So

 What would be the question most on everyone’s minds today? I think you’re probably wondering “Have Steve and Judy ever seen a red-necked grebe?”  Well, glad you asked.  It turns out we saw one just last month while we were on the coast.  We even got a picture of it. Actually, I’m surprised it took this long. 

I got to drive the car!

 I haven’t done that in months.  Judy had already taken over all the heavy lifting; hooking and unhooking the utilities on the motorhome; hooking and unhooking the car; getting the folding chairs out and putting them away again at each stop; anything that might be a strain for me.  I realized that turning my head to look both ways while driving the car was hurting my neck as well, so I even relinquished driving duties, and Judy cheerfully assumed them.  She has been doing pretty much everything since the end of April, two and a half months ago.  (It’s been okay for me to drive the bus because with all the mirrors and the rear-view camera, I hardly have to move my head at all.) Finally, around the first of July, with all that rest, my neck actually started to feel a little better.  We gave it a couple more weeks, then I tried driving the car again yesterday.  It didn’t hurt!  It felt great!  We’ll continue to take it really easy to avoid any relapse, but it feels like my neck might eventually be fully functional again! Judy says if I’m good I can drive again in another week or so.  Now how do I get Judy to relinquish all that control? 

Old friends and new

 Rich Marsten.  We bought the motorhome from him at Beaver Coach Sales in Bend, Oregon in 2005.  We’ve kept in touch with him since.  We’re friends. Last Tuesday, while we were out of our coach for repairs in Salem, we made the short 50 mile drive down to Eugene to have a visit with him.  Rich has moved on and opened his own coach sales shop.  It’s smaller than the one in Bend.  He seems happier. Today we spent the day with Makaila, Judy’s niece we’ve never met before.  (And Morgan.) It was a good day.  

We’ve figured out the problem

 It’s Salem.  There must be an energy vortex in Salem.  You can drive in, but you can’t drive out!  We’ll be here for the weekend.  Heck, maybe we’ve moved here and just don’t realize it yet. The RV park we’ve been staying in has been great.  They keep finding a place for us each night when we have to come back.  They didn’t have any of the usual spots for us tonight, so they put is in the back with the seasonals; the people who are just living here.  Wait a minute.  Maybe they’re not being nice.  Maybe this whole engine/RV park thing is a conspiracy.  The repair shop says “Nope, have to stay another day.”; then we call the RV park and they say “Okay we’ll try to fit you in”.  They’re working together to keep us here! This all feels so familiar.  OMG.  It’s Groundhog Day!  Wait.  Wait.  That television show, The Dome.  Help.  We’re in the Salem Dome!  

Happy Birthday Alex

 It’s his birthday today.  12 years old. We went to gymnastics practice while we were in Colorado in May.  Practice is kind of a wild thing, with everyone working at once.  There were kids everywhere. Alex in the air. A kid in the air in front of Alex in the air. Motivation on the wall. An older kid working on his iron cross. Alex on the high bar working on the blind switch from forward giants to backward giants. Alex trying out his back flip with 1 ½ twists.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKC2uoH0cE&feature=youtu.be Happy Birthday Alex.  You’ve accomplished a lot.