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Monday, August 4, 2008

Where Have I Been?

Stephanie asked where have I been and I thought I would answer her.

In June, my wife (also named Stephanie - and I have a daughter named Stephanie as well - long story and confusing when she comes to visit) and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. We boarded the train here in Tacoma and rode it to Portland. We got off the train and walked a few blocks to the MAX station and road the train to the Portland Airport. We picked up a previously reserved rental car and headed west to the Oregon coast. We frolicked from Pacific City to Seaside for several days and then headed back to Portland, turned in the Rental and then reversed the process and arrived back in Tacoma at the train station.

Coming home via the train was so relaxing. It's always tough to return back to the workaday world, but riding the train allowed us to arrive home relaxed and ready to go. Overall, between the train tickets and the rental, it was way more expensive than just loading up the Kia and heading down I-5. On the other hand, we didn't have to deal with I-5 and the requisite traffic jams and the wear and tear on us and the car.

In July, we've been working on the house. We've redone our bedroom and almost done painting it. We are ordering a new back and front door to be installed and also a storm door for both doors. That should help with energy bills. We did all the windows a couple of years back.

Then there is my Dad. He lives back in Michigan. He just turned 81 and he just had a triple bypass and they should be installing a pacemaker/defib today if he's strong enough.

My oldest daughter got remarried last month as well and she is expecting. We don't know if it is a girl or boy yet, but with another daughter expecting a girl and seven granddaughters already born, this one had better be a girl as well. Me thinks 8-1 is bad odds! :)

We've been busy with family and the granddaughters already here.

On Wednesday, my wife and our autistic son are flying down to San Francisco to visit her sister and brother for a week. I'll be bachin' it for a week.

Are you out of breath yet?

Anyway, I'm back in the mix and having fun!

VW

NOTE: For whatever reason, blogger would not let me upload any photos. Kept telling me there was an internal error. Ya gotta love it!

3 comments:

Kim Thompson said...

Wow, you've been busy, but the good kind of busy. Good for you!

I've done the train from Portland. It's really neat. And the Oregon coast is amazing. I spent many summers in Cannon Beach, Seaside, and Gearhart. Bliss!

Stephanie Frieze said...

I really like the train between Tacoma and Portland (especially the Coast Starlighter--not the little Spanish train with the bench seats) and how nice to include an excursion to Seaside! All that and remodeling, too. I'll bet you need to catch your breath, VW.

We want to ride the train to Chicago and back just for the ride. So many trains have gone away over the years. I hope that one hasn't. Truly, trains need to be brought back, not eliminated.

Stephanie Frieze said...

Having a Special Needs child of my own and working with them in a public school setting makes me interested in your thoughts on Autisim should you ever feel like writing about it. I am interested in where you stand on the whole vaccine, nutrition, dental amalgam issues.