Tag Archives: travel

Honoring My Uncle, James Solomon

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The remains of my uncle, James Solomon, who died as a 19 yr. old sailor on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, have finally been identified and returned home to Texas. He will be buried on Saturday with full military honors in Forestburg, Texas, so, I am flying to DFW tomorrow and will join my family in honoring him on that day.

Forestburg is a tiny farm and ranching town about 2 hrs. northwest of Dallas and I will get to see, not only my brother, his wife, my sister and several close family members, but also a number of cousins from near and far. I don’t think any of us really knew that James was not actually buried there in the cemetery by his mother – I sure didn’t – but I’m glad DNA technology was finally able to help resolve this and get him home. JS

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Unpacking

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Home now. Exhausted. Stef has gone to Canada for her brother’s memorial service up in Squamish, B.C. Traffic was really, REALLY thick and slow getting out of Portland today although I never saw any wrecks or what was causing the delay. The sun was shining, though, and it was a gorgeous day.

I am all unpacked now and that feels good. I used to dread doing that and usually left my suitcase out in the middle of the bedroom floor where I would step over it, in it, and trip over it for a week before I got it all emptied. Then, I read a little book called HOW TO BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND. It spoke of going ahead and doing the things you’ve been putting off because the feeling of accomplishment is so much greater than the momentary sense of relief you feel by NOT doing whatever it was that you’d been putting off – again and again. The author was right, too, and that’s when I began unpacking that giant suitcase as soon as I get home each time. As tired as I often am, it just makes me feel better to have it done and not have to think about it again.

So…going to bed soon. Tomorrow will be here quickly. JS

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The suitcase I lug across country is heavy

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The suitcase I lug across the country and back every 4 to 6 weeks is bulky and heavy. This past week, as my buddy Catherine was throwing that big thing into the back of her car to take me to the airport, she said, “I think this thing is heavier this time.” It wasn’t; actually, it only weighed 39 lbs. this time. Usually, it’s 42. One time, years ago, when I was checking in, I put my bag up on the scale at the ticket counter. I said to the woman, “I don’t know why I’m doing this – it always weighs 42 pounds. It doesn’t matter what I put in it or take out of it, it always weighs 42 pounds.” She said, “Well, let’s just check,” and we put it onto the scale. It weighed 41 pounds. We stared at each other. Finally, she said, “So, what did you forget?” And, I must say, it was plenty to fret about for the next 3-plus hours as I flew to Dallas.

I tend to pack for all the things that might happen, as well as for those that probably won’t, although, at this time of year in Dallas and Tulsa, chances are I won’t need my boots or a turtleneck anything of any sort. I will, however, need some sort of mosquito repellent, since I just noticed that itchy thing I’ve been clawing at on my leg is a mosquito bite. Clearly, the mosquitoes did not read the same thing I read on the internet about how much they hate vitamin B-1.

So, I don’t know what I forgot this time that weighs 3 pounds and haven’t spent any time going, “Damn! where’s my proton weapon? I ALWAYS pack that thing,,,” And, since I can’t find whatever it is that I’m missing, the only logical conclusion is that it was my cares & woes. Lucky me. JS

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Birthday 2015

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How nice to awaken to so many sweet birthday greetings! Another trip around the sun has only scorched me a little, but, then, the natural collagen layer in our skin tends to diminish as we age. That, I know.

My birthday, as far as I can tell at this moment, will consist of errands to be run and packing to be done since I am flying out on Thursday to Tulsa and then on to Lubbock to do some rolfing in both places.

I am having my right knee replaced on 11/20/15 in Portland, so I won’t be making a rolfing trip in December since I will be rehabbing the bejabbers out of my leg during that time. Experience has shown me that the harder I work at that the better my new knee will work in the long run.

Went to meet my new PCP doc yesterday for my clearance physical and we hit it off great, not the least of which is because SHE’S FROM DALLAS! She pronounced my EKG as “stellar” for a geezer of my age. I told her that, deep down, I have a good heart. It’s the surface Jody who gets me in trouble. Thanks, everyone. JS

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Beautiful Rogue River Hovercraft Ride

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We are heading down to the beautiful Rogue River today to go on a hovercraft ride up the river for an hour or so, then we will have a scrumptious dinner at one of the lovely lodges up the Rogue – only accessible by boat – before we head back. Should be a fabulous day on the river.

I’ve only been on the Rogue once before, and it’s one of the most powerful and gorgeous rivers in Oregon, really something to experience. I was with a bunch of friends there about 20 yrs. ago and we all really got clobbered on that last kayak run – boats and paddles everywhere, my Chapstick swirling ’round and ’round in a whirlpool, people having to be rescued (no names mentioned) by others who actually knew what they were doing. When we stopped for lunch, someone noticed a slice in my leg and blood running down to my ankle, plus a giant bruise on my other leg. “Wow,” she said, “you really got smacked!”

I wiped the blood off my foot. “Oh, this?” I asked. “Well, this is where I had to save Robin and Nanbo from drowning while ago (which, as we all knew, was a totally false, humorous joke.)

She pointed to my bruise. “What happened here?”

There was no time to think up something as heroic as I wanted to, so I just told the truth. “Oh, this one? Well, this one…uh…this one…this one is where I hit my leg on the car door at the Taco Bell on the way down here.”

I don’t think today will be nearly so exciting or adventurous, but I bet it will be fun. And memorable. JS

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Old Clive owes America a giant wad of money

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Just roared into southern Oregon while ago after having left Tulsa on 5/26 and driving back in a car that’s new (to me.) Here’s what I learned: the term “Classic Rock” doesn’t always mean what I hope it will, nor what I think it should.

I also learned that I have kind friends across the nation who are willing to put up with me for a night and on very short notice.

One last thing I learned: driving across northern Nevada is unbelievably boring, despite the fact that the damp, salty sand of the Bonneville Salt Flats comes right up to the highway. Around Elko, Nevada, I began looking for that Tea Party darling, Cliven Bundy, hoping that I could run over him with my new car. Old Clive owes America a giant wad of money and it doesn’t appear he will be repaying us anytime soon, so I figured out this is one deadbeat we can do without. Alas, I didn’t see him, so I kept driving, hatching another plan. I know, I know, it’s not very Zen of me. Or Christian. Or even kind. But, as we all know by now, I hold a grudge. And road trips don’t bring out the best in me. Glad I am home. JS

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Is Mercury in retrograde?

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Mercury must be in retrograde. Or something. I’d like to be able to blame the series of SNAFUs that have happened to me since I’ve been in Tulsa on something other than just me and I’d want to know that if, indeed, Mercury is doing its double-cross dance across the sky and sending screw-ups raining down on us all that it will end soon. Before Thursday, is my hope, because I’ll be hopping into a car on that day and driving back across the nation to Oregon and I’d like to envision my trip as one of clear sailing and not dodging one crisis after another or careening from catastrophe to catastrophe along the interstate highway system of America. I’ve done that one before. Read my book, DEAD IN A DITCH – Growing Up in Texas & Other Near-Death Experiences, to find out just how all of that happened.

When I first arrived here last week, while extricating an avocado pit in the most stupid way imaginable, I stabbed the underside of my forefinger knuckle with a knife point. For someone who uses her hands in her work, this is not ideal. Liquid Bandage and peanut oil with arnica in it, however, has allowed me to work and it’s been okay. Thanks to my friend Kay Sheehan for that idea.

Two days ago, after an elderly client left, I noticed the rug in the room where I work was rucked up from the walker she uses to help her get around and I thought: OH, I REALLY NEED TO FIX THAT RUG SO NOBODY TRIPS ON IT. Well. Of course, I completely forgot about it until I went walking back into that room at full bore and tripped on the rug myself which sent me crashing onto a little table and into the wall. I didn’t hit my head – something I’m always terrified of doing now – but both shoulders and my right knee are pretty stove up and there’s a dark purple bruise the size of a Nerf football on my lower left side. So, now I am taking anti-inflammatories and smearing Arnica gel all over me and shuffling along like Tim Conway.

Then, of course, as I reported yesterday, I spent the first of my waking hours trapped behind a stuck door which wouldn’t open until my friend Lynda Jacobs came over and smacked it hard with both hands to pop it free and liberate me from doom and/or boredom.

On the good side, I’ve done some really good work on some really great people, which always makes my heart smile. And, I learned that every one of the clients I saw yesterday would have driven over here in the dark to save me if they had known I needed help. A couple were actually kind of disappointed that they didn’t get the call. Sweethearts.

So, I’m hoping this is just the messy shenanigans of Mercury doing his retrograde malarkey dance in the sky. And, I’m hoping he’s done with it by Thursday. Just in case, though, if you live between Tulsa and southern Oregon and you have access to a four-wheel drive vehicle, extra skis, a big inner tube, or a shotgun, you might send me a personal FB message with your phone #. If Mercury doesn’t get his act together and start behaving himself by Thursday, you’ll probably be hearing from me. JS

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The KZEW REUNION in Dallas was so wonderful

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Back home, finally. We flew out of Dallas this morning, made it to Portland, caught the shuttle to get Stef’s car, then over to Mark’s to pick up mine and drove the 3 hrs. down to Roseburg.

Toby is beside himself with doggie glee. He hasn’t seen me in 3 weeks and, any time we walk out to the mailbox, he thinks we will be gone forever, so it’s a big deal for me to come walking in the door.

Glad to be back. The KZEW REUNION in Dallas was so wonderful. Really glad we went. JS

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My suitcase just arrived

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Suitcase just arrived. My stuff.

You know how crazy people often button their shirts up to the tippy-top so it doesn’t feel so much like they are about to fly apart? That’s sort of how I feel until all my stuff shows up in the same place. Now I feel better. I guess I can unbutton the top button on my shirt now. Phew.

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