Zging Well in the Gorge January 9th 2019

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 21^st and 22^nd 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 11^th 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