Hitting Self On Forehead!!

You ever have those days where you want to slap yourself on your forehead?  Those days when you get that horrible cold feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know you've made a horrible decision?  Yeah, me neither.

That's not true, of course, but I had to throw that in.  Today WAS one of those days.

We decided to leave town for a bit, if only to forget our new neighbors.  What?  I have not mentioned our new neighbors?  Really!?  You're in for a treat.  We were.

A few weeks ago we found out our next door neighbor has been diagnosed with incurable tumors.  He was not expected to live long.  That in itself is sad, since we are rather fond of him.  However, some people have moved into his house in the interim.  These are unsavory sorts.  We knew this immediately.  I felt bad thinking it just looking at them, but they have since proven our suspicions.

To begin with they smoke like chimneys.  Not so bad.  But we've seen other things.  The mom tripped her own child and then laughed at the child.  Then a pair of them were drinking beer at 8am.  The kids(none older than five) were out till 1030pm the other night.  They spend a inordinate amount of time in their, well, it can best be described as a predator van.  It's not a situation we are fond of.  I guess the mother and grandmother had launched a campaign, the other night, to beg for money for cigarettes as their "man" was gone.  I am not sure how it will end up, but we remain hopeful that whatever happens does not involve us.

OK, back to MY chilled feeling sick moment.  We left to visit Cora's sister.  I decided to leave them to their own devices and I went to purchase a few items for my camera (curses upon Fedex and the USPS).  I needed a semi large memory card (not too expensive) and a UV filter for protecting the lens.  I got my items and one of the salesmen asked me if he could help.  I asked about the suitability of something.  We ended up talking and I described my week long wait.  He said, "You know we PRICE MATCH, right?"

The world got smaller.  I got dizzy.  The sounds around me seemed to fade.  He verified it with his boss and on-line at the Walmart site.  Yes.  They had six in stock.

I. Could. Have. Been. Taking. Photos. All. Week. If. I. Had. Only. Known. THAT!

Curses upon the Camera Attainment Gods!!!!  I am fairly certain they don't like me.

Mine remains "in transit."  I still feel a little bit sick about it.

I know, the rest of you are rolling your eyes.  I know "it's JUST a camera."  I know.  I know!  I KNOW!  I am very patient about most things.  I can wait to get bird seed.  I can wait to get brakes fixed on the car.  I can wait to get new shoes.  I can wait to go pee.  I can wait to get Cora a birthday gift...or a Valentine's Day card.  ONCE in a while, though, there is something I desire SO much.  Need.  Crave.  MUST HAVE!!  That I have difficulties waiting.  (for instance, I was once slightly forlorn when Cora was away on a business trip.)

So, hopefully, you now understand my sad state.

Here are a few pictures from our day!

It started with this spray plane flying low over the hop fields.

Cora and Emily made lunch.

Which turned out to be something very pretty.  Given the surroundings...well, I think it was perfect!!

And the company was great.  Unfortunately, my brother-in-law was absent.  We missed him, but not too much, since we were having so much fun...

...in the pool!

It was a great day and we got to see Emily for a good visit.  Here we are on the way home...well, here Cora is.

Today, We Party

Well, not quite, but we do plan to relax and enjoy ourselves. Today it is supposed to reach 106 degrees...at least. I think, since we have had an odd summer (usually hottest in the first week of August for us, but this year it has remained cool), we deserve to enjoy this little piece of it. We are going to go to my sister-in-law's house and swim in her pool and maybe have a BBQ. I plan on taking large Rib-eye steaks, anyway.

F-22 Raptor, a lean, mean, air pane killing machine.

Here are some photos, since a few of you (cough-cough-Cora, hack-cough-Kim-cough) prefer to look at pictures. Mabe you will enjoy these.

Real Pilots don't need a cockpit, and some ride side-saddle! This F-15, and E model in this instance, was on display at McChord. The E model was meant for ground attack...silly way to use a pure-bred fighter.

Of course there are the obligatory airplane photos...this blog is called Planetruth for a reason.

At least the US Army Air Corps knew how to paint their bombers! The paint schemes of the mid to late 1930s were often very colorful. This B-18A is at McChord AFB.

This A-5 Vigilante at PIMA, is an example of the fastest jet the Nvy ever employed. She was built at a bomber, but since the nuclear mission disppeared soon after they came into delivery, the Navy decidedto use them for recon! They did a great job, though they took severe losses in Vietnam...probably something to do wit flying into heavily defended areas in straight lines with no ability to fight back. Still, it looks fast, even on the ground.

Cora and I finished the "changing table." I still have to work on the giraffe knob, I am not happy with it facing the same direction as the monkey knob, so I will sand it off and reposition it. Coar was saying those hand painted knobs go for $15 each at some sites...now tht's crazy. I would sell mine for $50 or $60...just kidding, I don't know, I would probably sell them for less...more like $10...maybe if I got really good, I would lower the price...who knows. They are kind of fun to paint.

I think I want to leave a geocache for my darling parents, today as we drive by their city. The neat thing is it is basically a treasure hunt. You leave clues and coordinates and the fun part is writing clues. One of my clues last week was, "you will need your metal detector, what you seek is in mint condition." It was an Altoids container buried in the dirt. Look, Cora likes Geocaching!!

Here is a landscape from Arizona. I suppose my painting in the men's room does not compare, but, whether you like the weather and climate or not, you have to admit, Arizona has some awesome landscapes! Beautiful country. It pobably has something to do with growing up here, but, apart from the mountain vistas and the rolling hills and the wonderful ocean shores and that spectacular rainforest and the Columbia Gorge and the Yakima River Canyon...and most of the state, I don't like the way Washington looks. Hmmm...maybe I do like it a bit?!

This is Arizona and this is Washington State...if you look behind the air plane, you can see Mt. Rainier rising through the haze.

and here is what we drive around in, lots of hills:

this is the landscape closer to home...

and residents of Seattle see this:

And it isn't like Arizona has Ocean Front Property...though, I knew someone who wanted to sell me some a few years back...cheap, probably worth a bunch, now. Does Arizona have pretty girls like this one?

And Arizona does not get THIS much snow...