*Bounces in and lies on her couch*
Hi Mr. Blog! Guess what? I'm alive! Hahahaha. You probably guessed that already right?
Well this is one of those long rambling stories so do you mind laying down on your couch?
*Waits until he lies down on his back with his glasses on and notepad ready*
So. By the time I got fifty games assembled it was 10:30 on Saturday. It was only twenty degrees so I was slipping down mummy's wheelchair ramp with my first dufflebag and nearly fell.
So I go get some hot water and pour it on the wood and take the next duffle down.
By the time I get it in my van the water froze and I had to start all over!
Took me and hour to get the van loaded!
But guess what? I get to the Edmonds ferry dock and it is loading so I drove right on at 11:30!
I didn't go upstairs on the ferry 'cause without Terry and the kids it wasn't the same.
I had mapquested and memorized my route and it was so easy!
It was a brilliant sunny day and the water was sparkling
and the mountains were gleaming with new snow! It was breathtaking.
So I drove up until I saw Miller Road and it is the first main road running North South.
I took at left at the giant trolls and went south on a road I had never been on and
ended up going through Suquamish Indian reservation.
I kept going until I found highway 305 and there was a giant casino
at the intersection called Clearwater! I think I saw ads for it on TV!
I even think that is the one that Bren's mom, Carol goes to!
So I hung a Louie at the casino and went across Agate Pass bridge and I
swear to God it was one of the prettiest places I have EVER seen.
Funny that I was born here in Washington and didn't know you could
drive to Bainbridge Island from way up North here. Hahaha!
I saw Day road and hung another left and Valley Road and turned right
and then saw the sign for County Christmas with a big arrow.
I went through a town called Rolling Bay which was charming.
It had a Post Office, store and feed store.
I saw the Island Music Center and dashed in and met Sue Anderson and Dave and they
showed me my spot.
I was upstairs in a music lesson studio room that was about 10'x10' and directly above
the stage! It was awesome because they had all kinds of piano, strings and brass
music of all kinds from jazz to Christmas to folk all day both days.
I dragged in my duffles and tables and started selling at one
and sold four games. Two to parents for teens, one to a babyboomer wanting
something different for his dad who is a driving school teacher in Idaho
and one to a teenage girl for her teenage boyfriend that is afraid to take the test.
A nice young couple on vacation from California came in with their four year old son
and told me how sad they were that they couldn't take their son on the pony ride.
They walked on the ferry and were taking the Christmas in the Country shuttle but
it didn't go to the farm stop. I just handed that lady the keys to my van and you should have seen her jaw drop open. It was too funny! I said, "Take my van!" So her husband came
in and you should have seen his jaw drop open too. It was so hard not to laugh!
They came back a few hours later and showed me the pictures of the
little boy on the pony and they were DARN CUTE PICTURES!
The lady said they'd buy a game but it is only for Washington so I told her not to.
I gave them a free Nixpix refrigerator magnet and told them they could
get the little boy a t-shirt when they got back to LA if they wanted to.
Since Nic and Kathy had never met me and were letting me stay one
night at their house I figured loaning out my van to strangers was almost comparable.
I had really nice vendor neighbors and Karena was so young (twenties) and adorable.
Shoot, I should have taken a picture of her and her mom Carol who is also a
substitute teacher over there on the Kitsap Peninsula. Oh well.
Karena made and sold baby clothes and they were so cute I couldn't stand it.
Jo was down the hall and so young and tall and blond and willowy I couldn't figure out
why she wasn't in Hollywood making movies.
Well, I've seen zillions of photographs in my lifetime but
her work was something else!!! She traveled all over and went down
back alleys to get the gritty pictures of Thailand and New Zealand etc.
Now I used to work the flights to New Zealand out of Honolulu
but Continental put us in a fancy hotel downtown in a really
nice area so I never saw the cool looking side of real life down there
but Jo captured it in a way that was just plain AWESOME.
So Karena told me near closing time to just stay on Sportsman's Road and cross the highway
and that was a great tip. I pulled over once to verify the distance to Eagle Bay Drive.
Once I go to Eagle Bay drive, I was darn happy I carried mail for ten years
through rain, sleet and snow and DARK. Good training for this new career.
The road was tiny, winding and PITCH BLACK.
I just went really slow and pulled over when anyone came up behind me
and "Followed My Mail" as we used to say by watching the addresses get smaller
and remembering East is even house numbers and West is odd. 'Course the road was N/S!
I came to a spot with six mailboxes and six pitch-black long treed unmarked driveways and sat there intergrating my location skills with my intuition for a few minutes.
I drove down a half mile to a house with lit shed and cars and a van getting ready to pull out.
I jumped out and the older man rolled down his window and I said,
"I'm looking for Nic and Kathy"
Just as I said it I heard Kathy yell, "Gretchen! Gretchen!"
She was standing down at the house and invited me to go to dinner with them
but I had already eaten so I went in to rest.
They had two of the biggest cats in the world, one was black and aloof but
the giant orange one sat on my lap and purred. until I dozed off in an armchair.
When Kathy and Nic returned, he made a fire and we chatted and chatted.
I had never met them before but they volunteered to take in an out-of-town crafter.
Kathy teaches second grade so I was in teacher talk heaven and
Nic is the captain of the scout-own Oydessey sixty foot sailboat!
I told him I'd wanted to go with my scouts on it for years
but it was too expensive and you'll never guess what he said!
"If you like to cook you can come for free for any seven day trip this summer!"
Well, I am so going to do that because s
SAILING THROUGH THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS IS A LIFE LONG DREAM FOR ME!
How's that for a strange turn of events?
We blabbed till ten and went to bed and I slept great and woke up itching to sight-see.
I chatted with Kathy a few minutes and was off to find Kay Bainbridge State Park.
It was lovely and I realized when I was a kid there was a huge Catholic family kitty-corner
to us on 27th NE and 60th in Seattle called the Pierces that we were pals with.
The twins, Janet and Joan invited us to their summer house right next to this park when I
was ten and we took a tiny dinghy out and nearly got drowned by ferry waves!
That summer they took us out strawberry picking there too. 1966 Great summer!
So I took a picture and drove to Rolling Bay and got a cup of coffee and went to work.
I was walking back from parking my van when this gorgeous young lady shouted,
"Hey you!" You'll NEVER guess who it was!!!
*Waits to see if Mr. Blog tries to guess and sees he is sound asleep and snoring softly*
It was my half sister Heidi! She said she would come but I thought since
she works full time and Greg just had his operation three weeks ago that she wouldn't have time. WELL SHE MADE TIME! She grew up on Bainbridge Island and showed me
all her old hang outs and told me how they used to steal the driver's ed cars and
go joy riding all over the island. I just laughed and laughed 'cause I was such a JD too!
She came to my sales room and brought me all kinds of snacks and soups and sandwiches.
We had a great old time and she loved my salespitch.
I had Karena take a picture of us 'cause I am totally gaga over my little sister!!!
I only sold one game so I didn't even break even but you know what?
I don't care. Terry found out about the loan I took out
and he didn't divorce me
and I have another ten years of good health to work on my business
and my kids are in perfect health
and that's all that matters.
I'm not even going to worry about the fact that I screwed up on the printing of this edition.
The top game board was supposed to be laminated on both sides so the flaps snapped back
down in a snappy, exciting fashion.
I called Jeff first thing this morning to have the next 400 laminated on both sides
but it was too late.
Oh well. It was the best I could do.
This is the last of the Washington state games
and when we do the USA one that replaces it and is good
for the other forty-nine states, I'll get it right.
Then I can blast out my magnus opus, Gin Latin!
*Gets up and puts a blanket over Mr. Blog and tip toes out.*
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