ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 9

Monday October 28

As I jumped out of bed and prepared myself for the day, I found myself still amazed at how late we were sleeping in. The sun just comes up later in the day and as long as it is dark outside, it is difficult to swap the warmth of the bed for the chilly air that fills the room. But then again a nice mug of coffee teases me, forcing me to eventually step one foot out from beneath the covers, soon followed by the other one. This was the point that I referred to earlier as jumping out of bed...it was, in reality, a process.

The kids were where they should be, Daisy heading for school and Brandon slowly making his way downstairs. But something was a little different today. Brandon was moving a little slower. When we asked him if he was feeling okay, he said, "I'm fine, just tired." His mom informed us that she thought he was coming down with a cold. Grammy and Grampy would have to keep their distance from him, for a little while at least. We gave him lots of juice and before we knew it, he was off to school.

Kerry and I spent the day hanging around the house, watching the TV or surfing the internet. By noon we decided to take all three dogs for a walk around the neighborhood. Bowser was a handful. He wanted to go in any direction other than straight. Kerry handled Dakota and Rosie without problem. When we finally got back home we made a little lunch and ate it while talking about our plans for the next phase of our trip, a visit up to Canada to see my family. We planned on being in Nanaimo, British Columbia by October 31st, my brother Kevan's birthday. Yeah, I know, how weird it that to be born on Halloween? After lunch Kerry and I headed to Costco to stock up on seaweed and oranges.

Time seemed to fly by. The next thing I knew, the kids were coming home from school. When we checked on Brandon's condition, he said he didn't feel any better. According to him, he was feeling pretty much the same as he did in the morning. We gave him an orange and told him that the vitamin C was good for him. He ate the orange without question (something he doesn't usually do, according to his mom).

When we check Daisy to see how she was feeling, she said she was fine and had no issues. Good, then it probably isn't anything that we have to worry about.

As we finished supper, I sat back to relax. It was at that moment that I thought I noticed a slight tickle in the back of my throat. "I must be dry," I thought to myself while refilling my water bottle. It was probably nothing so I didn't bother saying anything to anyone. For the rest of the evening I was without tickle, that is until I went to bed. Then there it was again, irritating me just enough to be noticeable but not enough for me to start ringing the alarms. Just in case, I did go into the bathroom and mix a pouch of Emergen-C and drank t back. Ahhh, that was good.

As I returned to bed I told Kerry that I just took a dose of Emergen-C because of that stupid tickle. She thought it was a good (preventative) idea. We slept well. Kerry kept her distance, just in case.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 8

 

Sunday October 27

Our first week of vacation was now behind us. One down and two more to go...

Even though our intentions were to get up, eat something quickly and head off to church, for some reason everyone was running on a half tank...we all agreed that maybe we would pass on going to church and instead, we would watch Dr. David Jeremiah on TV. Like always, his sermons were to the point and thought provoking. Kerry and I have fond memories of our days (years) attending Shadow Mountain.

Brandon and I had a plan for today. I was going to teach him how to make Lasagna. This kid has a real feel for the kitchen and his knife skills are advanced for someone his age.

The first thing we needed to do was head over to the on-base grocery store for some supplies. We walked around picking up noodles, tomato's, celery, carrots, onions  and cheese. There was ground beef at the house so these few items would complete the necessary ingredients. We also picked up a sandwich from the Deli for Daisy and Brandon to eat for lunch. All we needed to do now was pay for the items, get home and start making the sauce, which can easily take a few hours to simmer, allowing all of the flavors to magically marry as one.

As we approached the self-check out a lady approached us and asked for our military ID. I told her that I didn't have one, while looking down at Brandon as if he could resolve this. I said to him, "Show her your ID," and he told me he didn't have it on him. The lady, with a firm attitude, repeated the rules that no one can shop on base without a military ID. I simply listened to her then when my opportunity came to say a few words, I told her, "Look, I am Brandon's grandfather. His dad is posted here and is now in the middle east. My wife and I drove up from Tucson to spend some...." and at that point she cut in, "Tucson? My family is from Tucson, up in the Northwest part of town." I smiled and informed her that that was where we lived. With that said she leaned in and in a soft voice said, "Hang on a minute. Let me speak with my supervisor." She ran off and left us standing there, being watched by everyone in the area, most in uniform.  She came back in a few minutes with her boss and pointed to us as if showing us off as a prized trophy. You would think we were related to her. The supervisor used her password to open the till for us and with that, they helped us check out. We were being treated like we were special.

Driving back to the house I asked Brandon why he didn't have his ID with him and he just shrugged his shoulders, as if it were no big deal...I guess it wasn't.

 

Back home, after Brandon and Daisy ate their deli sandwich,  we stared making the sauce. Onions and garlic went in first with a little olive oil. While they were cooking Brandon chopped up the veggies and tossed them in.  Then slowly the sauce was built up, one layer at a time, one flavor at a time. After allowing everything to cook for awhile the meat was added along with a little wine, the sauce was set to simmer for a couple of hours. Brandon constantly returned to the pot to stir and taste and season as needed.

 

 

  

After the Lasagna was assembled and placed in the oven, Brandon and I headed out front to shoot a few hoops. I Don't Shoot Hoops! We played for almost a half hour before  I noticed some of Brandon's friends walking down the street. I started acting like a crazy basketball player, while trying to block Brandon's shot. I was screaming and jumping with arms and legs going in every direction.

Sometimes my methods blocked Brandon from sinking one and other times he would just step around me and slam one in. His friends laughed, from a distance. Even though I was trying to slightly embarrass Brandon, he didn't care. He was having fun with his Grampy and his Grampy was having fun with him. It was time to go and get the dinner ready. Grammy prepared a tossed salad which complimented Brandon's creation (masterpiece).

 

The dinner was amazing. Brandon was so proud of his cooking accomplishments. No words were heard while we devoured his creation; Lasagna ala Brandon.

There were no leftovers.

This was a good day.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 7

Saturday October 26

This was a day to remember. Brandon has his final football game for the season with his team, The Lancers. We all bundled into their family van, with snacks, waters and warm blankets. It was pretty cool outside, but thankfully, no rain. 

 

 

I was new to this middle school football stuff...the rules were somewhat modified, and I guess I can see why. The Lancers started out giving up a few touchdowns to the other guys (Booooo). Then, out of nowhere, the Lancers came back with an interception, one of many and by the time the game was over, Brandon shared in the Lancers victory...a nice way to end the season. I really wanted to jump up and do a victory lap, but I decided against it. Even Daisy was yelling (sort of) for the Lancers.

A couple of days ago Brandon commented to me that he didn't have a nick name. I asked him if he would like one and he didn't know how to reply. I told him that I thought the name Gator would work, as it suited his personality (he likes to sit back and observe, but when needed, he can snap into action and take care of business). I even created a greeting hand motion, which was basically taking your 2 arms, outstretched and mimicking an alligator's jaw movement with them. He laughed and for the rest of the day I would only refer to him as Gator.

 

Well, during the football game I would stand and yell, "Way to go Gator." I was keeping up with all of the other parents in the stands. At one point, Brandon actually heard me and turned only to see me standing there with my arms outstretched, doing the Gator thing. He quickly turned back, trying to avoid the embarrassment.  Hey, isn't that what grandparents are supposed to do?

 

One thing I remember most about the game was how the family and friends of one team sit on one side of the field and the family and friends of the other team sit on the opposite side of the field. Eventually I realized that this was probably a real good idea. There were some very "involved" parents on both sides who, to me, looked like the wanted to hit something (or someone) every time their kids team had a call (or flag) against them. They were actually more entertaining to watch then the game at times.

 

After the game we headed back home, to celebrate and share in the moment. It was glorious, especially for Kerry and me since we were new to all this school activity stuff.  For Steph, this is simply the routine of being a school mom (chauffer, cook, counselor,  confidant and friend).  Gator (Brandon) was invited to sleep over at a friend's with other football team mates.  It was a day to remember.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 6

Friday October 25

Today we had a plan, and that plan did not include sitting around the house all day; we could do that at home, anytime. After the grand kids took off for school, Kerry and I put on some warm clothes, jumped into the truck and headed north, to the Tacoma area. Our destination was going to be Point Defiance. When we were here two summers ago (in July), we were introduced to Point Defiance by Justin and the gang. Today we would return to the same spot, sort of.

As the GPS faithfully guided us to the park, we started looking for a parking spot. We found one immediately, as soon as we entered the property. Last time we were here we parked a lot closer to the beach. Today we would walk a greater distance (approx 2 miles). Along the way we discovered so many things to look at, including a beautiful flower garden. We also stumbled upon an Asian garden with amazing pathways  that led to meditation areas and secluded spots where one can partake in a little tai chi.

Finally, we found our way to the shore line and eagerly we followed the beach for another mile before realizing that if we didn't turn back soon, the rising tide could easily trap us. Now when I say beach, don't get me wrong, this isn't a nice sandy beach with soft rolling waves lapping at the shoreline. Instead, this is a beach with various sized rocks where the sand should be. They range in size from huge boulders all the way down to tiny pebbles. Then of course there are hundreds of beached logs scattered all over the place, completing the perfect picture of a Pacific Northwest beach. We had a great time, even though the wind was chilly.

As we slowly made our way back towards the truck, we stopped in at the gift shop/snack bar. There were tons of kids from a nearby high school hanging out having their lunch. Kerry came up with a  great idea. "Let's go and find somewhere to have some chowder," she suggested. It was genius.

On the way back to the truck, right there in front of us, was Anthony's sea food restaurant. It was perfect in every way. We were one of only a few people there as it was still early. We each ordered a bowl of chowder with a side of sour dough bread. AMAZING!

 

Not only did we have a great lunch, we also got to sit there watching the Sous Chef doing his prep for the day. We enjoyed the panoramic view out the window of the choppy water. There were plenty of ships, ferry's and pleasure craft going back and forth for the entire time we were there.

Finally we reached the truck, with full bellies and fond memories of Point Defiance.  Driving around the local neighborhood, I was reminded of a southern California beach town. It was a very cute (and expensive) village.

As we made our way towards the downtown area of Tacoma, we decided to meander along the shore line. This took us through the shipping yards. It all seemed so right. We were both rubber necking, trying to take it all in.  Along the way we passed a micro brewery and upon seeing the sign, Kerry said, "I would love a mug of local beer." I made a u-turn and pulled in to the parking lot.

We were shown to a booth right by a window facing the pier and the water beyond it. It was perfect. Since I don't really drink, especially if I am driving, I decided to order, you guessed it...a bowl of clam chowder.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to compare their chowder with Anthony's. I didn't feel comfortable not ordering anything while Kerry sipped on her beer.

Kerry's beer came first, making me wait for an additional 5 minutes before my soup was delivered to the table. Oh boy Oh Boy, this was going to be good. It took a long time for it to arrive so it must have been freshly made...so I thought.

Kerry watched as I took my first taste. My eyes were closed with anticipation. The spoon scooped its max capacity and I gently blew, as not to burn my tongue. The smell was inviting. I closed my mouth around the spoon and delivered its load.

My closed eyes quickly opened, surprised and what I was tasting. Three things immediately came to mind. First, it was the saltiest thing I had ever eaten. Second, it was cold and third, this was the WORST chowder I ever had in my life, never mind comparing it to the Anthony's experience an hour earlier. Kerry took a small taste and it almost looked like she wanted to spit it out. I wish I had.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 5

Thursday, October 24th;                                                                                                              

Today started with Kerry and I being up before the kids. Even Steph was sleeping in. I asked Kerry how that mattress cushion I created for her from that comforter worked and she said that she had a much better night's sleep. I was pleased.

Our making coffee woke Steph up and within minutes, she was scrambling into Mother-getting-the-kids-ready-for-school mode. We remember those days, only twenty something years ago, when Kerry and I were doing the same. In some ways we miss those days and in other ways, we feel like we have paid our dues and the relaxation of retirement is our well-earned rewards. We smiled as we sipped our coffees, watching the organized chaos of the week day morning routines.

When Daisy got up her energy was contagious. She got herself dressed then grabbed a bite to eat while running back upstairs to fix her hair while doing five other things all at the same time. It was exhausting to watch. After she was taken to school Brandon slowly made his way down stairs. His morning ritual was a lot more sedate. He simply did what he needed to do, in a calm, controlled manner.

 

This is why we were here. God wanted us to share these precious morning moments with Justin's family and we were doing just that; savoring each and every moment. How precious are the youth? We were being blessed in so many ways.

The day was like any other for the family, except that their Grammy and Grampy were there. When Daisy finally had her days responsibilities behind her she sat with us and shared wonderful things with us, like her gymnastics, her school day, her looking forward to Halloween and yes, let's not forget her boyfriend Luke (who I like to call Floyd...inside joke).

While enjoying this time together I noticed her finger nails were all done up for the upcoming Halloween celebration. I told her I loved the skull she had on her fingernails and I asked her if she would do that for me. She looked at me, somewhat puzzled and replied, "Really?" I said, "Yupp." and with that she took off upstairs to get her tools (white polish, black polish and some clear coat).

She sat next to me taking my left arm and tucking it under hers. My hand was in position. She asked me which finger I wanted or if I wanted them all done. I suggested that we just do my pinky. She began her work, while continuously apologizing for the poor quality of her workmanship. I assured her that she was doing a great job and I made sure she knew how impressed I was. Kerry watched while asking if she could be next. Daisy was glowing.

After she put on the first coat of white, she gave it time to set while she did the same to Kerry. A few minutes later a second coat was applied. Once that was dried, she used a very fine brush and started painting on the details with the back (2 dots for the eyes, one dot for the nose and a few  small lines for the teeth). Now, all we needed to do was wait for it to dry before applying the clear coat, a protective layer that would help the artwork last.

Kerry and I were pleased with our nails and Daisy beamed with pride. Brandon thought it was all just too weird. 

It was now time for the regular 9pm Skype with Justin in Qatar. Right on schedule that laptop came alive. We all enjoyed those few cherished moments. I even got to show off my left hand pinky finger and the design his daughter created for me.

It wasn't long after the call ended that Kerry and I decided to call it a day. Tomorrow Kerry and I planned on getting out to see the area. Where exactly would we go, we weren't quite sure. That was the fun part about being on vacation, we could just get in the truck and head off, without knowing exactly where we were heading. Some destination would show itself...it always does.

As we surrendered to the night and the sleep awaiting we pondered quietly various destination options. We will figure it out tomorrow, for now (yawn) we say good night.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 4

Wednesday, October 23rd;                                                                                                              

Being our first full day in the Tacoma area, we had a busy day scheduled...doing nothing; and that is just what we did. With the sun rising later compared to back home in Tucson, we found ourselves slowly making our way downstairs at almost 8:00am. We are usually early birds, springing out of bed before 6. Kerry is the real early bird, usually up way before me.

Daisy was already on her way to school (with her mom driving her). Brandon starts much later. We got to visit with him a little while he ate his breakfast. The time came all to soon when he had to leave to catch his school bus. When Steph got home from driving Miss Daisy to school, she started planning the meals for the day.  As far as lunch goes, a sandwich would be fine. For dinner Steph planned a Shepherd's Pie casserole.

After school, when all of the kids post school obligations were complete (gymnastics for Daisy and Youth Club for Brandon) we sat as a family and enjoyed our meal, while watching a favorite TV show. After eating we did as most modern families do; placed our laptops in position. We were all busy checking e-mail or Facebook postings before getting a little Candy Crush time in. I was stuck on level 85 for a couple of weeks while Kerry and Steph were somewhere in the 100's. Steph was also stuck on her level and after trying a few more times she handed her PC to Brandon who within a few minutes mastered that annoying level, handing the laptop back to his mom where she could see the screen boasting, "Level Complete." A 12 year old has skills, far superior to ours, as far as gaming goes that is. Time passed quickly, yawns replaced smiles, PJ's replaced day-wear.

 

There was a laptop sitting on the arm of the couch, waiting patiently, but for what? Some brain dead show was softly glowing in the distance while Kerry and I looked at our family, and smiled. The clock was just passing the 9pm point when suddenly that laptop jumped to live. That familiar tune was coming in load and clear, the one the tells you someone is calling, on Skype. Steph dove for the laptop and positioned it so she could be the first to greet the caller. It was Justin, calling from the Middle East. Our 9pm was his 7am (the next day). He liked to start his work day with a coffee and a call to his family. We all squeezed around that tiny camera on top of that laptops screen. He was pleased to see his wife, he was overjoyed to see his children and he was relieved to see me and his mom. We all shared in conversation for 10 or 15 minutes, long enough to say what needed to be said and long enough to see what needed to be seen. Then the call ended.

Bowser still is not pleased with Rosie, but at least they can sit in a room together and not snarl. In order to feed Rosie, I need to hold her dish on my lap, with Rosie and hand feed her, one piece at a time. She seems to like that. Every now and then I toss a kibble to Bowser and Dakota. They peacefully sat by my feet, waiting. I think I have discovered a common ground - Purina!

We were ready for bed. When we got to our room Kerry told me that she didn't really sleep very well the previous night. She said she woke up with a sore back. I noticed on the floor, next to my side of the bed, there was a comforter. I pulled back the sheets off of her side of the bed and folded the comforter a number of times until it was just the right size. After placing it on Kerry's side of the bed I pulled the sheets back into place. This would make her side of the bed cushier. I would know for sure the next morning.

ROAD TRIP to the Pacific Northwest...Day 3

Tuesday, October 22nd;                                                                                                              

Again we were up before the sun, tucking things back into the truck, prepared for another long day of rolling wheels on asphalt. Our destination; McChord Air Force Base in Lakewood Washington, a few miles south of Tacoma. This is where Justin is posted and his family have a real cute house on base, just a few hundred yards from one of the gates. With GPS programmed and wife and doggie loaded up, our journeys next phase began.

Highway 5 turns into this peaceful looking country type of road as it winds up and down heavily forested hills and mountains. The curves are many and due to their sharpness, often the speed limit is suddenly reduced, for safety reasons of course. As always, I stayed within 5 or 10 miles of the speed limit. Every time I saw a State Trooper, sitting, waiting like a spider waiting for a fly, I would laugh to myself, "Not today fella."  I hate speeding tickets, and attending bad-boy school...been there, done that.

The road can get hypnotic at times. Kerry and I kept busy with conversation and books on CD. Kerry went to the library in Tucson before we left and signed out 6 or 7 CD books. They sure made time (and miles) pass quickly. While listening to one of the books (TD Jakes On the 7th Day) we saw a commotion up ahead. A dozen or so vehicles were suddenly pulling off of the road onto the shoulder. I immediately hit the sound system off button so I could focus 100% on my surroundings." Was it an ambulance or other emergency vehicle coming," I pondered while scanning in all directions. Kerry was at full alert as well.  Then we saw it...the pit of my stomach churned painfully. In the ditch, on the right hand side of the road was a family car, upside down, wheels still spinning. There were people in that car; we prayed for them! We prayed that their injuries were minimal...Kerry remained silent.

Usually when we have come across an accident, we are the first ones to jump out of our car and run towards the scene, assessing, helping in any way we can.  I didn't stop, there were so many people there already. There would be nothing we could do, other than get in the way of the good Samaritans  already diving in to help. Kerry suggested she calls 911 and before she could get her phone out and dial, up ahead, coming from the opposite direction, was an ambulance. We were both impressed at how quickly help arrived on the scene. We continued our way north, silently, for awhile before returning to TD Jakes and the story he was telling.

As we entered Portland we were both entertained by the big city on the river and the crowds all around us. Huge ships docked in the shipping yards and tall condos were eye candy to us. It was very beautiful. Up ahead was a large bridge and in the middle of it, a sign read Welcome to Washington. We were now entering the city of Vancouver. I always thought Vancouver Washington was near the Canadian border. Kerry thought the same thing. We were now past the half way point of this leg of our adventure.

 

Our gas tank was getting a little low so Kerry plugged in a request for the nearest Costco into the GPS.  The GPS told us to take the next exit, and we did. Then it had us turn left and then right. This went on for 5 or 6 miles. We were wondering if this side trip through Vancouver Washington was really worth the few cents per gallon savings. Eventually we found the Costco and fueled up. Leaving the gas station we hit our previous destination on the GPS and I was amazed that it had us turn right, at the next corner and only a mile up that road was the on ramp onto highway 5 north.  I could have sworn that the highway was miles away.

By 3pm we arrived at the main gate of McChord Air Force Base. Of course we couldn't just drive onto the base. We spoke with Steph (Justin's wife) on the cell phone just as we exited the highway. She met us at the gate and together we walked in to the office where a pass would be issued to us so we could drive on and off of the base for the duration of our visit.

After the paper work was filled out, we sat and waited. We were told that it would take a few minutes for the base pass to be printed out. I knew there was more going on behind that partition then they were telling us. I could see a guy, in the back sitting at a desk with his computer screen glowing. They were doing an FBI databank search, just to make sure we were the good guys. With all of the stamps Kerry and I have in our passport, from all over the world, I wouldn't have been surprised if they checked with Interpol as well.

Soon, he came back and called our name. When we reached the counter he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Sorry about the weather," and continued on a bit about his family in Tucson.  He was apologizing to us because it was damp, cool and over cast while in Tucson it was sunny and over 80 degrees.

Finally, we arrived at Justin's home.  The shift today was slightly over 7 hours from John's place in Eagle Point to Justin's home on base in Washington. For the next week or so our plan was to just hang with the family and love on them. With Justin away overseas, Kerry and I had the urge to just pack up and go visit Steph and our two grandkids Daisy and Brandon. We needed to see their faces and hug on them without letting go. For the next week that would be all we would do; hug and love on them. After Kerry and I showered and changed into clean clothes, we settled in, waiting for the grandkids to come home from school.

Justin's family has 2 dogs, Dakota and Bowser. Dakota is a friendly, fun loving, non possessive animal while Bowser had a drive to keep what was his and to ward off any threat to his world. Dakota was still the Alpha Dog in the house ... Bowser was all bark. When we entered into Bowser's world with Rosie, Bowser appeared to be aggressive, trying to show Rosie that she was not welcome. We would keep them separate using their kennels, when needed. It seemed that with this dog rivalry, this was going to be a long week. Our worry was not that they would fight, but instead, we worried about Bowser's size and how easily Rosie could be injured.

Chocolate  is sweet and so is sugar, but there is nothing more sweet than seeing Daisy and Brandon's faces light up when they got home and saw their Grammy and Grampy sitting there with outstretched arms.