A Conversation with Thirteen Year-Old Me.

 2020 Me:  Hey.  So your calculations were correct.  It's 2020 and I'm 46 years old.

1987 Me:  Neat! Are there flying cars?

2020 Me:  Not many, we still drive boring old cars on the roads.

1987 Me: But there ARE flying cars?

2020 Me:  Well, they are developing them, but they've been doing that for years.

1987 Me: BUT THERE ARE FLYING CARS!

2020 Me:  You know?  Stop with the cars.  We have computers in our pockets.

1987 Me:  REALLY!?  I bet you use them to cure cancer and stuff, right?  

2020 Me:  Uhh...no, mostly we play games.  Like the other day I downloaded "Connect 4!"

1987 Me:  Connect 4?  Are you joking?  That's a kid's game.

2020 Me:  I got it for my daughter to play.  

1987 Me:  We have a kid?  How old is she?  She must be 25 years old.

2020 Me:  Ahh...no, she's six, and the other one is eleven.

1987 Me:  We have two kids?  Is one a boy?  

2020 Me:  No, both are girls. 

1987 Me:  Huh.  That sucks.

2020 Me:  Not as much as you think.  Anyway, we can connect to information instantly with these computers in our pockets.

1987 Me:  So, you haven't cured cancer?  What about space?  Do you live in space?

2020 Me:  Stop with the Cancer thing.  No...well, a few people live in space at the International Space Station.

1987 Me: Anyone on the moon yet?  

2020 Me:  Not like, since 1972.

1987 Me:  Do you at least have a cool job?

2020 Me:  I'm a substitute teacher...but we are in the middle of a pandemic, so we are quarantining and I'm out of work.

1987 Me:  Who makes the money? Wait, like the Spanish Flu?

2020 Me:  Yeah, kinda.  My wife is an essential worker and we are scraping by.

1987 Me:  This is beginning to sound disappointing.

2020 Me:  Not as much as you think.  We have streaming TV.

1987 Me:  What's that?  A fishing show?

2020 Me:  No, we can watch whatever we want, movies, TV shows, whatever.

1987 Me: Cool!  What do you watch?

2020 Me: Tiger King...well, that's not a good example.  The Mandalorian...it's a Star Wars TV show.

1987 Me:  You still have Star Wars?

2020 Me:  Yeah, it's classic.  No we have like ten Star Wars movies.  

1987 Me:  Ten?  

2020 Me:  Yeah, Disney bought it and is making money hand over fist.

1987 Me:  What about holograms?

2020 Me:  You mean 3D images?  Not really, but we can use the computers in our pockets to video chat with almost anyone.  Actually we use our phones for that.  Our computers are phones.

1987 Me:  What. The. Heck?  You have phones that are computers in your pockets and you can video chat, like in Blade Runner?

2020 Me:  Kinda...like 2001 Space Odyssey, yeah.  

1987 Me:  That movie I was watching and had to go to bed before I could finish it?  

2020 Me:  Bed times are a bit lax now.  And yeah, that's the one.  Yeah, so like they found a Monolith in Utah.

1987 Me:  Like in the movie?  Was it Aliens?

2020 Me:  No one knows for sure, probably an art installation.  It disappeared, then they found another one in Hungary, and they started showing up all over.

1987 Me:  Aliens?

2020 Me:  Damn it.  you are obsessed.  No, not aliens.

1987 Me:  But you cured cancer?  What do you do all day if you don't have a job?

2020 Me:  Laundry, dishes, and I listen to my book.

1987 Me:  Wait, they have books that read to you?

2020 Me:  Yeah, it's a device called a Kindle, you can download books wirelessly.

1987 Me:  Oh, that's cool.

2020 Me:  Yeah, it is.  But I can watch TV shows on my phone, too.

1987 Me:  So, do you?

2020 Me:  No mostly I just stand in the kitchen listening to my book.  I used to listen to NPR until it was just too depressing.  Trump got voted out of office.  We started Quarantining again.  I learned to make noodles a couple years ago and I made empanadas not too long ago.

1987 Me:  That sounds boring.  Wait, as in Donald Trump?  The rich guy?

2020 Me:  Yeah, turns out he's not as rich as he lets on, and he became president.  But he's got a few screws loose and we voted him out.

1987 Me:  Well, that's good.  

2020 Me:  Yeah, it is.

1987 Me:  Ok.  What about the common cold?  Did you at least cure that?

2020 Me:  No, kid, we wear masks all the time so we don't catch Covid 19.  I've actually been healthier this year because we've been avoiding people.

1987 Me:   does 2020 suck?  

2020 Me:  Yeah.  Yeah, it does.

B-17 crash. October 2019.

The Time I jumped out of the Nine-Oh-Nine and sprained my ankle. :

I'd like to share an experience I had with Nine-Oh-Nine, long ago.

About 23 years ago the Nine-Oh-Nine came through our town. I was just out of college. I worked at a fast food place and didn't get off until 6. I stopped at my apartment to get my camera and drove straight to the airport. These were the days before 9/11, there was no security.

When I got there, the pilot's were standing around and a large group of people had shown up to welcome them. I blended in and took pictures as the sun lowered.

Soon the crowd dispersed and I was alone with this wonderful bird from two generations before my birth! I was communing with this fabulous flyer. It was a religious experience. I could touch her. No one called me out. I took pictures of her without other people in the way. The Western Sunset just made her prettier.

I circled the aircraft several times. Finally I neared the rear starboard side near the door. I knew it would be locked, but I reached out anyway. It was unlocked. I pushed it back into place lest I get caught. I then withstood a mental battle between the proverbial angel and demon sitting on my shoulders. The demon won...I don't think the angel put up that much of a fight.

I reached again for the door handle. I quickly jumped into the now darkened fuselage.

I made my way forward. I battled imaginary Me-109s and Fw-190s from the waist guns. I crept forward around the ball turret marveling at the brave men who once battled there. I stepped into the radio room and looked up.

I moved further and squeezed, even then, with my slightly over 20 year old physique it was a squeeze...perhaps it was my camera...through the bomb bay. I could have squealed like a school girl when I saw the 250lb GP bombs! That bomb bay catwalk was so awesome! I had read about men walking through it! How did I not know it was so small?

I continued. By now it was too dark for my camera, it was the 1990's and I carried ISO-400 film. I came to the top turret! OH! Another chance to shoot down enemy fighters! OH! I could have been an ace! Another Me-109 fell to my guns. Reluctantly I stepped down and marveled at the cockpit, that complicated mess of dials and gauges. Jeez, how was it so small an cramped? How was I able to be having this religious experience? How was I so lucky?

I bent own an began to crawl to the bombardier's place in the nose...only to find a small chain across the entrance. Now, what in my 20 year old brain said, "No, you can't cross this gossamer barricade," I'll never know. Probably the same one that didn't let me cross the similar chain keeping me from sitting in the pilot's seat above. Oh, those pathetic obstacles of youth. I turned and crawled back to the cockpit.

I looked once again at the top turret. I stood back up between the twin fifties, an something caught my eye. A pair of headlights pulling into the parking lot! Oh my lord! I was caught! the Night Guard had arrived to protect this war relic! I would be found out and arrested and my life would be ruined!

Immediately I left the top turret and hurried back through the bomb bay. I ran through the radio room. I was more careful descending next to the ball turret. Back again past the waist guns, what lurked outside was worse than Me-109s!

Finally, I was at the door! I can't even remember what the inside handle looked like. I opened it and sat down on the floor. There were no steps. My feet were merely inches above the pavement! I pushed off!

...and twisted my ankle upon landing. I limped, tears rising! OH GOD it hurt, but the guards! I clamped down on the pain. I straightened and made a valiant effort to look unharmed. I put my camera up taking imaginary pictures and inched around the nose so I could see the guards walking up.

But there were no guards. The car, who's headlights I had seen, was now pulling out of the parking lot. ARGH! I could have spent more time with this phantom flying lady from generations ago, but now my ankle was swelling. Reluctantly, I bid her farewell an limped back to my car. When I got home minutes later, my ankle was the size of a grapefruit and my girlfriend wanted to know what I had done. She's now my wife an I regret nothing.

this summer, I took my daughters to see the colling's Foundation's offerings! A P-40, a P-51, a B-17, a B-24, an a B-25! Oh, the joy I had showing my beautiful daughters around these fine birds. My 10 year old stopped to listen as I regaled them with tales told before I was born. She asked pertinent questions and I answered. She listened and appreciated these beasts of war. They both enjoyed the experience. I appreciated the man at the door telling me the stamps we got upon entering would let us in for the following three days.

It breaks my heart that lives were lost. It hurts my soul that other daughters and sons won't be able to share the wonders and experiences I've had with the Nine-Oh-Nine over multiple decades. Thank you.

~Jim R. Huffman, Moxee, Washington.

WWII Aircraft and Daughters!

Every few years some bombers from WWII fly through the area.  A few years back chloe, my parents, and I were able to see them.  This year we took Hailey and my parents were unable to attend. Here are the photographic highlights of my day!  I got to teach my daughter about airplanes and she was a willing...or at least a humoring...participant!

Alpacas

I took the girls down in the valley today.  We went to my parents and then we all went to a local Alpaca farm.  Hailey, who's deathly afraid of all four legged animals, was amazingly brazen and brave.  She ran up to a few feet behind her sister as the oldest tried to feed the yearling male alpacas some rabbit food.  The yearlings weren't sure what to make of it, but they were curious about the small humans and spent a lot of time investigating the diminutive humans from a distance. 

Overall, it was a wild success.  The humans came out unscathed and the alpacas continued wearing their amusing haircut, which left their legs and heads with full hair, but their bodies shorn. 

We had lunch with my parents where the girls ate fairly well and my father all but killed himself trying to pay the bill.

Apart from Cora being so far away, it was a good, good day.

Three Grown Men Hiding Behind a Car

Last year was Chloe's first year of school.  We live in a small town and most kids walk to school if they are in town.  We, being the protective parents we are, asked about a possible bus to take our beloved five-year-old to school, but we were rebuffed and given a map with a route that she could walk.  Being a teacher, and knowing some of the teachers and knowing a couple who's kids attend the same daycare we were able to wrangle rides for Chloe all year.  This year she has taken her bike most days, whether riding to school with a teacher and then riding her bike back to the daycare because I leave the bike before I go to work at the school, or walking.  Either way, it has been stressful on this whole family making sure she gets home and yet meeting our own afternoon needs as employees.

Well, Chloe's Grandfather works for the school district.  He has seen that many children have been picked up by the bus in town and he inquired with the bus garage as to why THEY can get picked up and his granddaughter cannot.  Well, the bus people gave him some excuses and ignored him, but he mentioned it to his boss and low and behold there is a state statute or law or something that says if she is a member of this program...which she is...she needs to be given the option of riding a bus to school.

The next day we got called by the bus people saying, miraculously, they could give her a ride to school on the bus.  Today was the first day she was able to do it.  Her grandfather walked her to the bus stop to make sure she got on the bus and knew how to get there.  This afternoon, knowing where the bus stop is and having my camera, I wanted to make sure she got off the bus alright and maybe get a picture of her first bus ride home.  I still had dishes to do, so I figured I'd watch and go home before I picked the girls up, so no need to alert her to my presence.

So...while I was awaiting the bus a familiar pick up pulls in and parks behind me.  It was my father-in-law come to make sure she made it to daycare ok.  I sheepishly waved.  He got out and we took station behind the vehicle and waited.  Then one of the city guys showed up.  Asking about why we were being suspicious.  We explained and  explained the camera and then we all three commenced to hide behind the vehicle as the bus pulled up.  Three of us watched through the windows of the vehicle as the bus driver instructed Chloe to walk in front of the bus but where she could be seen.  Then my daughter darted down the steps and to the front of the bus where she hesitated and finally ran.  All the way to the daycare.

The three of us men congratulated ourselves on our well conducted nefarious plot to observe a little girl get safely off a bus and go to daycare.

Later we were to find out the little girl's grandmother had conducted a similar operation in her front yard to watch for the granddaughter's approach.

It takes a village and a village is what we have.

A Good Book, a GREAT AUTHOR!!

My favorite author is coming out with the latest in her best series.  Here's the ad for it!

I'm not paid, but I like to share the love!

Home Again, but Not For Long.

 My sister and her husband got it in their heads that Texas would be a great place to move to to help the Lord...I'm no expert in what the Lord needs for help, I always rather thought he was self-sufficient, but they think it's a fine idea.  I do know that it is more difficult to visit Texas over the weekend than it is the Tricities.  So we have not seen them since last September.  They have come back for only a few weeks and must leave again before the week is over.  So, as a last hurrah of sorts, the whole family, or what could get together on short notice, came together for a dinner to see them off.  These are some of the pictures that were taken while they were here.

 Cora was at the camera on the tripod for the next series...

 First there was Isaac staring and smiling at the un-manned camera, so Cora started taking shots...

 then another brother came on the scene..."You taking pics?  I'm in!"

 And the next, a sister this time.

 "Hey, we taking pics?"

 " Don't forget about me!"

 "Hey, I'm the dad!"

 And hey reached critical mass and began to fission.

 Here you can see the diiference between Cora holding Hailey, and Daddy holding Hailey...see?  It's the smile.  Yeah, and I might be puffed up a bit in the realization that she likes me a bit more...but that's normal pride, right??

Accident and loss

The stars are bright tonight.  I stepped out to look.  The breeze across my back, the effect enhanced with my advanced case of age induced hair on my back, felt good compared to this afternoon's warmth.  Still, the skies looked to be clear and wonderful.  Yet, I,  father of two, decided to eschew their company for that of my laptop.  Something I appreciate more and more every day.  Google has added such a vast amount of knowledge at my finger tips that I have no need to experience the real world.  I rely on younger, smarter, more electronically apt individuals to bring their experiences to me. All in all, that is a healthier model.  I know from experience that being in reality is dangerous.

Having been in a car accident recently, I can attest that they are no fun.  Which leads me to this evening's admission.  My beautiful 2002 Toyota Tacoma died.  She died honorably.  Cora chafes when I call it a she.  She harkens back to the Spring of 2002 when i christened that truck "Apollo" after the ice skating Olympian.  Having just watched the Olympics we were enjoying Spring Break,  as I had returned to school to become a history teacher (Who even DOES that?),  on the coast, but a freak late winter storm had hit and it was a much colder stay at the beach than we had imagined.   This day was our arrival at the coast...which had been hammered by snow storms all the way to the within 20 miles of the beach. The reason was how well the truck handled on ice. I believe that was the time we had a seagull ride the truck as we backed around in circles.  Good times.

What Cora doesn't know is the hundreds of conversations that Apollo and I had when Cora wasn't there.  I knew she was somewhat under-powered, but she always delivered all the horsepower she could to get me in and out of the situations I got myself into.  One time my father and I went up to the Whiskey Dick area to look for a plane wreck...only to find ourselves in an incredible situation that ended with me shredding two tires just to get out of the loose shale hole we'd found ourselves in.  Other times it was in the midst of passing that she delivered jut that extra bit of torque to get us out of the way.  The thing is, throughout her life, that truck was awesome to me.

Did I get to all the scheduled oil changes? No.  Did i always find the time to do all the maintenance that was necessary?  No.  (This post was begun a week or so ago, so forgive me if there is some amount of disunity)  I loved that truck.

So, as I was heading home one day from school, over Konowac Pass, I found myself stuck behind a slow driver.  I don't have patience for slow drivers, they are dangerous and a menace.  There is a one mile stretch that allows for passing.  I eagerly awaited our arrival.  Apollo doesn't accelerate too fast, so much planning is necessary.  I was at the low end of third, but down-shifted to second and then back to third again and whipped out as soon as it was clear.  Things were going pretty good...although I think the guy began to speed up...and then I saw a van come up out of an orchard.  I thought, it'll stop.  Ok, it'll slow down and see me.  Ok, this sucks!  YOU IDIOT MOVE!!!!!!!  I could not go to the right, because the idiot I was passing was there.  I couldn't go many other places either.  I slammed on the breaks and slammed on the horn.  The wheels were squealing, and I was tense as could be.  Then, (for some reason I forgot about airbags) I knew we'd hit, and the airbag went off.  It was just like in the movies.  POOF!  It was out and gone.  I didn't hit it because I was tensed the hell up.  It HIT me though.  Myforearms were both bruised.  The one holding down the horn faired worst.

I managed to realize I was in both lanes and put it in reverse and managed to pull out of the oncoming lane before the truck stopped.  She died there.  Quietly, dripping oil and anti-freeze.  On the road.  She had saved my life.  I never quite treated her right, but she gave all to save me.  I loved that truck.

I jumped out.  I was cussing up a storm.  I was upset at the damage that had been done, particularly about the fact that I wouldn't be driving her home.  I checked to make sure the person in the white van was ok...sure, she was holding her stomach, but she wasn't bleeding and she hadn't the hell stopped.  She was stupid to pull out in front of someone.  She said she was fine.  I looked at me.  I was fine...though the bruises were already showing on my forearms.  I dialed 911.  She was on her phone too...I assumed she too was dialing 911.  Nope.  It turned out it was her daughter she called.

As the 911 operator began talking to me, I looked behind my truck at the growing line of vehicles.  There was an officer.  WOW!  That was fast.  I explained my problem to the 911 operator and notified her there was an officer on the scene.  She said she was doing what she was supposed to do and hung up.  I assumed an officer was on the way.  Nope.  We kicked the parts of both cars off the road and the officer and his friend began directing traffic.  Turned out they were Sunnyside officers up to do an interview.  They just happened to be in the area.

They directed Traffic and I waited.  The lady had several farm worker friends show up, and her daughter.  Her daughter spoke English.  It turned out she was uninsured.  She told the officer she did not look to see if anyone was in the lane she was pulling into.  She also said that when she saw me she just closed her eyes...fat lot of good that reaction did.  She admitted to the sheriff that she had not stopped.  Then she got mad when he ticketed her for not yielding the right of way and then also for being uninsured.  The officer put up with a lot of racist accusations, for the woman was a Mexican, and she assumed that because she was a Mexican that was the reason she got a ticket...obviously it didn't have ANYTHING to do with her breaking the law.  Anyway, he was unperturbed by her accusations and issued her the ticket and gave me the case number.  She had her rig towed back to the farm shop by one of the farm tractors.  I had a tow truck come get mine.

I had put my 1/2400 scale ships into the truck that day because that Saturday I would be presenting to the Submarine Veterans of Central Washington.  I planned to show them my ship models and a few of my other items of historic interest.  Unknown to me, the accident had created some major damage to these tiny ship models.

The sheriff who showed up a bit early because the operator didn't realize the officer on scene had no jurisdiction, offered me a ride.  I accepted, hoping it would be in the front...it was not.  I'm just glad my hands were in front of me.

I had texted Cora that a lady had hit me with her car.  I failed to mention that I was OK, and also forgot to mention that I was in the truck when it happened.  She was a little rattled to be honest, and no one could blame her.  She called within minutes and I explained the situation that I was alright and uninjured.

Many of my fellow teachers drive the same road and a few of them texted to make sure I was ok and did not need a ride. My father-in-law called to see if I was ok.  He had found out from another teacher.  I found out then that I have a truly wide range of people I can call on.  It was comforting...though I wish they had all just written me a text before all this instead of me getting into an accident to find it out...

I lived.  I knew, somehow, that I would never drive Apollo again.  I was mad.  I was hurt.  I still am a little.  I regret that I wasn't able to use her to take some garbage to the dump.  But the insurance company gave us an equitable amount for her loss.  Turns out Toyotas don't lose their value very fast.  Of course she only had 155,000 miles on her and I planned on putting at LEAST that amount on her and more!

later, I realized all that had gone on, it finally sunk in how very close to death i had been.  That was a serous crash.  I was astounded at how well I reacted under that pressure.  I was calm and cool...well, apart from the cussing, but honestly, we had that truck since it had 310 miles on it.   It was a friend of the family.  It moved from Washington state to California and back again.  We took it many places and it took us places.  It was a true friend...in an inanimate object sort of way.

Apollo, you died on June 9.  I will remember you always.

First Tooth!

 Chloe, my gorgeous, highly intelligent, friendly child, lost her first tooth on Monday, April 11.  She thought it was the best thing.  It happened at or near lunch.,  She claimed that she thought she had some leftover food in her mouth, and then when she spit it out, there was her tooth,  She and her friend Wynter went to the nurse and came back with a "treasure box"  with a tooth in it.  The Tooth Fairy left her an even five dollars for her first tooth.

It was a good day.

Update:  4-16-16:  Chloe to her mom about "Castle" a tv show we'd hoped would bore Chloe into going to bed to sleeep.

Cora: Why are you watching this?

Chloe: "this is intereesting for a kid...probably a 6 year old...that lost her tooth...on Monday...at school"

Valentines Day and Presidents' Day Weekend

 It turns out that Hailey really likes swings!  We visited a couple parks this weekend.  We went to the "Duck Park" and the Moxee park.  While Hailey looks upon uneven surfaces with consternation, she does smile upon swinging!

Chloe was helpful during the weekend, too.

 This morning, Cora had to work, so I was alone with the girls today.  I honestly don't know how Cora does it.  She is an awesome partner in this family and I know I would never want to do it without her.  On the walk to the park I stopped for coffee, because there is never enough.  When I was done I put it on the bench.  Hailey found it and proceeded to make me some of the cutest pictures I've had the chance to take.

 These pictures have so many possible captions!

 We are definitely a cohesive unit.