Dear FBI:

I am sorry you did not find Jimmy in my neighborhood. I appreciate how difficult it is to find some bones from 30 years ago, especially in a place like this...so many trees on so many acres. Although the townies seemed to have a weird sense of humor over the whole thing, you have to understand that nothing more exciting than a 4th of July parade ever happens here--and even that is not very exciting! Please also understand that the vast majority of us who live here like it that way, thank you very much. It is part of the "charm" of the place.

A couple of years ago my grandson found a bunch of bones on our acreage--and did not have to dig! There they were, right on top for the picking up. I doubt that they were the remains you were looking for, although 30 years ago, my "yard" was just another natural area here in the neighborhood with dense trees--so it is not without some plausibility that someone could have dumped someone here, and no one would have been any wiser. The bones looked pretty much like deer when my grandson assembled them....so we did not call you. He was so thrilled with them, that he bagged them up and took them for show and tell. His teacher (who thought them creepy) allowed them to be displayed on the "back table" for the class. Then they were packed again and kept in the garage, until his mother threw them out.

So, if these were the bones you were looking for, try the landfill at 5 mile in Plymouth Township. They won't be many feet down, as it was just last year (not thirty years ago)and they are probably still in a brown paper bag. I hope they were only deer bones. The parents at the school would probably find it kinda creepy if Jimmy Hoffa's remains were hanging out in their kids classroom for a couple of days.

Lest you think we were insensitive, we did discuss the possibility of famous remains (e.g. the Oakland County Child Killer and Page Marie), however never really thought to call you about Jimmy. Besides, we are pretty sure they were deer bones. We do have pictures, if you would like them.

Sincerely,



A Milford resident

Back from the Oregon Trail

It was beautiful. It was nice to see something new. It was wonderful to be in a place where fibers and fabrics and things related are appreciated, and apparently are big business. I visited three yarn shops!! The first, the Yarn Garden was wonderful. A very nice selection, and nice but not pushy people. I bought stuff I didn't need, but wanted at a reasonable price from a great selection.

The next one was in the "Pearl District". Definitely uptown. Really nice yarn, but pricey (of course what would you expect really nice yarn to cost?) It was a cute shop with an enthusiastic keeper, who sensed immediately that 1) I knew something about knitting and 2) I was a bargain hunter. She left me alone, and worked on more impressionable customers buying $20.00 balls of exquisite wool so they could teach their ten year olds to knit.

I found the bargain bins in the basement. 40%off. Bought another thing I did not need, but wanted, and it was "reduced". Hand dyed, and in my colors!

Third store was the snootiest store. They would (for a price) knit up their pricey yarn for you. She was not interested in knitters (except maybe for slave labor). Interesting--seems you can make a living selling very expensive yarn to the clueless if you have some slave knitters tucked away.

I returned with new additions to my stash. Also visited a needlepoint store, a button store and a very nice fabric store, but bought only a pattern for a jacket. Portland, you are still a wonderland for the home ecers among us (as long as we have enough cash!)

Rocks, Elk, Slides, etc. On the Oregon Trail

We decided to go to the "beach". It required a two hour ride through the rainy wine country, and then arrival in a typical shore town, resplendent with wind sock sellers and taffy vendors. It was hard to see the beach for all the resorts and condos.

We drove up 101 to Tillamock--taking the scenic route whenever available. Oregon has beautiful beaches. (Note, the tour guide warns anyone entering the water to beware of logs--honest! I could see why!). In Tillamok we visited the cheese factory and had some really good ice cream. Then we took the drive back through the mountains--absolutely beautiful, but full of dire warnings of Elk! Slides! Rocks! Snow! Fortunately, it was an uneventful day for our drive through. Except for a little one lane bridge construction, we just enjoyed the forest.

The moss is notable. They get 90 inches of rain a year. The moss is everywhere!! I have seen whole buildings taken over with mossiness!!! Very strange looking.

Oregon is beautiful. Am amazed that not more people live here. I suppose if that happens, it won't be so beautiful.

Oregon Day 4-Beauty!

Today, because we promised to toil under the cover of darkness, we were let out mid-afternoon. Although it was the beginning of rush hour before they stopped talking, Mr. CP and I were on our way in traffic that the residents of our home metro area would not even comment on in their Traffic copters....and in a short time we were headed east along the Columbia River Valley. Absolutely breathtaking. In less time and fewer miles than I drive from home to my office, we were at the pass--lovely!

Amazingly very few seem to live very much beyond the city. Such a different way of life! We had to get gas along the way, and the little man came bounding out to pump it....not only willingly, but required by state law. So unlike our usual existence.

Love the mountains, love the little man pumping the gas, loved the views. But especially loved the waterfalls!

I can see what Lewis and Clark saw in the place!

Bingo on the Oregon Trail-day 3!

After a FULL day of meetings, the hotel hosted a "guest reception". They had food from a Greek restaurant, beer, wine, soft drinks, and Bingo. Really, bingo! There was a whole room full of adults from our conference (most of whom have Masters and PHD's) enticed into playing bingo with pinto beans for markers--not your usual bingo crowd. Mr. CP even got into a few rounds. That was hilarious!

Funny what people will do for a bottle of wine (the prizes). We didn't win. Mr. CP got bored, and tired, and went upstairs. Once the food ran out, the crowd left pretty quickly.

I kept thinking how proud the mothers of those cute, young managers would be of their bingo calling sons! All that money for a hospitality degree, and they end up being bingo callers (but cute in suits and ties)!!! Odd how things work out!

Flip Flops on the Oregon Trail

"They all wear Flip flops"!--Mr. Cp's assessment of the place we are visiting. Perhaps our home climate is wrong, perhaps our friends are just not that "into" flip flops, or perhaps Mr. CP needs to get out more. He honestly observed this footwear preference while on vacation, and found it to be an "unacceptable" oddity.

The city makes him antsy. He had to find some suburbs today.

This city is "nice". Streetcars are free. People walk around on the streets. Most are youngish--20 and 30 somethings. Lots and lots of Tats--another things most of our generation has not embraced. Not little, subtle tats. HUGE, colorful, very visible tats on arms, necks, legs, chests, etc. 1 is right. Laser removal will have its day!

My presentations went "well". This group is a lot like a group attending a wake, and I have been to wakes that are more fun. But at least all I have to do now is sit and listen.

So, although many are wearing various kinds of sandals, Mr. CP has written the natives off as a bunch of urbanized tattooed flip flop wearers. He really does need the suburbs!!!

It is official

4's offer on the "perfect house" is accepted. Still a few more hurdles, but it is looking more like "home"!

Adventure on the Oregon Trail...Day 1

Another early call to be at the airport..Mr. CP in tow. Tried the curb side check in--he deemed slick!!! Dutifully waited with the carry on stuff while he parked and shuttled unencumbered by "stuff".

Security was interesting with sling and brace,etc...Then Mr. cp got upgraded. He was happy:) I however was not upgraded :( however did not expect to be, so was O.K. Did get to board with "those needing assistance"--and good thing too!

I had seat 14C. However the plane did not. NWA had given me a phantom seat! I went back to the "it is too early in the morning for you to bug me" lady at the check in, and after much explanation, and two more boarding passes for seat 14C, I calmly told her AGAIN that there was no such seat on this plane!! Finally, she called someone, muttered a lot, and gave me a boarding pass for 17C.

I was just the beginning of her problem, as there were three rows of other people with no seats either! (I was just the first to appear, due to the assisting part!) At one point, the gate agent boarded the plane and admitted that she had no idea who was on this plane, so if she called out your name, indicate that you were on board. I think people, who had been rioting over "open seating" ,were hesitant to do so, lest they be pulled off....Too much weirdness for my morning.

We had a tail wind, and got to Portland early. Thus had to wait for a gate, and they got the luggage locations all goofed up. It is sunny :) and hot. The luggage arrived, the rental car is a Buick (?), and the freeway was closed. No, really, completely closed!! Thank goodness for GPS, and we have already had the scenic tour of Portland.

So far so good. Tonight we eat...Up the street. Mr. Cp says he can walk. He should sleep well (I hope). Tomorrow I work, and he goes off to play in the wine country....Stay tuned.

You cannot just "run in" to a yarn store

I am going to Portland for a week. I will need to take some sock knitting. Problem is I have 4 or more projects, all in some state near completion,and all unsuitable for a week long trips amusement.

I decided that I wanted to do the pink and black yarn next...but wanted (needed?) reinforcement yarn for toe and heel. So on my "todo" list was the yarn store. Needed black reinforcement yarn. Navy and beige would be good to have too.

Alas, they had no black. Did have beige and grey. Bought that as insurance that it would go away too! Of course saw some purple/beige sock yarn I liked. So more goes into the basket. I still have to find something to take along to knit!

I shouldn't be such an ADD knitter, but it is almost impossible. I have different moods. Different situations. Different lighting and seating. Need different knitting. Only another ADD sock knitter would understand.....

"4" is a real adult!

She will have mortgage debt! That is real!

She found "the" house. It is adorable, and so 4! The cats will love the dining room by day and the upstairs landing in the afternoon. She loves the mail slot, doorbell, the hardwood floors,and the cuteness. Will be so Pottery Barn/Restoration Hardware!! It has good vibes!

It's a grandma b house on steroids with a grandpa B garage on steroids. (We will have to take some lawn chairs, and sit in the doorway of the garage to drink a beer in his memory!) Unfortunately, has a grandma F kitchen (actually worse, if that is possible)where only the cabinet hardware is worth keeping, but we can help her fix that in time.....

I can't wait to plant the ferns and lilies of the valley, and maybe a few hostas...These are "family" foundation plantings.....Handed down from house to house. Needs some day lilies too. And tulips. Must consult on the color. 1's scheme is purple and white. Think 4 will want RED!...Maybe yellow. She will have the sun for daisy's!

It is so exciting.....Now I have a place to move her "stuff"! 4 will be a real grown up with a mortgage, and a little old man neighbor, and grass to mow, and a darn cute doorbell with a mail slot and short drive to work!

Must remember to get her a show shovel for her birthday.....

...and the walls come tumbling' down!

Today was another adventure in house shopping with 4. She had previewed and preselected several, with "the one" on the leaderboard. She was convinced. Cute, Clean, in her price range.

I was less sure, but we went there second. (The first house was cute, inexpensive, painted by someone who had no clue how to paint, had a doggie door that 4 felt no need for, and needed new windows and some siding--making it ultimately, not cheap!)

The pines towered above the house, being planted as tiny things 60 years ago...She thought they were charming. I saw sticky gutter clogers that were going to be expensive to cut down without damaging the house....

The porch was covered with "artificial grass"--probably glued on with some kind of absolutely super sticky stuff that would never cove off--She had not noticed?? (Was she blind!)? We ducked under the pines, scooted past the tacky fake flowers on the step, and behold the lovely floors within.

Really very nice, except for the place where there once was something (a fireplace?) and the floor was patched, oddly. Nice paint, nice redone kitchen, nice bath, three bedrooms, one down, two up. Sparkling, new paint everywhere! (windows hard to open--original, but painted nicely!) Eye candy!!

Then we went to the basement.... 4 pulled out her flashlight!! (MR. CP would have been so proud!!) and began to inspect the rear wall with great interest (I did not share her interest...so I began to look around. Something was not quite right. Two jack stands...not where one would expect jack stands...then I saw it!!

The basement walls were "pushed in"! Second row of cinder block slanted out---below slanted in. Other side was opposite....whole house was going south!!! (Lest you fear for our lives, it probably had been leaning this way for quite some time....). 4 had the "reject look" when she stopped inspecting the wall.

I explained hydrostatic forces (or attempted to). The realtor looked annoyed (or mystified by my explanation of why the house had a bad foundation!). We scampered out , gave the back a courtesy look, and said "not our house". The realtor later called insisting that the owner would call in a structural engineer to certify that the foundation was o.k.---caveat emptor!!

Turns out that the interest in wall inspection was due to new paint since 2 days ago visit! Seems 4 had taken exception to "mold" on that wall, which must have been in the feed back to the owner/flipper.

So, flipper person...We are not buying your house, or your little game. Caveat emptor--or why it is good to take your mother along when deciding on a house. Turns out, she knows a few things from life experience....our pictures are probably up on the realtors board---first an attic with asbestos (hope the buyers will not get cancer---and glad it is them, not us, dealing with it!) Now the hydrostatic action......

For the happy ending, we did come away with 5 possibilities. One of the first two will probably be "the one". Both are sound, cute, affordable, and close to a starbucks ( C1 was right....First find the starbucks, and it will lead you to the right neighborhoods!).....Offer(s) to follow!

Metro Cool

DC was not cool--at least not temp wise. It was cool in other ways. In just 7 years, there has been much "urban renewal"--much nicer now. Condo's and Cafe's and vibrant neighborhoods...

Still lots of street people, beggars, etc. Hard to see people sleeping in the statues and on the monuments--would think they would be rounded up--but know that isn't easy.

Went to the DAR museum. Learned two new things. "Pudding rings". Interesting. Also the origins of bows on the backs of children's dresses. Walked past the south lawn of the white house. Did the moonlight monuments tour with our group. Kind of fun. Too fast to really see monuments (and dark). Mostly a drive by! Still interesting. If you know where to look, you can see the Kennedy eternal flame from the memorial bridge. Coolest view was from Arlington near the cemetery, where everything lines up...Lincoln, Washington, Capital Hill....Quite pretty at night.

But, best of all was finding jeans that fit--on sale!!

I need to get out more!

Hot time in the city

D.C. was hot. It is summer there! Had a great conference, found some bargains, saw some interesting stuff.

Mr. Cat was thrilled that I cam back! Apparently Mr. CP needs more direction than "feed the cat"--which he only did once a day.

Mr. Cat is thrilled that I am back! So nice to be loved, if only for your ability to pull the lid off the cat food can!

Rearranging the hostas

It is that time of the year. It is when I want to play hookey and dig in my flower beds. Today I rearranged some hostas, some lilies of the valley, and filled to huge pots with dirt. I hauled them down to sit majestically on the two stumps left from the removal of the ash trees. It still looks like the Asian bugs killed my trees, but I feel better about it.

I sprayed the deer and rabbit repellent. Sort of in time. Not much eaten yet. Mostly the rabbit I believe. Need to weed. Want to have time to just play in the dirt....Don't.

Must organize my life so I can go to Washington DC for a few days. Always makes me nervous...The flight, being there. 5 years has not made it less so. Always pack too much. Am trying to right size. Hard to do. Cleaned my purse--wouldn't want to have to part with my Swiss army knife. So much to think of. Pack your snacks. Have your ID. Make sure you can lift your carry on over your head....Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Hopefully, I will return unscathed, the house buying agnst will be over, and then I will have time to tackle the weeds!

Game man

Mr. cp got a berry phone! Seems the blue toothed-ness of the car, paired with the injured wing was motivation to embrace the new technology that is available to his level of person.

Took him to the Dr. today--still knitting. Not me, his shoulder bone. 4 more weeks of complaining as he struggles with the splint. They are sending him for an mri--then will decide about the knee....

So, all the way there and all the way home, when he is usually complaining about how I don't know how to drive...he was playing with his multi-purpose electronic toy--it is like game boy for men!! Checking email, editing calendars, organizing stuff....
Probably not as good as Nightmare Before Christmas for game boy, but kept him busy, entertained, distracted from my inability to drive, and thrilled with his ability to tame the "thing"!

Game man....what price sanity?

Location, Location, Location...

C4 is moving closer to work. After doing her income taxes, she is determined to go from apt. Dweller to homeowner. I advised her to pre-qualify for a mortgage and start looking. She surffed the internet. (never mind the back story--if they would just listen to their parents in the first place!)

She found a realtor. The realtor told her to get prequalified. Then they could look at houses. She got prequalified (seemed surprised)(note that parental unit had given this advice and was ignored) and went off to look at houses. She looked at 8. Found 6 to be various degrees of "awful" and "rejects" (duh!)

Then, she called, and invited me to look at the leading two candidates. C1 and I drive to Kzoo (needed a day away from Mr. CP anyway) to see these "gems". First was my definition of awful. Second not much better. Know the realtor thought we were crazy. We though the realtor was "nice"--but offered not much info.

Sans realtor, in an hour, we had scoped the neighborhood, made a list, and laid out a plan for C4. She now has many more houses to look at. At our urging, she went to open houses today. Is headed in the right direction. Wants it to be easy....It never is! At least she is getting a geography lesson.

We have done c4 a disservice. She was too little, not interested, away at school, etc. when we have done the house hunts. C1 was almost always a participant....C4 is house hunting naive. C1 has an impressive grasp of plumbing, electrical panels, ductwork, and structural integrity.

I hope we get through this with C4 intact. She is fragile (and clueless)....And it is totally our fault! Of course, it will be her house, and once she buys it, it will be perfect. She just needs to kiss all the frogs....and find the time to accomplish this important task to find the real "prince"!

Stay tuned!

Who Knew?

I am now in day 6 of the invalid husband game. (Talk about circles of hell!) It is truly amazing how many things a person who is incapacitated needs--usually just seconds after I have finally sat down, or started on a time sensitive project.

My saving grace has been Magnum PI. Who knew that they rerun the old episodes at noon every day. I build my day around it now. On the few occasions that I have forayed into daytime TV I discovered the wedding story, baby story, gardening shows, the noon news, the today show, Ellen, Oprah, etc. Who knew that you could watch the Invasion of Normandy, Magnum PI, the building of the San Francisco Bay bridge, and all kinds of other fodder also on daytime TV? Most peppered with commercials for some type of ED medication or "cure".....Guess I am not the target market!

So MCP is propped up in front of Magnum, enjoying the Hawaiian breezes vicariously. I have at least 1/2 hour before he will need anything--sigh of relief!

GO! -Blue

The saga of the injured husband continues. At at the major research hospital they are obsessed with labeling EVERYTHING with their big blue and gold "M". Now most people would not care, except that we are a family of spartans, and only "do" green and white.

I have been looking at the huge M on the sling, thinking about how a large white S, crafted correctly could almost cover it. Then they added the brace--which comes with it's own "M". Six weeks is a long time, so I guess I will have to detour past a bookstore soon to see if I can find the appropriate cover ups.


In the frenzy of acquiring something that Mr. Pants could wear, I picked up two lounge outfits--the featured item of the week--one for each major university. Today, he noticed yet another "M" on the lounge pants, and wanted to know why I did not just get two sets of "S" wear! (Just so you know it is not just me!)


Who knew that a major teaching/research hospital cared so much about their football team!!

Invalid

So we go off to see the wizard...The ortho guy at the big research hospital. The office personnel were efficient. The forms were dumb, but only because our injury did not fit the pre-defined questions. The exam rooms were small for a big guy and the wheelchair, and the resident was "cute" (and very young looking).

So after some poking and flexing, and pointing at the X rays (which we have the souvenir edition of to bring home) it was determined that there is really nothing that we can do about the broken shoulder but wait--take pain pills, and use a sling. 6 Weeks should bring healing, and we will re-xray. Then the physical therapy will begin.

The knee is another issue. Too swollen to do anything about. Ordered up a nifty hip to ankle brace, and in 6 weeks will see what we can do about it.....At least he can use the walker to get to the bathroom...

So for lots of dollars (supplied by my insurance company)we will continue to continue...And in 6 weeks we will reevaluate. In the mean time, lets hope the vicodin helps make him less crabby!

Getting to know U

So, I had thirteen hours to "experience" the ER--and it is not at all like the TV show of the same name. Major teaching hospital, ambulance bay, and people in scrubs--and there the similarities end.

No Jerry, no Sam, no Luca. Triage had nice male nurses--or at least nurses good enough to make you think they care for the 10 minutes that they record your vitals and complaints. Gatekeepers they are--deciding where you go next. Ours took vitals and a history, looked up the number, and helped with the undressing (not easy)--and with good intentions, routed us to X-ray, packed in ice.

I guess another similarity with the TV show was that we waited in the hall. Next to an empty gurney and some trash bins. Seems there was no room wherever it is that one would normally wait for X-ray. In what seemed like forever for Mr. Pants, but was really not all that long, a perky X-ray person (you can tell by the color coded shirts--posters are all over the place showing the coding of the dress) whisked Mr. Pants and his ice off to the X-rays, while the "unit clerk" who had come looking for us, ushered me to a curtain--small cube on the corner. The nurse for this curtain showed up promptly, but with no patient, there was nothing to do. Pleasant chat, then she was gone.

Over the next hour, as I sat knitting, various hospital employees came and went--housekeeping guy emptied the wastebaskets, Tan scrubs showed up with a chart and some labels, white coat Dr. Breezed in, read the papers, looked quizzically at me until I explained about the X-Rays, and then disappeared. Blue scrubs nurse checked as she walked by to see if there was a patient.

They brought an older lady into the curtain next door. She was profoundly deaf--causing quite a stir among the help--and a little frustration for her husband, who had to explain her plight over and over and over....And although I know it was "confidential", with everyone yelling at the poor woman, and the retelling, I know every detail of her illness while in Arizona. Dialysis. Kidney transplant. Kidney failure again. Removal of transplanted organ. Staples. Fever, more dialysis, High blood pressure. Headaches. Coughing, etc. etc. etc. Poor woman. No easy answers. They were our neighbors for 10 hours until she disappeared into the "hospital" for admitting.

There were wandering pregnant women. Lots of assorted companions. A majorly intoxicated man that the police brought in. The Medical Examiner (honest), with someone at the desk (this could happen on ER) yelling who called the ME?? There was a lady who needed stitches in her chin (fell on the ice), and several worried parents with screaming dehydrated little ones. There were old guys with IV's, ladies crumpled on gurneys with husbands holding the coats (and staring into space). There was lots of activity--but none of it seemed to this observer to get anyone either closer to a cure, or out of there. There was a mysterious "holding area" where people were sent--usually after hours and hours in the ER--to be held for whatever was coming next.

Mr. Pants returned from X-ray without the ice packs, and without the pillow they had provided in X=ray. He was gurneied at this point, and trying to be brave in the face of the pain. The blue (nurse) looked at his wounds, confirmed some info, and said we need to wait for the X-rays. We waited, and waited, and waited.

I found bathrooms. Had to find several, as it seems that there are many more people using them than the number they have. Eventually, I figured out that if you leave the ER and go into the "family" waiting room (where no one was waiting) that you had a good shot at an empty restroom (cleaner too!). Of course, you then needed a sticker, and you were supposed to get the official looking family room attendant to buzz you in....But with the sticker and good timing, I found, I could skip that step, and scoot through the doors.

We had arrived before lunch. It was now well past dinner. We were still waiting, although there were some semblance of bandaging. Also some Dr. walking in and out....Honest, just walking in and out. I asked about getting some food. The tan shirt told me that they could order guest trays, but they were expensive, and in her opinion, not very tasty. She recommended the WEndy's. When it was approaching my bedtime, I decided to set out in search of food. A purple gave me directions--down this hall, turn left, through the doors, left again. Take the elevators to 2. Seemed simple enough.

Got to the elevators, feeling strangely like I was tresspassing. I once worked in an urgent care, so I have some "health care sense"--and much like the time I ended up in the restricted to government workers only area of the basement of the capitol in Washington DC, I sensed that I was not in the most public of areas in this hospital. The doors opened at 2--I stepped out, and was in the operating room hallway--thank goodness there were signs, and I found my way to another family waiting room (surgical), and with more sign reading, found eventually "information".

The info lady (in street clothes, apparently either they ran out of colors, or information is so rare that it does not have a uniform) was nice, and said, go back the way you came. You got off at 2, and should have gone to the other 2. (You would think that if they had 2 2's, someone giving directions should have mentioned it. Use the East elevators!

Again, sign reading led me to the cafeteria, and a sharp left, led to the Wendy's right there in the middle of a major research hospital! No tables, just a queue, and some typical fast food workers. Fast, but not mensa candidates. I got some food, thinking how ironic it was that in a health center one could get frosties and fries without even going outside, and found my way back to the ER, where we were still waiting.

I am sure that there is no marketing plan which lays out the scenario that the plan is to keep ER patients there until the brink of starvation to increase Wendy's sales, but it had that effect.

So, here we were, at 10 at night using a gurney for a table, munching our fast food...While we waited......Just before we were moved to the "holding area"....

To be continued.....