Slipping Away

Summer is slipping away, but it has been wonderful.

*Kellen driving my old RC-10T and keeping it mostly on the track*

Both of our sons with their families visited us this summer. We made good memories and I took pictures. This is the second year my grandson, Kellen, has been driving radio control cars. At age three, he’s improved quite a bit. My two year old granddaughter, Sauvie, began her RC driving lessons during her visit this summer.

At Brandon’s request, I sold both of his old Chevrolet’s this summer. His ’62 Corvair was here for about 10 years, and his ’63 Nova for 15.

*The previous line up of collector cars in our shop*

The Corvair sold first, a father and son team bought it. The son is 14, and hopes to be driving it when he gets his license.

He tried on the driver seat and steering wheel as he scanned the dashboard and interior. Spotting the window crank on the open driver’s door, he pointed at it and asked, “What’s that?”

That sale created an empty space in the shop, but like digging a hole in wet sand; it began filling in right away. The Nova sold about a month later, and with two empty bays, it may actually take a few weeks for the shop’s gravitational pull to fill those spaces.

My brother, Loren, rode his new Street Glide to Newberg for our Dressel Family Reunion. I put red lights on the garage floor – not so much as a guide to the landing/parking area, but as a Welcome.

He brought his new electric RC Truck. We were running two lap races on my back yard dirt track Sunday morning before church; I thought I had the home field advantage, but – he beat me five races in a row!

We also got to run our cars on the indoor AstroTurf track in Salem, RC Plus. That was fun, and while there I drove for the first time, my new Losi 3.0 buggy (thanks, Jason). I have two bodies for it, and the one I like best features my granddaughter’s likeness.

When I told her dad how quick that car can get around the track, he indicated that was fitting – quick like Sauvie. He asked if it also jumps a lot. Actually, the car does jump a lot. How did he know that?

I may have taken some of my best pictures this summer. The years of pictures I have taken of my kids and the pictures I am taking of my grandkids will always be my most treasured.

Other than family, my favorite photo opportunity is an event called “I Dragged The Gut in downtown McMinnville,” or “I Dragged The Gut” for short. I love taking pictures there, and I have developed a style I might call Dream Shots (that’s easier to say than low light exposure with slow shutter blurring that makes a still picture indicate motion). Click here to see more.

Also from this year, possibly my best car show pictures, and I was very happy with these fireworks pictures (some in this album taken earlier).

I saw the heart doctor to follow up on the EKG and stress test. He found nothing serious, and suggested I improve my diet, lose weight, get into better shape, and come back later for another look.

I saw a foot doctor. I don’t know why it hurt. I waited weeks for the tendon above my heel to get better, but it got worse, so – doctor – foot doctor – x-rays – MRI – Achilles Tendinitis – special boot and physical therapy. It’s getting better.

I saw the belly doctor. My sticking out belly button was getting worse.

It seemed I was constantly holding or pushing it back in, and sometimes it didn’t want to go back in, and one time after a reluctant push, there appeared red spots near it. So – doctor – belly doctor – Ultrasound – bowel in the button – surgery (scheduled for October)!

The air boot helps if you don’t mind clunking around wearing only one extra large ski boot, and the Lumbar lower back brace support belt frees up the hand that would be pressing the (belly button) hernia.

I saw the Oncologist, three terrific months had passed since my last visit, so – visit friends with needles (who draw blood) – tests – and my favorite test results: no change. I can live with that. I remain daily thankful to God.

A Riddle:

When is a crushed vertebra and severe arthritis good news?

Answer: When it’s not CANCER (Yea)!

We traveled to Florida at the end of July to meet our newest Grandchild, a sweet baby boy named Jory. He’s our third grandchild, and what a joy to meet and hold him. I’m not sure what a three week old can see, but I think he looked me right in the eyes.

*Here he is peaking over Diane’s shoulder, probably wondering if it’s almost time to eat again*

Making our precious time there even better was exploring with Kellen (almost three now) in the jungle that is his yard. I love seeing how our children love their children.

*Kellen in his Monster Hunting hat, ready to guide me through this tropical compound*

Our son and daughter-in-law took us on a real nice Stern-wheeler cruise on The Barbara Lee, across Lake Monroe and up the St Johns River.

We spent another day on New Smyrna Beach in Florida. I was pulling Kellen over shallow waves on a boogie board. He was actually dragging on the sand, but we were both enjoying the illusion.

I’m not in many pictures because I’m usually taking them, but today, my wife picked up the camera and took a few shots of Kellen and me. I’m looking at one now. I could paste it here, but I’d much rather draw a less shocking word picture.

Some things once seen – can’t be unseen. There is Kellen, looking much like a Junior Surfer kid at his introduction to boogie-boarding, and at the high end of the board leash is an actual Snow Man, yes, right there in the shallow, warm, Atlantic salt water; an Oregon snow man, in both color and stature.

Wait – there’s more. When I was a young man, I remember seeing an old man in a swimsuit. I wondered how he could possibly be oblivious to the fact that he was wearing his suit inside out.

Now, here I am with my old, baggy swimsuit twisted halfway around my waist and the pocket hanging inside out. Note to self: NEVER be seen publicly in a swim suit again.

Oh – okay, I’ll post it:

No Shots – No Change

After a few missed shots, I thought I felt a kind of thawing out sensation in the neuropathy in my feet, but no symptoms or side effects have really changed.

I’m still sorting and organizing files in my picture archives. Lately my push is assigning dates to my pre-digital camera pictures.

Those picture files report the date they were scanned as being the date they were taken, which is far from accurate. I can fairly guesstimate dates for pictures with my kids in them, but without them, it’s tough.

Many years ago, Diane and I stepped out in faith and started a small business. If you are or have ever been self employed, you know what I mean about stepping out in faith.

In the startup supplies we purchased for our in-home office was our first, large, 23 inch x 18 inch wall calendar. It was great for scheduling and recording my jobs and other work related items.

I also began adding personal notes like birthday reminders and event dates. Before long, the wall calendar became a sort of “Express Lane diary for five items or less.” My favorite entries are from after our kids came along. There are a lot of “first did” and “first said” notations.

On December 17, 1980, my 2 ½ year old son said he will shoot and kill the neighbors. Where did he get that?

In November, three years later, the same son asked if your spirit was like a bubble with God in it. Where did he get that?

Kids are funny. Overall the calendars tell a story of busy people quite involved with family and friends.

I have hundreds of pictures that need accurate dates. I have about 372 monthly calendar pages from 1976 to 2007 that record most of the events represented by pictures needing dates. All I have to do is match them up!

The Blessings continue.

Map (Face) Check

It’s been over six months. I was past due for my first “check back” on the skin cancer surgery. The boarders of the map once stitched boldly to my face have mostly faded away along with the shock of hosting a third cancer.

The dermatologist was pleased with the healing, but decided to remove several “pre-cancerous” growths. I’m happy to report pre-cancerous is not as certain as pre-approved or pre-disposed.

*Actually yes, it did feel like cigarette burns*

It’s approaching two years since my stem cell transplant. I know I sound like a broken record commenting on the speed of the ticking clock, so I won’t say it (do people still know what broken record means?). I’ll just continue to enjoy every day of this remission.

It occurred to me that my growing stack of leave requests from work is a weight contender for the Greater Yamhill County phone book. Some pages represent more than one day, and not every page is for medical leave, but they continue to collect at a steady rate.