I love all kinds of music, and some jazz too. Recently I met a man named Floyd, who is now about seventy years old. For years Floyd toured with Artie Shaw, playing the upright bass. they toured the United States and parts of Europe. this story impressed me to no end.
*****
During the course of his travels, Floyd got to meet other jazz greats, such as Dave Brubeck ("Take Five") and also the incomparable talent, Bill Evans ("Blue in Green").
*****
Other great names to listen to are Vince Guaraldi ("Theme from Peanuts"), Errol Garner ("Misty"), and Sonny Rollins ("Blue Seven").
*****
I like music by Metallica ("Enter the Sandman") and Megadeath. One song by Megadeath that I have dubbed "Dave's Theme" goes like this:
"What do you mean I don't believe in God?
I talk with him every day!
And what do you mean I don't support the system?
I go to court when I have to.
And what do you mean I can't make it to work on time?
I've got nothing better to do.
And what do you mean I dont't pay my bills?
Why do you think I'm broke?
If there's a new way.
I'll be the first in line.
But it better work this time.
What do you mean I'm not kind?
Just not your kind!
And what do you mean I can't be the President of the United States?
It's still we the people, right?
If there's a new way
I'll be the first in line.
But it better work this time."
*****
I support Portlannd bands, such as Big Monti Amundson, Quarterflash, and Sharon Jones. I like the Seattle bands too, like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Soundgarden (now Audioslave). I like Michigan bands, such as the White Stripes ("Seven Nation Army"), the Bob Seger System ("Two plus Two"), Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes ("Jouney to the Center of your Mind"), and Grand Funk ("We're an American Band"). I like bands from Texas, such as ZZ Top ("Jesus just Left Chicago"), Johnny Winter (Highway 61"), Stevie Ray Vaughn ("Texas Flood"), and Junior Brown ("My Wife thinks you're Dead"). I like Mississsippi Delta style blues, in the manner of R.L.Burnside and Ry Cooder.
*****
Music is an important part of my life. I began my study as a musician at the age of fourteen, with a mail order guitar from Sears which cost me all of $20 back then. I still play, and probably always will.
Mr. Charming
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Indians!
I grew up with Indians.
*****
A lot of the kids I went to school with at Pellston, Michigan were Indian kids. These were often from large Catholic familes. They were usually poor kids. I would go to their homes for meals sometimes, after school. You would see cans of Governmet Pork, or blocks of Government Cheese, or Government Peanut Butter. These kids were always very generous to a little white boy like me. I will always remember them.
*****
When I got older, I went to a couple of Pow-Wows with some of my Indian friends. I saw this as an opportunity to get really drunk, and to dance around some. Later in life I was to discover that all this singing, chanting, and dancing around was actually Shamanism 101. The Indian elders were using this rhythmic chanting to enter the Spirit World, the home of their Ancestors. It was magical, it was mystical. Give me that old time religion!
*****
Over the course of my travels I had the opportunity to visit the Hopi tribe in Arizona. They use underground "kivas:, or "sweat lodges" where they go to induce a state of Mysticism. White people are not allowed to attend these ceremonies. So I hired a local Hopi guide, named Jake, to walk me around this place, and to learn something about the culture from him. Jake told me a lot about the Hopi people. They have lived in this one place, called Walpi, for over a thousand years. Walpi is high atop a mesa. At night, you can see the lights of Walpi from miles away.
*****
The Hopi are a maternal, not paternal tribe. Property tends to get passed down through the woman's bloodline. Having a maternal view of life may have done much to soften the Hopi outlook, which is sprinkled with kindness and spirituality.
*****
The Hopi are also credited for their Snake Dance Ritual. This amounts to chanting, rythmic drumming, and dancing around with a live rattle snake dangling from your mouth. The snakes are in a trance, and the Hopi rarely, if ever, get bitten. It is Magical.
*****
The Hopi elders are all predicting the end of the world, as we know it, in the year 2012. We had better get ready. There is not much time left.
*****
If you want to find out more about the Hopi people, and their neighbors the Navajo, I would recommend reading the popular detective novels written by Tony Hillerman. These books will captivate you with their memorable characters, like Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. You will learn about some of the places I have seen in Arizona and New Mexico. You will also discover that an important component in the lives of these Native American peoples is Magic, pure and simple. It will give you something to chew on. It will give you something to consider.
Mr. Charming
*****
A lot of the kids I went to school with at Pellston, Michigan were Indian kids. These were often from large Catholic familes. They were usually poor kids. I would go to their homes for meals sometimes, after school. You would see cans of Governmet Pork, or blocks of Government Cheese, or Government Peanut Butter. These kids were always very generous to a little white boy like me. I will always remember them.
*****
When I got older, I went to a couple of Pow-Wows with some of my Indian friends. I saw this as an opportunity to get really drunk, and to dance around some. Later in life I was to discover that all this singing, chanting, and dancing around was actually Shamanism 101. The Indian elders were using this rhythmic chanting to enter the Spirit World, the home of their Ancestors. It was magical, it was mystical. Give me that old time religion!
*****
Over the course of my travels I had the opportunity to visit the Hopi tribe in Arizona. They use underground "kivas:, or "sweat lodges" where they go to induce a state of Mysticism. White people are not allowed to attend these ceremonies. So I hired a local Hopi guide, named Jake, to walk me around this place, and to learn something about the culture from him. Jake told me a lot about the Hopi people. They have lived in this one place, called Walpi, for over a thousand years. Walpi is high atop a mesa. At night, you can see the lights of Walpi from miles away.
*****
The Hopi are a maternal, not paternal tribe. Property tends to get passed down through the woman's bloodline. Having a maternal view of life may have done much to soften the Hopi outlook, which is sprinkled with kindness and spirituality.
*****
The Hopi are also credited for their Snake Dance Ritual. This amounts to chanting, rythmic drumming, and dancing around with a live rattle snake dangling from your mouth. The snakes are in a trance, and the Hopi rarely, if ever, get bitten. It is Magical.
*****
The Hopi elders are all predicting the end of the world, as we know it, in the year 2012. We had better get ready. There is not much time left.
*****
If you want to find out more about the Hopi people, and their neighbors the Navajo, I would recommend reading the popular detective novels written by Tony Hillerman. These books will captivate you with their memorable characters, like Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. You will learn about some of the places I have seen in Arizona and New Mexico. You will also discover that an important component in the lives of these Native American peoples is Magic, pure and simple. It will give you something to chew on. It will give you something to consider.
Mr. Charming
Thursday, July 22, 2010
My Delightful Oncologist Tells a Funny Story
A couple of weeks ago I went in for another of those four hour sessions. I brought a book with me to read. My Delightful Oncologist asked me: "What are you reading, there?" I told her it was a pretty good book, called "Mediatations aand Relaxations." It is good because it puts me right to sleep. I told her it was a lot better than a book I had picked up a couple of years ago."What was that one?", she asks. I told her it was called "Stop Procrastinating Now!". I told her I did not think it was that good, because I never got around to finishing it. She laughed at this.
*****
My Delightful Oncologist has a blog of her own, which is a food blog. It is patewoem.wordpress.com she told me the funny story.
****
For prom night, her Dad hired a limo for her and her friends to ride around in. Her Dad was something of a practical Joker, like I am. He provided the girls with home made pate treats he called patewoem. These were just some crackers with meat on them that you could nibble on while drinving around in the nice limo. Now the girls did not have any of this. They were too careful about staining their gowns. But a boy who was with them gobbled down every single one, they were that good! "Woem " spelled backwords is "Meow".
The pate was actually cat food. Yum!
Mr. Charming
*****
My Delightful Oncologist has a blog of her own, which is a food blog. It is patewoem.wordpress.com she told me the funny story.
****
For prom night, her Dad hired a limo for her and her friends to ride around in. Her Dad was something of a practical Joker, like I am. He provided the girls with home made pate treats he called patewoem. These were just some crackers with meat on them that you could nibble on while drinving around in the nice limo. Now the girls did not have any of this. They were too careful about staining their gowns. But a boy who was with them gobbled down every single one, they were that good! "Woem " spelled backwords is "Meow".
The pate was actually cat food. Yum!
Mr. Charming
For a Portland Newbie
Wendy's probably have the fastest drive through window in America, according to Columbus Business First.
If you are a Cancer patient, looking for a 1000 fast calories, try going to Wendy's and go through the drive through. For only $5, you can get a large Frosty-cino and a spicy chicken wrap. Plus they give you back change, that you can later give to a homeless person who will shake your hand and say: "God Bless you."
This is a hot July here in Portland. I try to get my frosty-chino fix in at least once a day.
*****
I saw my first Carl Jr.'s while visiting in California. For about $10 you can go to a Carl's Jr.here in Portland and buy close to 3000 calories! They have a variety of delicious offerings, including the Jalapeno Burger and the Guaconole Burger, among others. Yesterday I went to the Carl Jr.'s on S.E. 82d near Best Buy with Dan just to get a treat, and to enjoy their very fine banana chocolate chip malts. I got one in a large Combo meal of a very good Jalapeno Burger, along with a huge order of fries and a chicken sandwich wich cost me an extra Dollar.
*****
Fast food may not be the healthiest thing for you to eat, but sometimes you just have to when you are in pinch. Wendy's and Carl's offer up big heapings of cheap calories, and as Cancer patients, we should be aware of our caloric needs, which far exceed the 2000 or so caloric diet of a normal person.
*****
For all of $4 you can get one of the Best Hotdogs in Porland at Zach's Shack near the Mr. Tabor Theater on Hawthorne Boulevard. They offer the tradtional New York style hot dogs, as well as Chicago style hot dogs.They feature high quality wieners for all of their dogs, and they have a wide variety of "unusual" hot dogs as well. Try the Sgt. Pepper's. It comes with pepperoncinis and jalapenos.. One that I tried was the Dylan. This amount to a cross between a hot dog and what you might find on a bagel. It came with cream cheese, onion and sliced tomato. It was very good. Zach's opens around 3pm, and they stay open late. They have a mean Jukebox with intersting tunes on it, sometimes featuring local talent liike Sharon Jones. They have a table tennis set up out back, and you can go to the bar for paddles and balls. Now how much fun is that!
****
For some of the best French pastries you can get in Portland these days, try La Petite Provence. They have locations in Lake Oswego, N.E. and S..E. Portland. I live near the one at 48th and S.E. Division Street. For about $10 you can go there, order the French Onion Soup, a croissant, and get a cup of coffee. I take friends there for lunch somethimes, and they are very busy with the lunch crowd. Sometimes you have to wait for a table to open up .But it's worth it. The mouthwatering pastries always snag my attention on the way out. I will get a couple of brioches, or maybe some filled croissants, along with some good French bread to take home with me. I highly recommend going to a Le Petite Provence near you.
Mr.Charming
If you are a Cancer patient, looking for a 1000 fast calories, try going to Wendy's and go through the drive through. For only $5, you can get a large Frosty-cino and a spicy chicken wrap. Plus they give you back change, that you can later give to a homeless person who will shake your hand and say: "God Bless you."
This is a hot July here in Portland. I try to get my frosty-chino fix in at least once a day.
*****
I saw my first Carl Jr.'s while visiting in California. For about $10 you can go to a Carl's Jr.here in Portland and buy close to 3000 calories! They have a variety of delicious offerings, including the Jalapeno Burger and the Guaconole Burger, among others. Yesterday I went to the Carl Jr.'s on S.E. 82d near Best Buy with Dan just to get a treat, and to enjoy their very fine banana chocolate chip malts. I got one in a large Combo meal of a very good Jalapeno Burger, along with a huge order of fries and a chicken sandwich wich cost me an extra Dollar.
*****
Fast food may not be the healthiest thing for you to eat, but sometimes you just have to when you are in pinch. Wendy's and Carl's offer up big heapings of cheap calories, and as Cancer patients, we should be aware of our caloric needs, which far exceed the 2000 or so caloric diet of a normal person.
*****
For all of $4 you can get one of the Best Hotdogs in Porland at Zach's Shack near the Mr. Tabor Theater on Hawthorne Boulevard. They offer the tradtional New York style hot dogs, as well as Chicago style hot dogs.They feature high quality wieners for all of their dogs, and they have a wide variety of "unusual" hot dogs as well. Try the Sgt. Pepper's. It comes with pepperoncinis and jalapenos.. One that I tried was the Dylan. This amount to a cross between a hot dog and what you might find on a bagel. It came with cream cheese, onion and sliced tomato. It was very good. Zach's opens around 3pm, and they stay open late. They have a mean Jukebox with intersting tunes on it, sometimes featuring local talent liike Sharon Jones. They have a table tennis set up out back, and you can go to the bar for paddles and balls. Now how much fun is that!
****
For some of the best French pastries you can get in Portland these days, try La Petite Provence. They have locations in Lake Oswego, N.E. and S..E. Portland. I live near the one at 48th and S.E. Division Street. For about $10 you can go there, order the French Onion Soup, a croissant, and get a cup of coffee. I take friends there for lunch somethimes, and they are very busy with the lunch crowd. Sometimes you have to wait for a table to open up .But it's worth it. The mouthwatering pastries always snag my attention on the way out. I will get a couple of brioches, or maybe some filled croissants, along with some good French bread to take home with me. I highly recommend going to a Le Petite Provence near you.
Mr.Charming
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Portland's Homeless
Homeless people in America are a National Tragedy. Today entire families are living in cars, or in homeless shelters all over this great Land of ours. We have our share of them in Portland, Oregon too, which is where I live.
*****'
There are homeless people living in parks near where I live in South East Portland. These are unfortunate souls, and in the mornings they go through our recycling looking for cans. Years ago when I was broke, I used to ride around on my bicycle, and would hit all the city parks nearby, going through garbage looking for cans and bottles that I could turn into cash.
*****
These days I always give my cans to the homeless people who could really use an extra dollar or two from recycling these items. I do what I can to help.
*****
For at least tthe past year or more, you have seen the homeless standing with signs out begging for something at busy intersections where people are forced to look at them while waiting for the light to change. The homeless will stand there in the pouring rain with their signs, hoping for at least a little something.
****
If one of these homeless people is seen smoking a cigarette, I give them nothing. Cigarettes are killing me with Lung Cancer, and though I have been a Cancer Survivor for the past two years now, I cannot in good conscience help support a homeless person who smokes. The price of a pack of smokes is equal to the cost of five cans of Pork and Beans. You can either make a choice to eat or smoke. Personally, I would rather eat.
*****
If they are not smoking, I always give them something. After all, homelessness is a National Tragedy. Most of the other drivers trapped by stop lights ignore the homeless completely, and refuse to make eye contact. I will reach out my hand and give the homeless person a dollar, or whatever I had. Yesterday I gave away forty two cents.
*****
These people are all suffering, I give them what I can. When they take the money, they will often shake my hand, and they will say: "God Bless you".It is a small thing I can do to help make Portland a better place to live. Even for the homeless.
Mr. Charming
*****'
There are homeless people living in parks near where I live in South East Portland. These are unfortunate souls, and in the mornings they go through our recycling looking for cans. Years ago when I was broke, I used to ride around on my bicycle, and would hit all the city parks nearby, going through garbage looking for cans and bottles that I could turn into cash.
*****
These days I always give my cans to the homeless people who could really use an extra dollar or two from recycling these items. I do what I can to help.
*****
For at least tthe past year or more, you have seen the homeless standing with signs out begging for something at busy intersections where people are forced to look at them while waiting for the light to change. The homeless will stand there in the pouring rain with their signs, hoping for at least a little something.
****
If one of these homeless people is seen smoking a cigarette, I give them nothing. Cigarettes are killing me with Lung Cancer, and though I have been a Cancer Survivor for the past two years now, I cannot in good conscience help support a homeless person who smokes. The price of a pack of smokes is equal to the cost of five cans of Pork and Beans. You can either make a choice to eat or smoke. Personally, I would rather eat.
*****
If they are not smoking, I always give them something. After all, homelessness is a National Tragedy. Most of the other drivers trapped by stop lights ignore the homeless completely, and refuse to make eye contact. I will reach out my hand and give the homeless person a dollar, or whatever I had. Yesterday I gave away forty two cents.
*****
These people are all suffering, I give them what I can. When they take the money, they will often shake my hand, and they will say: "God Bless you".It is a small thing I can do to help make Portland a better place to live. Even for the homeless.
Mr. Charming
Volunteerism
There are two things I need to get done before I leave Oregon for good. One of these is to drive down to Eugene and meet a remarkable woman named Jane Katra, who practices spiritual healing. You can find out more about her by reading her books.
*****
The other thing I need to do is learn all about Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese method of healing. It has been around for a couple of hundred years. In Reiki, the practitioner lays the hands on the patient, allowing the Chi force (or life force) to pass through into the patient. The whole experience is very relaxing. Often times someone who is suffering will become so relaxed that they will fall asleep. I want to learn how to do Reiki, and I want to get very good at it. Then I will be able to volunteer my time to help other people who are suffering from the horrors of Cancer.
*****
Listen: Fundamentally I am, and will always be a Christian. Through the parables of The Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, Christ was telling us about the tremendous benefits of trying to help others, which is what we all should be doing. It is the only way that I can think of that will allow Mankind to evolve into a better creature than the Cave Man we all are today. We can become better than mere brutes, and probably should start moving into the direction of Becoming. But more about all of this later.
*****
This morning I had to drive out to Beaverton to St. Vincent's hospital for another one of these four hour sessions of Chemo. Driving out there I was in agony. My hands had cramped up so badly with muscle spasms that I could hardly grip the wheel. I was going to see my Delightful Oncologist this morning, and I could not wait to get there so she could help me with these cramps, which has wrecked me for the past week or so.
*****
I got there on time. I signed in, and they had me wait before they called me back to do some Lab Work. In Lab Work, they take a blood sample to see how all the chemical balances are working in the body. By paying attention to what I buy to eat, and choose to cook, my balances are, and have always been in, the Super Normal Range. I may have Cancer, but my body itself is still in remarkably good shape. I am actually healthy.
*****
Following the Lab Work, they always weigh me, and they take my blood pressure too. Today I was disappointed to learn that I had actually lost a pound since last week, in spite of my efforts to load up on calories and to gain a bit. But I have been getting plenty of exercise lately. Maybe the fat is getting turned in muscle. I feel pretty good. I know that I am getting stronger. These are the things I need to be doing if I am going to continue to be a Cancer Survivor.
*****
Sophir, my Delightful Oncologist's assistant, escorted me to a small room. I sat there meditating, focusing on my breathing. I was allowing myself to relax the body, and to slow down the heart rate, which had been elevated due to all the pain I was experiencing.
*****
Soon my Delightful Oncologist entered the room. I always look forward to our little visits. She is very easy on the eyes. She is an attractive woman, and an athlete. I am lucky to have her. She has treated me for Cancer now for two years. I owe her everything for trying to keep me alive.
*****
The first thing we addressed was this awful cramping problem. For her, the answer was simple. Drink Gatorade to restore the electrolytes, which I had been losing due to all the physical activity lately. This was an easy thing to do.
****
The second thing we discussed was to cut back on the medicines she had prescribed. One of these is Dexamethasone, which is a powerful steroid. We will be cutting that one back to once every other day, as it has a tendency to make people very hyper if they take it every day.
*****
The third thing we talked about was this blog which you are reading. I directed her to read "The Ground Rules" first, which explains what I am trying to do with all of this writing. And then to read "National Health Care", to see if I was painting an accurate picture. My Delightful Oncologist will become a valuable resource because of her extensive knowledge on these topics. She will be someone I can talk to in order to keep me on the right path with all of this. If she sees my body of work and likes it, she is in a position to promote what I have set out to do here to the very audience I hope to reach, which are fellow Cancer patients.
****
I fell asleep during Chemo, and the four hours passed fairly quickly. On the way home, I bought some Gatorade.
Mr. Charming
*****
The other thing I need to do is learn all about Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese method of healing. It has been around for a couple of hundred years. In Reiki, the practitioner lays the hands on the patient, allowing the Chi force (or life force) to pass through into the patient. The whole experience is very relaxing. Often times someone who is suffering will become so relaxed that they will fall asleep. I want to learn how to do Reiki, and I want to get very good at it. Then I will be able to volunteer my time to help other people who are suffering from the horrors of Cancer.
*****
Listen: Fundamentally I am, and will always be a Christian. Through the parables of The Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, Christ was telling us about the tremendous benefits of trying to help others, which is what we all should be doing. It is the only way that I can think of that will allow Mankind to evolve into a better creature than the Cave Man we all are today. We can become better than mere brutes, and probably should start moving into the direction of Becoming. But more about all of this later.
*****
This morning I had to drive out to Beaverton to St. Vincent's hospital for another one of these four hour sessions of Chemo. Driving out there I was in agony. My hands had cramped up so badly with muscle spasms that I could hardly grip the wheel. I was going to see my Delightful Oncologist this morning, and I could not wait to get there so she could help me with these cramps, which has wrecked me for the past week or so.
*****
I got there on time. I signed in, and they had me wait before they called me back to do some Lab Work. In Lab Work, they take a blood sample to see how all the chemical balances are working in the body. By paying attention to what I buy to eat, and choose to cook, my balances are, and have always been in, the Super Normal Range. I may have Cancer, but my body itself is still in remarkably good shape. I am actually healthy.
*****
Following the Lab Work, they always weigh me, and they take my blood pressure too. Today I was disappointed to learn that I had actually lost a pound since last week, in spite of my efforts to load up on calories and to gain a bit. But I have been getting plenty of exercise lately. Maybe the fat is getting turned in muscle. I feel pretty good. I know that I am getting stronger. These are the things I need to be doing if I am going to continue to be a Cancer Survivor.
*****
Sophir, my Delightful Oncologist's assistant, escorted me to a small room. I sat there meditating, focusing on my breathing. I was allowing myself to relax the body, and to slow down the heart rate, which had been elevated due to all the pain I was experiencing.
*****
Soon my Delightful Oncologist entered the room. I always look forward to our little visits. She is very easy on the eyes. She is an attractive woman, and an athlete. I am lucky to have her. She has treated me for Cancer now for two years. I owe her everything for trying to keep me alive.
*****
The first thing we addressed was this awful cramping problem. For her, the answer was simple. Drink Gatorade to restore the electrolytes, which I had been losing due to all the physical activity lately. This was an easy thing to do.
****
The second thing we discussed was to cut back on the medicines she had prescribed. One of these is Dexamethasone, which is a powerful steroid. We will be cutting that one back to once every other day, as it has a tendency to make people very hyper if they take it every day.
*****
The third thing we talked about was this blog which you are reading. I directed her to read "The Ground Rules" first, which explains what I am trying to do with all of this writing. And then to read "National Health Care", to see if I was painting an accurate picture. My Delightful Oncologist will become a valuable resource because of her extensive knowledge on these topics. She will be someone I can talk to in order to keep me on the right path with all of this. If she sees my body of work and likes it, she is in a position to promote what I have set out to do here to the very audience I hope to reach, which are fellow Cancer patients.
****
I fell asleep during Chemo, and the four hours passed fairly quickly. On the way home, I bought some Gatorade.
Mr. Charming
Jonathan
I do not have any kids (at least that I know about!). I am at the age where those possibilities have been foreclosed upon. I do not want to become another Pablo Picasso, who kept on making babies even at an advanced age. You should have your children when you are in your twenties and thirties, while you still have the energy to keep up with them. Then when you turn fifty you can admire the kind of work you accomplished by being a good parent. You will no longer see your children as children, but rather as the next generation of adults. If you did a good job, they will take over the reigns and make wise decisions as to how we marshall the diminishing resources of a cold planet in deep space.
*****
If you did not do so well as a parent, your kids will probably also turn out to be good adults, eventually. Live and learn.
*****
Two weeks ago a group of us climbed Beacon Rock, which is in the Washington side of the Gorge. My friend from work, Hank, took his two sons, Dom, who is fourteen, and Jonathan, who is six. Hank is a very good father to these two, very polite boys. I wanted to give Hank a present, which is to be able to take him to these wonderful places that are nearby. Soon Hank, who is in terrific shape, will be able to do this sort of thing with his sons, without me. That was my gift to Hank. I had wanted to create another dimension in the relationship he is having with his offspring. I had also wanted to take a peek underneath all this politeness.
*****
After climbing Beacon Rock (Hank and the boys whizzed up there, and came down while us old timers were still slowly making our way to the top), I offered to buy everyone Ice Cream at the East Wind Drive In , which is in Cascade Locks, Oregon. It was my way of saying thanks to everyone that had been patient with me, and who were willing to put up with all my nonsense.
*****
After the Ice Cream, we all went over to the Cascade Locks Visitor's Center, in order to use their bathroom and to wash our hands. The Locks are a very restful place. You could just stand there and quietly watch the water, and watch all the boats.
*****
Inside the visitor's center, they have a small gift shop with the usual trinkets. In the gift shop, Jonathan and I spied this huge table of polished stones. These were all rocks someone had gathered and polished. The sold them for a dollar a piece. They were just rocks, after all.
*****
Some of them were all blue, or red. Some were all black, or a cloudy kind of yellow.
*****
I showed Jonathan a bright green one. This one had a jagged yellow line running across it.
Me: "Do you know what this is?"
Jonathan: "No."
Me: "It is a picture of a miniature forest with lightning in the sky."
He got the idea right away!
Then he picked one up.
It was a light blue one with a white triangle on it.
Jonathan: "You know what this one is?"
Me: "No."
Jonathan: "It's a tiny picture of a mountain, and it's snowing!"
I told them that he was absolutely right.
*****
We continued to play this game for a while. We got to become friends pretty fast because of this.
When we were done with it, I told him something.
The rocks were like people.
Some are going to be boring, like all red and angry, or all blue and sad.
The more interesting ones are going to be the ones with a story to tell. Those are the good ones.
*****
I had made a new friend in this little boy. He followed me around for the rest of the day and listened to all of my dumb stories. He shared his M&M's with me. He had a million questions about everything. He is a smart little boy.
Mr. Charming
*****
If you did not do so well as a parent, your kids will probably also turn out to be good adults, eventually. Live and learn.
*****
Two weeks ago a group of us climbed Beacon Rock, which is in the Washington side of the Gorge. My friend from work, Hank, took his two sons, Dom, who is fourteen, and Jonathan, who is six. Hank is a very good father to these two, very polite boys. I wanted to give Hank a present, which is to be able to take him to these wonderful places that are nearby. Soon Hank, who is in terrific shape, will be able to do this sort of thing with his sons, without me. That was my gift to Hank. I had wanted to create another dimension in the relationship he is having with his offspring. I had also wanted to take a peek underneath all this politeness.
*****
After climbing Beacon Rock (Hank and the boys whizzed up there, and came down while us old timers were still slowly making our way to the top), I offered to buy everyone Ice Cream at the East Wind Drive In , which is in Cascade Locks, Oregon. It was my way of saying thanks to everyone that had been patient with me, and who were willing to put up with all my nonsense.
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After the Ice Cream, we all went over to the Cascade Locks Visitor's Center, in order to use their bathroom and to wash our hands. The Locks are a very restful place. You could just stand there and quietly watch the water, and watch all the boats.
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Inside the visitor's center, they have a small gift shop with the usual trinkets. In the gift shop, Jonathan and I spied this huge table of polished stones. These were all rocks someone had gathered and polished. The sold them for a dollar a piece. They were just rocks, after all.
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Some of them were all blue, or red. Some were all black, or a cloudy kind of yellow.
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I showed Jonathan a bright green one. This one had a jagged yellow line running across it.
Me: "Do you know what this is?"
Jonathan: "No."
Me: "It is a picture of a miniature forest with lightning in the sky."
He got the idea right away!
Then he picked one up.
It was a light blue one with a white triangle on it.
Jonathan: "You know what this one is?"
Me: "No."
Jonathan: "It's a tiny picture of a mountain, and it's snowing!"
I told them that he was absolutely right.
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We continued to play this game for a while. We got to become friends pretty fast because of this.
When we were done with it, I told him something.
The rocks were like people.
Some are going to be boring, like all red and angry, or all blue and sad.
The more interesting ones are going to be the ones with a story to tell. Those are the good ones.
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I had made a new friend in this little boy. He followed me around for the rest of the day and listened to all of my dumb stories. He shared his M&M's with me. He had a million questions about everything. He is a smart little boy.
Mr. Charming
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