2022
Wow, it's actually July 6th and I see I never started recording anything for 2022 before today. Looking back, it hasn't been an overly exciting time but there have been a few things.
So, I did adopt Squeekie after his dental. He had 3 teeth pulled, one of which was a canine so occasionally his tongue sticks out. I also had his DNA done because I couldn't believe he's a pom-chi. Well, $99 later, he's a pom-chi. There was a little contamination in the sample because I didn't know I was supposed to pull up the shared water dishes so he came out 6% shih-poo. Hi Maggie! LOL He still doesn't like Max, but so far we've not come to physical violence.
The RVing season started again in March with a rally at Winchester Bay. The weather was on the chilly side, but it was great to be with everyone. This year, Paulette has invited me to bunk with her since her partner, Mary, passed last September. That has worked well for both of us - it's nice to share the weekend with someone plus sharing the expenses helps both of us. I much prefer being in a rig right at the rally to being in a motel someplace nearby.
Also in March, I had the arrival of Jan B. from Utah. Jan used to live here and would like to move back but it's complicated since her wife prefers Utah. I told her she can stay as long as she likes
except for one week in July when I am hosting an orchestra member for the Oregon Coast Music Festival. That has worked out very well. We are actually very good roommates and it's nice to have company for meals, to do things, to help out.
In April, the RV rally was up by Woodburn and we all got to visit the Tulip Farm again. It had been rainy and chilly so we didn't know what to expect, but the tulips were gorgeous. And there was snow visible on the hilltops.
In April, we finally reopened the Egyptian with a talk for the local museum about the organ and then a fund raiser for the Surfrider's Club. It's great to get the old girl open again but we are starting up with jumps and halts - kind of like a kid learning to drive standard. It's slow getting people who haven't used us for a couple of years to come back, but we had a huge event in May with a Pink Floyd tribute band, Pigs on the Wing and they just about sold the place out with 652 seats taken in our 720 seat theatre! I missed it, but heard it was quite something.
May brought another rally at Elkton RV Park. The gals seem to love this place but we about froze our asses off the first night. I started taking Maggie with me back in April and Squeekie stays with Jan. When I get home again, he goes nuts. Of course he goes nuts when the two of us come in from someplace, but he is definitely bonded to me.
June brought the Annual Chainsaw Carving Contest back in Reedsport. I think this was the first one since COVID. I took a drive up on Sunday to see the final sculptures. My favorite didn't even place in the top 3 but it's still my favorite Heart Strings - by Chris Foltz.
The end of June brought my second hernia surgery in 2 1/2 years. It was supposed to be a day surgery - Hah! I was in the hospital 2 days - first due to the pain and nausea, second because I couldn't pee. Had to be cathed twice but finally, Friday afternoon, the plumbing straightened itself out. It's been very painful and I vow to never have another hernia surgery. In early September I had almost 1/2 cup of fluid drained but still have a "pouch". I think I'll be stuck with that forever.
The summer in general has been tough. In addition to the surgery at the end of June, I lost my bridge partner, Shirlee, at the beginning of June to a recurrence of breast cancer that had spread to her lungs. We'd been partners since Janet died and though she was a Republican, we were pretty good friends and I'll miss her.
Then on July 5th I received a phone call to tell me one of my best friends, Ann McCulloch, had passed away. She had congenital heart failure and had been failing for several months. She called me when she first found out she was dying and said it would be fairly soon but that she was not in pain. I guess that wasn't true at the very end from what her boyfriend, Walter, said yesterday, but at least her suffering is now over. It feels like I'm losing a lot of significant people which is causing me to think more about my own mortality.
Ann and I were good travel buddies back when I lived in NY and she's the only NY friend who came to visit me here in both Cambria and Coos Bay. Though I hadn't seen her since I visited NY in 2018, she will be missed. We had some great times!
Left - Ann and I in 1985. Right - in Williamsburg - 1993
They say bad things happen in threes. House-wise, that has been going on too and I hope it's only three things this year. First, the dishwasher went bonkers and stopped draining at the end of the cycle. I could push the cancel button and it would drain, but when I looked it up, it was 20 years old. It certainly didn't owe me anything. So Jan and I went shopping and bought a new one at Bay Area Appliance. When it was delivered, the guy said he couldn't install it because the size of the pipe was different than the intake tubing and I'd have to get a plumber. I got a refund on the $170 installation fee and found a plumber who wouldn't make me wait 6 weeks. When he arrived, he found there was no intake line or electrical line - it only came with the drain hose. I later found out that was part of the $170. So, he gets it all installed after a trip to the store for the two parts (on the clock of course) and when I go to load it the first time, it tips out of the opening - he didn't anchor it! Called the store because the door clicked and when that guy came he said that anchoring would fix it but he couldn't do it. No one wants to be responsible for things anymore! Called the plumber back and he came and I showed him what the installation manual said - duh. First he drilled out a spot instead of pulling the plug for the hole that was there - what the hell??? He eventually got screws in to anchor it and said that hole wouldn't hurt anything. Uh huh. Seems like he was right on that, but not sure I'll ever call him again. $335 later I have a correctly installed dishwasher.
Next, I discovered that one of solar panels was out. I discovered it accidentally and don't know how long that had been going on. Of course it was at peak production time. Third one to go bad in 10 years - sheesh. That took almost a month and I'm still waiting for the bill on that one. But, somehow, I made enough the last year to get my payment lowered $3. Go figure. Took like 2 1/2 months to get that replaced.
Finally, one night at the beginning of September, I was awakened because it was too hot in my room. Turned on the light to find out it was 76 with the furnace running! Now, I know my smart thermostat is smarter than I am, but I had it set for 70 period. So I turned off the furnace and waited a day or so. Tried it again and the same thing happened. So, when I got a guy out I had him remove the "smart" thermostat which has caused me more problems than not and low and behold, the furnace hasn't acted up since! So much for "Smart" appliances.
The end of September, Linda, Tully and I were scheduled to go see "Hamilton" and I had arranged for Jan to come back the same day so we could pick her up and not have to make a special trip. I had listened to "Hamilton" a few times when I suddenly realized I have Disney+ and the movie for it was on there! What a glorious show! I watched it with closed captioning - heavenly. Then I called L&T to tell them and they came over and we watched it again. On the day of the show, Tully didn't want to go all the way to Eugene so Linda and I went and picked up Jan and she got to see it. It was a great show and being up in the mezzanine, we got to see and appreciate things like the lighting effects that couldn't be seen from down below. The movie also did a lot of close ups so you didn't appreciate what was going on over the whole stage. That was also very enjoyable.
So, there were a couple of more RV rallies before the season was over.
In August we were in Westfir and made sweatshirts again. I did another Halloween one to replace the one I messed up a couple of years prior. In September we were once again at North Lake and did "omelets in a bag" for Sunday breakfast. They take a little time, but everyone seems to enjoy them.
Our final rally of the year was in Newport where Helen,
our Halloween gal, once again hosted and had lots
of fun events planned.
The rest of the fall seemed to zoom on by. Jan went back to Utah for a while and then to her daughter's for Thanksgiving and returned here the week after.
Business at the Egyptian started to pick up and got really crazy once Thanksgiving hit followed by Elf. Before we closed for Christmas, we had 8 events in 10 days with well over 2400 people in attendance. That's a first since I've been involved with the Egyptian.
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The Christmas season was relatively quiet. We made Christmas cookies over at Laura and Kara's. That has become an annual tradition for me as I never made Christmas cookies until I did it there.
Christmas morning brought the Annual Biscuits and Gravy though this year we skipped the movie. Later in the day I did a NY Strip roast in the sous vide and Jan and I had a nice dinner. It came out really well! Sadly, I didn't think to take photos of any of this.
Linda did get a nice photo of Tully later in the day at her family's celebration.
The year came to a close without too much fanfare. Max was upset by the fireworks and wheedled his way into my room but I found out if I leave the door a little ajar so he can come and go, he's not so much of a pest.
Jan took Linda, Tully and me out for a nice dinner at Hilltop House as a thank you for the use of the van and her staying with me on and off since last March. It's been fun to have someone to do things with and I've enjoyed the company.
Sadly, on December 1st, I had to put my little guy, Squeekie, to sleep. He would have been 9 on the 8th of December. I had taken him and Maggie to the beach for a run about two days earlier. They both had a ball, running up and down the beach as fast as they good go. It was only the second time I had ever taken Squeekie, but he evidently stepped in something contaminated and then licked his feet. He got deathly ill overnight and the next day. When there was no improvement I took him to the vet and she thought he had contracted leptospirosis which comes from seals that die on the beach. The prognosis was bleak and I decided the kindest thing to do was let him go rather than put him through expensive treatment in Springfield that still may not have saved him. He was a good little guy and the house is emptier without him.
