Day #53 Rainy Day Musings and, OH YEAH, Ear Piercing

We postponed our plans to go to Galveston until Sunday as there was 100% chance of rain on Saturday. This the first rain since the first day of my journey, August 10, when I drove from Portville to Indianapolis. What to do? What to do?

I asked Karen to help me with gathering an old photo or two for my blog posts. She brought me our 1972 yearbook. Perfect.

I changed my profile picture to one cropped of me from the Area All State Representatives photo. I told Karen it was one of my favorite pictures at that time of my life as I thought it showed how much my sister and I looked alike. Within minutes after the post Terry Jo commented exactly that. Look for yourself.

Of course the long brown hair may contribute to the similarities, but the smile and nose are the same. I have the cleft chin and just one dimple when I smile. I always said the other one slipped down to my chin. I was older and got contact lenses first. My sister and I shared a bedroom, and often a bed, our entire lives until I left home for college.

Karen, three years younger, was the cheerleader.  I, however, managed to get a better gig when chosen to be statistician for the High School football team. I was ON THE SIDELINES OF THE FIELD and got to RIDE THE BUS with the players. (Cheerleaders rode a different bus.) I was in heaven and it is the reason that I love and understand the game.

Memories of this time in my life bring Lori Cook into the story.

Lori and her family moved to Portville sometime when we were in junior high. First they lived out on the Haskell Road and, later, she and her mom lived on North Main Street, just out of the village limits. I am amused by the little details I remember. Lori taught me how to wrap a present and make the corners really smooth and neat. I still think of her every time I wrap a present. She went to Connecticut with me one summer to stay at my Aunt's and fell in love with Jimmy Gardner. All the girls thought her older brother, Gary '68, was a hunk. (Just like we thought Craig Rice '67 was a  hunk, too.)

Lori and I experimented with cigarettes during a sleep-out in the back of our maroon station wagon with the tail gate down in our driveway on 59 Brooklyn Street. We were SO careful with the butts, throwing them far away from the car. My Dad, however, in true Sherlock Holmes fashion, found ashes stuck to both sides of the vehicle in the morning. We had not accounted for the dew that came with the dropping temperatures overnight.The ashes clung like a banner!

Lori also  pierced my ears. In her bedroom. She froze them with ice cubes and then....

 sterilized a needled over a flame. Someone pierced hers that way, so she was a pro and did many friends! My hair was long, so it hid my ears from my parents for awhile. I never had any luck with my ears properly healing and, finally, just let them grow back. I have worn clip-ons ever since.

And so, a rainy day was a perfect day to get my ears pierced again. An added bonus, and without much effort at less than $1, I successfully tracked Lori down. We lost touch after high school and then again after our 20 year reunion. What a treat to hear her voice! She was just as tickled and will be joining the Ahhh Retirement blog viewing.

Karen took me to her daughter Rainey's tattoo and piercing place. She was the appointed photographer. Bea was the eye witness.

This is Elijah. He has a degree in counseling and psychology, but tattooing and piercing is his passion. Photographer Karen dutifully keeps the reflection theme going.

  


Making sure they will be even.

Deep breath. Hold it. Breathe.

This was much quicker than getting a tattoo! Less than ten minutes!

Tah-dah! Woo-hoo! " Now show your colors. Walk with a strut! Head held high. Chin proudly up!"

 "Peacock Proud I stand today. Proud of you. Proud of me."

Karen treated Mexican at Pappasito's Cantina to celebrate.

Cheers!

And a little kiss for me from server Josh. (He was worried about what his wife might think. I gave him the blog address to help her understand the journey.)

Nine pairs of my favorite clip-on earrings made the packing cut. They are officially zipped up for the duration of the adventure. What SHALL I do with all of the boxes of clip-ons I have accumulated over the years?

The satisfaction level is high. Living every day with joy.

Day #52 Genuine Texas Boys

Thank goodness Margie's post reminded me it was Friday. I should not have needed a prompt as it is also the last work day of the month and, therefore, payday for retirees in the NYS Teacher's Retirement System. That would be me. 

On the agenda today: a short trip to the Woodlands. I would describe it as a great suburban project to draw people to eat, shop, listen to music, relax by the water and people watch. The link below tells you more if you are interested.

The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau

Karen took and posted this picture as a "sign of things to come" when she was in the Market Street area of the Woodlands prior to my visit.

Can you see her reflection? Look carefully.

 Today I finally got to eat at The Cheesecake Factory... crab cake bites, arugula salad, roasted pear and blue cheese flat bread, followed by red velvet cheese cake. MMM MMM MMM

I let my mount wait while we chose to walk to the theatre for another tear jerker movie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green.

 We were the certain we were the only ones who really, deeply connected with the chin hair joke in the movie.

My Grandma Warner worried about her chin hairs right up until just before she died.

This we know as Karen and I, with Bea as our witness, had a very serious conversation about where and when and what and how we shave.

Plucking hurts. I keep a razor separate for my chin and upper lip hairs. I will let Karen disclose if and what and when she wants.

We took the short, 40 minute, Woodland Canal Cruise...

 Captain Ron at the wheel

This bridge was designed by a local high school student.

And then a brief rest at Karen's before the BIG Karaoke night at RMPs....

It's been a long time since I picked up a cue stick. It showed.

  

Karen's niece, Chelsea, gives the thumbs up as I sing a favorite Barbra Streisand tune, Evergreen.

 I was warned to expect anything. These young Texas men took a twirl or two on the dance floor.

And this fine Texas specimen was a phenomenon... one of the few singers that people stopped what they were doing to listen.

PCS Alumni gathered in Tomball, TX. Go figure. (From left to right: Bob Taylor '71, Al Dean '70, Karen Linderoth '72, Mary Kay Worth '72, Mel Pockalony '73.) And toasting the gang from behind us is ???

 Another sign that I was there or here or somewhere...        (where am I?)

I spotted young men in casts and counted four. It is, it seems, a badge of honor. They fought someone for something.

A night of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, Karaoke, beverage, cigarettes, real Mexican tacos (Thank you, Rock), hugs, laughs and country music. (I shudder to think how many were packing. In Texas you can arm yourself as long as you have a license, and I suppose even if you don't!)

Rock proudly modeled his genuine alligator cowboy boots.

And all night long I looked for this real cowboy!

Nothing at all subtle about this message I found today. Dang, my life is good. Thank you, God!

Day #51 Trouble has arrived in Tomball Texas

Wednesday evening's arrival after dark meant the drive to Tomball with Karen took us past the Houston skyline!

The first stop was to meet friends and experience the world of Texas Karaoke. There were only a handful of people so I took the microphone and give a whirl at Carole King's So Far Away. 







Once we made it home the welcoming committee was waiting...

Boo, the cat, short for Boo

 And my roommate...

Kie, the lovebird, short for Kienan

On my bed, Karen left me a two-fer... two of my favorites in one: a pretty box and a peacock!

On her walls and in Karen's spaces, I found familiar things surrounding us...

I have this exact wind chime. It hung over my kitchen sink in the lake house. It was a gift from my friend, Jane Tylenda, when I left GV for SC. (I like the shadow, too.)






Framed postcard prints of places around Portville that were painted by my mother....

And the exact same tri-fold screen that I had at the lake house and used as the back drop with wisteria drapings at the 60th wedding anniversary party for Craig and Helen Pease when they renued their wedding vows on May 14, 2010, in Waterloo, NY. (I paid $8 for mine at the Salvation Army in Syracuse. Karen paid more.)

A special treasure in the garage... the DOLL HOUSE! It is a replica of the Linderoth home on Maple Street that her Dad had made just before they moved from Portville to Las Vegas. (Mel and I talked on the Thousand Oaks leg about running up and down the steep back stairs from the kitchen to the second floor.)

Lest those who recognize the house be confused, the front porch steps are temporarily sitting on the side of the house, just because there is not enough room on the table.

Karen is adding lighting!

 Thursday morning we lingered over coffee and reminisced before making the way for a spa day for me!

New pedi

Brow wax

French tips

Monica took great care of me. We were destined to spend time together in Spring, TX. She is getting married in December. Her colors and theme are PEACOCK!

Displayed on Karen's kitchen windowsill is confirmation for why I believe I may be in for trouble while in Texas!

And so, I am choosing discretion for the next bit of text, intentionally omitting any detailed photos.

 This is Bea, Karen's friend and partner in crime. (I will explain the blue lights momentarily.)

Behind me is Roger with the blue light on his wrist. (I cropped the blue light on my boob.)

We were in a place that hosts Karaoke on Thursday nights called (remember I can't make this stuff up) - The Beer Joint. Lighting is part of the ambiance.

Friend Roger is a regular crooner, as is his brother, Derrell. Most of the singers are taking wacks at country tunes.

I stuck to the Beatles (When I'm Sixty-Four, Yesterday) and more Carole King (You've Got a Friend). 

We won't talk about the fact that there were many bras, thongs, g-strings and pairs of underwear stapled to the ceiling and signed for posterity. (I can't make this up and I did not take a picture!)

I voted for the early departure (10 pm) and, after getting into pjs, Karen serenaded me from downstairs with familiar songs as she played the piano. 

This was followed by a brief reminiscence of slumber parties and then the merits of the right to breathe right. We agree that it is quite inconvenient to sleep at night using our hands to stretch our faces to open the nasal passage. In fact, this may actually increase the wrinkles that come without assistance and the passage of time. We both put on a Breathe Right strip after Karen reviewed the proper way to apply, pinch down and release. (Picture it. Just picture it. Now smile.)

This is the look I a going for by morning. (Hey, you never know!)

And, finally....

Even the cereal box has welcomed me to Tomball, TX! A good day all around. 

What a journey!