A busy week

My new diet has allowed me to sleep better and thus reduces my time on the computer which is why my posts have also reduced. But, after eating a few chips while watching a game with my grandson, Jay last night, I find my blood sugar level to be up a bit tonight and that keeps me awake. One night slip is OK but I did it two nights in a row. I need to be more diligent there for my own good.

Monday, I arrived at work to find the travelling veterans center parked across from the front area of our parking lot. I walked over and thanked them asking how long they would be there and letting them know that they can come in and address the vets during the meeting. We were in the middle of the meeting and I was talking over an issue with one of the guys when I was called up to the front. The guys from the vet center awarded us with a plaque of appreciation for the work that we do for veterans in the area. The award came from them and the Dept of Veterans Affairs. This is one that I will cherish. Monday night, after winning the previous week, I could not get off of the ground in poker. I was the second one out and ended up cleaning up and getting caught up on some paper work while the others played.

Tuesday, Judy and I drove up to the Columbia gorge area. The plan was to stay at McMinnimans in Troutdale for a food show on Wednesday. We drove over to the Washington side and hiked up Beacon Rock. If you ever get the chance to hike this one, you should. While it was a bit daunting at 850 feet, the hike was not really that bad going up. Coming down, was a bit different, however. My surgery knee started to hurt and so I began to favor the other knee. Before I was down all the way, both knees started to talk to me a bit. I will do this one again, however. We finished off the day driving the waterfall road east of Troutdale. We arrived at the hotel around 5 or so. The hotel was made from a deserted poor farm and was very interesting. The room was decorated with the story of it's inhabitant, in our case a man who was Stonewall Jackson's nephew. The rooms there have no TV and the bathrooms are common ones. I found the silence to be very loud causing the ringing in my ears that I don't normally notice to scream at me a bit. I fortunately found a fan in the wardrobe that allowed us the white noise needed for both of us to get a good nights sleep. I did awake in the middle of the night and take a bathroom break. While in the bathroom alone a breeze came through the room. Probably 10 to 20 seconds in length, it was very eiry(sp). I froze as it felt as if someone had opened the door to the room and was looking around. After the breeze stopped so did the feeling and I went about my business. As I was washing my hands, however, I noticed the window was open. The air was still but what must have happened was a small breeze wrapped around the building coming in that same window. Judy's reading of haunts in the area earlier before we retired did flash through my mind.

Wednesday, we drove in to the food show. While we did not find it to be anything great, we did get to meet Conner Doren from Bend and his mom. Conner was the young man who flies kites indoors and was close to the finals in the TV show, America's got talent. His mom took a picture of us with Conner and they promised to stop in and see us with it. His mom is such a nice lady and Conner's autism if far more evident in person than on TV. It was easy to see how it allows him to focus so well at his kite flying which is so cool to watch. We stopped at Sandy River Marketing on the way home to pick up a jacket that will be the prototype for ones to be sold to the Band of Brothers with the proceeds going to the Honor Flights of Eastern Oregon where WW2 vets will be flown to Washington DC. Upon arriving back in Bend, I drove one of our old cars down to what might just be our last car show of the season. It was a nice warm night and I ended up working the floor with the crew till nearly 8.

Thursday was a day of catch up from the two days prior. I honestly don't recall any major events from the day but as usual, it went by fast and soon it was time to go home and make ready for the big game. Trin and I set up in the TV room and my friends, Frank and Dave showed up to join us just before kick off along with Carrie. Jay had basketball practice but joined us for the second half. With a full room, I had the window opened and I am sure the hooping and hollering could be heard from a distant around our house as all had a very good time watching the Ducks tear apart a good UCLA team. I grumbled every time I noticed the 2 next to the Ducks on the scoreboard. I am not a fan of the BCS system.

Friday was spent between a busy floor and continuing to attempt to get caught up from the two lost days. As I struggled with a letter that needed to be written, One of the cooks came in to let me know that the fan in the kitchen was not working. I quickly scrambled up on the roof to discover the fan belt had broken. Now, I am always ready in these matters with a back up motor and fan belt always on hand. I yelled down to Jimmy to get the back up belt and saw that he could not find it. We both looked frantically through the room. I had left it hanging from a chrome shelf right by my desk. When I could not find it, I jumped in my rig and headed for the local NAPA store. Traffic seemed to be much more heavier than normal which added to my frustration. I arrived at NAPA and stood in line. The person there looked up on the computer and said, "We have one in stock.". I told him I would take it and he just kept typing on the computer. He turned to a guy and said something about Madras. I told him that I was in a bit of a hurry and he said that he could have the part later that day.....in stock meant they had it....in Madras. I shot out the door and entered the heavy traffic again this time to the closest parts store that I could think of down on Reed Mkt Road. I called the diner and had them switch off the fryers as they would be the item giving off the most heat. They told me the rooms were beginning to fill up with smoke so I had them open up a couple of doors. At this parts store, they found a belt that was close to the one that I needed so I took it and returned to the diner, scrambled back up on the roof and struggled putting it back on. It was just slightly shorter than the other and I urged the wheel on the fan to help me out hoping that I would not have to do any adjustments. On the fourth or fifth attempt, the belt popped into place and I breathed a sigh of relief as the fan took off again, clearing out the room below. I returned to my paperwork and the letter that I was working on. That letter was one attempting to assist one of our employees who I felt was being unreasonably garnished by a organization in Idaho. I faxed off my response, finished up my other paperwork, drove out and picked up Jay from school, and then returned to Jakes to assist them with dinner. I noticed a paper in the fax machine and was thrilled to find that Idaho had reconsidered and had put a stay on the garnishment. I called the employee with the good news before heading home with my own supper.

Another week gone by, I am now ready for a hopefully brisk weekend and then we can start it all over again. I must begin to prepare for Thanksgiving next week and we have a rather large cater job for a charity on Tuesday so I can already see that it will be a busy one. But, as I have said before, this is the life that I chose and I do love it.....at least most of the time.