Going to the Sun Road...or is this Canada?

While I know it has been almost a week since my last post...and we are actually traveling as many of you have emailed me asking where’s the beef...but just like the “Dog ate my homework”...I have a really good excuse, actually 3 good, no make that excellent,  excuses...Eli, Grace and Lucy aka the grands...and I am not as young as I use to be.  While I could go on here about our days in the shadow of Glacier National Park under a beautiful big Montana sky, hiking, playing, fishing, rafting, exploring and escaping the season of confinement and COVID-19 (are you green with envy?), I will jump to our featured story of the week.  A fact that I may have not shared, Drew’s parents, Kim and Tom, previously from League City, now Bristol, Tennessee are here in Montana with us.  Even with 6 adults to 3 kids, using WWF Tag Team/Covid-19 protocols, it has been a busy week.  

As we all know, traveling with kids of any age can be a balancing act...a variety of activities and experiences so everyone is suitable exhausted, but not cranky...those of us of a certain age, understand what old cranky is.  On Tuesday evening before our “big day” in Glacier National Park...which is only half open due to Covid, with some concessioners open, others not, some in the maybe category (check back daily) ...we (meaning the adults) had a discussion of our plans for Wednesday.  When asked when we wanted to leave for the park (about a 30-40 minute drive from Whitefish), Eddie and Kim together said, between 9:30 and 10:00.  Tom and I were flexible, and said we would go whenever.  It was quickly decided that the two cars would be used, and the 9 of us would be divided between mini van Team Drew (complete with the sound track from Hamilton playing (loudly) in the background) and Team Grands Old (Team GO for short) We decided that trying to meet along the Going to the Sun Road (the major/only road that goes from the Western part of the park up the mountains to the glaciers and out the eastern side-except this Covid summer when you have to turn around and come back the same way) for a picnic lunch was probably not going to happen, and that we would meet at the Rafting place right outside the park at 3:15.  So, basically, each team was only responsible for arriving at the appointed spot by 3:15...it was up to each Team to manage their time and opportunities.  Casual mention was made that gas stations were non-existent inside the park, so fill up before leaving-limit fluid intake, because bathrooms maybe limited...likewise, cell reception was not available inside the park...got it, no problem, right?  Well, at 6:45 AM Team Drew was out the door and Glacier bound...full tank, water and picnic lunch.    Lucy running down the condo hallway yelling, “Going to the Mountains, come on, hurry”...As if the mountains and the glaciers would disappear...yeah, glaciers were suppose to be gone in 2020, but they still are here....take that global warming.      At 9:30, and not a moment soon, Team GO in a suitably hip Subaru sedan would collect all of the senior delegation and head for Glacier National Park..with gas, water and picnic lunch.  I have never left home without my trusty paper road maps, atlas, or an Eddie created Map Quest meets AAA flip trip book.  Yes, we actually had a 150 page bound (thanks For the assist Office Depot) 8.5x11 turn by turn instruction book for  a cross country road trip...but this time, call it Covid brain, I did not have any of those things.    Silly me.  I pulled up Google Map, punched in Glacier National Park, plugged my phone into Car Play (so Eddie could hear the lady speak) and we were off.  As we had been here 5 days, we had been out enough to know our way around...heck, I knew enough to get us there without any help..but Eddie insisted, as he swears I am directional challenged so I pushed ”GO”.  Our first “Turn left at the next light”, made us go, hmmm...maybe a alternative route around town, a “Whitefish Beltway or loop” to get us there faster.  7 or 8 turns later, we were no where near the Highway I thought we should be on.  But, Eddie is driving, and there have not been any gas stations or directional signs to guides us on our way.  Eddie logic—-it is over 1,000,000 acres and has lots of mountains and glaciers, lakes, and rivers, we can’t miss it.  First clue that something was amiss...end of paved road...clue number two...total drop of any cell signal...Now remember, Team GO has a lot of collective brain, experience and reasoning power...and of course, Eddie, who may not always be right, but he is never in doubt.  We could see the mountains in the distance on the passenger side of the car.  We were following the Flathead River that we knew to be the western boundary of the park...therefore,  we knew that we had to make a right hand turn to cross over said river to get into the park.  Easy right.  No map, no GPS...but there was the car’s compass, the sun and our joint logic...we would be on the Going to the Sun Road in no time.  We kept heading north...on roads that make Camp Allen’s gravel back roads look good, gravel dust hanging from the various evergreens and our trusty Subaru...no bathrooms (yeah,Eddie had to do the bush thing) or gas stations,no farms houses, few other cars.  Did you know that part of Glacier National Park (not the Native American Reservation Part) is in Alberta/British Columbia, Canada?  And kinda like the Blackfeet Nation portion, the Canadian portion of the park/border is Covid closed to Americans...yikes.  So, at 11:30, a mere two hours into to our trip, we figured we were just moments away from a Border crossing without passports or Covid permission slip...but we had our NPS Senior pass, masks and a gallon of hand sanitizer...that should count for something.  At the first sign of civilization (read an old country store which was not open, gate locked, but had a map posted on their outside board), Eddie stopped the car.  I found an opening in the fence and went through to examine the map.  I was doing fine, but Old Ye of Little Faith Eddie joined me to determine where we went wrong...and how to get back to the actual Park and the Going to the Sun Road.  One well executed three point turn, a cloud of gravel dust and we were off, retracing our steps, putting distance between us and Canada.  Sure enough, there was a right hand turn, which was marked on the southern route guiding us into the Parkvia the Camas Road entrance...which is the road less traveled when entering the park...no guard shack or only one other lone car on this 13 mile stretch—-that and an adolescent black bear crossing the road. Score one for Team GO on our Wildlife Bingo game...part of my Mary Poppins bag...thanks Pinterest.  We made our way to Apgar Village within the park and walked around Lake McDonald—-since the Park boats were not running this summer.  For the next few hours, we joined the caravan of cars (sorry, the Park’s red tour buses are another victim of the Covid closures) up the Going to the Sun road, up and over the Continental Divide, stopping at several locations for pictures and picnic lunch on a covid free red rock table.  The four of us thought that was a smarter covid move than using the well used wooden tables at various stops...even with Clorox wipes.  As we had used an additional hour or more finding the entrance, we turned around at the Rising Sun point and made our way back down the road...towards our 3:15 rafting meet up place...which will be my next story.  Our day in and around the park...Yeah, pretty spectacular....Eddie and I feel pretty thankful that we have had a chance in our years together to visit almost all of the national parks...it makes you realize how special this country is..America, the Beautiful...for sure.  

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

You know how a song from your past will just randomly pop into your head, and your wee little brain is stuck in a never ending loop of said song?  Well, on our first travel adventure during the current Pandemic Code Red, that childhood ditty has been stuck in my head.  To refresh your memory (not about the Pandemic...cause if you need refresher about that...you might consider another type of testing...nasal swab not necessary...just sayin’)...Eddie and I have been pretty much housebound since March.  With each passing week, our paranoia about doing anything that involved exposure to people, even folks we knew, has increased.  Planned trips were cancelled, deposits refunded, shopping was limited to pop your trunk pick up or point and click and eating out meant we ate on the patio...with the lone exception on the 19 day trip to Montana that was planned to complete our 6 weeks away from the Houston summer heat.  If it was just me and Eddie, we would have pulled the plug on that in June (last cancellation with no penalty date)-but this was the family portion of the trip.  The 3 adult (George, Lauren, Drew) and 3 kids (Eli, Grace, Lucy) quivering lips, and sad puppy eyes at the mere whisper of cancellation kept us from doing a lift and shift on dates until next year.  So, despite a whole lot of reservations about flying, sleeping in strange beds, being around people we did not know, we left our Covid free cocoon yesterday morning and headed for Glacier National Park in Montana.  Talk about jumping into to the deep end of the pool...

We arrived at Bush Terminal C at 9:15 AM for a 11:15 flight.  I can say without a doubt that we have never planned, discussed and packed for a trip quite like this.  My carryon flight bag had Chub of real Wet Wipes, 10 pairs of disposable gloves, 6 disposable mask, 4 cloth masks in two styles, eyeglass covering protection goggles, 2 buckets hats with detachable face shields, 4 splash and dash hoodie disposable rain ponchos (No, I did not buy them for the trip, they were leftovers from trips to a couple of rainforests), several 3 oz bottles of hand sanitizer (in case we just had to bathe in it-kinda like exposure to  radioactive material or Ebola), a can of nuts and protein bars, so that we did not have to purchase food from the airports, my iPad with a plastic wrap on the cover, charger cord also wrapped in plastic, and our travel materials.  Our actual wearable wardrobe is pretty limited...there is a washer, and Eddie had determined that we would only eat out if it was outdoor seating...so no formal night on this land cruise.  My regular suitcase had a giant ziplock with Clorox wipes, Lysol spray, more hand sanitizer, wet wipes, face masks and gloves.   There was also zipper bag of bear bells and lifeguard whistles, which will be joined with my $50 can of bear spray that I have reserved for pick up in Whitefish.  Side note...bear spray is different that personal pepper spray...while both are pepper sprays, the bear spray works at a long distance...kinda like ant vs. hornet spray...you kinda don’t want to get that close to the bear with personal pepper spray to make it work...makes sense...maybe everyone knew that, but it was an ahh moment for me.   Amazon, Dick’s, even Academy were all out of stock of said 50 ft. Bear spray-must be the Protesters around the country using it on theIr evenings out in the various cities round  this country...so I had to locally source my bear spray, complete with attractive holster.  Apparently, it is not advisable to have to dig in your purse or backpack for the can of bear spray if the bear is headed for you.  My auxiliary small suitcase is more of my rolling Mary Poppins stuff for the kids...a couple of collapsing coolers and the snacks favored by the kids that were not available on the Safeway grocery app that I preplanned and purchased our groceries from...here again, popping the trunk To avoid in person shopping.  Eddie planned for himself—I know, you are shocked—-to include a couple of heavy hardback books...lots of just in case medications, for stomach, head, ear, throat, lung, blisters, sunburn, bug bites... the medical equipment to include thermometer, pul oxy finger machine, snuffy, hearing aide equipment and his electric toothbrush-yes, 19 days and he is afraid that his teeth or gums will develop disease if it does not come along.  Has tooth decay been added to the list of Covid symptoms?  It is so hard to keep up these days.  Remind me again about spontaneous travel adventures in your golden year.  So, here we are with 2 large suitcases, two small suitcases and my carryon flight bag at Terminal C.  Up the ramp, no crowds, no curbside check in, no honking cars or traffic cop...hummmm, this is different.  Typically Terminal C is busy, regardless of time of day, nope, only one side of the terminal was open, your luggage tags are printed at a touchless kiosk, no lines at TSA-plain or with precheck...most of the shops are closed, some of the food concessions are still open, but is it all grab and go.  The Terminal and gates have probably never been as clean and clutter free, but it was sad but also extremely entertaining.  As we were out of C1, we decided to sit down in a row of seats on the wall at the beginning of the concourse to C1-21....it was the best seat in the house for people watching...and mask wearing.  Which brings me to my song....Head, shoulders, Knees and Toes, knees and Toes...Eyes, Ears, Mouth and Nose...I have mentioned before that if your are wearing a mask, do it right.  If it is mandatory, just do it, don’t complain. It is like a seat belt...I know that took some getting use to, it was not comfortable, particularly when they added the shoulder strap, but just get over it and do it, it is for your own good...or those around you.  The folks in the airport need to remember where their nose, mouth and chin are...your mask needs to cover all those things (mouth and nose) if they do not, adjust the mask or get a bigger mask (yeah,  big bubba - your chubby chipmunk cheeks and double chin are not  covered by that kids mask, you are not fooling any of us) Additionally, do not give your child bubble gum when wearing a mask...chewing gum, perhaps, but no bubble gum, particularly in a paper mask.  As for the knees and toes...fluffy house shoes are not good pandemic foot wear....what are you thinking...I know the Kardashian girls do it, but they are on a private jet...and there is that kid trying to get the bubble gum out of his mask and slinging it on the floor, and don’t get me started about folks sneezing,  If you are going to wear those form fitting, knee length athletic outfits, check the mirror first and make sure your pandemic pounds are not showing.  My goodness..I did not know that material had that much stretch in it.  Eddie and I enjoyed to show, but of course, we had to go to the bathroom before boarding the plane.  After all that has been written about toilet flushing, we had actually discussed our strategy for the trip.  Of course, that went out the window when we decided that we needed to go before we got on the plane.  Guys have it easy....me, however, I just about had a panic/heart attack when the potty stall I selected (and there was a process for that)  auto flushed when I enter and shut the door, again when I was in hover mode, and again as I departed.  Could not decided if I needed to break out the wet wipes or go full immersion in the hand sanitizer before returning to our designed area.  BTW, IAH bathrooms are far superior to Denver’s, even with the fast to flush toilets.  

Eddie and I had purchased (as in a revenue ticket—-I am sure United’s thank you note is in the mail) first class tickets for this trip, not so much for butt in bucket time, as the “social distancing” that came from being in the front of the plane, with a curtain to stop the dreaded sneezing covid cooties from attacking us.  We are in 1A &1B...our “planned” strategy was to be last on, first off, sanitize our seat area, and not accept food or drink unless it was bottled water.  Some of you have traveled with Eddie, we all know and accept that “last” is not in his vocabulary. Even after all of the discussion, I thought this time would be different.  Nope, nope, nope...the boy almost mowed down the guy in the wheelchair and the service man in uniform to get onto the plane first...while he did not say a word, I saw those looks from our fellow passengers...”Ken” is in the house...or at least on the plane to Denver.  Speaking of Ken behavior, we had a true “Karen” on the plane.  As we were on early, we had a front row seat to the action.  “Karen” and her 3 pre teen and teen children boarded the plane.  “Karen” was maskless, with her cell phone in her hand.  She jammed the screen of the cell phone into the flight attendant’s face and exclaiming “This says I do not need to wear a mask”.  Since we all electronically signed the “I agree to wear a mask on the plane” and “I have not have covid in the last 14 days” pledge, the poor flight attendant was caught off guard and said, “oh, okay, sure”.  Her 3 kids, had masks on, under the nose or on their chins, but had masks on...a few minutes lasted, the supervisor and gate attendant approached her and ask her to bring her documentation and accompany them to the front of the plane.  Once out of cell video camera range (looks like United has learned those lessons, no dragging or physical assault...times are tight, they can’t afford negative press or lawsuits).  Her documentation was copies of the Constitution and Bill of Rights on her phone...she aggressively challenged those in authority that it is not stated that she had to wear a mask, but could carry a gun.  Yikes! In their best and calmest happy but firm grown up voices, they asked if they could get her children so she could be escorted off the plane with them.  United training during shutdown, I guess.  “Karen” backed down, snatched United paper mask and put it on, only until she reached her seat.  Her kids had pulled up their masks, had heads down in their phones...my guess is they are use to it.  To answer your question, I did not get a picture for our Montana album...there are enough wild animals in Montana...Karens are becoming way too common. 

Lauren and fam arrive in a hour, the kitchen calls....Goin’ on a Bear Hunt.....

Gloom, Despair, Agony on Me

For today's journey, I have chosen a trip in the WABAC machine with Mr. Peabody and Sherman as our mode of transportation.  If you are not a Rocky and Bullwinkle fan, perhaps Google or Wiki can give you a hand.  Since most of you that read my silliness are of that certain vulnerable age you will understand my references of both of those and to the trip back to the political incorrect time of the late 1960-70's...I know the Stone Age.  We are talking about the yahoos (before there was a capitalized "Y" in Yahoo) on Hee Haw...four country boys on hay bales sings the sad song of Gloom, Despair, Agony on Me...Deep Dark Depression, excessive Misery, if it weren't for bad luck I have no luck at all....Gloom, Despair, Agony on me....you can sing along...Grab your overalls and jug.   This current Pandemic just drags on and seems to drag all of our plans, thoughts and dreams right along with it...  So, instead of Patriotic tunes, we are singin' the blues.

As Camp A had a Covid Cutie during the first week of operation, Lauren and family have been self quarantining on site to prevent sharing with us old people.  On Friday the 3rd, they were 7 days from completing this new 2 week cycle of self quarantining.   With their 5 and our 2 plus George, we are at 8 people for a safe gathering number.  We have had them here for years, pool, Skippy, fishing, fireworks, and lots of food.  The number has ranged from 8 to 20 depending on the additional extended family members that come along.  This year, it would be quiet party of 3.  We would carry on, pool, bbq, Skippy and fireworks....but it is not quite the same.  Gloom, Despair, Agony on me...

During last week, we had the shop garage officially tricked out with true air conditioning.  The summer months, which here extends from April/May to October and sometimes into November, his shop is unusable. For the 14 years since we have been here, acquiring more toys, it would appear on the Eddie List of things to do.  We would have various people out to pitch us on their solution to our problem...none of them sounded good or reasonably priced.  During Ike, we had a window unit that we used in our Master (oops, we are not suppose to refer to it as a Master Bedroom these days...so we will call it the big sleeping room downstairs as Owner's suite is probably on the bad list, too) Bedroom for the 16 days without AC.  Those 16 days led us to acquiring the whole house generator...hang on to that little fact.  Post Ike we considered the window AC as a possible shop solution, too noisy on patio, eye sore for sure hanging out the patio window to the garage and not "allowed" according to our Home Owner regs.  And we are such rule obeyers.  Bottom line, Eddie could not go ghetto on the window unit... So, a very large fan was acquired from Home Depot....blew crap and warm air everywhere, but it was still hot.  So, it could only be used infrequently.  The Spring before Harvey, we acquired a penguin AC.  For those not familiar with my Pickle Lexicon of terms, that is the portable free standing AC unit that can be moved from room to room.  The fine print will tell you that you have to have outside ducting through a window....but the pictures don't.    Eddie constructed and painted a window duct system that would allow air out, no critters in and be pleasing to the eye and ear if you were on the patio.  Wasn't great, but it would do.  The hand washing of the foam filter to prevent issues ended up being a pink job, so I was not crazy about the entire thing...but it was a step in the right direction.  Post Harvey---it took on water, so the Penguin was no more.  We had not pursued a solution since then.  As we don't have lots on our plate these days, Eddie's list was brought out and reviewed....since the dock stuff was now completed.  Hmmm, Shop AC, Ed said he was ready to do something with that.  I put it on my list...10 days later we are sitting with new central Air and Heating, and a full insulated attic.  Do not mess with me when I have a task or items on the list...it will get done, at a reasonable price, by a properly vetted company.  Boom.

All was well, until Friday afternoon.  Eddie decided to get into our pool which is kept at a lovely 85 degrees during hot summer months with a Heat/Cool system...post Harvey Upgrade to the unit that chilled the water and threw up water in the side yard in equal measure.  Eddie doesn't do cheap and technology caught up with his desires post Harvey.  Another little 220 fact to hang onto as we tell our story.  Eddie puts up the umbrellas and jumps in...and immediate comes out and back into the house squawking and dripping  about the Cooling system.  He figured that the system had been taken off line when the AC system was added to the breaker box.  Let's review so we don't lose track---we now have 3 AC units, one chiller unit, a designated 220 circuit in the shop for toys, the 220's on the boat dock for those toys, and assorted regular 220s in the house for the stoves and ovens....we have a gas dryer, so no 220 dryer connection...we are so Green...  Hmm.  While he is attempting to bring the chiller back on line,  I notice the house is a little warm...like 80 degrees and you know Eddie, 72 is considered the minimum accepted summer temp indoor.  Yes, we pay for the privilege, but a hot Eddie is not a happy Eddie.  Hmm.  To the breaker box, Batman.  The previously pleasant 80 degree shop is now 92....home to the breaker box.  Eddie starts flipping circuits breakers, has me checking all the GFI and Arc breakers switches...I so love a Friday afternoon fire drill!!!!  So, half the house is down, the other half (mostly the 110 lines) are all operational...the switch game resulted in the sub woofer making large clopping noises and the freestanding 110 volt ice maker having a wetting (no ice and drainage) problem.  It is now 6:00 PM Friday before the 4th of July on a very warm day in Houston.  Excellent.  Phone calls were made to the AC installation company.  Hmm.  I reminded Ed that when we lived on Tree Lane, we experienced a similar outage.  Half the trunk line---also called phase, leg, etc.  by the "electrical professionals".  They love a good "phase outage" it is like digging for gold, as a new trunk has to be attached to the utility post/pole and routed to your home via a hand dug trench or shot under concrete.  Yikes!  We called the electrical bubba (our AC contractor referral) and he confirmed our suspicions and told us to call Center Point, as they would give us a temporary line until electric bubba could come dig for gold in our yard.  I worked the Center Point route, and at 10:00 PM, Center Point, sans mask, gloves and hand sanitizer arrived to fix the problem.  Eddie sprang into action opening the shop (16 foot garage door---the big one) so CP could examine the breaker box and the things inside the shop.  BOING!  That would be the large spring on the garage door breaking in half.    Folks, I can't make this stuff up!  15 minutes later, with limited social distancing on Eddie's part, the diagnosis was in, the Generator relay switch was out and was blocking the 220 power leg from getting to the box.  This will be a morning call, and a double overtime call on a holiday to our Generator people-that are based in Conroe.  Remember the big fan that blow crap everywhere, they come in handy still...warm but not totally unbearable night in our big sleeping room downstairs.

An early morning call to our generator switch board said the "on duty" technician would contact us.  An hour later, he called a mentioned the price for service on a holiday without a service contract.  Okay, we will sign up for the service contract, just get out here and fix the problem.  Of course, Eddie doesn't do a Ken or Karen, but a Smooth Eddie and once he explained the problem, Josh asked Eddie to perform some trouble shooting.  Josh did not want to come to Kingwood/Humble on his day off...even at the price quoted.  Eddie did as asked, with live 220 and 110 legs coming into the house.  The results was an early fireworks display...in the switching box.  Nope, you are going to have to come this way, Josh, the box is on fire.  Josh said he would need to call the owner as this was above his pay grade...which part, Josh, the fire or the repair?  At 11:30 AM Josh and the owner arrived in two trucks, two hours later, problem solved, all the toys are back online. Eddie inquired about the relay---as it was now 12 years old, they do go out...the addition of the new AC probably added stress to the 220 leg and it broke.  Yeah, all 220 toys of Eddie's are all operational... House cooled down by dinner time.  However, the ice maker and subwoofer are still on the TBD/wounded list.   Before you ask, we have known that a trunk line or outside box issue is on our dime (Been here, done that --- no lesson learned before goes unused, as my mother would say) , but the fire in the relay box, subwoofer and ice maker are usually covered by homeowners.  So, we will only be out the garage door spring, insurance deductible and the smaller garage door spring, as it was causing the garage door opener control to have error messages...and the repairmen for the big garage spring said that it would probably hit Eddie's car when it broke, in not too distant future....so Springs on Tuesday.    What was it that my Mom and Grandmother use to say, Tragedy comes in threes. If my math is correct,  I think we are done.

As the heat and positivity rate in Houston cranks up, remember to be a rule obeyer, wear your mask, use hand sanitizer  or wash your hands frequently, use social distancing and take care of yourself...we are in this for the long haul...like a marathon, we want to see us all make it to the finish line..together.    We miss our friends!

Mr. Eddie's To Do List

When I last wrote, I promised you an Eddie story.  With any good Eddie story, there is the background information that is essential to understanding the mind of Eddie (the tao of Eddie, if you will)....but after years of comparing notes with other lady friends, this could actually be a "man" thing.  I am by nature and training a list maker, my lists have lists.  I delight in crossing off tasks. I do a happy dance when all the tasks on a page are completed.   When I was mentally more agile, I had spiral bound notebooks (leftovers from the kids' school work-waste not want not, as my mother would say---complete with those chads and wire pinked edge paper scraps) that would have sections of lists all organized by subject matter.  I now have a clip board with leftover notebook paper (yes, I still am using that stuff up, too) that has a sheet each for House/Travel/Kid stuff.  Unfortunately, there is nothing going on the Travel sheet, and the kid stuff is pretty much covered on a calendar date as once Camp Allen goes into session (June 21st), Eddie and I are restricted from seeing them as they might be knee deep in Covid Cootie world.  Eddie on the other had creates a "super list".  It usually starts on a small scrap of paper then progresses to a type written numbered sheet...which takes days to create...instead of working on the list items, Eddie is hung up on the birth of the list, which is then attached to a clipboard...and promptly stuck in a drawer.  Sigh. No happy dance.    This story begins with one of those “super” list in the Fall of 2016.  The list had replace the bulkhead, widen the dock walkway and add rails around both the walkway and the boat house area to prevent the ducks, comorants and gulls from living (and pooping) on said walkway and boat house area.  The bulkhead, dock walkway and rails were added prior to March of 2017. Eddie put on his "to do” list to completed the rails around the boathouse area, himself...never sure why he wants to have an actual hand in the finished project...his Scottish heritage, his man pride of I can do this, or a reason to purchase more tools.  We departed for our usually Spring Cruise.  While we were gone, the April Tax Day flood arrived...and took some (really, a lot) of the backfill from the yard and added to the silt problem in the lake.  So, the list was expanded to include dump trucks of dirt and sand and an enormous amount of new sod.  These items quickly moved to the top of Eddie's list.  Work was completed just in time for the Memorial Day flood....more sand, soil and sod added to Lake Houston.  So, the rest of the rail pickets around the boathouse were scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2017....and we all know what we were doing in that season...Harvey.

Fast forward, Eddie has had many typed lists and a couple of multi paged excel spreadsheets since then.  Note, I have not said a word about completion of task on his lists. He obviously does not get the same joy of crossing off as I do.   His lists and the ranking of their priority is a combination known only to him.  I have determined that if it is not a priority to him, I have two choices, do it myself or hire it out. This is why we have separate lists.   We have been finished with all of Harvey's major list items for well more than two years, four months and 7 days.  But the rails around the boat house remained on an old 2016 list...until he decided in January that it was now a priority.  All the lumber was purchased, all the 2-3/4 inch screws were purchased....and placed in his "shop" to be installed.  In fits and starts, the 2 x 4 turned into rails, the 450 rails were cut and 4 screw holes were drill pressed into each for easy installation.  The 450 rails were placed in two very neat piles on the dock..in Febraury.  Meanwhile, he decided to build and install a dock bench, complete a needlepoint stocking, take a trip to Tucson, build a bedroom furniture for Grace and Lucy, read 25 books and endlessly doom scroll the daily Covid newsfeed.  I decided not to ask when he planned on completing the pickets on the rails around the boat house---did I mention he quit smoking?  Been married to the man for too long to poke that bear.  So I waited, and waited.  Our winged friends were no longer impressed with the trip wire on the 2x4 that went down the dock walkway rail, the white evidence of them laughing (and pooping) at our attempts to keep them away were a daily reminder that this work needed to be completed.  About 3 weeks ago I added festive nylon flags---I order enough that we can look like a used car lot for years. So glad that Amazon is back to 2 day delivery...for now.  There is only about 2-4 weeks flag fluttering before they look a little frayed....hence the large order.  However, the flags keep the birds and their poop away.  At about the same time, TS Cristobal was forming in the Gulf---and you know Frank (KPRC weather man), he likes to hedge his bets with a forecast of 0-12 inches of rain possible. Well, 12 inches of rain could put water over the boat dock area---and the 450 predrilled, neatly stacked rails would be set sail into the murky waters of Lake Houston.  Eddie watched the weather daily to see the storm's course, not yet rushing to complete the dock work.  In his defense, he had talked months ago to our handy man about helping him finish the job with using his boat (since we all know what happened to our---and no, a new boat is not on my list---but it is on Eddie's)...Handy man said he was booked solid.  So, Cristobal blew east and the backside left of us with several days of 20-30 mph winds on the lake...out of the north....in other words directly into the front of the dock.  Well, you guessed it.  These were the days that Eddie decided that the work was to be completed.  Without his much younger and more agile handy man in a boat, he determined that we (as in me and him, we) could do the work with Skippy the jet ski as our flotation device, or hanging from the skippy lift, or on our bellies (in freshly washed bird poop land) with arms poking through the pickets to secure the lower screws.  The top 450 pickets were quick-we both had cordless lightweight drills, I started the upper screws, he mounted the picket to the precovid period rail with his handy block of wood and grip clamp...we were humming.  The wind was not an issue, it was invigorating..wind, drills, marking thing off my list ---what could be better...until we got the bottom two screws.  That is when Skippy was set into the water to be used as a construction barge in a 30 mph North wind.  First, I worried that Ed drop the cordless  drill---and you know Eddie, he doesn't do cheap.  So, I raided our travel box for a long lanyard with clip and fashioned a loop with a zip tie to allow him to be able to keep the drill out of the water (read bottom of Lake) and around his neck, I then attached a rope to the front and back of Skippy.  So, picture this, Eddie in a snuggly fitting life preserver (Covid/Not smoking weight gain), on Skippy holding/wearing a drill, my legs snuggly (yeah, I can cop to some Covid Cushion)threaded through the pickets so my feet could steady Skippy as it bobbed and slammed into the dock and my legs in the wind driven white capping lake water, holding both ropes in one hand  to keep him close to the target zone, hand starting the bottom screws with my now blood finger tips, and holding a level so that he was sure that it was level and screwing in the two screws.  Fun huh, the only thing that made it more special was Eddie implying that I was not helping keep the jet ski steady or that he could see the bubble in the level was not just so.  We worked like this for about 2 hours, and only managed to screw in 20 or so pickets....40 screws... We were done for the day.  While Eddie was redocking Skippy I used the lanyard drill and reached through the pickets and screwed in probably 5 or so pickets.  Not comfortable, but better than Plan A.  Over the next few windy days we completed the job.  I would hand thread start the screws Eddie would reach through and finish the job.  10 days later I am still wearing bandaid on my index fingers. The dock furniture has been bracketed to the deck. Like I said, when it comes to lists, if it is important to me---do it myself (the flags were my dyi option) or hire it out.

I will finish with the promised quick Karen story.  Sun glare give me a headache, not to mention makes it hard for me to see.  Since we were working on the dock, I used a pair of old prescription sunglasses...knowing that dangling over the side of the dock or through the pickets was a good way to lose the glasses.  My old glasses do not have a strong enough reading script...so on one of my many trip back to the house to get a certain sized screw or a something that needed better vision, I grabbed my regular glasses and kept swapping them out for my sunglasses.  I was very careful in where I was placing my regular glasses....or at least I thought so.  After we were done for the day, the Skippy cover was on the newly constructed bench, Eddie toy, I mean tool, box was repacked for the trip back up to the house, we headed back up.  I reached the house and realized I had my sunglasses on, but where were my regular glasses.  Back and forth to the dock (yeah, I got my 10,000 steps in), in and out of my pockets, Eddie's tool box, the Skippy Cover,  furniture---no glasses...Oh well, must have gone over board.  I have never lost a pair of Rx glasses before....Rats, a perfect record ruined, an item to add to my list.  Back at the house, I put my hand through my hair, as it has been blown into a fine mess...and there the glasses sat.  Oh well, guess we are both older than we think.  What a surprise!


As we enter into the uptick of the first wave of this Covid Season, remember to stay safe and healthy and always try to find something that makes you laugh out loud every day!

Whiplash!

Holy Cow!  I started a new post a couple of weeks ago, mid-May I would guess, when Texas (aka the Wild West) began reopening after our Spring Covid19 season of lockdown.  Kinda like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly after a period of cocooning.  Despite its many legs, the caterpillar does not appear to stray too far from home, continuously eating,  not hanging with others, then spinning itself into a cocoon (I wonder if the better cocoons have Netflix or Amazon Prime)...then bursting forth with wings and taking flight frantically flying from bush to flower and back again.  In the case of the Monarch butterflies flying to Mexico for the winter. Ahh, travel, I so miss it.  This is the first Spring we have had at home in 10 years... I wonder if our butterflies have been instructed to wear little butterfly masks, and use social distancing?  And so it is, some of us has taken flight from our cocoons, and been buzzing around without a care in the world (or caring too much as the case may be).  Not too far as you can't cross the borders, yet.... What a difference a couple of weeks in the cocoon make!  The entire country has gone from cocooning at home to out in the streets....in crazy large numbers...sweating, yelling, chanting, laying face down on the dirty street,  not social distancing, sharing water bottles with not a drop of hand sanitizer in sight.    Talk about short attention spans.  Frankly, I am suffering from whiplash on what the rules are right now and how to determine what Phase we are in (Phase-is that even a thing, or has it been retired like our M&M threat levels), what is open with restrictions and is really and truly closed.  Eddie has decided that we all secretly voted (no mail in ballots, please)  and decided that we really wanted to follow Sweden's lead - frequent hand washing, social distancing, masks and guns optional, keep the old and sick (aka "our most vulnerable populations") at home-without visitors, otherwise, business as usual.   FYI Houston is up 36% on Covid hospitalizations since we began reopening, protesting, etc.  Looks like we may have pulled the $16 million temporary field hospital at Reliant down a little early...oops.  That is $32 million we won't have for flooding and storm clean up this year if we have to have a do over.  All that and the threat of locusts and murder hornets---not even the apocalyptic movies that usually come out for the 4th of July have plots this complicated.

I remember thinking about where to begin on reopening---the thought of Shakespeare's Hamlet popped into my tiny little head - "To mask or not to mask"...that is the question.  At that point masking seem like the reasonable way to protect one's self. It has become apparent that there are two camps, those that do and those that won't ever.  Ed and I are firmly in the camp of do-bees (remember Romper Room).  We have traveled too much to Asia and watch everyone always wearing masks--there is a reason, they are not doing it for a fashion statement.  In fact, I ordered masks in early January when this first started on the news. (remember the old adage, a butterfly flaps its wings in China, and the US catches the cold) Ed laughed at me...by March he was asking me where they were...along with hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray and gloves (yup, I had them---only failed the year supply of toilet paper test)  Unfortunately, I had a case of writer's block or a case of news overload....I have read 12 different books since then.  I was also tired of cooking and eating my own meals. Peanut butter and crackers, anyone?     I could put a few words down, but I was stuck for inspiration on how to proceed... However, I now must as a PSA write a word about masking etiquette.  While I have seen some of these various infractions myself, locally and personally, you need look no farther than your daily news---pick your flavor-CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, FOX, ABC---to see the total lack of common sense for proper mask usage.  Folks, I know it is hot, but if you choose to wear a mask, let's think about some proper ground rules. Otherwise, be a mask not person, cause you are doing more harm to yourself than good with what you are doing...besides looking stupid.     First, it is not a sweat band-putting your mask on your forehead is not going to help you with the Covid Cooties.  Likewise for being a headband.  Second, the proper placement is right side up---if your mask has a metal clip, that belongs on the bridge of your nose, not on your chin or under your chin.  You gently grab the clip and pinch slightly to make the mask fit better....I believe the term is secure fit. The metal clip on the bottom will not stop you from snoring or being a mouth breather.   Homemade masks without a clip often have at contour shape that fits the nose bridge, while the chin side does not have the peaked edge.  There is probably a right side and a wrong side to your mask...make sure you have that right, too.  If you wear your mask multiple times, regardless of type, you should endeavor to have the same side to your face every time.  More on that in a moment.  Third, and this is a biggie---the mask needs to be on the bridge of your nose (meaning over your nasal passages-those roundish holes, two per human) and over your month (that big slit in your face) and far enough down on your chin so that it does not gap when you speak. If you are speaking or being spoken to---keep it covered, both of them-nose and mouth.  Some folks get this half right and have it only over their mouths, or only over the noses---you will not get just half the virus if you do this, you will get the whole virus.   Kinda of like being a little pregnant....it does not work that way.  Fourth, if you are promask---commit to the mask, do not use your hand that has been on the grocery cart or other public surface to remove the mask from one ear allowing it to dangle like a Christmas ornament from your one ear, or push it down under your chin, then use the now dirty hand to reposition the mask when you see someone headed for your  6 foot separation bubble.  They have said from the start, it is almost an involuntary reflex to touch your face.  Keep your hands away from your face...to include nose picking-which I have witnessed, mask down, pick, mask up.  And it was an adult....ewwww... Finally, treat your mask like your underwear.   Think about it ---your mask has been over your face and mouth, you have breathed in and out (I assume) have spoken to people (think spit or just those invisible mouth cooties they keep talking about on both sides of the mask) and have taken it off with your hopefully hand sanitized hands...with your car AC running (hey, it is hot out there)...place your mask someplace clean if you are going to wear it again....know which side is front and back.    What do you do with your underwear when you are getting ready for a change---shower or what have you? You don't put it on the floor then pick it up and put it back on later. Consider washing your mask after every outing...or go commando... Don't even get me started about paper mask reuse for weeks....right up there with the nose picker on gross out meter.  I see that dirty masks hanging from Bubba's pick up truck's rear view window....  

In coming days, I have an Eddie story, and a Karen story---no, not the urban slang "Karen"...which I was not even aware of until I stumbled into Covid Karen articles....like I said, I have ODed on News articles.   Asked my adult children, and they told me that being a "Karen" was a thing before Covid was a thing.  I have been enlightened, no more loudly asking to talk to the manager---which my family knows I am sooo likely to do....you never know who has their phone camera on these days.

Mr. Eddie Returns

Well, as I read our phasing back to a new normal, not to be confused with the M&M color code terrorist threat chart---soo last decade, we are somewhere between prephase 1 and post-phase 1, depending on where you are---in the country, county, city, or what have you.  Just like Cancer Doctors, Politicians and Pandemic folks don't like to talk about hard and fast dates, deadlines or "how long you have to live" or "how long you have to be in lockdown".  Somehow, I kinda liked to M&M threat chart-green means go, red means stop...lots clearer for us in the herd (looking for immunity in all the wrong places) to understand.  As I see it, we here in the 7-19 county region in what I would call a pre phase 1.  (see what I am talking about---depending on where you get your news Houston is a 7  (number of counties that touch Harris county?) or up to a 19 county area (I guess that is the range of the TV station with rabbit ears?)  We have to see a "flattening of the curve" - as I see it we are still climbing that curve on the uphill side.  We must continue to test---do not get me started on this one---this should be just like the pregnancy test at the dollar store...$1.00, pee on the stick at home red or green, and boom you have results.  Of course you can go to Target, Walmart, CVS Walgreens or any other place and get a more expensive one, but it is still works the same. We could even post to Facebook, Instagram, or where ever.   But I do not make or manufacture the test, if I did I would not be stuck at home blogging, cooking and wasting time.  We will continue to social distance, avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, wearing face masks, washing hands and all surfaces, no unnecessary travel, continue to staying home if you are considered a "vulnerable" person(s) (yes, we have checked that box) for the next 14 days to see if we stuck the landing on the other side of the hill.  Like I said, not sure if we are ready for declaring our intentions on Phase I.  Be that as it may, our Governor has indicated that we can begin reopening some things, with caution.  State Parks - as long as you are 6 feet apart, wearing face masks, with not more than 10 people - probably okay.  I would however resist the urge to eat on the picnic tables or use the grills. A word about masks.  Whether you have the bandana, coffee filter and rubber band dyi, the  homemade pleated, lined surgical style or the rounded guinea pig nose  dyi variety (shame on you if you have a N95(even if it was leftover from Harvey flood work) or a Amazon purchased medical looking one or box of them---those are for first responders and front line workers---medical or otherwise) ---next week will be a real test for us in Houston's resolve to be mask compliant.  It is suppose to be hot and humid, with temps in the high 80's.  To be effective against others germs they need to be pretty substantial and worn correctly (with some of the pictures I have seen, not necessarily a given)...I am looking at heat rashes on most folks chins and cheeks...and us glasses wears will have permanent fogged glasses.  We will not be practicing social distancing, our glasses will be too fogged, so we will be bumping into folks.  No rest for the weary and wicked.  Governor Abbott also is allowing for retailers to open for "to go" operations.  Hmmm, this should be interesting.  Operations that have an  robust online platform (boy, that and "pandemic" will be the "P" words in our kindergarten home school package for a while) can swing it if people have the money to shop for non-essentials.  However, there are tons of businesses that just have not gotten on board of the e commerce way of life. Don't worry there is a point to that statement, I will circle back before I am finished.   There was nothing specifically mentioned about the reopening of hair, nail, gyms, etc. until Phase 3---which in my calculations is a good 6-8 weeks for most of us---If we see an uptick in hospitalizations and infections, we have to go back to Phase I-kind of like a Monopoly Go to Jail Card---and start over.  Which bring me to Mr. Eddie returns.

A lifetime ago, when I had lots of hair and Texas Big Hair was a thing,  I struggled with getting my hair permed.  The texture said lots of time in the curling rods, with two sets of solution---but my hair would always be fried beyond a crisp and look like a brown wad of steel wool. My Mother's remedy for that was hot olive oil packs for several days post frying....ugh...then wait until it grew out and could be trimmed off.    After many bad experiences with the salons of the 1980's, Mr. Eddie began doing my perms at home.  My mom saved everything, so I had the rollers and papers.  I would get two boxes of TONI Home Permanent kits (it has been a while, but you girls all remember Toni Home Perms), and Mr. Eddie would slip into his puff sleeve shirt with the V neck, platform shoes, bell bottoms and a gold neck chain.  Apparently, we did not throw anything away either as these were popular closet items in the 70's when we were dating.  He would start by opening a bottle of champagne, putting on disco music, and seating me on the vanity in our bathroom on Tree Lane.  He would clip a towel around my neck, give me a glass of champagne and begin meticulously sectioning my hair and giving me what would be the best permanent that money could not buy.  Eddie is a ham---high school and college drama nerd, court room orator---so slipping into Mr. Eddie was no stretch for him.  We had our own home beauty salon for years, the kids would squeal when Mr. Eddie would come to town.  In later years, some of Lauren's favorite memories are of her Dad blow drying her hair. He would do the Brazilian/Kingwood Blow Out without becoming Mr. Eddie.   He is gentle, never in a hurry and would brush her hair until she was  almost asleep.  Permed hair is thing of the past, as is my thick hair.  Thin is in or has been since 2012.   While it does not have the same texture, color or thickness, it still grows like a weed and looks flat and frizzy all at the same time unless cut every 4 weeks.  Well, lock down happened, and my April appointment is now Memorial Day weekend.  Oh, Mr. Eddie can you come back for a visit?  ....I have bookmarked some You Tube videos on how to cut hair.  Right now my hair is sticking straight out on either side (think Bozo)  Mr. Eddie is not sporting a man bun/ponytail yet, but he has the long gray sweep back look of a Pentecostal preacher on Sunday during Revival, we don't have the platformed shoes nor puffy sleeved shirt any more, but we always have champagne chilling.  Do you think that Sally's Beauty Store - yes, that truly old school place that you buy all sorts of hair supplies that are not sold at Target or Walmart --- has the ability to do the "retail to go"..not really feeling that as a e-commerce place.   I know I can get everything I want or need from Amazon, but I would like to support my local businesses if I can.  See, I told you I would circle back.  I have some 60 year old barber scissors that were used on me as a child---the thumb holes are a little small for Mr. Eddie and I would like to upgrade to include some thinning shears along with some more Mr. Eddie like clippers.  Do you think I can get Mr. Eddie to do a facial and a mani/pedi?  Just thinking ahead, need to stimulate my local economy where I can.

Hope you are all well, keeping your curves flattened and your marbles firmly in their bag.

Quarantine Rabbit Holes and Other Shiny Things

In the words of Thumper (Bambi-currently streaming on Disney plus) “ If you can’t something nice, don’t say anything at all”. As there is nothing new, exciting or different to report for here, I have been keeping a low profile...Eddie stories are hard to come by when he is in a familiar rut here at home.  A truly good Eddie story must have the elements of surprise, distance travel, unusual food or people, and  possibly early mornings, which we all know, Eddie does not do anything joyfully before 10:00 AM. Doubtful you want a report on his woodwork projects, there are some colorful not foreign language being use...in new combinations I might add, quite sure that is a result of no cigarettes in 9 weeks (wahoo!), power tools and Murphy’s Law. A few notable quotable from the silver tongued lawyer...first, coming in from the shop last week, he stated “I am glad I am not a surgeon”.  Not that we need any more high risk Items for Coronavirus than we already have, and it is a little late in life for a redo career wise...so, I gathered that precision cutting was as little less than good in  the wood shop that day...Next, was an out of the blue comment while we were watching TV- “You know,” he started, “ I use to cover a fart with a cough, I guess I will have to start covering my coughs with a fart.”  You’ve been warned.  Like I said, there is not much new or exciting here.

I have ebbed and flowed with the dark side of pandemic panic and craziness.  I have had to put my iPad into lockdown/quarantine, because that rabbit hole will make you say bad words, fart and cough all at the same time with no Easter chocolate reward for your travels.   As the path forward looks like a Game of Thrones book (who will sit on the Iron Throne---early betting has Andrew Cuomo as a dark horse candidate), with a little House, MD thrown in for spice, I decided it was best to find other things to keep me busy...and out of the kitchen area...see Quarantine 15 (or CoVid 19 (as in not quite 20 lbs in 3 weeks) for those that have been eating take out more often) for details.

As I have said, Eddie is chasing his own rabbits out in the garage.  I have been attempting to be a good steward of the things in my life...to include the garbage.  On advise of our garbage company/community association, we are to place our trash in a black garbage bag and place said 39 gallon black garbage bag (in lieu of our can) on the curb for pick up on our regular pick up days.  The email notice reminds us that our sanitation engineers (aka garbage men) handle over 2,000 garbage cans daily, and some of those cans could have corona cooties. Yikes!  Here again, another rabbit hole.  So, I have been diligently sorting my trash so that it fits into one black garbage bag....removing the clean cardboard waste to be taken to the recycle bin on my one trip a week to get groceries from the pick up location that I booked 7-10 days prior.  Yet, another Rabbit Hole.  I am sorry, I miss going to the grocery store and selecting my own groceries....and bumping into people I know.    I know our personal shoppers are doing the best that they can given when everyone that can is using their services.   When you ask for 1 pound of broccoli, 1 pound of red grapes and one bag of lemons and get 5 pounds of broccoli, 4 pounds of grapes and 1 lemon I can see why Scott McClelland is such a big supporter of Good Reason (shiny thing alert-Houston area nonprofit to help kids be successful in school).  Guess that part is of why we do not have full time virtual learning.  I have used all of the Pinterest recipes for Grapes and/or Broccoli that I can.  Unless I stomp the grapes and make wine or smother the Broccoli in cheese sauce, I am flying solo on the stewardship of these items.  Like I said, learning to be thankful of what I do get from the store can become a rabbit hole of its own.

Post Harvey, I rediscovered a  old quilt that was made prior to the last pandemic of 1918. This quilt has moved us for 43 years, moved our kids, been a picnic blanket, and a tent.  It ended up being stored in a high shelf on the first floor.  Prior to coming into our possession, it was on down feather beds in Mississippi where homes were drafty and cold as there was no central heat --only the fireplace.  It was made by Ed's grandmother from pieces of old clothing and such.  It was not an art quilt by any means, but a block pattern quilt that was sewn together by a sturdy black Singer tread powered machine, then hand quilted...function over form.    I have that old machine,  I even have his grandmother's old sewing basket.  So, ratty and worn or not, I was determined not to toss this old piece away---it held too much history.  It has been draped over the weight machine in the home gym since we moved back down stairs a little over 2 years ago. (Guess there is nothing shiny in the home gym as it was just where I left it 2 years ago)  Wow, that whole thing--flooding, Harvey and rebuilding-- seems so long ago.  While each day then was challenging, frustrating, and exhausting, you at least knew where you were heading and how to get there...even if you had to wait your turn or found potholes in the road forward.   This is so different.  (OOOHHH Shiny-sorry)  Well, I made a couple of large TV pillows for the grandkids out of the better blocks and have fashioned a Pandemic Santa from some of the scraps.  I have enough for two pandemic panda bears leftover, wow, another week of fun with a sewing machine. Perhaps since this quilt survived the 1918 Spanish Flu I should make masks out of them....decisions, decisions....rabbit holes.

Ed and I had a shiny thing planned for late July and August--an air, land and sea trip to Alaska with a Pacific Northwest Road Trip.  As final payment for the sea portion was due this week, we went down the what if rabbit hole.  In the past,  I have chronicled Eddie's adventures with both air and sea "flu" that he seems to get regardless of how careful we are...the answer seemed obvious---to our children.  We love to travel, so we spent lots of time discussing the what ifs.  In the end today, we (really, me, cause we know how all this travel stuff gets done in Pickle world) pulled the plug on the air, land and sea portion of the trip---however, hope springs eternal---we can still "drive" in our car, with masks, gloves and Lysol to the Montana portion of our trip. Hopefully, there will be Hand Sanitizer by that time.   Fingers crossed.  Holding my rabbit foot keychain for good luck.