It is Monday now, and I am watching the sunrise at 7:20ish in the hotel, having complimentary breakfast, and using the free WiFi. The coffee is good. I was finally in my hotel room last night at 11:30, but I woke early! I seemed to quickly adjust to this time zone, or, as this is a travel day, I could not sleep that well. I needed to pack, check in online, and find my way back to Capital City Airport (I understand it was renamed after someone, but Washington is always National to me, and this one is Capital City). So I am in the lobby eating and writing. I am mostly packed; my headphones are charged, my laptop is max charged, my phone is charged, and my Kindle is in the room charging. I am a nearly sixty-year-old Power Ranger–Power Up; I have my biz blue sweater and dark blue pants ready to play my part of geezer Power Ranger.
The evening ended at the Lakeview Banquet on Round Lake, Laingsburg. The mosquitos did feed well on exotic Oregonian food. I loaded SS Ford, the huge Ford I rented and moored in the parking lot, with various goodies from the Frankovich Wedding (Linda Rose, previously Wild, married Jesse Frankovich). A centerpiece for Mom Wild and Leta (my wife’s mother) from the tables, some treats, and a wedding cake cookie and cupcake in a container to take to Susie. Mom Wild also received a blanket, as did Leta, for the evening to keep. We used a stool for Leta and Mom Wild to board, and I loaded the walkers into the cargo space. We never reached the third set of seats (we never needed the room)–the second seats opened somehow to allow access, but we could see them in the soft brown leather glory. We took the curving Round Lake Road to Highway 127 to 69 to Park Lake to return Mom Wild to her home. Leta and I then traveled across Lansing on familiar paths (I have done them six times now) to take Leta home.
SS Ford handled it well and was comfortable. Going 75 and 70, I was still passed often–yes, Michigan. I was unfamiliar with some areas, so I was not doing the traditional Michigan 5-10 over. We saw one deer that chose not to sacrifice itself to SS Ford, another reason to not travel at top speeds. I saw at least three deer dead along the road yesterday–the carcasses are cleared within a few days, so it is a real risk here. My sister hit one a few years ago.
Returning to the narrative and moving back further in the day, I was in the wedding party, so I had some duties and many required pictures that kept me busy. I did forego giving a speech. Leta was comfortable to watch, and Mom Wild had to be in many photos, too. The food was all finger food and dainty mains for an evening wedding, avoiding the complexity of a sit-down dinner while still being elegant and delicious. Each place setting did come with a small bottle of bug spray, which was liberally applied by most as the night went on. Meg, Jesse’s 12-year-old daughter, was included in parts of the wedding ceremony to show that they were all a family together now. Leta said it was a beautiful wedding.
As it is Linda’s and Jesse’s wedding, I will not tell their story. That is for them to do. Everyone was happy and enjoyed it. Linda was delighted I was there and glad to send Susie a wedding cookie and cupcake in Oregon. And whatever thing I said to her while trying to take a picture together and made her nearly fall down in a fit of laughter will have to be a mystery.
Leta, Mom Wild, and I did contact Susie at the wedding. The Alexa connection was too slow on my phone (no WiFi), but Jennifer and Louis (the live-in nursing aides) did try to help. We switched to just a phone call and had a pleasant visit with Susie at the wedding. Rev. Anne Weld-Martin went to see Susie today. Dan and Janet Gray were there yesterday. Susie sounded good and happy.
I collected Leta first, going back to before the wedding, at her house before 4PM. I was dressed early and in SS Ford at the Lansing Mall Panera Bread and recovered my hat. I had left it there the day before when having lunch with Leta. It was later in many of the pictures for Linda’s wedding. We took Leta’s walker with us as a precaution, and once it was dark, the walker kept Leta safe. Next, we traveled to Mom Wild and added her to the collection.
After that, I then used Nav to direct us to the wedding facilities. We were directed to take roads I have not been on for years, including Center and Upton (for my current and former Laingsburg folks), but avoided Peacock (a crazy road including parts of swamp overflows you drive through–it is not paved). We arrived with nobody showing signs of motion sickness (including the driver) from the curves and switchbacks to get around the swamps/lakes that fill the lowlands that are in the greater Laingsburg area.
Moving back in time, I picked Mom Wild up for lunch and took SS Ford to the Harrison Road House. Mom Wild had a chicken salad sandwich without the bread but with fries. I had an olive burger that was a bit salty for my high blood pressure and low-salt tastes. I returned Mom Wild to her place to rest and to get ready for the wedding, with me returning at 4-4:30.
Next, I drove the scenic roads I used to drive when I worked in Bath, Michigan, at my first computer job after college. I reached Linda’s house, gave the dogs something to bark about, and picked up Mom’s walker that was outside waiting for me. I loaded that SS Ford and headed back to my hotel.
I dressed early at the hotel, realizing I needed to recover my hat. It took me a while to work out the tie and suspenders. But soon, I was looking more old school. I surrendered my Air Force Ones for Cole Haan, black, no brogue. I boarded, slipped the mooring lines, got SS Ford going, and used Nav to get to the Lansing Mall without much complexity. My hat was recovered without incident, and I found a cool Zine at Barnes and Noble. I might find time to read my purchased copy on the plane.
Moving to my start of Sunday, I overslept to 7 and was not writing the blog until 8ish. The breakfast in the lobby was busy but not packed. I spent much of the morning writing and watching people. They would come in waves and, depending on the group mix, would pick a specific table. Families would take the four-chair square tables. Older men would take the booths if the group size was over two. Pairs and more senior family members would take the small tables with a bench and one chair. Larger groups of such would drag the tables together. Solos, like me, would take a bench table and fill the table with laptops and other items, suggesting to people to let us work alone.
It took me a few hours to write the blog. I had three coffees while writing; the jet lag is a constant pressure trying to make me stop and fall to the floor and sleep. I resist that catatonic draw–Morpheus calling, offering a pillow and a blanket, not colored pills. “I will take the goose down, not the synthetic fiber pill(ow), Morpheus,” I think.
Returning to the story, while driving to Leta’s place, you can see all the destruction from the storms. The streets are lined with broken trees and branches piled up to be hauled away.
One of the old trees near the Lakeview facilities was broken and half lying on the ground. The storms of a few weeks ago were terrible.
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 