Busy busy busy

I remember the show Eight Is Enough with Dick Van Patten. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a house with that many people in it. Well with oldest grandson here we have eight in the house, and it is more than enough. There is very little quiet, that for sure. So much for an empty nest.

I've decided to put my Captain's Log blog on indefinite hold. If I'm going to rant over some things I might as well rant about them here. I hope the few faithful readers I have there make the transition and join in.

I wanted to use the cash for clunkers bill all the dealers are screaming about in their ads. What a rip off. I thought I could trade in my eleven year old money pit (1996 Ford F-150) that I bought for E two years ago and the little Hyundai Elantra for a new car, keep the payments the same and get out from under the insurance, gas and repairs. E no longer could use it since he has a girl friend and three kids. I was driving it to the golf course and back and that was about it; maybe one or two trips to the dump a year. In over two years we put less than ten thousand miles on it.

Well most of the dealers kept trying to tell me it didn't qualify for the full $4,500 when I knew damn well it did. Brand new it had a mpg average of 15 and the vehicles I was looking at were rated over 25. Then they'd only give me half of what the blue book trade-in value on the Hyundai which meant combined I'd have $500 to put down on the new vehicle.

I thought it was kind of stupid to trade in a car that meets my needs and will be paid off in two years for higher payments and practically give the dealer my truck. So I sold it.

I didn't like the idea of taking a good work truck like this and turning it into scrap. I'm out from under it, but know someone will be using it. It was a good truck. I just didn't have much use for it.

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No more facebook

Well I tried facebook. I said hi to a few alums from Wayland, but one guy became so obnoxious pushing his real estate business, and other than saying hello to everyone else it wasn't worth the hassle.
I also dropped out of the pro-am tournament. Threre's just too much going on right now to try and do everything.

First Tournament

I've signed up for my first golf tournament. It's a pro-am and I still don't know who the pro will be that I'll be playing with, but this week I'll need to be out on the driving range, and working on my pitching and putting so I don't make a complete fool of myself.

My one loyal reader and commenter, Michael Manning, has an excellent post concerning the risk factors of heart attacks and strokes for women on his site. Well worth the read for everyone.

I finally did it.

I've been dragging my feet for some time, but Saturday at Southwest Writers a number of members said that Facebook was a good place to advertise your books. So I opened up a facebook site. It's amazing how many Wayland grads are on it and I've gotten back in touch with after nearly 30 years. No so much luck with high school friends. I'm still trying to get used to the ins and outs of it.

Penni's day one year later

Last July Penni wanted to come back to New Mexico. She knew her time was growing short and needed to visit our Dad's grave. The previous August she drove out here for his funeral, but spent that day in the hospital with a bowel blockage and had to be medevaced back to Texas. The Dallas Morning News was running a seried of articles on Palliative care and she was one the patients they were following. For this trip they sent a staff photographer, Sonya N. Hancock with video and still cameras.
After flying into Albuquerque they spent the night in a hotel. I loaned them (Penni, David, Michelle and Sonya) my little Elantra for the trip to Santa Fe. I drove up with them in my Windstar with Mom, Linda, Melissa, and Eddie.
First stop was the National Cemetary in Santa Fe.


Penni with Mom and her husband, David.




After letting Penni spend as much time as she needed, we then drove to the Santa Fe Plaza.
We parked by a clothing store and did some shopping.




After buying a few items we headed towards the La Fonda Hotel to eat in their restaurant for some green chile.

After a nice lunch we took a leisurely stroll through the Native American vendors that have been selling their wares here for three hundred years.

Sonya then treated all of us to ice cream.

Leaving Santa Fe we then drove to Glorieta prayer gardens where Penni and David were married. (Aside, fittingly while we were holding our service and spreading Penni's ashes around the Cross that is behind the gazebo in this picture there was a wedding taking place at the same time.)

All of us in the Gazebo.

We all headed home, but Penni wasn't ready to head back to the hotel. On the way back they decided to go up the Tram which goes from the base of Sandia Mountain to the Crest.

Penni and Michelle looking out over Albuquerque from the top of the mountain.

They stopped by my house and spent some time with Richie who stayed home with Christina and Daniel.

Penni holding our kitty, Pippin.

The hardest part of the day was saying goodbye.

We recently received these pictures on a disc from Sonya and copies of the special reprint of the five part series the Dallas Morning news printed from Dec. 14-21, 2008.

These are a very few of the more than 600 pictures Sonya took over a six month period for this special.

A long day over. Penni's wish fulfilled.

At Peace

The bench was placed around the cross instead of the gazebo at Glorieta. Actually a better location as a place of contemplation and prayer.


This is the bench with the plaque. May it be used for much prayer and contemplation.

Mom and Penni's daughter, Michelle, spreading ashes.

Penni's wish fulfilled.

Mom's posted about this as well.