My
wife and I are back home in The Dalles where it’s nice to once again sleep in
your own bed and return into your regular routine. There is something to be
said for the familiar.
It was
a nice trip visiting my son and daughter. (I still don’t know what they really
do.) And I think I passed another year where they won’t feel the need to take
care of me – yet! But there was something I did for the first time – and no, it
wasn’t bungee jumping.
Most
of us probably don’t enjoy the patronizing attitude of some younger folks who often
“assume” we can’t do anything on our own - that we have to be assisted opening
doors, getting into a car or going online. I know they are trying to be nice
and respectful, but couldn’t they just ask instead of assuming.
But
once in a while it is expedient to play into those stereotypes – in other words,
playing the “Age Card” to get out of a sticky situation.
That
occurred when my daughter’s best friend invited us to dinner the night we flew
in to San Diego. We hoped to spend the little time we had with our daughter, so
for the first time we decided to play the “age card” and asked my daughter to tell
her friend, “You know, my parents are older, flights wear them out and they do
go to bed awfully early!’ And it worked. No hurt feelings and we spent more
time with our daughter.
I
would be interested to know if you ever played the “Age Card” – when you didn’t
want to change a tire or repair a leaking pipe under the sink when knew you
could. Email me your experiences to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com.
The Center’s
AARP Smart Driver class occurs every third Monday and following Tuesday of each
month - and if you check your new 2019 calendar that means the 21st
and 22nd of January. The class is from 8:45 am to 12:05 pm on both
days and the cost is $20 ($15 for AARP Members). Call (541) 296-4788 to sign-up.
And after the class, you can enroll in CarFit – a free 20-minute session which helps
you adapt to your car, and adjust your "fit" within it, in order to
reduce your risk of injury during a crash.
They
say people are more afraid of giving a speech than dying. But I would rank above
both of those dancing on stage in front of your friends. That’s why I admire
anyone who participates in “Dancing with the Gorge Stars”.
This
fundraiser for the Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association will be held Friday,
January 11th at 7:00 PM at The Dalles High School. If you aren’t
familiar with the event, it is where six friends and neighbors from the Gorge
are paired with a professional dancer from the Utah Ballroom Dance Co.;
practice a dance routine for hours; and then perform it in a beautiful costume
– which sounds pretty intimidating to me but makes for a very entertaining evening.
You can purchase tickets at the door or at Klindt’s Bookstore, Lines of Designs
and The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce.
The
term commonly used by diners and cafes from the 1920s through the 1950s that
referred to a low-priced meal was a “Blue Plate Special”. (I received correct
responses from Cheri Brent, Jeannie Pesicka, and this week’s winner of a quilt
raffle ticket Mary Davis who emailed me an online clipping of a 1926 ad in the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper for Halloran’s “Landmark for Exceptional
Cooking” which served Blue Plate Specials. And from the previous week, the only
response I received was from Cheri Brent.)
When I
was a child there were many things I was made to do by my mother that I didn’t enjoy.
One was when on rainy days I had wear over my shoes those thin rubber boots
with buckles. Because they had to be tight fitting, they were always difficult
to put on and take off. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what do you
remember calling those rubber boots you slipped over your shoes? Email your
answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send
it with a forecast for heavy rains.
Well,
it’s been another week wondering what lessons I’ve learned. Until we meet
again, you always discover something new when you’re lost.
“If
you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails and a fresh box of
crayons for everyone.” Robert Fulghum
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