, posting and emailing.

11:00am - Off to Tacoma for another visit with Ashley and this time with her unofficial fiancé John.  I gave Honey another day off.  It was dry weather, but still pretty cold and damp.  Tomorrow will be riding weather, and it should stay that way until Monday, when I'm planning on leaving town.

Noon - The three of us had lunch at their favorite local pub-restaurant.  It was very pleasant.  There was lots of good conversation about our families and their own personal goals for their lives together.  It was the first time I'd been able to spend any quality time with John, and I was very impressed.  With him personally, but mostly… with the way they are together.  They seem very compatible and happy.  Ashley continues to impress me with her maturity and communication skills.

2:30pm - Back to Seattle.

3:30pm - Chores for Mimi.  She'd asked me to load a bunch of garbage into her truck and take it to the dump, but while going thru it, I segregated the garbage from the recyclables… the Goodwill items… and the valuables.  The pile started big enough to fill the back of the truck, but after my segregation, the garbage fit into ½ of a regular garbage can.

I'm so glad I was asked to do this project.  I rescued two of Ashley's photo-memory albums… one from her senior year of high school, and one from the summer tennis camp she went to at The University of California at Santa Cruz. 

For Kellie I saved two of her dolls.   Neither of which she ended up wanting, but both of which looked great on Honey.  'Kenny' from the TV show, Southpark and a white gorilla I named Gertrude.  Kellie's other 248 stuffed animals went to Goodwill.

                                               Kenny and Gertrude on Honey

6:00pm - Truck loaded and there was still no sign or word from Peter or Kellie, both of whom promised me they'd be home by 4pm, to help me load the truck.

7:00pm - Still no word from my helpers, so I went to dinner solo at Leena's.  I met Entelia from Albania.  She was my waitress, and she was darling… very happy and personable.  I respectfully requested her to allow me to take her picture for my journal and she said she'd love to, but that if her husband found out, she'd become concerned for my life.

As much as I wanted the picture, I decided that it was not worth the risk.  I decided if I saw her again I'd ask her to call her husband, and invite him to join us, so he could meet me and see for himself that I was harmless.  Uh huh… that's right… that's me… harmless.

8:00pm - Zoning out on couch

9:00pm - Fast asleep in bed.

From Here To There And Back Again: DAY 6- 1k words

TUESDAY, MAY 19th - DAY 6:

6:00am - Up and at 'em.  Had to go down the street for coffee.  How does anyone survive without coffee?

7:30am - I took Peter (Mimi's son from her second failed marriage) to school.  He's a nice kid… a 6'1", 250 lbs. gentle giant.  A bright, witty and a very loving 16 year old.  He's also a talented artist… mostly pencil sketches… and a football player who already has the College scouts talking to him.

11:00am - Off to Tacoma to visit Ashley… my soon to be second (of three) college graduated daughters.  Mimi very generously told me to drive her extra vehicle, a '07 F-150 almost exactly like the one I own.  I accepted her gracious offer with extreme thanks.  It was about 50 degrees and raining, and it woulda been an unpleasant ride down and back on Honey.

 Side Note:  You can tell who the Seattle locals are… I remember when I lived here… when the average high temperature reaches 50~55, that's when it's time to break out the shorts, tee shirts, and flip-flops.  I'm still un-acclimated to the cold, but already I feel my body adapting.  The human body (and mind)… they're amazing things.  Thank ya Jesus.

Noon - Arrived at Ashley and John's apartment.  We sat and talked on the fourth floor balcony, looking out at the downtown Tacoma harbor.  Ashley's not a big Tacoma fan (I wonder how many there are), and is very much looking forward to moving to Portland and starting the next chapter of her life.

John works as a critical care nurse at several of the local hospital ER's.  Ash is graduating with a degree in Social Work, and is looking for employment and experience with a non-profit mental health association.  She's got a phone interview tomorrow morning, for a counselor's position in a re-hab facility.

She's turning into a very mature and well-spoken young woman.  I can still see the twinkle - sparkle in her eyes, that lets me know she's still got her youthful exuberance, but the way she speaks… with lots of well formed, and very clearly worded sentences, is very impressive to me.  She's easy to understand except for some of her vocabulary.  She speaks like a well-educated professional.  Ask me if I'm proud.  Never mind, I'll tell you.  I am.

We sat on their her and talked about all sorts of things… from her mother, to her sister and brother, to all of her cousins on my side of the family, and then she expressed sorrow about not knowing a lot of them very well.  Then we talked about the uncomfortable topic of how she lost her father at the age of three.

I'm gonna try not to cry while I tell you this:  She apologized to me for being so distant towards me for so much of her life.  She said she was sorry that she felt unable to be close to me for so many years.

My heart was breaking as she expressed this heart felt love for me.  When she finished, I cleared my throat and tried to steady my voice, so I could tell that it was not she that should be apologizing.

She's always known the reason I left.  I was dying.  After her mom divorced me, I tried to kill myself.  I had never failed at something so important to me before, and I didn't know how to cope with the divorce.  Fortunately I failed with my suicide attempt, and have turned that failure into success.  I knew it was God's way of telling me that my work on this planet was (and still isn't) complete.  I know I have something important to do.  I just hope I figure out what that is, before I get too much older.

Anyway… the conversation with Ashley about how she grew up without me was so heart wrenchingly bitter sweet, that words cannot express how I felt.  I do not know why God has blessed me with three of the best daughters in the world, but… Thank you God.

1:00pm - We rode to campus, and picked up her cap and gown and dropped off some paperwork.  She introduced me to two of her instructors, and several of her friends.  I love being the father of Ashley.  And Kellie.  And Eron.

3:00pm - When we got back at her apartment, we continued talking about much lighter subjects, and played some video games.  They've got this thing called 'Wii' which allows people to play games with people from all over the world… in real time.  What will they think of next?  Jeesh… next thing ya know, they'll be tellin' me there that people have walked on the moon.

Anyway, I played Mario Bros. Racing and I actually managed to not finish last on three different courses.  After that, I was pooped.  After all… I'd been racing around the country in real life for the last 1,800 miles.  It just didn't seem right to do it while I was trying to relax.

I watched her for about five more races, while I tried not to snore during my catnap.  She led a couple of the races for a while, but only won one.  Come on Ashley… suck it up… where is that competitive spirit you've been bred with?

I say that in total jest.  If anything, like I mentioned before… she's too competitive.  Tennis was her main sport, but her competitive spirit overwhelmed her ability to cope with anything less than perfection, so she would fight herself mentally on the court, more than her competitor.  She gained a lot of experience and knowledge from that part of her life, and is now much more able to loose gracefully.  She still has the fire, but has now been able to channel that fire into a more productive and efficient method of effort.

Right now, her work and her relationship are her passions.  In a year… after gaining some real life experience in her field of study, she's gonna go back to school and get her Masters Degree… find her dream job… and begin raising her family.  What a gal.  Could I possibly be more proud?  I sure hope this John kid doesn't fuck things up.

6:00pm - After a very nice dinner at The Spaghetti House, I dropped Ash off at her doorstep, and after a long tight hug on the sidewalk, drove back to Seattle.

8:00pm - Asleep on the couch.

10:00pm - Asleep in Peter's bed.  He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and slept on the floor in their game room… his 'man cave'.

Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves: DAY 4- 1k words

DAY FOUR - Monday, October 27, 2008

After my morning ritual of gas and coffee with Joe, the night manager at the local mini-mart-gas-station (MMGS for future reference), I followed Eron to Scottsdale Junior College, where she was going to school.  Besides all the other stuff I mentioned about Eron, I forgot to tell you how intelligent she is.  She started kindergarten when she was four, and graduated from High School a year early… so now she's a freshman in college at the tender age of sixteen.

We managed to get separated on the highway they call "The 101", which basically makes a big circle around the GPA, and when I got to the campus it was much larger than I anticipated.  I randomly pulled into one of the 15 parking lots available to me… parked next to a 'you are here' map of the campus… and put a phone call into Eron.  As I was in the process of telling her where I was and asking her for directions to find her… I heard her laugh… in stereo… from the phone in one ear, and from across the patio in my other.  Somehow I had zeroed right in on her, like a homing pigeon.  Was it a father-daughter connection, or shear luck?  Who knows, and who really cares?  Still… it was kinda interesting, don'tchya think?

After spending an hour or so with her, walking around campus, and helping her drop a class… I headed out on my own, to find the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, hoping to get some potential work leads.  Before I tell you about that tho, I want to mention why Eron dropped a class.  It was a psychology class that she wasn't doing very well in.  It was an elective for her  (she's an architecture major), and she could take a different class to satisfy that requirement later.  Bless her heart… she's working two jobs and going to school.  Something had to give.  Fortunately she was passing the class, so she didn't have to take a hit on her GPA, which is important…      it will help her get a scholarship to a major university.  Plus… the lowering of her stress level and the added time the dropped class allows, will help her keep her grades high in her other classes, which are all in her major area of study.

I feel bad for Eron… I was much more fortunate.  My parents were able to put both my twin brother Don and me through college, so we didn't have to work during the school year… just summers.  It's probably gonna take Eron about six years to get her degree, because she basically needs to support herself.  Her mom and I will obviously help as much as possible, but neither of us is in a good financial situation, so Eron is mostly on her own in that regard.  Plus… she and her mom don't get along that great, so she's gonna most likely be moving out and living with a friend as soon as she turns 18.  I wish she didn't have to grow up so fast, but if anyone can do it, she can.

When I started trying to locate the Scottsdale 'Chamber', I had an interesting experience.  I stopped at a gas station and the guy I asked, a fellow biker brother   and a fellow contractor (or so he said), told me he had done some work for them recently, and that I was really close… "Just go back up the road about three blocks and turn left at Main St."

When I got to the spot he said it would be, I couldn't find it, so I pulled into another gas station, and was told, without any hesitation or doubt in the guy's voice or face, that that other guy was crazy, and that the Chamber was, "Down Main St. about six blocks, take a left, then a right, and then it's on your right."  Guess what… no Chamber.  At least he had led me to a city business park though.  The gal in the finance department said she wasn't sure, and was nice enough to call them, and got directions for me.  Finally!!  Someone with enough courage to admit they didn't know.

I've always wondered why so many people are embarrassed to admit ignorance in something.  My mom always said, "Being ignorant is NOT being stupid… it's simply not knowing something".  One of her other favorites was, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask."  I added my own ending to that one after my first two daughters started growing up.  It goes like this:  "… and if you ask someone to take their time to answer your question… listen to the whole answer, even if you disagree with some of it.  Don't close your mind, because you might miss something that the person says, that makes you think of something that you wouldn't have thought about before, if you hadn't have been listening to them."

Lindsey at the Chamber was very helpful, and gave me pages and pages of names of contractors.  The hour and a half, and all the zigzagging around Scottsdale was not in vain.  I went back to Ann's, and spent the rest of the day doing laundry, running a few errands with her, and then starting the process of packing Honey.  I was gonna take off the next morning, and wanted to pretty much be able to get up and go.

The last thing I did the next morning before I left, was to kiss Eron on the cheek while she slept.  Ann was nice enough to get up at 5am, and wish me a bon voyage.  We both kinda teared up as we hugged.  We definitely still care for each other, and we always will.

                                         Why are they so much cuter when they're sleeping?                                     

Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves: DAY 2- 2k words

DAY TWO - Saturday, October 25, 2008

I woke up the next morning, raring to go, at my typical time of around 5am.  I had forgotten to ask them about coffee the night before, so after a little quiet exploration of their kitchen, I decided I'd make a morning ride down the street.  I was excited not to have to put on layers upon layers of clothing, it was a very comfortable 60 degrees or so in the predawn morning, and I showed up for my gas and coffee in shorts, sandals, and a tank top.  The few locals up at that hour looked at me kinda funny, as I walked in the mini mart gas station.  Most of them were wearing heavy coats and jackets.  I think I remember one of them even wearing gloves.

When I got back to the house, I spent some time writing about the previous day, on a website I had recently joined.  It's called the La Selva Beach Baby Boomers Website, and it was created by one of us, who was lucky enough to have been born and/ or raised in La Selva Beach, during the decades of the 50's, 60's, and 70's.  It turned out to be a very good thing for me, that I had made my daily entries at the website.  Without my journal, I am using my daily posts to jog my memory, as I write this story.

For those of you who don't know about La Selva… I'm sorry for you.  It is a very special place.  I've always called it 'an oasis in the middle of the madness'.  No sidewalks, no streetlights… very rural.  It's a town were people stop in the middle of the street, and block traffic while they chat, and the car who's path was blocked either politely waits, or sometimes… the person gets out and joins the conversation.  I've described La Selva to people this way: 

The bad thing about La Selva is that everyone knows everyone, and most of them want to be involved in all of your personal business.  The good thing about La Selva is that everyone knows everyone, and most of them want to be involved in all of your personal business.  It's a matter of personal preference, but that type of 'closeness' works for me.

In my opinion, one of the very best things about La Selva is the view it has.  From the cliffs above the beach… you can see to infinity.  The only thing that 'gets in the way' is the coastline of the Monterey Bay, arguably one of the most scenic areas in the world.  Yes, La Selva Beach truly is… a very special place.

As 8am finally rolled around, I started tapping on Eron's bedroom door.  I had warned her that while I was in town, she should not expect to sleep 'til noon.  Yes, she's a typical teenager in that way.  Actually she's fairly typical in several other ways too.  Her social calendar for one thing.  It is always overflowing.  She's a very intelligent, beautiful girl.  I'm not saying this as a father, but as an honest impartial person.  God blessed me with three incredible daughters, and as I have also described Kellie and Ashley in similar detail in another one of my stories…

Eron is one of those people who other people follow.  She is a leader.  And she does it (usually) in a way that is not forceful at all.  As both her parents are, she is very self- confidant.  She will succeed at whatever she chooses to do with her life… there is no doubt about that.  She was raised as an only child, so I'm sure that has something to do with her comfort level when she's around adults, but she also seems to have the ability to get along with people of all ages, and in all situations.  She is intuitive and creative.  Eron is one of the most physically beautiful people on this planet, but she is even more beautiful on the inside.

At 10am, after tapping on her door every 30 minutes for the previous 2 hours, I finally opened the door, and walked to her bedside.  "Paaallleeeaase honey, let's get started with our day, we've been burning daylight for more than 4 hours already."

She has always been one of those who wakes up slowly, and if not approached carefully, might try to bite your head off, if you push her too fast at the beginning of her day.  That's why I had warned her before my arrival, and had given her two hours of tapping notice.  I was planning on spending three days with her and I did not want to start my first day with her with anything but smiles.

After my (very cute and adorable) whining-plead for her to get up, she smiled and opened her eyes.  "Ok Dad, I'll get up."  She made us the best fruit smoothie I've ever had, and then we got on Honey to run some errands.

She couldn't remember the name of the tattoo parlor she wanted to go back to, for the guy to do some touching up on the black widow spider she had inked on her left breast.  It needed a 'little more red-ish orange color' in its legs.  Yes, my little angel-of-a-daughter has a wild side too.  As a father… I worry a little, but when I am able to separate myself from the position of parent, to one of an impartial bystander… I am ok with her wild side.  I put it like this:  "In the grand scheme of things, she is at least as well adjusted and mature as I am".  Not really a glowing recommendation, I am aware, but I am very confidant in all of my daughters, that they have good heads on their shoulders, and will not do anything detrimental to their or anyone else's well being.  They haven't yet… I sure hope I'm not jinxing them by putting this in print.

As we were getting ready to walk into the tattoo parlor, I noticed what looked like the handle of a pistol sticking out from the pants of a guy walking in just ahead of us.  I stopped, turned, and whispered to Eron, "Look, that guy has a gun."  She smiled and said, "Yes dad, it's legal to carry here."  "Wow", I said,  "We really are in the wild wild west, aren't we?"  "Yes dad, and paaallleeease don't make a big deal out of it, ok?"  Then I said, "Jeesh Eron, you'd think that you have a reason to feel that I might try to embarrass you or something," with a mischievous grin on my face.  

Her eyes rolled back into her head, like I'd seen them roll so many times before.  If I had a nickel for every time I've heard her say, "Ooohh da-aaad", I would have a very big pocket full of nickels.  I feel sorry for people around me sometimes.  I have a tendency to be overly dramatic and corny on occasions.  I have even been called a Drama King once or twice.  I'm ok with being corny… as long as it puts a smile on someone's face… then I'm happy.

Sure enough (not wanting to let Eron down), I went straight up to the guy with the gun.  He was heavily tatted, about 6' 2" and a very muscular 240 pounds.  He turned out to be a very nice, well-spoken gentleman, and even though I heard Eron make a heavy sigh as I walked up to him,  it wasn't too long before she came up and introduced herself to him.  Neither of us is very shy.

The artist that she wanted to do her touch up wouldn't be in until that evening, so we left and had a burger at a malt shop in downtown Old Glendale.  It was one of (I'm guessing) 50 thousand burger joints in this Country with the 50's theme.  James Dean… Marilyn Monroe… Humphrey Bogart… you get the picture.  We sat outside on the sidewalk and she nibbled on a grilled cheese sandwich, while I ate one of the best burgers I've ever had.

Eron and I have always gotten along well.  She is definitely 'her father's daughter'.  Even though she's spent the last five years almost exclusively with her mom, she is still maintaining her open-mindedness and ability to allow other people to express their opinions without thinking that they are wrong, just because she may not agree with them.  I am so happy that she has some of my personality traits… but unhappy that she has other similar characteristics which are not quite as… pause… let's say, 'useful.'

Eron's mom is a good person, and a fantastic mom, but some of the differences we have are dramatic.  'Problem solving techniques', when it comes to dealing with the curves that life throws at us once in awhile, is a good example of one of them. 

Sometimes Eron and I go quite a while without saying anything at all to each other and sometimes we have to raise our hands, to get the other person to stop and take a breath.  We laugh together, we cry together, and most of all, we seem to understand each other at a very deep level.  I love being around her.  I love you Eron.

After lunch we went back to her house.  We'd decided to go Halloween costume shopping with some of her girlfriends.  Even after my 18-hour bike ride the day before… I didn't want to get off Honey.  It worked out great 'cuz she picked up three of her girlfriends and it woulda been a little too cozy in Sierra (the name she gave her little white Hyundai), if I had been in the car with them.

I followed them around town, critiquing Eron's driving to myself the whole time.  She reminds me of me in a lot of ways, and her driving style is one of them.  When we were stopped at one of the lights, I pulled up beside Sierra and said with a smile, "Remember sweetheart, there ARE other golfers on the golf course."  She knew what I meant, and smiled mischievously at me.  The light turned green, and she squealed off across the intersection.  I couldn't help but smile.  I hope she didn't see me.

I was in heaven.  Hanging out with my youngest daughter and her girlfriends, for     the better part of the afternoon.  We skipped all around Peoria (one of the many suburbs of the greater Phoenix metropolis) and must have gone in and out of at least four or five costume stores.

I already mentioned how physically beautiful Eron is, and as you know… birds of a feather flock together, so… yes, I must be honest… my girlfriend does worry about me sometimes… I really am a flirt.  Actually she doesn't really worry about me, as much as gets 'pissed' at me.  My dad was a flirt… and his dad was a flirt.  I try to convince her… all I'm trying to do is uphold the family tradition, but that only pisses her off more. But I know my heart is true, so I am not going to feel guilty about my harmless flirting.

My eyes may stray, but as my dad used to tell my mom… "It's like appreciating a piece of artwork, that's all."  And that's all it is for me, really and for truly.  I mentioned my barking and not biting right?  I flirt, yes, but I flirt in such a way that the recipient of my comments feel complimented… not harassed.

                                        Honey and Ned, riding next to Sierra and the girls

 So… for about four hours, I followed these gorgeous teenagers around like a puppy dog, complimenting the heck outta them, as they posed for me in a multitude of outfits, all of which for some reason, had very short skirts, shorts, and shirts.  Kids… whatta ya gonna do with 'em?

The rest of my first layover day was spent at the house with Ann.  We had some real quality time, and it was nice for both of us.  Like I said, we get along better now than we used to.  In fact, it seems the love we have for each other is at least as strong as it ever was.