The last time we stayed with Linda and Ron in Ft. Collins, Dumb & Dumber was playing. Ron was late joining us at the movie, but we knew he had finally arrived when we heard his guffaws somewhere in the darkened theater. Ron laughed that way a lot last night.
One of the best things about Ron is that he never seems to change much. He looks the same, weighs the same and still looks great in a pair of shorts.
We're posting this note Saturday morning in the pastor's study at 4400 Craig Ave. The book shelves are lined with such fare as "God's Politics," "One Nation Under Gods", Tim Russert's "The Wisdom of Our Fathers" and something that has to be new: Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope."
There was something new in the kitchen too. Revely was "The Greatest Hits from the Concordia College Choir," as might be expected, but breakfast comes directly from the new Norwegian son-in-law, Norwegian waffles. Thin and delightful, Ron serves 'em hot with strawberries, whipped cream and some kind of nut paste that looks like dark chocolate but is allegedly "good for you."
It was good for us, we ate heartily and talked about the traumas of preparing a house for sale.
The beautiful house on Craig is becoming not so beautiful anymore. That's because the realtor (as in HGTV's Sell This House) insists they take the color out and put the oyster in. They're doing a great job blanding up the place, with Ron shaking his head at his decades of good work disappearing from the walls.
This will sell, it will sell, we encourage them.
Cars stewn about
We departed home on Thursday at 1 p.m., heading for Iowa. We were on I 35 for a mere five minutes when they closed it. That's right. Closed it. Cars were strewn about somewhere ahead and we sat still wondering if this was an omen.
Eventually we cut across the median, doubled back, worked some county roads and got ahead of the accident. The closure meant we had no traffic with us all the way to Des Moines. Entering Des Moines, traffic stopped again on 35 for an accident with cars strewn about. As we drove past we saw the exploded air bag and wondered. That night, at Becky and Al's house, we found out. He died.
We were late getting off I 25 in Ft. Collins last night. We called our hosts to tell them the situation. There was an accident at our exit, ironicly E Harmony Lane, and cars were strewn about. We don't know if anyone was killed because we didn't watch the news at Linda and Ron's.
People, be careful out there.
Flying down the freeway in Minnesota we drove by the exit for Austin's Spam Museum with the motto "Either you get it, or you don't." We didn't have to stop because our Sister Solveig in Sunol already got it for us. She has written a wonderful piece about her adventures at the Spam museum.
Spam is good stuff, Becky and I agreed Thursday night in their comfortable condo in Waukee, IA. She fed her kids Spam, our mother fed us Spam. She remember some of the ways it was fixed, principally as a meatloaf with brown sugar on top and whole cloves stuck on top in a diagonal pattern. She did not remember mom's toothache remedy for before you would go see Doc Steen: Put a whole clove on the hurting tooth, bite and hold. Eventually it numbs up real good.
Kathleen offered that whiskey and sugar was their remedy. "That may be, Kathleen, but I doubt Bev and Erling ever thought of it."
Becky and Al's comfortable condo is in a gated community near the Des Moines golf course and overlooks a small artifical lake. Al happend to be in town so we enjoyed a nice chat and then a nightcap of Bailey's and decaf.
I would add some photos to this report, but Linda and Ron aren't doing digital YET. They plan to go fully digital when they move to Minnesota and have access to more of the son-in-law's skill set, which ranges far and wide, much beyond his kitchen work. Between Europe and Anja, think of the money they will save on film and photo supplies.
Tomorrow we head for Durango for the third stop on the Three Sisters Tour: Kathleen's sister Mary Lou says we can stay as long as we want in the guest room. Good deal.
Sponge Stan Squarepants and Kathleen
