2002-09-11 - 10:28 p.m. Tomorrow, we're off like a herd of turtles.....C a l i f o r n i a, here we come! Sorry I haven't been so good about documenting this trip like I have with all the others....it seems I've had sooo many set backs on this trip.....difficult internet connections, borrowed computer, wrecked knee!.....I know, excuses~excuses! And now for the drive back....with yet more uncertain internet connections....argh!! I'm hoping to be back on the super~high~speed, information~super~highway by early next week....until then, the best I'll be able to do is a few bits and bytes here and there. I promise promise promise to set up some sort of picture gallery when I get back....yes, I know, I always say that....but feel bad that I haven't been able to put up more pictures during this trip. Anyway....tomorrow, we'll be at The Weasku Inn...hoping to get an internet connection....cross your fingers!!! Stay tuned....don't give up on me if the posting is sparse for a few days......I'll be back!!! comments??? (1 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-10 - 11:45 p.m. Well....since I've done all the damage I can do here (both literally and figuratively)....I guess it's time to go home. All day, we've been debating whether we should drive straight through to San Fransisco (12 hours) like we usually do.....or to break it up into two days. We have been really wanting to stay at the Crater Lake Lodge.....but I know you have to have reservations wayyyy in advance. I called there tonight, just hoping they might have a room....but their reservation desk closes at 5pm!!! So I'll have to try again tomorrow. If they don't have a room, "Plan B" might be to stay at The Weasku Inn, on the river near Grants Pass, Oregon. Supposedly, Clark Gable spent a lot of time there. But then, to complicate matters....Lynda Barry will be speaking at Powell's Books in Portland on Thursday! And why does this complicate matters?!? Well, as it turns out, Linda Barry and my Love went to school together.......and apparently did a little more than just go to school (if you know what I mean)......and I am intrigued. I think it would be fascinating to meet her. (of course, I could go on and on here about why....but I won't, just now). Anyway....I think we should go, but it complicates our plans, because we need to be back in San Fransisco by Friday night. Hmmm......I need more time!!!!!! comments??? (1 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-09 - 10:02 p.m. OK....I'm not feeling so blue today....my knee seems a little better. I waited all day for my doctor to call....finally gave up and went out to dinner....then he called....of course!! Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to connect with him and get the full scoop. But all in all, I think my knee will live.....I've had knee problems all my life....it runs in my family.....so I've had a lot of experience with this. When I first fell, I was fearing the worse, but now I'm pretty sure I'll be OK......*relief*! Also, they've begun pouring my sidewalk.....and it looks soooo good! Soooo much better than the old~broken~kittywampus~hurdygurdy sidewalk that I used to have! (Actually, I have to admit that even the dirtfield/non-existent sidewalk was a bit better than what used to be there! Ssshhh! don't tell anyone!) And, we were able to open the shop....did some good business. We might get one more day of being open before they finish pouring....so I am very happy about that. Anyway....stay tuned.... comments??? (2 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-09 - 9:05 p.m. I'm the snake print Doc Marten... I'm a wild child and I live on the edge baby! Which Doc Marten are you? (by *coffeebean*) comments??? (2 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-08 - 1:33 p.m. After you've had four knee surgeries, there are a few things that you hope you never have to see again.... ace bandages, ice packs, and crutches. Well, as I sit here writing this to you, I have an ace bandage and an ice pack on my seriously swollen knee! Last night as I was going down the stairs to my non-existent sidewalk, my knee decided it was time to give out.....and now I am suffering the consequences big time. Still can't decide if I should go get X-rayed .....there seems to also be something not quite right with my ankle....I'm hoping it's just a sprain. So, as you can tell, I'm having a really good day....and it's raining! This, of course, means that my non-existent sidewalk is now turning to mud....and business has slowed to a slow, slow crawl. Oh, and it's cold....so we had to get the ole wood stove fired up...and I'm almost out of firewood.....and.....and.....and.......can I go home now???! I want to be back in sunny California! comments??? (0 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-07 - 11:24 p.m. No sidewalk, No problem! comments??? (1 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-06 - 11:37 p.m. An update on my missing sidewalk: as it turns out, they're not going to pour the concrete until Monday.....which means that we actually could open the shop on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, this means the customers will have to make their way across the uneven dirt field that is now my sidewalk....but, hey! if they're willing to do that....they just might want to buy something!! And I really feel obligated to open, since that was really the whole point of coming back here. Also, the "Rod Run" (a mega car show/event of hot rods and antique cars) is happening this weekend.....which always brings in tons of customers for me. So really I have no choice.....sidewalk or not.....I have to open! So if you have nothing to do this weekend.....make your way out to Astoria....and make it worth my while to open!!! You know you want to! (Be sure to bring your hiking boots, though!) comments??? (0 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-06 - 1:11 a.m. So I was having this dream....there was a dump truck full of silverware...knives, forks, and spoons....it was slowly driving down the street and dumping it all out....(imagine for a minute the sound of that)......as a steam roller followed behind....crushing it all into the ground. Gradually....I started to wake up (way, way too early...I might add)....and I was having one of those weird moments when you're half awake/half asleep....then you realize that the sound you were hearing in your dream is actually a sound that is really happening....right outside your window!!! Well, they are replacing my sidewalk...among other things....and that is exactly what it sounds like...the crushing of silverware.....of course, by the time I reached full conciousness, they were done. But, I don't mean to say that they were "completely" done...no no no!!!!!!! And this is where it get's complicated! First of all, let me say that it's been four...yes, 4 years...that I have been negotiating with the City of Astoria to get my sidewalk replaced. It's a long story that nobody wants to hear....so I'll paraphrase....about four years ago, my sidewalk got crushed during a city construction project....promises, promises to fix it.....finally, now, they're fixing it. Yay! So where's the problem???? Well, the only problem is that I drove 1200 miles to get here so we could have a big blowout sale this weekend!! We've been planning this for a while.....it was the perfect weekend to do it....but, no!!!!!!! There is going to be a whole lot of wet cement right outside my front door.......at this point, I don't even know how I will be able to go in and out of the building. I spoke with the engineer today, and he wasn't even aware that I have a door on the front of the building......Well, OK then! It's a big building....it's an obvious door.....you can't miss it.....well, hmmmm. I'm supposedly going to meet with the engineer tomorrow....right in front of the door he never knew existed...we'll see....yeah...uh huh...... So I was having this dream........ comments??? (2 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2002-09-04 - 11:34 p.m. Yay!!! I finally have an internet connection! It's been so strange to be without the internet for so long......am I addicted??? Yes. Anyway, I'm back in Astoria, Oregon. I'd like to say that it's good to be back....but I have arrived to find that the whole sidewalk in front of my door no longer exists....and also a bird has somehow died a grisly death in my bathtub. Hmmm....how do these things happen??? Well...since I'm only just now arriving....and I haven't even been upstairs yet (hope there aren't any other suprises)....I should sign off and go figure out what's up. I'll be back online in full tomorrow....until then..... comments??? (2 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ previous - next Of course, you know, all of this is copy right protected. None of this information may be reproduced without my permission.