Classics on Colby

A sunny day, classic cars and Italian ice for lunch. A great holiday afternoon.

Pam and Anikan

Pam's Garden

Michael and Becca plant flowers....

Heather's neighbor said since Heather and I planted, he had to finish the work on the patio. He had "help".

Heather's Balcony

Heather did the planting and I did the clean-up. Then we did some shopping. All-in-all a very, very good day.

Pictures of Figaro and Ernie

Just because they're so darn cute!

Not the Poconos...

Heather and I drove over the Cascade Mountains to the fake Bavarian village of Leavenworth. The drive was better than the village - but I love nature more than over-priced gee-gaws.

The No Boredom Diet

Heather and I are both overweight and we both struggle with it daily. However, we've discovered that when we're together we eat healthier. Heather said it last night, "We're not bored." Very true. Whenever I'm bored, I should read or write instead of thinking, "What can I eat?"

Safe-Co Field in sunny Seattle

What a beautiful day it was. Safe-co is gorgeous. The hot dog and beer were great. The Mariners won. The only issue was trying to find where to get the bus to get back to Everett since they'd change the bus route for the game and then the bus broke down. But hey! All in all it was a great day.

Saturday with Heather

What could be better than a day with my daughter, discussing everything and anything, shopping (even though she hates to shop) and seeing two wonderful movies? She didn't like Angels and Demons as much as I did but we both loved Star Trek. We even opted for an ice cream supper, sitting on her balcony while talking to her neighbor.

Today we're taking the #510 bus down to the Safe-Co Field - to see a Mariners game. I know the bus number because we've taken it downtown from Everett before and I've even done it alone when Heatehr was working the Taste Washington festival at the Event Center. If the sun's too hot (Seattle? yep - sunny and in the 70s), we'll just take the bus home and relax for the rest of the day.

I'm having fun and I'm relaxing - just what I needed!

The Daily Numbers...

...not the lottery, but the daily numbers of the number of people with the H1N1 virus are being shown on the news - and updated frquently. So many in this state, so many in another state. So far one death in the U.S., and a tragic one, a 23 month old.

It makes me wonder if we would be as attentive and concerned if we would be getting, just as regularly, the daily numbers of:

1. Woman and children killed in domestic violence
2. Elderly abused by someone close to them
3. People who die because they have no health insurance
4. People who are homeless
5. Children who are abused

What's the difference?
Any one of us can catch the H1N1 virus.
Almost no one believes any of the above will happen to us.

On the PA Turnpike

I drove out to Irwin, PA yesterday afternoon to be at one of our buildings this morning. I left around 1:30 PM to make the 5+ hours trip back down the Turnpike home.

I listen to books on tape or CD when I drive for work so I'm usually not bored.

I made a "pit stop" - needed to answer nature's call, needed a latte and really needed a cheese danish. I sat in my car drinking the latte and eating the danish (it was my LUNCH, OK?), listening to Tess Gerritsen's "Sinner" (GREAT book - love her and she introduced me to Cosmos, which I'm drinking right now, and which she won't remember, because who the heck am I anyway and she's a best-selling author - but I digress).

I was ready to leave and get back on the road when this nice looking young man came up to my car and asked me for help. My first thought was (and I swear to Goddess this was my first thought): Ted Bundy was a nice looking young man. But this young man was nice looking and nice. He was virtually stranded at the rest stop after using all his money for an alternator for his car - a worn out sedan parked nearby. He was looking for help towards gas and tolls to get home to Maryland.

I gave him $20.
(I can see my daughter shaking her head.)
But you know: I would want someone to help Heather, my sister, one of my nephews, me or any one of my friends if they every found themselves with the same problem.

And what's $20?
For $20 I got the blessings of a nice looking (and I'm sure nice) young man who was just trying to get home.

And aren't we all doing that all day long - just trying to get home?

Those of us who are lucky not to need that kind of help, should be helping those who do.

And now I wish I would have given him more.
I believed him.