Adventure 455: The Story of George, 51

May 31, 2018

After a little scare last week due to a low heart rate (40) and a low blood pressure, Real Time found George back to normal today. In fact, his blood pressure was a little high (140/80), most likely due to the large steak and tall dark beer he enjoyed at the Wolf Lodge Steak House last night. He ate the whole thing, and I can't remember the last time he had a beer. He and Vina have been walking daily. They remain active, and everything seems in a good space. In fact, George was at his most astute during tonight's domino game. This is all good news for Judy and me since we're beginning our summer travels this coming Monday. 

Which brings the focus to us. We've been quite busy, both in preparation for our summer adventures and in home improvement tasks. We threw in a trip to Seattle so Elizabeth and Judy could learn to make macarons. Judy has been working with Justin to fine tune her sprinkler system in the back yard. I built a twenty-four foot planter box to replace the spindly roses that wouldn't grow in the front. I also made three cribbage boards, helped rebuild my cousin's two seat deck chair for the lake, remodeled my shop, attended one of my favorite grand daughter's school programs, and we even threw in a Memorial Day feast of baby back ribs, Mom's potato salad, baked beans, garden salad, cole slaw, smoked onions, watermelon and cold beer. This retired life is tiring! Monday we leave for Ashland, Oregon in the trailer for a week to see six plays. We'll come home June 11, re-tune for three days, and then head cross country toward Little Eden where we'll bask in the joy of our relatives for a week. From there we'll head home by the fourth, and to put the cherry on top, we'll spend a week at Priest Lake. Life will then settle into summer around July 15. I know that this social media blog is merely a report of our mundane lives, but we feel blessed, so blessed we chime from the roof tops: "Life is good, especially today.

 Redwood planter box twenty-four feet two inches long,  eighteen inches high with half lap construction for the top cap so my Bunny can sit on the edge while she tends her "shade" garden.

 Construction took four days.

This planter replaces a row of puny rose bushes that battled mightily for thirty years (Judy is patient). It now houses ferns, hosta, impatients, begonias, astilble, a little kale, and perilla, and broccolini. Who knows what will come later.

 Judy took charge of the baby back ribs for Memorial Day. She nailed them!

 The spread, truly thin gruel.

 Leticia and Justin took care of clean up with a "SCHPUT".

 I also suffered a severe cribbage board frenzy over take me.

I mostly watched, but helped some, too on the remake of the two seat deck chair for the lake.

 Here's my buddy, Dave, putting the finishing touches on the new chair.

 Libby learning the piping technique for the macarons.

Yummy.

 Selfie of the day with one of my favorite grand daughters.

 Me and George.

 Judy and George.

 Vina and George.

 Dominos, a game called Mexican Train.