Christmas Letter 2019!

2019... Whew! What a ride! 

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

The whisper that went away

The last year of the decade started off much louder than we anticipated! Well, for Cheryl that is. You see, in 2018 she lost 90% of her voice for several months, but in January of this year it came back almost as fast as it left. After visiting various physicians and specialists who tested her for all sorts of things, including sliding a tiny camera down her nasal passage to inspect her vocal cords, they consistently came up with the same answer: “I dunno”. I must say, I enjoyed watching the 42” widescreen HD TV filled with her delicate little vocal cords vibrating and shaking as she tried really hard to talk with a camera jammed down her nose and throat. I enjoy having her call my name across a room instead of the ear-piercing, nerve wracking hiss she was forced to use when her voice was nothing more than a whisper… It went something like this: Psssssss! PSSSSSSSsssssss! Even writing it makes my eye twitch and my neck ache! 

Fender bender in February

One day we were simply sitting in a line of stopped traffic, patiently looking forward to the Costco snacks that awaited us around the corner. Sophia in the back of my little Kia Niro, Cheryl next to me looking pretty as always, when WACK! We were rear ended by a young man with expired insurance and a car that looked better suited for a wrecking yard than a daily commuter. Cheryl and Sophia found themselves in a chiropractor’s office regularly over the next month, and my little car spent some time in the shop, but otherwise everything was okay. Fortunately, my little car can really take a hit, and the young man’s insurance company reinstated him and paid for the repairs. We’re as good as new! Whew!

Three guys on tour

In March, my brother Mike met me and our dad in Washington D.C. for a grand adventure! We toured Arlington National Cemetery, the Nation’s Capitol building, the White House, Natural History Museum, Lincoln Memorial, the Navy Museum, the National Archives and a variety of pubs and restaurants. Here is my personal tip for anyone heading to DC: Push a Vietnam Veteran around in a wheelchair! The level of respect expressed from everyone in our Nation’s Capitol was impressive! 

Let me illustrate my point: We were granted a tour of the White House after I sent a request to Oregon Senator Merkely’s office well in advance. I pushed my dad along the self-guided tour route, through the halls of amazing history and beautiful architecture and artwork. We took our time and cherished every bit, until we found ourselves at the bottom of a grand marble stairway leading up to the next level. We shared some choice words to express our surprise and frustration, but soon came up with a plan of action: We were going to abandon his chair at the bottom, and I would help haul him to the top, one step at a time, over my shoulder, if necessary. 

I was resigned to the fact that I would be carrying my dad up the White House stairs, and he gave in to the rather humbling position to be hauled by his son. Before we acted on our plan, a very tall secret service agent got our attention and waved us over to the roped-off, partitioned hallway beside the stairs that clearly was not for the average citizen. He looked carefully around, making sure other average citizens were not going to witness the unexpected turn that pulled us off the tour route. We swiftly moved beyond the barriers, finding ourselves looking down a large hallway with tall doors and glossy floors. Gorgeous, oversized chandeliers brought the various statues, desks, chairs, flower arrangements, and heavily armed guards spaced at 25 feet increments alternating positions down the wide hall to light. 

The secret service agent directed us through a small door immediately to our right, into a skinny hallway filled with pastry trays and carts. We walked by a glass-enclosed kitchen where several older asian men were nimbly preparing lunch for the President and his guest: the Irish Prime Minister! My dad’s request to take a picture was promptly declined by our guide, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

We squeezed into a tiny service elevator with the agent and shared pleasant conversation as the old elevator took its time getting to the upper level. After expressing our appreciation for his help and service to our country, we turned from a rather nice experience directly into the intense, foreboding gaze of a small framed female secret service agent who made our skin crawl. I could not push my dad past this lady fast enough, yet I had to fight the urge to sprint because I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t hesitate to tackle us both and we’d end up in some basement darkroom facing her fierce interrogation. 

I could imagine her drilling us: “Why did you run!” 

“Cuz you’re scary!” we’d cry out. 

Glad I kept my cool. 

Adventures by the bay in May

Cheryl’s amazing work with Aflac brought the gift of a trip to Costa Rica in May! Thanks to my airline mile balance, we were able to get Sophia and our dearest friend Vickie (aka Grandma Vickie) to meet us down there and share in the adventure! We swam a lot, played with fruit-eating little monkeys with attitude, and chased their lizard population around the resort. 

Sophia enjoyed picking up the large palm leaves, until she found herself getting chased by one of the largest, oldest lizards around. The beast spotted the palm leaf she carried and decided that he needed it more than she did… so it sprinted toward her… and she screamed and started running…. I started yelling to drop the leaf… and she kept screaming… and it kept chasing… until she finally dropped the leaf and escaped. 

Happy Harley Day to Me!

Just before the glorious “Week of John”, which is both Father’s Day and my birthday, I stopped into a Yamaha dealership outside of Portland looking for a new do-rag to wear under my helmet. At the time, I had a 2008 Yamaha touring motorcycle that fit my needs, but not my wants. I asked the Yamaha sales rep about newer Yamaha touring bikes, and to my surprise, he said they’re not doing street bikes anymore… that I should go down the street to the Harley Davidson dealer, which I did immediately. They didn’t have do-rags I liked, either. 

After walking around the Harley dealer, finding a do-rag that I liked, I started looking at their used models to see what the great interest is in Harley Davidson motorcycles, other than the branding. Turns out, the Harleys had some pretty sweet features, so of course I had to ride one… just to see.

A little while later, I sent Cheryl a text that started with “Soooo…. I accidentally stopped into a Harley dealer…”

The next day, the family spent the morning at the dealership with me while I negotiated the sale of my Yamaha and the purchase of a 2014 Ultra Limited. Cheryl and I rode away in style while William drove Sophia in the Mini back to Salem. It’s got so many features and rides better than any of the Yamahas in my past, it’s a shame I waited so long to get one! When our anniversary came around in August, Cheryl and I rode through the beautiful Oregon wine country with the surround sound speakers blasting a mix of music that turned this awesome machine into our own person karaoke club! We rock! 

A Sailor’s Delight

26 years ago, I left my US Navy active duty station in San Diego. This year, I returned to San Diego for a conference right across the bay from the airbase where I served so long ago. To get my first look across the bay, I walked along the boardwalk next to the conference center, trying to align my distant memories with the base across the bay. To my surprise, the very airplane I spent three years working in, on and around made a low, slow pass right in front of me! The entire week-long conference never brought the airplane back into view, so I’m gonna say they did it just for me! Another flashback to my service days, was the USS Midway aircraft carrier that was turned into a museum. I also took the liberty of going across the bay on a ferry to explore the famous Hotel Del Coronado and to wade into the surf under a brilliant, full moon. Again, I’m gonna say all this was just for me! I couldn’t ask for a better trip down memory lane!

Glitter and glamour and sweat, Oh My!

Every year, we do something significant to the house. Yes, this is the house we bought in 2015 that wasn’t supposed to be a fixer-upper. Well, this year we decided to remodel the master bathroom suite. The carpeted floor and dated subway tiles were stark reminders that the rest of the house was updated… but our bathroom was still vintage 1996. 

Cheryl came up with a fantastic design, and we negotiated the scope, cost and schedule with each other, because let’s face it, we were going to save upwards of $60-$70k if we did the work ourselves. Yes, Cheryl got quotes from several contractors, and the exorbitant costs were due to exorbitant designs she created.

Parading through the streets

In November, we set our eyes on the largest Veteran’s Day parade west of the Mississippi… in the little city of Albany, Oregon. I rode my Harley down to the staging area to hang out with a couple hundred other bikers from all walks of life. Cheryl and Sophia drove separately, and found me amongst the leather and denim clad bikers. Sophia in her pink denim camouflage jacket with a skirt splashed with every color in the rainbow stood out in the best contrast to everyone around. While we waited for the parade to begin, she sported my Navy ball cap and admired the different motorcycles around. When it came time to move out, Cheryl jumped on the back, Sophia in the middle, launching candy to the waiting parade watchers through the streets of Albany. The roaring engines kicked off the parade, and we were finished in a relatively short time. The best quote from Sophia as she looked thoughtfully out among the many bikes: “Riding through the streets on a Harley… the best day ever.”

My closet valet 

Those closest to me know that I’m always intrigued by entrepreneurial opportunities in the world around me, and I’ve even dabbled in developing several business plans that ultimately were filed away. Filed away, until recently, that is. You see, I have a friend that expressed concerns about downsizing to a smaller residence while adding a significant other into the mix as well. This sparked my interest and I started finding that there’s an opportunity in front of me! So, I developed several business models, narrowed down my approach, explored and probed prospective markets and current competition, forecasted potential revenue models, and then kicked off an exciting new adventure called My Closet Valet, a personal wardrobe storage and accessory management company. That’s right! Check this out: www.myclosetvalet.com 

Final thought

What a year to come! Exciting and adventurous!!! I hope you’re looking forward to 2020 as much as I am!

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” - Alan Kay