Australia

Nicole and POC are traveling with the Arizona Diamondbacks - the team opens the season in Australia this weekend with two games against the Dodgers.  So that's a pretty unique experience.

Anyway - they went along with some of the team members on a climb of the famous harbor bridge.  Our heroes get a smidgen of video-time starting around 1:10.

after almost six years (remodel, phase two)

PJ and I thought about it a bit, then decided (back in 2006 or 2007) that we would stay in our current five-bedroom home for the long haul notwithstanding that all the kids had moved on permanently (or so we thought at the time); but that we would do a bunch of updating as long as we were sticking around in the place for good.  The plan was to work on the first floor in 2008, then move immediately to remodeling the upstairs floor in 2009.

Dining room qua multi-year storage facility.

Master bedroom, demo phase.

The 2008 phase went swimmingly; for example, here, here, here, and here; then we encountered a few diversions (generally in the form of unanticipated roommates).  All quite pleasant; but nonetheless a few years seem to have slipped away.  Which is fine - I'd happily trade a bit of a remodeling delay for the fun memories of having bonus time with those guys.  In the meantime the vanity cabinets for the upstairs bathrooms, along with a bunch of other construction goods (yes, including two toilets in boxes) have occupied our dining room since mid-2008.  And the living room (adjoining the dining room) has been used for nothing but storage during those years.  But:  whatever.

Slab selection Saturday.  Eagle-eye in action.

Anyway:  long-delayed phase two launched on March 3.

Quite a bit less complicated than the 2008 phase.  We are removing 20-year-old (and occasionally marked by Kelly-the-Welshie over the years) carpet; swapping out the 30-year-old builder's cabinets; new tile in the bathrooms; getting rid of both bathtubs (who uses these things anyway?)  Various other tinkerings included.  And we also came up with a wrinkle we wouldn't have thought up in 2008/9 - enlarging the master suite via the simple expedient of knocking out a wall between the "old" master bedroom and an adjoining smaller bedroom (and relocating the closet) - easy, effective.

Taken from same spot.  Bottom photo shows kid-bedroom as it existed since we moved into the
house.  Top photo:  door to hallway closed off, closet relocated, space is connected to master suite.

The other new concept will be that we have permanently given up on the idea of maintaining a furnished living room and dining room.  We haven't once missed having access to these rooms in the last near-six years.  Meaning that - once the upstairs stuff is done - those areas will be cleared out (other than pianos) and deployed as an oversized game room.  Details to come.

In the meantime, PJ and I have taken up residence in a couple rooms on the first floor - it's like living in a hotel, fun!  Much easier than this, as kitchen access is uninterrupted this time around.

Desk, bed, TV, closet = hotel life.  Grandpa+Grandma Bormann's chair comes in handy, again.

Now we just need to keep after things such that guest quarters are ready for incoming hikers for Phantom Ranch 2014.

site of future pool table

piano(s) update

I would like to improve at piano-playing.  Who knows, maybe I have three or four decades to do a little work on this task?  Anyway, we have a couple piano-problems here.

First:  practicing or playing an acoustic piano in our home - whether competently or no - is maddening for anyone else in the house in fairly short order.  There's just no way to isolate the sound.

Second:  our piano is beyond repair.  Our efforts from a few years back did not turn out to be a long-term solution.  Meaning replacement or a serious restoration job (we're leaning toward the latter, which will take at least nine months).

This gets the job done, and then some.  And what a pleasant view.

The solution:  my little wife sprung for a good-quality electronic piano.  Now I can practice with headphones!  Sure, this just reinforces how wonderful a good acoustic piano sounds - but this is a very good quality product and definitely solves the practice-disruptive-noise issue around here.

Will continue to use it once we do whatever we do with the Steinway.

Brahms Requiem (Arizona Musicfest, February 23, 2014)

After these events it is a bit of a challenge to try to express in words a couple concepts that run deeper than words - the power of participation in a musical performance like this; the strength of a family that supports that participation.

family members in attendance . . . 

This was my fourth year performing with Arizona MusicFest orchestra and choir; year three for PJr.  CPG and I had performed the Brahms Requiem in 2012 with Choral Union - also a delightful experience.  It is a wonderful, moving work.

As I've done occasionally in the past, I'll post my thoughts about the work by pasting my pre-concert email right into this post (it appears at bottom).

For me, the thrill of participating in these performances is not wearing off, even slightly.  Perhaps it has something to do with 30+ years primarily in a work-a-day setting, such that the punctuation provided by these performance opportunities remains so compelling. But I think it's moreso the fundamental wondrous-ness of these events - among the very finest works of art produced by anyone, anywhere, anytime.  During the performance I find myself - amidst Brahms's genius being communicated by high-level orchestra, soloists, chorus - in a bit of awe, and wishing that time could slow down.


Then there's the surrounding family support-narrative.  Not just for attending the concert - though that alone is a significant time commitment for folks with busy schedules.  PJ spends four hours Sunday morning shopping and prep'ing food.  After the concert, I'm just sitting around talking (ok, also sipping; bourbon in this case) with our guests about the performance and whatever - center of attention for the portions of the conversation that are focused on the concert - while PJ and her food prep assistants - not the center of attention - swirl around smiling, talking, but always working and getting things done:  one appetizer after another appears, drinks are poured, then the grill gets going, all of a sudden a full meal is ready for everyone, then the emptied dishes disappear, then dessert appears from somewhere.  PJ and team is swirling around throughout, smiling; I'm still sitting around talking and enjoying myself immensely, without having to do anything while this huge effort - which makes the evening - goes on around me.

It makes for a pretty good life, I say.
________________________________

From: Paul Gales
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2014 11:20 PM
Subject: Brahms Requiem

Hi folks –

Brahms’s Requiem is often called the “German Requiem” because he wrote it to be performed in the vernacular (German in his case, of course) rather than in Latin.  We will be performing it in the vernacular tomorrow (English in our case, of course). CPG and I were in a German-language performance back in 2012, and at bottom is a slightly adapted version of what I wrote then regarding the seven movements.

Performance time will be around 70 minutes – so a long single work, but a short overall program for the concert.

Brahms was a late Romantic composer of incredible skill; also a deeply religious figure who supposedly studied the Bible every night.  (And in chaste love, or something, with Robert Schumann’s piano virtuoso wife, but that’s another story.)

In addition to the wondrous music – which really needs to be the focus here – the work operates at the intersection of three fundamental notions:  coping with sorrow at losing loved ones who have died; coping with the fragile nature of our own existence; and wondering whether those others who have passed away – and yes, eventually we ourselves – experience an afterlife.

I think about how audiences received the Requiem when Brahms wrote this in the 1860s.  Premature death was commonplace.  People of all ages died at home.  The wake was held at home.  Everyone regularly attended funerals.  Watching others die must have given pause to even the young-and-healthy – very aware of mortality, the transitory nature of our lives.  And the Christian faith predominated.  For those that perhaps no longer believed – an increasing percentage post-Enlightenment – they still had been educated in a Christian setting and were entirely familiar with the concepts.  The Bible passages selected by Brahms were the language 19^th century Europeans used as a framework to think about those three fundamental notions.

So what do we make of this in 2014 – when most folks die in an antiseptic hospital or hospice setting; very few die prematurely; and religious faith – and certainly spending time reflecting on notions two and three of the three notions mentioned a couple paragraphs above – are out of fashion, to say the least? 

All this is beyond me, but I do suggest a simple and pretty obvious thought:  that almost certainly we must miss out on a lot in life if we too-rigorously avoid thinking about death – can one really feel the precious-ness of what we experience day to day if we don’t see it through lens of fragility, uncertainty, and an inevitable, daily-approaching end-point?

Too many of us who will be attending the concert tomorrow have been faced with thinking about this in the context of very recent losses of very close family members.  Perhaps you will find this performance another opportunity to reflect on this.  I know I will be thinking during the performance of folks we’ve lost, as I have during the rehearsals.

In any event – the music is pretty amazing.  The orchestra and soloists are professional-plus level.  The church provides a unique seating opportunity – you will be able to see the conductor communicate with the orchestra and chorus, pick out individual parts, etc.  How exciting that this work allowed the supremely-talented Brahms to work with such a wide palette - full orchestra, full chorus, soloists, and endless subsections and combinations.  Watch the sections come in and out; listen for lines moving back and forth among us.  Don’t just follow the sopranos and violins, who tend to stand out because of their higher pitch – there are lovely, interesting things happening throughout.

It’s also quite a thought, at least to me, that this work has been performed regularly for 150 years now – with every likelihood that performers and audiences alike will be enjoying it 150 years hence.  It’s exciting to be a part of the continuum with these works.

Paul Jr. and I are grateful for the support, and hope you much enjoy.

------------------- 

(from April 2012):

Things I suggest listening for:

1. As far as “requiems” go – this is the opposite of the Verdi.  Verdi was fire and brimstone.  This is sorrowful, meditative, hopeful, ultimately confident.

2. Seven movements.  Conceived as an integrated arc – movements 1 and 7 have similarities, as do movements 2 and 6, as do 3 and 5. 

3. This effect is most readily heard in movements 1 and 7 – you’ll hear “selig sind . . .” in both of these – “blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”.  Very similar feel between the two. 

4. Movement 2 – the beginning section evokes a funeral procession, to the graveyard or whatever.  The timpani drives this along, it sounds great with live orchestra. 

5. Movement 4 stands on its own – closest to God – the main melody has been used as a hymn, so may sound familiar - “how lovely is thy dwelling place”.  Brahms’ original version for full orchestra and chorus is a delight.  Written in 3/4, sometimes feels waltz-ish.  

6. Movement 5 – soprano soloist – it may be hard to focus on anything other than the soloist’s melody because it’s so wondrous, I would say “achingly so” in some segments.  But I really like the way Brahms has the orchestra and chorus working their lines underneath the soprano soloist, so listen for this.  When we sing “einen seine Mutter . . .” in complement to the soloist, it just sounds cool – translates to something about “his Mother will comfort . . .” (Added 2/22/14:  We were told in rehearsals that this movement was added after the other six movements had been written, specifically as Brahms’s way of dealing with the death of his own mother, which occurred during the three-year period while the work was written.  As you listen, I’m pretty sure that will give a different cast to what you’re hearing.  It’s just wonderful.) 

7. Among other charms, movement 6 has a great fugue for its final few minutes – you won’t be able to miss when the alto section starts it off – “Herr du bist wurdig . . .”  - something about “Lord you are worthy to receive glory and honor”.  This is fun to sing as the various parts come in and out of the fugue’s main theme.  Very clear, great finish. 

8. And what I really like is saved for last – at the end of the fugue that completes movement 6 – it really seems like the entire work would just be over.  But not with Brahms – he adds movement 7 – it leads off with a wondrous soprano line (which the bass/baritone immediately repeat).  (And yes, the words are “selig sind . . . “ (Added 2/22/14:  “blessed are they . . .” in the English text) just like in movement 1.)  Listen for this soprano line, it’s a perfect way to set off the fugue that just ended movement 6, it brings back the meditative mood.  (And it’s really neat when the line comes back in a tenor section “solo” a few minutes later.)  Movement 7 is a joy – very much “romantic” era feel, just a great finish as it hearkens back to movement 1, but with more. 

Paul M. Gales

pgales@phoenixlawgroup.com | www.phoenixlawgroup.com

(602) 325-3207 direct | (480) 444-1270 fax

8765 E. Bell Road, Suite 110 | Scottsdale, AZ 85260

alley-oop

I just don't get tired of watching this sort of thing.  (It seemed pretty impossible when watching real-time, and still seems that way after seeing the replay angles.)

Isakov - Ritter

A few notes about a concert attended by CPG, PJr, PJ, me at the new-ish Musical Instrument Museum in north Phoenix on January 20, 2014.

CPG, PJr, Isakov + band; lobby post-concert.

1.  We went to see the lead-in group - Gregory Alan Isakov - previously had seen him at Crescent Ballroom, like his stuff quite a bit.  But they were quite constrained in their lead-in role, or something - not that many songs, didn't really get going.  Perhaps we missed their banjo guy, who was absent.



2.  It turned out that the headliner - Josh Ritter (@joshritter) - something of a throw-in from our perspective - puts on an absolutely great show.  Very talented, great personality, side-men were strong - surprisingly enjoyable based on the limited amount of his work that I had checked out via YouTube.

3.  If I had to pick someone to carry a full show - probably Ritter.  If I had to pick five best songs - Isakov.

4.  MIM is a great venue, but not sure I loved it for this kind of show.  And the crowd skewed pretty old.

5.  Still:  we enjoyed muchly.

6.  Above clip = <1 minute of "Amsterdam."  Below clip = 1:10 from an encore (audio level a bit lower because they had come out from behind the mike).

 

Thank you, Phoenix! See you tomorrow, LA. pic.twitter.com/Ap53f5zNDN
— Josh Ritter (@joshritter) January 21, 2014

K; 5K; etc.

We had the good fortune to host Kerry over an extended holiday break (she returned to VA on Monday) - many enjoyable experiences over the course of a month as she spent most of her time here at 11419.  Though with plenty of stopovers down at 706.  Since I "work" from home, so to speak, I had the unique opportunity for a very relaxed set of chats throughout each day she spent at 11419.  Which is a good way to hang out with a fine and interesting daughter.  (And she treated me to lunch at Richardson's one fine afternoon!)

Getting into our pre-race routine.  Preparation is paramount in these things.  Note the spiffy official shirts.

Having become something of a runner in the last couple years, K had suggested that we enter a race or fun run or whatever during her visit.  So some of us (PJ, NOC, POC, CPG, K, PJr and me) did just that - a 5K on Saturday evening (January 18) with a course that wound its way through the Phoenix Zoo.  This was a great setting for a jog, as the holiday "Zoo Lights" display was still going.  And some exotic-sounding birds caw-cawed at us along the route!

Mental preparations continue for the rigorous run facing us.

Me with the gold medalist.

Three of us ran, more or less:  K, PJ and me.  The others walked part of the course, and provided moral support, if that's the correct term, as only they could.  (Side note:  PJ had fallen off her training a teensy bit in late autumn 2013 with travel, job change and what-not - but found a phone app named "Couch to 5K" that she used to marvelous effect (even if its starting point was designed for situations far more dire than hers).  POC appropriately rewarded her success with a fabulous gold medal.)

Me 'n K at Richardson's.  (Yes, of course we both lunched on the chili relleno platter.)

Now:  back to normal, or whatever passes for normal around here.

Did it really only take two minutes to capture the best family photo of 2014?

It's obviously pretty early in the year, but still:  how great is this picture?  (Yes, click-to-enlarge it.)


Dispositive evidence of the two-minutes-past-midnight photo-capture time can be gleaned from the digital clock on the mantel (clearly visible beyond the Haag-girls-fueled shenanigans in the foreground of the photo).  As anyone who's visited St. Joe has learned via EMG:  that particular clock is super-accurate based on atomic or nuclear or somesuch shmancy technology.

I'll let Grandma set the scene:

A Belated Happy New Year to All,    We are sending the picture of our New Years Eve Party.  Don’t you wish you could have been here?  I am standing there with the telephone in my hand.  We were talking to Carol, and wanted to let her hear what was going on here. . . The 4 merry-makers are on the floor having a great time.  It looks like a huge mess.  However when it was over, everything was cleaned up, and the confetti was put back in a bag for next year.  At midnight Grandpa shot his gun out the deck door.  We don’t know if anyone heard it.   For the occasion Alison made some glasses for me and Barb.  She attached mine to my regular glasses.  Alison made the year 2014 out of cutout letters, and then taped them to the top of our glasses.  She also added a horse to show that 2014 is the year of the horse in China.  Grandpa weighed the confetti, and said it weighed 2 pounds.  The same stuff has been used at least 3 years over and over again.    We went to Mass at 6:30 on New Years Eve.  Later in the evening we had a fondue treat that Barb and the girls put together.   We also had a non-alcoholic drink.  We hope that 2014 is a good year for all.

Initial thoughts:

1.  How was this captured?  Pure luck with a timer or remote control?

2.  Did Grandpa have time to blast his gun at midnight, and then leap into this photo at 12:02a?  Seems like a tight timetable - isn't he still recovering from multi-car wreckery?

3.  Can I buy glasses like those somewhere online?

4.  Used confetti.

EMG turns 85

Undaunted by some unsought excitement toward the end of his 85th year, my dad is celebrating the start of his 86th year today.  As I write every January 3rd:  I'm lucky to have a great dad.

While I'd happily repeat some of the details about why I feel that way, I thought instead that I'd revisit some movie-star comparisons that have been made over the years.

Exhibit 1:  Tyrone Power was a bit ahead of our time, but we repeatedly heard over the years that EMG often was compared to Tyrone back in the day - perhaps because of photos like these (click to enlarge):

EMG high school graduation photo on left; two views of Tyrone at right.

Exhibit 2:  Moving ahead a generation (or two) - our children often cited the similarities between EMG and George Clooney - perhaps in part because of the way Clooney was outfitted in the wondrous O Brother, Where Art Thou?:

EMG (with CPG as wing man) faces off with two Clooney views.

Hey Dad - happy #85 - with love from your son.

Tweets

New year, new (at least for me) social media - I'm going to start occasional tweets.

Content TBD; my general concept is that I will tweet the same type of comments about things I read or otherwise run across as I would make to folks if I was sitting in the same room (or walking around, or whatever) with them; meaning likely topics will include sports, public policy, low-IQ tech stuff, books, music, food & drink, random ideas, who knows what.  A positive difference:  the 140-character limit should discourage rambling.  (Longer stuff, diary-style entries, book summaries, trip reports, look-backs, etc. will continue on the various blogs per usual.)

So far I have two followers (CPG and EPG).  Quality over quantity, right?

My very first tweet (with attached photo) is embedded below (after today you'll have to go to twitter.com to find them).

My Twitter user name (if that's the right term) on Twitter:  @PaulGales1.

Follow button:

Follow @PaulGales1

Now that I understand social media better: time to start tweeting! (Photo via D. Cornelius.) pic.twitter.com/OCJ70CBB6s
— Paul Gales (@PaulGales1) January 2, 2014

Year-end 2013

Experienced the typical accelerated but very enjoyable year-end pace again in 2013.   Choral Union Christmas concert participation was Poulenc's Gloria - which we ended up liking quite a bit; Virgil and Laurel attended.  Most of the crew went to Las Vegas for a couple days shortly before Christmas - trip was planned around a Marquette basketball game up there - they ran into more excitement than planned.  But at least we got to see SOC out of it.  PJ started a neat new position at Mayo in mid-December. K here on extended vacation; EP here on vacation - extra nice to have everyone around.   Christmas Eve dinner at Rokerij was quite delightful, as was Christmas dinner at the Reghabis.  PJr and Nedda doing some remodeling so temporarily homeless.

Steady swirl of enjoyable events, and not finished yet.

It was a great year overall for us, with the notable downside being the loss of too many really important people. On to 2014.

Candy cane reindeer decorations per POC; detailed gingerbread houses L-R by PJ, N, K;
extra-detailed toy soldiers L-R by PJr and EP; salmon dinner prepared for the decorators
 that eve (12/26/13) by  CPG.  One of many fun nights.

Iowa trip (November 8-14, 2013)

As noted here, our annual November visit up to Iowa was quite a bit different than in recent years.  Car wreck #1 didn't seem to be too serious (except from the Oldsmobile's perspective), but car wreck #2 was a different story - my mom was bounced around a bit but miraculously pretty much intact, while my dad took a direct shot and ended up with some injuries.  Notwithstanding some marvelous work by a surgeon in Mason City, we rather expected that he would be rehabbing in the Algona hospital throughout our entire visit.  (Though we had heard some reports that he had been seen dancing in the halls, spending copious amounts of time visiting other patients, and sundry other activities inconsistent with what one might expect from an 84-year-old wrecker of multiple cars (and breaker of multiple bones).)

Even buying coffee is a bit of a friendly negotiation . . . with Therese in St. Paul.  (Successful outcome.)

Anyway, we arrived in MSP without incident on November 8; met with Therese for a fine lunch and even (finally) got a tour of her and Mark's new home - pretty easy to see why they selected it, and like it so much.  Then TMG, PJ and I drove directly to Algona hospital - one look at EMG and we could see he indeed was well on the road to recovery.  (And we quickly learned that the rumors about dancing and visiting were true, if understated.)  Cecilia was there (as part of a relay of sibling-helpers that continues to this day).  Chatted up the patient a bit; dinner at Emerald's (had a quorum for a blue-guy club meeting but deferred calling the meeting to order in Carol's absence); then to St. Joe.

Humboldt - enjoying broasted chicken - and pie - with my Mom.  Nice.

Saturday 11/9:  went to funeral for David McKibben in Livermore, followed by church basement lunch.  Had a chance to chat with quite a few folks there (Kathy, Mary Lou, John Gales, Theresa & Dale, etc.), it was quite nice.  Cecilia and Therese back to Twin Cities (after stopping at hospital); Grandma napped a bit; PJ shopped for groceries and started dinner; then in mid-afternoon up to hospital to spend time with the patient.  Late dinner in St. Joe.

Much enjoy the view of the farm up the hill . . . plus, we got to see some snow.

Sunday 11/10:  went to Mass in Humboldt followed by "broasted chicken" dinner in the school gymnasium (quite good!); another nap session, then to hospital, back for late supper.

Carpet = stretched!!  And it only took 11 years!

Monday 11/11:  weather changing - saw some snow.  Long-awaited carpet-stretching process actually happened! Tim Altman and "Bulldog" did nice work.  Handled various other tasks around the house.  Lunch at a little Chinese place in downtown Algona - actually pretty tasty - then attended what had been billed as a "care conference" with EMG's care team.  It was short (and there was no conferring):  they told us there was no way to justify keeping him in the hospital any more, he would be discharged first thing Tuesday.  So that was a pleasant surprise.  Both he and HSG had physical therapy, during which time PJ and I ran some errands around Algona.  Really cold during this time.  Eventually back to St. Joe for late supper and more tasks.

This guy can't be held down.  Showing photos of car wrecks and neck stitchery while 
reluctantly doing his un-desired physical therapy.  The PT is enthralled, or something..

Tuesday:  early to hospital to pick up the now-discharged patient; headed directly to Mason City for follow-up appointment with the surgeon; Steve joined for this.  Then a session with the lawyer, which took a while but went well enough.  Late lunch at Culver's; swung by the wrecked Cadillac to get some tools that had been left behind in the trunk.  Oops - trunk had been left open, significant rain followed by a hard freeze in the meantime - so here I am, chipping away trying to free up a few tools and some jumper cables from rock-ice in the trunk.  Interesting, and somewhat chilling, experience.  We then did a comprehensive drive-through of the scene of the wreck in Ventura, Iowa.  Then picked up prescription (to be lightly used) and cane (destined to be unused) in Algona.  Then - finally - back to St. Joe.  PJ put together another fine, late supper.  A not-restful night, but all in all things went fine.

Admiring the surgeon's handiwork.  A neck full of metal, successfully placed.  (So far as we can tell.)

Wednesday:  not really recalling much detail of the early part of the day here; dealt with phone calls, visitors, home health visit, etc.  PJ took Grandma to Algona to get her hair fixed in afternoon, also to pick up groceries; then she started cooking.  Dick Erpelding picked up EMG and me to go to Jimmy Hilbert wake - got to see quite a few folks there and to hear  KC rosary, haven't heard that in quite awhile.  Dick took them home, while PJ and I swung over to visit Caroline at her new place.  It is quite lovely, a good choice, we had such a nice visit.  But no card games, and quite a few memories of our much-missed fourth - such a loss.  Back to St. Joe for a late supper and another not-restful night.

PJ with Caroline at her new place.

Thursday:  breakfast, various tasks, the morning flew by, Dolores showed up to continue the relay, then we headed to MSP and back to Phoenix.

It was good to have an opportunity to help out, and good to see the progress.  Still a ways to go, but this could (and by all rights probably should) have been much, much worse.

Mayhem on Iowa roads

Just back from a trip to Iowa - scheduled back in early October, but the recent roadway wreckage in which EMG has been a central figure certainly altered the tenor of our visit.

The two vehicles below were totaled within a period of about 72 hours; EMG behind the wheel both times; and not found at fault either time.  Created lots of scrap metal to be sure.


Top wreck occurred north of Algona - EMG enroute to Burt for tire repair by the estimable Arnie Berte.

Bottom wreck occurred west of Clear Lake - returning home from a great-granddaughter baptism.

Mom and Dad have a lot to deal with, but seem to be coming along fine.  With fine assists from my siblings, to be sure.

Will shortly put up a few notes from our trip.

A day with Dad (almost 45 years ago)

Thinking quite a bit about my parents these days following their recent car accident.  Particularly my Dad, who at the moment remains in the hospital for a bit longer notwithstanding good (surprisingly good, I think) overall recovery progress.

Last evening I randomly ran across this diary entry from December 27, 1968.  What a fine day this must have been!

 Observations:

1.  One-on-one time with a parent was a rare treat for any of us, just given the numbers.  Even better - this was on a day where it wasn't possible to work.  So Dad and I were essentially just hanging out, killing time, while Mom did errands.

2.  Dad was still in his 30s - just a week short of his 40th birthday.  He was the father of eight - thus far.  I was a 12-year-old seventh-grader.

3.  "Busher (sic) Bros" was the Minneapolis Moline implement dealer in Algona where Dad shopped for corn shellers and corn sheller parts.  "Free!" coffee and donuts for us (while Mom had to do the grocery-shopping work).

4.  Next up for Mom:  getting her hair done up.  Probably by "Odell" - wife of Jiggs Kollasch - Jiggs operated a tiny gas station and grocery store (probably already closed down by late '68) right along highway 169, and Odell used some of the space for her "salon."  (Hairdressing was in preparation for a big weekend ahead, which my diary indicates included Francis Bormann's wedding on the following day.)

5.   "Me and Dad went to Alfred Reding" during the hairdressing session - A.R. lived less than a mile to the west and was a corn-shelling and trucking customer.  Dad did a fair amount of collection work over the holidays - belated payment for work typically performed months earlier.  Alfred Reding was a great talker (and a great guy) - sometimes the theorizing got overwhelming, but I characterize this day's interaction as "good talk."  My mood probably was enhanced by "candy and bottle of pop."  (Plus I was favorably inclined towards Mr. Reding because he paid me the first dollar I ever earned in my life - had previously given me $2 for helping scoop soybeans out of his overhead bins.)

6.  I claim we almost slipped off the road traveling back to Jiggs's place, which seems unlikely.  But upon returning safely to the store-salon, Dad and I killed time playing ping-pong - I wonder how that went?  Don't remember ever playing ping-pong with him, but there it is in red and white.

7.  Reference to "red and black paints for Model A" - my godfather (Romie) had given me two metal model cars for Christmas, and I was working to make those (and, obviously, needed paint).  Only time we ever worked with not-plastic model cars, these were quite neat.

I started keeping a diary as a child solely to imitate my Dad, who always maintained one.  (Which is one reason I use - and so like - the Montaigne quote atop this website.)  I maintain the diary habit via this website.  If there's a point to all this mundane scribbling, I realize that it's primarily limited to my own benefit and/or amusement - such as jogging memories for me from a wondrous day-with-Dad that I would not otherwise recall.  

So I plan to keep scribbling.

Lockett's Meadow 2013 (with Sedona side trip)

PJ and I traveled up to Flagstaff on Friday, October 11 - via Jerome, where we had lunch, and then up through Sedona and Highway 89A.  Which was quite lovely.  Wandered Flagstaff a bit, stopped by Lumberyard, eventually dinner at Tinderbox.

(Per usual, click any photo to enlarge all.)

Working our way back from Inner Basin.

Saturday was hiking day - couldn't have turned out nicer.  NOC, POC, CPG and PJr joined us (after our Macy's breakfast).  A bit later in the season than our typical timing, but still a nice amount of color.  Perfect weather - plenty warm - which made the remnants of the snowstorm from earlier in the week all the more interesting to look at.  We continue to much like the rerouted hike (due to fire a few years back) (and first encountered last year).

Switchback section (heading down).

Late lunch at Diablo Burger downtown; cleaned up at hotel; resumed wandering Flagstaff; drinks and cheese plate at a wine bar; then another round and a not-fine Five Crowns game (with Washington Street hooligans dominating the medal stand) at a congenial spot where we also got a kick out of live music and some flirted with a Dutch tourist; late supper at Criollo; nightcap at Lumberyard.

Pano from Inner Basin.

Our fellow travelers went back to Phoenix on Sunday after a fine brunch at Criollo (among other treats, PJr and I had a "Brass Monkey" in honor of EMG).  PJ and I spent less time outdoors on this day (partly because the wind kicked up during the daytime hours) - eventually to lunch at Cuvee 928; wandered town a bit; watched some World Series; tasters at Mother Road brewery (marked for return); back to hotel; late dinner at Criollo.

Inner Basin.  Painted Desert (barely) visible in the distance.

Monday:  had the touted breakfast at Martane's - an ungodly amount of wonderful food - their green chile pork rules (Hatch chiles in season doesn't hurt).  Worked our way back down 89A and hiked the Brins Mesa trail (trailhead ridiculously convenient to downtown Sedona) - we took a little different ending route than last time and much liked a 360-degree viewpoint.  Late lunch at Oak Creek brewery, and worked our way back to Phoenix.

Inner Basin.

Sometimes hard to believe the two incredible hiking experiences - completely different in terrain and weather conditions - are only about 40 miles apart.

Delightful.

Looking back at Lockett's Meadow as we drive back to Flagstaff.

Mother Road brewery - like.

Dinner at Criollo.

At Brins Mesa trail - turn-around point.

PJ at our turn-around point on Brins Mesa Trail.

Found this friend.

 

Aspens along Lockett's Meadow trail.

Intrepid-ness on the trail.

N and C try to reprise a cute picture from their younger days.

Happy vandals.

Gloating Five Crowns hooligans on medal stand.

Oregon trip notes #4: the rest of our trip

Final post from our 2013 Oregon adventures (a bunch of photos):

PJ exploring reproduction of Ft. Clatsop - Lewis & Clark expedition wintered here.  Interesting in its own right, particularly interesting to us after having visited Monticello earlier this year.

Fort Stevens - coastal defenses for WWII - Japanese ships actually lobbed some shells here - I think one of the first bombardments in mainland U.S. since maybe the War of 1812?  Interesting indeed, though no need to spend a ton of time here . . . 

Goonies house - Astoria, Oregon.  I heard (from POC) that they filmed a movie here.

PJ admiring Ramona Falls.

Sandy River scenery - on Ramona Falls hike.

Panorama from Timberline Lodge (one of our favorite spots).

Mirror Lake, with Mt. Hood in background.

Full Sail tasters, surprisingly good.  Hood River, Oregon.

Hair of the Dog tasters, unsurprisingly good.  Portland.

Tasting at Fort George Brewery, Astoria, Oregon.

Cascade Brewery - sour beers here were a delight.  Portland.