The Curse of Weird Larry?

When Weird Larry finally moved out, my neighbor and I joked about burning sage and having some kind of ritual to rid that apartment of bad vibes. Perhaps we should have. This morning the new tenant, a seemingly healthy young guy, was taken away on a stretcher, grimacing fiercely and writhing in pain. We don't know what happened.

Cheers to my friend Violet!

Today is Violet's 98th birthday. She lived across the street until a few months ago. Now she lives with her daughter about an hour away. My mom and I drove up yesterday to take her to lunch. I can't imagine all the changes she has seen since 1908.

Vi is hilarious. She told us stories about her youth.

Once when she was 8 she decided to go into town. So she took the sled her dad made her (he was a blacksmith) and hooked it up to a calf. The calf was so excited to be doing something, it ran back and forth across the road, and she hung on for dear life. It finally dumped her off after the first good hill and took off with her sled. She had to chase it down and wrestle it home.

She rode motorcycles when she was a teenager in the early 1920s. She liked to hang out and race with the boys. I can picture it.

She was married three times ("the middle one I don't like to think about") and had one child. She could do anything. When we cleaned out her house after she moved, there was everything you need for every kind of craft, needlework, and handwork imaginable. It was all organized and labeled and there were instructions and ideas in binders.

In her 70s she took painting classes at the art store. I have several of her paintings in my house.

Vi has not let life pass her by. She is an inspiration. She laughs when I tell her that. I think the laughter has a lot to do with her longevity.

Sometimes I just have to giggle.

Let me tell you about my birthday.
We've had a gift certificate to Cambria Pines Lodge for a long time. We were saving it for just the right time. We decided my birthday would be the perfect time to use it -- hubby and son were both off from school, which rarely happens on my birthday.

I made reservations and a plan. We would wake early, wander into town for breakfast, then go up the coast, do some exploring, play in the indoor pool, have a nice dinner, then meet up with my parents for dessert. They would then take the goob home with them, leaving hubby and I to spend the night. I was so proud for having a plan.

Of course, that was irrelevant. A huge storm hit Cambria before we could leave home. Over a hundred trees toppled, crushing cars and homes, and a massive power outage ensued. The lodge trip was not to be. They have now been without power for several days.

So we decided to stay home. I woke up early. Hubby decided to sleep in. By the time he awoke 2 1/2 hours later, I was a hungry bear storming around in the kitchen looking for something to make the goob and myself for breakfast.

We did make it downtown for lunch, though and it was very nice. Then the boys went home to make me the most delectable lemon bars while I wandered around town.

That afternoon, hubby went on his daily skate. He stopped to buy me a long stemmed rose and a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, he crashed on the way home, so he returned with a short-stemmed rose and a plastic grocery sack dripping with red wine.

We strained the last 4 ounces of wine through a coffee filter and had a toast. Then we decided to fully enjoy the rest of the bottle of wine even if we couldn't drink it, so we started at the driveway and followed the trail of wine down the sidewalk, around the corner, and to the scene of the accident, laughing our fool heads off all the way.

I decided it would be a good night to just stay safely at home. Hubby got me a burrito and I climbed in bed and watched lame tv for two entire hours.

All in all, it was a damn fine day.

2006

I have a bad cold and my house is a mess. But that's okay. There's still something promising about the new year. Maybe this is the year we'll finish the remodel. Maybe my knee will heal completely and I'll turn into some kind of athletic goddess. Maybe, well... anything!

Welcome, fresh new year. I plan to enjoy you to the fullest. And just when you think you can't take anymore, you can slip into retirement and let your replacement do the job.

Here's to all the good times and good friends from 2005, and the mysteries, laughter and adventures yet to unfurl.