Back to Burnt Bridge Creek Trail

2016 wasn't a year of many hikes or walks.  So this year we are making an effort to get more in.  So the weather was beautiful today.  After work I picked up the littles and we headed to the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail and walked a bit.  It was getting dark so we only did a small walk, but we got out there and did it.  We found where the rocks were place to make a heart.  The little woman fixed it so it was complete again.  We watched ducks and met dogs and played in the vines.
Afterwards we checked out the remodel at Arby's.  They moved the restrooms inside.  Best thing ever. I always hated their outside restrooms.  We ran into George's little brother.  Reintroduced myself and amazingly enough he vaguely remembered me.  He had to be about four years-old when I met him the first time.

Rifle

Sometime in 2015 my mom decided that Elizabeth should have one of her rifles.  And one was picked out.  I know nothing about them, so I have no idea if it was Mom's, Dad's, or some other one.  There are five.  

My brother was here and we got into the gun safe and pulled out that rifle and took a picture and then he took a picture of the 38 special that my parents got from family friends.  He commented on the rifle being for Elizabeth.  

My gut reaction anymore is why?  Elizabeth, nor Tanya have been to see Grammy.  They haven't seen her since a ten minute stop here Xmas 2015.  They haven't texted or called and asked how she is.  They know she has dementia.  Maybe it is that living death thing.  But either way.......why should she now be rewarded with something that could pass down to Connor or Elizabeth who I assume will be around Grammy till she dies.  

And maybe that is just bad on my part.  Maybe I shouldn't feel that way.  But it is hard not to, when the last family dinner we had Mom asked them to take her shopping and she was turned down flat.  So why??  

In the end it will be up to Pat if she gets the rifle or not.  I doubt she is interested at the moment since she is looking at going to CA for school.  So I can't see anything happening any time soon anyway.

New Vendor

We have a new vendor at work for our candy, grocery type items, etc.  This vendor requires a really big order.  We have been using them about a month or so.  I have watched Liz struggle with the receiving on it.  She thought things were finally getting better as the kinks are worked out.
So today was my shot at it.  Now granted I only had to do half of it as Liz had already done the frozen and perishables before I got there.  I did it exactly how she told me and it was pretty easy.  Still took me a couple of hours to get it all ready, but I handled it.  And I didn't get any surprise problems.  :P
The hope was that I got a taste of it before Liz's vacation so I can handle it when she is gone.  It's all good.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

Eighteen.  It's a lifetime and a blink of an eye.  Happy birthday Elizabeth.  Such a big part of my life for such a long time.  I am filled with memories.    All those days I babysat her before she started school.  We went to parks and played.  She learned how to climb a rock wall.
Then we had a break after school started.  School sometimes puts a damper on playing.  So we started having Nana days when she was nine because I just missed her so much.  And what great days those were.  She learned some horse basics.  She learned some woodworking and gardening from Papa.  We went to many restaurants, parks, rodeo.  We explored our world and had a great time.
She grew and changed and found many interests.  Here is to hoping that she continues to live life with gusto.  That she doesn't let fear hold her back.  If you fear it, then maybe you need to do it.  No growth happens if you stagnate.  So continued growth and newer and newer interests.  I only wish the best for her in all her endeavors and that the things that fail do not define her.  I hope she has the grit to get back up and try again.
Happy happy birthday Elizabeth.  I love you.

Target Practice Plan

I asked my friend Doug if we can make a plan to target shooting.  He said sure when it warms up.  Naturally.  I don't want to go up in the hills and stand outside in the freezing cold.  Anyway he is going to do some scouting and find out where it is still all right for us to do that.
So I mention it to my brother.  He tells me that I can shoot the cute little 38 special.  Then he tells me it is small but it should still have a nice kick to it.  Well I don't like kick too much.  So now I have to ask Doug if he has something small that is in the parameters of what I like and can use.  And if not, it may mean I need to buy something.  And that just feels bizarre.
Oh and then my brother says....can he come?

Marti, Halestorm, and Karen

I had the day off and it wasn't already booked up with mundane tasks or Mom stuff.  So I connected with Marti to see if she was free.  She met me in BG and we ate lunch at the Hockinson Cafe.  Then we drove down to the other side of town and poked around in all the shops.  And they were wonderful  And then they were the same.  Marti started commenting on the patterns of every nook and cranny.  She did find a few things to buy in the first store and then after that we just browsed.  I enjoyed it as I had not been in any of them except for the first one.  It was kind of funny because one of the people involved in the first one was one of our old neighbors.
After I picked up the littles, we went and picked up Aunt Traci.  Driving back home we passed David's house and he was outside.  We chatted for a minute.  I liked his new paint job on his house much more in person.  On my computer it looked really pumpkiny orange but in real life it was more coppery.  He was well and happy and so happy to be creating his home with Diana.  It does my heart good to see my friends happy.
Aunt Traci was babysitting and I did not have specific plans.  Pat was already having dinner with Mom so I couldn't join them.  I did see him later though.  It hit me that I needed to go visit Karen.  She hadn't been on facebook for awhile and neither had her husband Sam.  Well naturally she was sound asleep.  Now I am flat out of the mind that anyone sleeping is doing what they need.  Sam caught me up and it isn't good news.  Her cancer is spreading and she gets tired very quickly.  I had a nice sad visit with Sam though and I will have to make an effort to get over again when Karen is awake.  She has been my friend from the time I was about 17 years old.  That is a long time.  She wasn't one of those friends who just pass through your life.
And while driving.....I remembered that I hadn't tried to make my phone work with my car yet to listen to my new CD.  Hahahahahahah.  All I had to do with use the cord to connect the phone to the car and it played.  But imagine my surprise when in the middle of listening to Halestorm, Graffiti 6 played.  I did not think I had downloaded it to my phone and maybe I didn't.  I have noticed things become interchangeable with the phone and the ipads.
It was a day of old friends and old neighbors.  Melancholy, sad, life, living.  Thankful for all of it.  Laughing with Marti, sitting with Sam, talking with David.  And when I was done I hugged the littles tight as they are the future and I want them to feel love.

Game Night

The Math Academy at Maple Grove sponsored Game Night and offered up free pizza and cookies.  We went and ended up sitting with my friend Jeremiah and his son, seen in the second picture.  Jeremiah started off on the stage while some other people were using our table.  It felt unusual to actually see someone I knew at this function.  I thought it was funny that his little man and my little man were wearing the same jacket.
We played some board games, ate some pizza and then played a game the math academy people taught us.  It was exciting.  I'm not sure the kids knew they were using math skills to play.  And that is the objective.
Afterwards we took some of the instructions home with us and will try some of them at home. I'm also thinking it is time to get another Mancala game.  I really liked it and I'm sure the littles will also.  Best part about it is it is easy or complicated.
Thank you Mr. Christel and all the math academy tutors.  And thank you Maple Grove.  It was a fun evening.