o c t o b e r . 2 0 2 4

 birthday month! 

lots of reasons to celebrate

     wrapped up my work trip to the bay area.  got a good bit of organizing done while I was there, then I hit the road mid-day to beat traffic, and got home in record time with a quick stop to get lunch at the KFC in town.  

     I went for a check-up with my oncologist in her office.  not only was taking my blood pressure brutal - starting and restarting and squeezing unnecessarily harder causing my bp to rise too much - but the doctor then wanted to complain about my weight.  it was her own instructions that told me to continue eating during chemo; in fact my weight had stayed the same throughout chemo, so I didn't even "over-eat!"  then she lectured me - a professional dieter and the daughter of both my parents - about how bad carrying too much weight is and how I should write everything I eat down.  skinny little twig of a child telling me!  now that will raise my blood pressure!  one thing I did start doing however, was to jump back on the exer-cycle in the garage so I can build up my leg strength again.  I have a vacation coming up! 

     that evening, an international ballet company was performing in Folsom one of my most favorite ballets, Swan Lake, and I had to treat myself for my birthday!  it was glorious seeing it again.  I hadn't been to this ballet since I was pregnant with Joyce, so about 35 years!  it was an excellent way to end what had started as a horrible day. 

     my last day of work before vacation was the day before our birthday.  of course it was a flurry of making sure everyone had what they needed before I headed offline for two weeks.  luckily it is the same team who has supported my last two years' of vacations and medical leave, so I'm leaving all in great hands.

just a note ... this is my Beatle Birthday "When I'm 64!"

     in the meantime, Joyce and Tim had gone to visit his family in the Orlando area, just as Hurricane Milton was taking aim!  they of course survived with no damage to rental car, dwelling, or selves, but that didn't mean that mom wasn't 3,000 miles away praying and worrying until it was over!  she got to spend a little time at Hard Rock and Disney Springs, but didn't go into the parks because of the various ride shut-downs (due to weather).  why spend the money and not be able to do anything. 

     I spent our birthday-day packing and waiting to hear from her.  Milton was scheduled to hit late on our birthday.  Craig made reservations at Crawdads on the Lake, which was our re-wedding day dinner location of Cliff House all renovated.  while my birthday drink - a Boujie Bayou Sour - and my dessert - chocolate cake - were just what I ordered, my main course should have been a BLT with avocado, and instead I got a chicken cobb sandwich.  just a wee bit of a disappointment having a giant slab of chicken breast in the way of other good eats. 

  

     around 10:30 at night Joyce texted when they were inside the hurricane, saying she was doing fine, just her ears hurt a little.  she texted again early the next morning around 5:00 to say they were fine.  Craig drove me to the airport and I could take my flights knowing she would be meeting me in Wyoming when their vacation was over.  Craig had booked my tickets using his airline mileage and upgraded me to first class on all the flights.  it was so enjoyable being able to have such luxuries served up by delightful flight attendants. 

     I picked up a 4-Runner SUV, since Joyce and the weather app had mentioned there was a possibility of snow while I was there.  checked in at the delightful Bavarian Inn for two nights.  loved talking with the ladies who ran the front desk.  this place, like many others nearby, are open for "the season" which this year pretty much ended the day I flew home.  whew, I just made it!  

     Day 1 - my first full day in SoDak, I drove a mile into the town of Custer and took pictures of the giant Dino the Dinosaur statue, as well as several buffalo statues scattered all over downtown.  I had lunch at the Purple Pie Place, enjoying chicken pot pie and raspberry rhubarb pie for dessert!  

     after that I was off to see the giant monument of Crazy Horse.  Mama had wanted to see this memorial in her lifetime, but I don't believe she ever made it here.  so I was here on her behalf.  

     back at the Inn, they provide a late afternoon snack of milk and cookies, and I enjoyed those and a chat with two boys traveling with their mom from the midwest to Reno.  after that I had dinner at the Buglin' Bull Sports Bar, where I had Tatanka - bison steak - with green beans & carrots, roasted potato slices, and washed down with cider.

     Day 2 - checked out of the Inn (promising I would return) and headed to the highly recommended Wild Life Loop on my way east to Chamberlain.  the Loop is a slow curving drive through wide open spaces where the wild life roam right in front of you.  the donkeys were the orneriest, not letting me pass until I fed them (I didn't); and I managed not to get into a tussle with a "fluffy cow" or bison that meandered slowly across the roadway in front of me, causing multiple vehicles to stop and line up before he finally finished crossing to the other side.  

  

     hit the road again, stopping for lunch at Mickey D's, and then making another pit stop at Wall Drug.  if we've ever been here it was probably in 1975, on our cross-country road trip to NYC.  I had to get a souvenir John Deere outfit for the baby.  by mid-afternoon I was at Chamberlain, and stopped to see the Dignity of Earth & Sky statue next to the Lewis & Clark Museum, both located near the Missouri River.  

     the next morning, Day 3, I started my day at the town's locally owned coffee bar, The Purple Pigeon, where I had a true midwestern cinnamon roll with my morning joe.  then it was off to the Atka Lakota Museum where I wandered for some time through the hands-on exhibits and artwork telling the story of the indigenous people before, during and after the arrival of European immigrants.  

     I drove an hour east to see the famous Corn Palace!  started in the late 1800s, this building decorates some of its exterior walls with artwork made from corn!  inside you can wander through a timeline of the many events that have occurred during its long and storied history.  I had lunch there, enjoying - what else - a corn dog!  then it was off to find "the World's Largest Pheasant" in the town of Huron.  then it was back to Chamberlain and dinner at the Smoking Mule where I enjoyed ribs and fried pickles!

     On Day 4, I woke, made my coffee and grabbed some hotel buffet sausages, and then packed to head back to western SoDak - - but not before I saw a few more sites.  it was also Indigenous Peoples Day so many locations were closed.  I wanted to go to the SoDak Hall of Fame, but it was closed.  next to it is the Veterans Park, so I meandered through those displays for a bit.

     across the street from Veterans Park was another giant pheasant statue, this one made with railroad ties and other metal pieces.  pheasant hunting is big business in this part of the country. 

     back on the road again, I went looking for a round barn that was a slight detour off the highway, but when I got to a gravel road across farmlands, I decided to forego that adventure in a rental vehicle.  don't need to pay for rock damage!  the Pioneer Auto Museum was the next stop, which was a wonderful time of strolling through cars of all ages, old and odd gadgets and technology, and lots of interesting memorabilia.  you could spend a day and not see it all.  I found the cars Joyce and I loved most when we were both younger.  

     I had a stuffed Nipper before Joyce was born ... wonder if it's still in her bags of stuffed animals that I'm storing for her.  Nipper and Snoopy, two of my favorite pooches. 

     then there was one more destination to see before I landed in Hill City, but unfortunately the Minuteman Missile Historic Site was also closed for the government holiday.  too bad.  I definitely want to plan another trip here.  

     Day 5, I slept in, got some supplies for the week at the dollar store, namely milk for my coffee and some snacks for between meals.  then I drove over to Joyce and Tim's house, to spend the afternoon with Joyce, then have dinner with them at their local pizza joint after Tim got home from work.  these were some of their "neighbors" just wandering by in the late afternoon, when we were getting ready to drive to the pizza joint.  this picture of the kids is from their wedding day, but I neglected to take any pics any time I was with them so it has to do!  it was well after sundown when I finally headed back to Hill City.  Joyce was worried about me driving where there are no streetlights on the highways, but I made it back safely - didn't run off the road or hit any wild animals! 

     Day 6 was another bucket list destination day.  I finally made it to Mount Rushmore, a place I've wanted to visit practically my whole life.  also a feature in one of my favorite movies, North By Northwest!  kind people were happy to photograph me everywhere I went! 

  

     another museum about the sculptor of the mountain was closed, but the Presidential Wax Museum was open and waiting for me.  I couldn't resist another opportunity to stand at a presidential podium!  all 46 presidents were represented; these are just a few.

     back in Hill City, circling around to find an open restaurant, I saw this neat horse statue made of repurposed metal items ... too cool! 

     Day 7 - Joyce picked Hill City for me saying it was central to many places I'd want to go.  she was so right!  on this day I drove up to Rapid City and saw some more pieces of the Berlin Wall.  this is the fifth place I've seen segments that have made it to the US.  turns out there are a lot more places they rest ... I should plan a road trip, to see a few more of them!  Joyce wouldn't remember but the wall fell right around one month after her birth day.

     a few months before this trip we were watching our favorite diners and dives cooking show and it highlighted a restaurant in Rap City!  I knew I just had to check it out.  it did not disappoint.  it is called Bokujo Ramen, and I had an awesome open face Oko Bun and Bison Bone Ramen.

     with half my ramen in a bowl to go, I meandered around the nearby intersections taking pictures of these presidential statues.  there are many more around the downtown, but these were the few I saw.  they are Truman, Taft, van Buren, Kennedy, Jackson, Tyler and Harrison.

  

  

  

     I tried to find more museums along the route through Keystone, but so many are already closed for "the season."  one place many people mentioned which is open year-round is the beautiful Sylvan Lake.  it was only a slight detour off my route ... a long, windy, hairpin-turny, 10 MPH slow detour but well worth the effort to get there.  I charmed the delightful ranger guarding the gate who wanted to charge me for the entrance fee, but I told her I would literally drive in and take my pictures and come back out.  take a look at this view!

     it is encircled with a walking path, has canoes and a boat launch (just behind the reeds), a swimming beach on the far side, and just spectacular views for miles.  when I have/make more time I will definitely make this a primary destination. 

     I knew I wanted to try the local Asian fusion Lemongrass restaurant in Hill City, so I got there just as they opened.  I was the only customer for some time, which is always delightful.  it turned out my waitress shared our birthday with us!  we both wished each other belated greetings.  here I enjoyed Asian BBQ tacos and Chicken Satay Skewers.  I asked for my berry cheesecake to go, and found this lovely well-wish from my precious waitress when I got back to my room!  I definitely will be back to eat here again "next season."  they close for the season on the day I fly home.

     on Day 8 I decided to take it easy, sleep in, rest up - I had been charging pretty hard given all that my body has been through this year!  and the forecast was for it to snow at some point during the day, so I didn't really want to get caught out in unfamiliar terrain, vehicle, weather.  luckily I had my bison ramen leftovers and also one skewer and one taco from dinner, so I had plenty to eat without the need to go out.  by the way, it never snowed.  oh well, at least I was prepared for the possibility.  planning is everything! 

Day 9 was another transition day, as I was leaving Hill City and going to stay the night nearer the airport for an easy drive early the next morning.  plus, I was going to see the kids for lunch and meet Tim's mom Mary and Grandma Pat.  and there were other possibilities along the way.  I headed north toward Deadwood, and found myself on major highway construction, so bad that I drove a few miles on straight out gravel!  hope none of it damages that rental!  only spent a couple minutes pulled over in town to take a picture of the tour bus.  this town definitely has lots more to discover on a future trip! 

     I got to Belle Fourche, just north of where I'll meet the family, and saw the geographic center of the US.  there were also a number of war memorials scattered about the property, as well as the Tri State Museum where I saw several exhibits while passing the time until the lunch hour. 

  

  

     again I neglected to take any pictures of people and lunch - to much chatting! - but Mary and I took a scenic detour to the local fish hatchery where her dad worked and her family lived when she was a child.  we had a great time getting to know each other, and it's a beautiful park setting with lots of information about fish in Spearfish!

     Mary shooed me off, worried that I would be late getting into Rap City, but we did have a lovely time getting to know one another.  I took the route back to RC by way of Sturgis so I could go through the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.  

   

     I stopped at the quick stop to fill the SUV's tank, get me a hot dog and beer for dinner, and a cinnamon roll and chocolate milk for my coffee in the morning, and then settled in for a quiet restful night.

     Day 10 is one I could never have imagined!  I drove directly into my first SoDak sunrise on the way to the airport.  I pulled to the side of the highway to get the shot, and unlucky me a highway patrol passed me then pulled off the road a little further down.  I quickly snapped the picture, got back on the road, and just a half-mile further took the exit to the airport.  whew, no tickets in SD this trip!  I got checked in and had a lovely young man take me via wheelchair all the way to my gate.  he wanted to stick around and wheel me all the way on board, but I declined his generous offer.  he doesn't even do it for the tips, he just likes chatting people up!  he was in the service, and this is a much less strenuous job. 

     as I sat waiting for the gate to open, I noticed a very tall (handsome) native American man wearing an NFL Alumni shirt.  I tried not to stare, but I was trying to figure out if I knew him and what team he would have played on.  well lucky me we were seatmates in first class and he was a 49er for a minute during the Siefert era.   I was sitting next to football player, actor, documentary film producer - and really nice guy and grandpa - Jim Warne, "Jimmy" is what he told me to call him.  Oh My Gracious!!  we had such a wonderful conversation as we waited for the flight delay, caused by the late arrival of another flight that had weather issues.  Jim ordered a coffee and Baileys, which sounded amazing so I ordered one too.  man after my own heart!  eventually we were in the air, and we shared a few pics of our kids, his grandkids, and we landed.  he gave me a card talking about his film production company, and I'm going to try to connect him with our various employee resource groups as a motivational speaking opportunity next year!  he had to make the sprint to his plane home to San Diego, but my wheelchair was there waiting for me.  that wonderful young man wheeled me right to the dividing rope which they took down for me and he wheeled me right down the jetway to the door!  such service, I gave him a generous tip.  

  

I told Jim later in an email that I remembered
it was an ancient native American belief that 
someone taking your picture is stealing
your spirit.  I didn't want to ask him for
a selfie because I respected that tradition. 
he replied back later that evening (!!!)
that we could definitely take a selfie the
next time we meet!  such a generous 
kind soul.  he also accepted my FB friend
request, and this is a picture he had posted there. 
he's now on a tour showing his most recent
film which is up for several awards.  I couldn't
have dreamed of having a more interesting 
seatmate on this flight, on this trip,
to the land of his people in SoDak!

     the last flight was also a special experience.  as I sat in the front row of first class in seat 1F, my seatmate asked me if I'd be willing to swap to seat 2B so his daughter, who just got upgraded, could sit next to him.  he was so grateful.  as we walked off the plane she shyly thanked me and I told her "welcome" and that she should pay it forward.  hopefully her dad will teach her what a wonderful thing it is to do that!   my last wheelchair jockey was a dear sweet girl in a beautiful head covering who stayed with me all the way through baggage, collecting my giant suitcase off the carousel, and wheeling me to an excellent seat where I could wait for Craig to pick me up.  we had such a wonderful conversation and were "fast friends" when we parted - she with another generous tip.  pretty soon I was safely home with so many happy memories of an awesome birthday excursion!

     I needed the two days I still had off from work.  Craig wanted me to make the chard to go with the tri-tip and mushrooms he planned.  I was so stiff and sore from all my travels, dragging and lifting my heavy suitcase, and all that, that I took a long hot bath and tylenol pm to have a hopefully pain free night.  

     back at work and two days before Halloween I made an eye appointment to get my vision and glasses checked, since it's been since before the pandemic that I was last at the shop in Santa Clara.  we have vision centers in our buildings!  the doctor saw something troubling, so she dilated my eyes to make sure.  then she made me promise to contact Kaiser to get an ophthalmology appointment soon, as she thinks it's a horseshoe tear in my left eye.  well that explains a lot of the fatigue I've felt.  I thought my vision had just changed.  I was able to get that visit the following week, and that doctor scheduled me for laser surgery to repair it in mid-December!

     I don't know if it was related to all the stress they put on my eyes with dilation drops, etc., or if my allergies got so bad and affected my inner ear, but I had several days of bad vertigo.  the first episode was as I was getting into bed, and all of a sudden I felt like I was in another earthquake - I was literally being tossed around!  I was grabbing for things to stabilize myself until I got under the covers.  when I checked the earthquake website - nothing!  of course the usual earthquake sounds didn't happen either, so I had to realize it was the worst vertigo I've ever experienced.  I had a few more really severe episodes, and a lot more less severe ones over the next two weeks.

     and as if eye issues and vertigo aren't bad enough, my coworker who is the only other admin for our department called me in tears.  her mom had passed away over the weekend and she was asking me to cover for her while she was going through everything.  she knew I would understand since I had gone through it all with Mama six years ago, and then Daddy five years ago.  of course I was going to be supportive!  I ended up covering for over three weeks, until the short week of Thanksgiving.

     this was my costume for Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos.  I was too tired to stay up and hand out candy, but Craig was able to take care of the dozen or so kids who did come by during the one active hour just past sundown.  I was going to go see an all-female mariachi band for Dia de los Muertos, but I read the post wrong and also put it on my calendar wrong, and totally missed the event altogether.  but I did meet a nice retired man who helps with the Santa Village activity with the Rotary, and we chatted for half an hour while I rested and enjoyed the out of doors.  although my arm became tired from holding my hat on in the strong wind, so that's what eventually ended our conversation.  at least I'll have my costume for next year!