My Birthday #58

Tuesday May 26, 1992

My Birthday #58

Up at Donna & Bob's and ready to go by 9 a.m. but Bob is turning the rotors on our brakes so we leave for Tahoe about 10:30 a.m. When we get to Tahoe, we have a buffet breakfast. It's real good. Of course, we pig out. We wander through several casinos making a total contribution of $24 in 2 hours. We are back at Donna & Bob's about 6 p.m. Jennifer, Leah, & Ron come to dinner. After dinner comes the party hats, noise makers, ice cream, cookies, and gifts. What fun!

Leah has grown quite tall for 11 years. Jennifer looks great. Hard work agrees with her. I'm still feeling great! Thank you Lord!

Donna & Bob live in Pollock Pines, about an hour's drive east of Sacramento, and midway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. I'm so glad Mom got to celebrate her birthday (her third time!) with her best friend Donna. Donna's granddaughter Leah was born just a week after Justin, on May 24, so the birthday celebration was undoubtedly for both Mom and Leah. Leah's mom Jennifer is a few years younger than I am, Donna's youngest of 3 children.

This birthday was to be Mom's last, so I'm glad she had a big celebration! I am 58 right now and because of that, I am acutely aware of how Mom died way too young. My 59th birthday is just a few weeks away, on April 9. When I reach that milestone I will have outlived my mother. In many ways, I feel like my life is just beginning, and I pray that God blesses me with many more years than my beautiful mother had. Mom did enjoy 12 years getting to know her only grandchild, my son Justin, but she never got to know my other two boys or Gary's twin sons, a sad loss for all of them.

Driving for the First Time

Sunday November 3, 1991

Frank is off to Lemona one last time. He'll paint 2 more bedrooms. He wouldn't do it for anyone but Laura. She's so sweet. Makes us want to do more to make the house more perfect than it already is.

Jennifer and Ron are coming today to spend the night. They are delivering a CHP trailer to Riverside tomorrow. I must straighten the house up some.

I probably overdid it cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, etc. I go marketing alone. Big Deal: driving for the first time.

We fix pot roast. Jennifer and Ron arrive about 9 p.m. We have a nice visit and go to bed late. I'm feeling fine but tired.

Jennifer is the youngest daughter of Mom's best friend Donna. She lives near Placerville in Northern California so had a long drive to get to Riverside in Southern California.

It is kind of a big deal to drive by herself for the first time. Having a sense of power and independence is important.

As for Frank wanting to paint two bedrooms to please their new tenant, I can totally relate. I held several different jobs during my 33 year career with Pacific Gas & Electric, but the one I held for the last 12 was the best one by far, not because I made any more money or had better benefits, because I did not. It was because the group of 13 guys I worked with made me feel appreciated, and I wanted to do my best for them. My boss Pat was easy-going and friendly, and made me feel like his equal, not just a lowly payroll clerk. Above all, he appreciated me. I had the opportunity to take other jobs that paid more money, but I turned them down. Even though I retired 4 years ago, Pat still takes me out for a birthday lunch every April and invites me to their Christmas breakfast.

That's a Smart Skunk!

Thursday July 4, 1991

Another night of laying in a puddle of sweat. The skunk came back and tore the bottom out of Bob's trash bag--what a mess! It was hanging up in the screened in tent. The skunk stood on the table bench to reach it. The others were tied up high enough.

I didn't ski today. Too much ache all over especially the back. We spent most of the day in the water. We had fun playing Frisbee. Everyone took a ride to the marina. Frank and I stay in in camp to avoid the sun.

Justin is swimming and skiing very well. He seems a natural athlete. Junior is skiing well. Joe does pretty well. Little Brian has learned to love the water. The boys are so good to him.

Jennifer and Ron arrive at dinnertime. Chris and Ric cancel due to Ric's back. The Murphy's don't show. Don't know why. I'm OK except for the heat.

Looks like Ric and I missed this trip in 1991. Ric has always had chronic back pain which has only gotten worse since I have known him. The year before on Memorial weekend we launched the boat in a thunderstorm and spent the weekend camping in the rain. As I was driving the boat onto the trailer the wind blew the boat in too fast and Ric strained his back to keep it from hitting the truck. When we finally got back home I had to unload all of our wet camping gear in the rain by myself because Ric was in too much pain. I slipped on a wet stepping stone and broke my foot. In spite of his pain Ric had to take me to the emergency room where I got a plaster cast. I still went to Lake Don Pedro for the July 4 weekend that year, where I was hot and miserable and unable to get in the water due to the cast. Looks like a year later, it was just as hot or hotter.

A visit with Donna & Bob

Saturday June 29, 1991

Awoke at 6:30 sleeping on the air mattress at Donna & Bob's. Slept well. Backache is somewhat better today.

After breakfast we take a walk. The sky is partly cloudy. By afternoon it is mostly clear. We are in Placerville for coffee and yogurt with Donna and Bob, Mark & Yvonna and Heather. Heather is so cute at 18 months. A doll! Jennifer and Leah are with us too. Leah is crazy about Heather. They are so cute together.

Back at the house, we all have a nice dinner and relax til bedtime at 10:30.

Mom and Frank are spending the weekend with Donna and Bob at their home in Pollock Pines, just east of Placerville, California. Donna and Bob moved there from Southern California in 1980. It was hard for Mom to be separated by distance from her best friend. This weekend was Bob's retirement party. His son Mark and Mark's wife Yvonne are there, along with Mark and Yvonne's baby Heather. Jennifer is Donna's daughter from a previous marriage and Leah is Jennifer's daughter. Leah and my son Justin were born just 5 days apart.