Family News Update

by Pa Rock
Proud Grampa

(Reported live from a bar and burger joint at the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport.)

Nick and Boone telephoned yesterday. They were getting ready to have a birthday barbecue for Riley, my granddog - a Boston Terrier. Riley was celebrating his first! Boone is in fifth grade this year. He said that his teacher is very into science and has lots of neat things in the classroom - like a tarantula! Nick and Boone are coming to Arizona in early October - with Uncle Tim - for a long weekend. We may go to the Grand Canyon and Sedona to escape the Valley of Hell!

Molly has been plagued with a diagnosis of placenta previa, but she went to the doctor today and learned that the placenta appears to be migrating. That is great news. She should now be able to have a normal delivery instead of a c-section, and Pa Rock doesn't have to worry quite so much about her health and safety.

Molly sent a nice video of Sebastian bouncing on the big white tiger that I got him for his first Christman. I'm glad that he is getting so much enjoyment out of it!

Scott (Molly's husband) turned thirty-two yesterday, and Tim will be thirty on Wednesday. Ouch! My baby is leaving his twenties behind!

Tim has been feuding with his evil insurance company for over a year. Today he learned that they have capitulated somewhat and will pay almost half of the amount that was in dispute. I told him that if there ever was a time that insurance companies should act with some humanity, this was it!

Remind me later, and I will publish my plan for paying for comprehensive national health care. Warning - some of you won't appreciate it!

Also, remind me later and I will tell the tale of a college party where a pet tarantula got loose and was roaming among the drunks! Ah, youth!

Off to Lubbock!

Poetry Monday: "Casey at the Bat"

by Pa Rock
Poetry Appreciator

This week's selection is an old standard, Casey at the Bat, written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer in 1888. It is a classic baseball tale that has been enjoyed by generations of Americans.

Many years ago when I was Middle School Principal with the Neosho R-5 School District in Neosho, MO, I worked for a kindly old superintendent named Roy Shaver. Roy, a huge baseball fan, liked nothing better than to gather up his copy of Casey at the Bat and march off to one of the elementary schools where he would regale kiddos with the story of the mighty Casey. Roy was a sweetie and quite a showman - and the Neosho R-5 School District was an overrated hellhole - but that's a whole other column!

While Nick and Boone and I were at Disney World last June, we came across a statue of Casey outside of an ice cream parlor. I asked Boone if he knew the story of Casey at the Bat, and he replied that he did not. So, this column lovingly is dedicated to Grandson Number 1, Boone Macy of West Plains, Missouri. Read it, Boone - and enjoy!

Casey at the Bat
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

by Pa Rock
Deflating Traveler

Sunday morning finds me at the airport in Orlando waiting on my flight - a mere five hours from now! I have said my good-byes to Nick and Boone, and they are someplace else in the airport waiting on their flight - which is earlier than mine. It will be almost 10 p.m. in Arizona before I set foot in my hovel tonight, and I will be at my office before 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. The real world is rushing in!

I have parked myself in a large food court at the airport. I know that it is Sunday because the Chick-fil-A is closed. No holy roller chicken sandwiches today!

Correction from yesterday: I said that no one actually lives on Castaway Cay. Wrong! Apparently fifty or so Disney employees call that little island home. They maintain the Cay and ensure that it is always clean, in good repair, and tourist-ready.

Nick and Boone had a close encounter of the fish kind yesterday at Castaway Cay. They were riding in a paddle boat when Nick's hat flew off and landed in the water next to their boat. A large fish, 6 feet in length, swam up under the hat and began nudging it with its nose - probably checking for edibility. Nick snatched the hat up and they resumed their boat ride. Back on shore he described the fish to one of the Disney workers who told him that it was probably a barracuda!

Last night we attended Disney Dreams, a very impressive musical that was staged in the ship's theatre. The show was reputed to have won the "Emerald Award" for best cruise ship musical. It featured characters from many of the Disney movies, Peter Pan flying on wires, and even snow falling over the audience!

After the show, Boone and I went to the top deck where we walked a couple of laps and had a good visit. Boone is writing about the trip. I told him that if he would email his account to me I would post it on The Ramble. Don't let me down, Boone!

When we got back to our room, Nick called us out to the veranda to see what he had discovered. We were passing through a large population of some large creatures that were jumping out of the water. It was dark, so we couldn't tell for certain what we were looking at. This morning I asked my good bud, Captain Henry, and he said that it was probably a school of dolphins. He said that we had encountered a school of them in approximately that location as we were heading to Nassau.

Boone said that the best part of our week-long adventure was the cruise. The best part for me was getting to spend time with my son and grandson. I know that I am repeating myself, but Nick is such a wonderful parent to Boone! And Boone is growing up so fast! I feel very fortunate that I was able to spend this time with him and his Dad!

The Flying Dutchman and Castaway Cay

by Pa Rock
Buccaneer Wannabe

We attended the Pirates of the Caribbean Party on the upper two decks of the ship last night. Our seats were along the railing of deck ten looking down on a pit of people who were gathered in front of a stage dancing. Although the event was designed to cater to the kids, most of the ship’s passengers were on hand and watching or participating. The dancing was led by several young Disney crew members who were ably assisted by Minnie Mouse, Chip and Dale, Goofy, Stitch, Captain Hook, and others. Mickey Mouse slid in on a wire high above the crowd at the end of the event to get everyone focused on the fireworks display. It was really quite a production!

After the party Nick and Boone went down to the main theatre where they viewed the 3-D version of the new Disney flick, Up. I stayed on the top deck and watched Pirates of the Caribbean on the enormous television monitor that had been used for the basketball game the night before.

We learned yesterday that there are around 700 islands in the Bahamas, but most are sparsely inhabited and have few services. Only 21 are capable of supporting people in the style that Americans demand. Land is very cheap if one goes to the more remote islands, but it costs more to bring in materials and build there. Some of the islands have as few as one family living on them - which sounds like heaven to this old recluse!

Castaway Cay is one of the 700 Bahamian Islands. Although no one lives on Castaway Cay, it is owned by Disney as serves as a port of call for their cruise ships. Castaway is quite a busy place. It is also home to the Flying Dutchman, the ghost ship from Pirates of the Caribbean, which is anchored just off shore. We were on Castaway all day. Nick and Boone swam and rode a paddle boat, while I sat under a palm tree and did some relaxing reading. The ship’s crew served a huge buffet on the island for lunch, and this afternoon Nick went para-sailing – that from a guy who used to be afraid of heights! Boone and I watched him fly by from the top of our ship.

We will be heading down to the dining room shortly. Tonight we are talking about taking in a live musical on the ship. Tomorrow we head home.

Bus Blogging

by Pa Rock
Consummate Traveler

We are riding a Disney Bus enroute to Port Canaveral and our big cruise. One of the many instructions was to plan on turning our cell phones off during the voyage to avoid international roaming fees. That means The Ramble will probably be shut down until Sunday as well - not that anyone but Tim and Phillipia will probably notice!

Disney World was fun, and Boone was old enough to enjoy it. His dad also seemed to have a very good time. The people who did not seem to be having fun were the very young - ages seven and below - and their bedraggled parents. Most of that group were fussy, angry, and tired (kids and parents!). It would probably work better for little kids to come in the winter when it isn't so sultry and all of the screaming and stampeding older kids were safely back home and in school or institutions.

I did see lots of grandparents on this trip, and most seemed to be having a grand time showing Disney's world to their progeny. I know that taking my grandson to Disney World has been a special adventure for me. I hope that someday he will bring his children and grandchildren here and tell them about his first visit at Disney World with his dad and Pa Rock.

Scratch the Alligator

by Pa Rock
One Tired Hombre

Apparently Nick's alligator story from yesterday was just that - a story - something that he made up to try and pry Boone out of bed that morning. I'm really disappointed. Last night I had pitched half a cheeseburger into the flower bed in front of our room in an effort to entice the critter back. I guess I will just stick to feeding the birds!

We were at Disney's Hollywood Studios again today and found plenty to observe and do that we didn't get to yesterday. The highlight was the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. It included massive sets that were pulled around by tractors and large trucks, and plenty of dramatic and amazing action. One of Harrison Ford's stunt doubles held the stage with with some of the best stunts from the several Indiana Jones movies, and used his whip with careless abandon. A truck flipped over and burned on stage, a Nazi airplane taxied onto the stage and served as the centerpiece of a wild fight, and explosions and fires punctuated the entire production. This was my favorite show of all that I have seen at Disney World.

We took a ride through some of America's most loved movie scenes. That was informative and very relaxing. And this afternoon we happened upon a street performance by three guys driving an old car with a sign on the door that read "Hollywood Public Works." They told jokes and bantered with the crowd as they took a "break" from their street jobs. Their jokes were so lame that they were funny!

Tonight Nick and Boone are swimming and doing laundry. I am going to head down to the cafeteria and join them for supper.

More later...

Another Day at the House of Mouse

by Pa Rock
Fun Grampa

Three parks today - two new ones and a rerun.

We began the day with breakfast at our hotel. Boone enjoyed a Mickey Mouse waffle. (If I could find one of those waffle irons, my Christmas shopping for Scott and Molly would be over! I'm still looking!) Nick went down to breakfast ahead of us and said that an alligator had crawled out of the river and was sunning on the sidewalk - but it was gone by the time Boone and I went down later. Maybe we'll get lucky in the morning and get out there before the hotel staff chases him back into the river!

Our first stop of the day was Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. We watched some very talented street performers dressed like Hollywood starlets of the 1940's. We were also treated to a High School Musical 3 parade and outdoor music review at Hollywood Studios.

I found something else that I felt that Sebastian needed. As I paid for my purchase, the old codger working the cash register told me that I had been at Animal Kingdom yesterday. Amazed, I asked him how he knew that. His reply: "Your money is still wet!"

We spent some time in a Hollywood memorabilia shop. One of the signature items was a striped jacket worn by Dick Van Dyke in the movie Mary Poppins. It was sale priced at just $65,000! Unfortunately, it was a tad too small for me!

The second stop was Epcot Center which is well worth the trip to Florida by itself. We began by riding through the highlights of world history inside of the signature Epcot sphere. It is something that all school kids should experience, as well as their teachers and parents. After that we had lunch in the British section, we listened to a Beatles Tribute Band playing in a gazebo, and then walked around the lake and visited many of the national exhibits. I was drawn to the Moroccan exhibit and it seemed to grab Boone's attention as well. We saw the Islamic designs of the tile work, displays of Moroccan clothing, oriental rugs, and other items of Muslim culture. Boone said Morocco was "awesome!"

At Japan we watched three amazing drummers entertaining the crowd on in front of the five-story pagoda. There was also a "Tori Gate" next to the lake that let me share some of Nick's Okinawan heritage with him. We were in Africa heading to Mexico when the draw bridge connecting the two began to raise. Boone seemed to find that process interesting. Well, we all did! One of our final stops at Epcot was a Viking exhibit from Sweden. (I had visited a Viking archaeological sight on an island called Birka while in Sweden several years ago, and was interested to see what was in this exhibit. I wasn't disappointed!)

After exiting the Epcot Center, we boarded a large boat and cruised across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. While there we rode a Jungle River Ride in Adventure Land, and did the Buzz Lightyear Laser Ride in Tomorrow Land. Both were a lot of fun.

I visited with an older lady who was an official Disney photographer. She said that she and her husband moved to Orlando from Michigan after they retired to work at Disney World. She liked being a photographer because it paid better than some of the other park positions that she had held. She said that her husband, who is eighty, drives a bus for Disney! (I started checking out the drivers before boarding!) The photographer told me that there are some nice benefits that come with working at Disney - like free park passes for friends! That may be my next great adventure as a foot soldier in the American labor force.

Disney Humor:
Speaking of Africa, what is the capital of Africa?
Answer: A

Why is Tigger always jumping?
So he doesn't step on Pooh.

Disney Ripoffs:
The hotels sell refillable mugs for $14.95 that can be filled free in perpetuity at any of the parks. But, you take the mugs to the parks and they tell you that they don't know what you're talking about.

Many of the poorer tourists (like us) buy meal tickets in advance. They cover each person in the group with one snack, one quick service meal, and one sit-down meal per day. It is a very smart way to handle food expenses. The sit-down meal can be lunch or dinner. Yesterday we had lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant - Nick has shrimp and steak, and I had salmon - total bill was eighty some dollars. It was covered by the meal plan. The ripoff: Today we stopped at the Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios. Their meals were in the same price range as what we had yesterday. The staff there said that a meal would cost us each two meals on the meal plan! Scum! Later we stopped the Canadian restaurant at Epcot. They operated only on reservations made 90 days in advance. That ought to keep out the riffraff! Fortunately, the food at the British restaurant was superb, and served without any gimmicks.

Miracle at the House of Mouse: Remember my new digital camera that reacted badly to being washed yesterday? Last night Nick suggested that I take out the battery and photo card, leave the camera open over night, and see if it would dry out. Well, it did - and it works! Nick is so smart! He definitely takes after his dad!

One of our minor adventures today had Boone feeding popcorn to a mama duck and her three ducklings. He was quite popular!

We are still having a great time. We have one more day of touring the parks, and Thursday we will board the cruise ship and head toward the Bahamas. We are due return to the real world on Sunday - unless we get lucky and pirates hijack our ship!

More to follow...

A Disney Adventure!

by Pa Rock
World Traveler

I'm off on another trip tomorrow, a fun adventure to Disney World in Florida followed by a cruise to the Bahamas on one of Disney's big boats (probably the S.S. Goofy!). My oldest son, Nick, and his only son, Boone, will be waiting for me at the Port Orleans Resort at Disney World.

This will be my third summer of going somewhere with Boone. Two years ago he and Nick and I rode Amtrak from Topeka to Flagstaff and then drove south in a rented car to Phoenix where we met his new cousin, Sebastian. We also took in Sedona and the Grand Canyon on that trip. Last summer he and his Dad flew to Phoenix and we drove to San Diego where Boone was able to see the ocean for the first time. You only get to see the ocean for the first time once, and Pa Rock was thrilled to be there when his oldest grandson had that experience!

Boone is ten-years-old now and should really enjoy his time in the theme park and at sea. (I once told a friend that a Disney Cruise was my definition of hell, but he assured me that the kids are kept very busy and the old fogies are free to enjoy more leisurely pursuits.) I'm sure that we will all have a blast!

And,yes, I'm going to be on the lookout for pirates. It would be like just like that devious (yet charmingly flamboyant) Captain Jack Sparrow to try something on the high seas!

More to follow...

The Secret of a Successful Weekend

by Pa Rock
Procrastinator

As every working person knows, weekends are too short. Saturdays are set aside for relaxing and licking the wounds of the previous week, while Sundays are for summoning the strength to face five more days on the chain gang. One day of winding down, followed by a day of winding up. That's why it's damned hard to get anything done on a weekend.

I have been unpacking for a month now. Weekends are when it should be happening, but the pull of Saturdays followed by the push Sundays have contrived to keep my momentum firmly stuck in neutral.

But this Sunday was different. Today I didn't have to plan my activities around getting ready to go back to work - because tomorrow is a holiday. I will fret and panic tomorrow. Today I moved furniture, unloaded boxes, shopped for a mop, and had a very productive time of it. Today was a good day!

I also talked to my son, Nick, and his son, Boone. They were at my dad's house in Noel this weekend where Nick mowed the yard at my little farm on Old Pine Trail, and helped his granddad trim up his yard. Nick seemed to have had a very good time showing Boone the world that was his youth. They went fishing at the dam - the place Nick literally grew up - cooked out, played ball, and discovered a swimming hole. Nick is a wonderful dad!

Nick and Boone were able to get to Noel because they had a three-day weekend. And yes, having that third day is the secret of a successful weekend. All of the pressures fade away with that extra day stuffed into the weekend.

Barack, if you're reading this - and who am I to think that you aren't? - four ten-hour workdays each week would boost national productivity and be a wonderful way to live. Make it happen!

Leaving Las Vegas

by Pa Rock
Movie Buff

It is way too early for any civilized individual to be at the airport, but here I sit. I said good-bye to my kids last night. Nick, Tim, and Erin are in the air heading toward Kansas City, and Molly and Scott are probably still sleeping because their flight isn't until noon. By the time they are in the air, I will be peacefully sleeping in my apartment!

Las Vegas tends to lose its luster after a few days, and it will be good to get back to the relative calm of Phoenix.

Note to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce: Was it really necessary to shut down all of the outdoor escalators on Easter Sunday? How many tourists suffered coronaries as they has to climb up and over the major intersections? You suck!

Poor Wilbur:

As our plane was preparing for take-off this morning an airport terminal employee rushed on board to get an emergency message to a departing passenger. "If we have a Wilbur (last name withheld) on board, your girlfriend, Priscilla, from Ahwahtukee just called. She can't pick you up at the airport because her car is broken down. You are to take a cab with the eleven dollars that you have on you and in the direction of her place. Call her on her cell phone when the eleven dollars runs out." Long pause. "Good luck, Wilbur."

Eleven dollars would have gotten him just about out of the airport!

Tales of the Strip

by Pa Rock
Weary Walker

We have been up the Strip and down the Strip today, putting several miles on my old tennies. The group included myself, my son Nick, my other son, Tim, and his fiance Erin Pater, and my daughter, Molly Files, and her husband Scott. My nephew, Reed Smith, joined us in the mall at Planet Hollywood and spent the rest of his Saturday showing us through the glittering maze that is the Las Vegas Strip.

One of the first attractions that we encountered was the dancing fountains at the Belagio. I have never seen the new version of the movie, Ocean's Eleven, but I understand that those choreographed waters were featured in it. Today the waters were dancing to Frank Sinatra's vocal rendition of Luck Be A Lady Tonight. We also strolled through the Belagio and toured a beautiful indoor spring flower garden with tulips and poppies galore. And then there was the candy shop with its massive chocolate fountain. The Belagio is a "must see" for anyone coming to Vegas.

Our next stop was an outdoor bar at Caesar's Palace where we rested and refreshed. The only alcohol that has slipped past my lips on this trip was a Bailey's Shake yesterday which was delicious - as it should have been for $7.50! But people were walking up and down the street drinking well before noon - it's that kind of place! Big mixed drinks in unique plastic containers are everywhere. A person can buy a yard of daiquiri in what looks to be a three-foot flower vase. There ware also large plastic guitars and replicas of the Eiffel Tower with straws coming out of their tops for classy booze consumption while navigating the Strip.

The Forum Shops in Caesar's are amazing. They are enlcosed in an enormous in-door mall with Roman statuary and fountains around every corner. The ceilings are two stories high domed affairs painted and backlit to resemble the sky. It does give the feeling of walking through ancient Rome on a partly cloudy day with a very international, camera-toting, population.

Caesar's was where we had our only celebrity sighting of the day. Former baseball bad boy, Pete Rose, was holed up in a storefront signing autographs for pay. We stopped and took his picture, in much the same way that one would take a picture of a simian pulling lice off of itself at the zoo. Old Pete looked old, really old, Pa Rock old! Reed commented on the irony of the Hall-of-Famer-Wannabe signing autographs for pay at Caesar's in Las Vegas! (He probably used his breaks to run upstairs and check his bets!)

Our next stop was the Venetian where we watched the gondola's make their way slowly up and down the Grand Canal which flows through the center of the hotel-casino complex. The Venetian, like the Belagio and Caesar's Palace, is elegant to a fault. One of the unique features at the Venetian is a spiral escalator, not something that one is likely to see in stodgy old New York or Chicago.

On the way back toward our hotel, The Tropicana, we passed two long lines of what Tim and I decided to call "clickers." These were men and women who were handing out business cards for the prostitutes. They would slap the cards on their wrists or click them together making a very distincitve rattling sound. Any tourist who made eye contact with a clicker got a couple of cards - and once a person accepted one guy's cards, everybody else gave them theirs as well. Needless to say, the sidewalks and streets are littered with glossy photos of other people's daughters.

The working girls also place advertisements in small throw-away newspapers that some of the clickers hand out. These are commonly referred to as "the sporting pages!" If all of that doesn't free a person of their virtue, there are billboard trucks cruising the Strip with huge photos of "Hot Babes" along with phone numbers. And then there are the more ambitious vixen who walk right up and proposition the rubes. One member of our party was approached in the casino last night by a woman who offered to follow him to his room for three hundred dollars!

I also noted some fine literary efforts during our outing today. There was a vagrant sitting on the overpass outside of our hotel with a box for donations. His sign read simply, "Why lie? I need a beer." A young man passed us wearing a t-shirt that proudly proclaimed "Fuck Milk! Got Pot?" And then there was the old fellow - at least ten years my senior - who made his statement by carrying a ghetto blaster that was pounding out music from the sixties!

It was an exciting day. Tonight I plan to lay around and watch my feet swell!

The Benjamin Button Effect

by Pa Rock
Birthday Boy

A year ago today was Easter Sunday, a very early Easter Sunday. I have no idea when it will be this year, but I remember last year's because it happened to fall on my 60th birthday. Today instead of turning 61, I have decided to start counting backward. So, if anybody asks (or cares), I now consider myself to be fifty-nine. I'm calling this new math The Benjamin Button Effect in honor of Brad Pitt's character in that movie that I never got around to watching. My gut on this is that if I can convince myself that I am getting younger, better health has to follow.

I like birthdays because all of my kids call and check in. Molly called first, while I was still at work. It is apparently cold in Oregon today, and she and Sebastian were hanging around the house. He got on the phone and chattered a bit to me. Boone called after I got home. We talked about school and things like that. He will be representing his fourth grade class in the county spelling bee again this year. He has represented his class every year since kindergarten. Boone is a spelling machine! Nick also got on the phone and talked awhile. Boone told me that his Dad has lots of customers at his business - and I am very glad about that! Tim called in last. He and I talk on-line fairly regularly. We will all be together in Las Vegas in less that three weeks (minus Boone and Sebastian) to support Tim as one of his works that was made into a movie is shown at the Las Vegas Film Festival.

I also made my daily call to my Dad tonight, and he surprised me by remembering my birthday. I wonder if I will be around when my kids hit 60 and then start back into their fifties? Anything is possible, but in case I am not here, I am secure in the knowledge that they all know how proud I am of them - and how much I love them!

I also had birthday calls yesterday from Missouri friends Carla Turnbough Brown and Imogene Knaust - both a couple of December girls! And my niece, Tiffany Smith (a proud new mom), put a birthday message on my Facebook wall. I feel really special!

A Wonderful Christmas Gift!

by Pa Rock

I received a very special Christmas gift - something that I will treasure always. It is a book entitled The UFO Battle, and it was written and illustrated by my grandson, Boone Macy. Boone created this science fiction masterpiece as a part of the Young Author's Program at his school, and then his Dad had it professionally bound and helped Boone to send me a copy. It came as quite a surprise for his proud grandpa!

This story is about a retired army general living in Florida who is captured and kidnapped by aliens. The FBI tries to keep the kidnapping a secret, but the general's neighbor who runs a laundry mat gets involved and lets the secret out. The neighbor himself is soon confronted by aliens, and...well, if you want to know more you will have to wait until it hits your local bookstore! I will give you this morsel, though - it is a very exciting plot!

Boone, Pa Rock is very proud of you - and I am proud of your Dad, too!

Much love!

Welcome to the Third World!

by Pa Rock

The Ramble has been down for a few days because I am currently visiting a third world country where there is no cell phone service or wireless Internet - the Missouri Ozarks. The scenic little tourist town of Noel is located in a "green Ozark valley" according to my old school song, but that valley is a hole as far as 21st century technology is concerned. Noel doesn't have a John McCain to strong arm the communications company into giving the town its own tower. (Even getting satellite television is a trick!)

So today I am sitting at a McDonald's in Jane, MO, taking up space and trying to behave like a paying customer so they won't throw me out. Jane is on the Missouri-Arkansas border in the shadow of Bentonville, AR. Bentonville, being the home of Wal-Mart, Jones Truck Lines, and Tyson Foods, has great communications - you betcha they do!

I am in Noel for an early Christmas. My 84-year-old father was the Grand Marshal of Noel's Christmas Parade yesterday, so a lot of the family was able to gather for that big event. My sons, Nick and Tim were there, along with Nick's nine-year-old son, Boone.

My sister, Gail Macy, and he ex, Bob Smith, were also there with three of their grown children, Tiffany Smith and her very nice friend, Justin Smith and his wife, Lisa, and Heidi Pfetcher and her husband Jason. Heidi and Jason's three-year-old daughter, Lauren, was also present. Lauren is a very bright and happy little girl. The Pfetcher's lived in London for a year before Lauren was born, and they are returning for a two-year-stay in April. Now their biggest problem will be figuring out how to keep Uncle Rocky from showing up on their doorstep! (Actually, two friends and I crashed in on them during their last stay in England - and they were wonderful hosts! This time I will stay in a hotel - I promise!)

Justin and Lisa brought their wonderful miniature dachshund, Scooter. (I really miss not having a dog!) Scooter made certain that my face and both ears were clean!

So the big house at 214 South Kingshighway was full and rocking! We also followed the parade down Main Street and made our fair share of noise. Ten years ago I would have known ninety percent of the people in the parade and along the sidelines, but I have been gone too long. All in all, I probably spoke to a dozen people who remembered me or whom I remembered - and the remembering wasn't always mutual!

Last night Gail, Dad, Nick, Tim, Boone, and I went to Neosho for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Two really nice things happened on that trip. First, as we were leaving we ran into Dianna Afuvai and Janine Kelley, two ladies who used to teach with us at Noel. (Dianna, in fact, had taught with us at Mountain View and then followed us to Noel when I became principal there.) Dianna has retired but still works as a school librarian on a part-time basis. Janine just retired this year. (Janine is the mother of the first girl that I ever remember Nick dating. She also gave us Rusty, our faithful family pooch for many years.)

The other nice thing that happed last night was that Boone and I rode to Neosho and back in the backseat of Gail's car and had a really good conversation. My oldest grandson talked about dinosaurs, planets, Steven King novels, and the things he is doing in school. He is really becoming quite the grownup young man! Boone and his dad have gone on vacation with me the last two summers, and last night we began planning for this year. No hints yet - but it will be the best ever!

I hope that all of Gail's children and my children reproduce with wild abandon because, so far, they have made wonderful parents. Heidi and Jason worship Lauren, yet she shows no signs of being spoiled. She is polite and respectful while remaining very vivacious. Molly and Scott are totally focused on little Sebastian. They are wonderful parents and he is truly a special son and grandson. And I continue to be amazed at the great job Nick does with Boone. Nick always interacts with his son in a calm and pleasant manner, and he encourages him to try new things and to learn. Nick and Boone are the best of friends. I am such a fortunate grandfather!

I am heading back to the Valley of Hell (which is actually quite nice this time of year) on Tuesday. My next posting will probably be from there.

See you then!

Finally Friday!

by Pa Rock
Weary Traveler

The wedding is history now, and Nick boarded the plane home this morning - so my life is becoming my own again. I didn't want to let this week end without memorializing a couple of other things that happened during the week of Molly and Scott's wedding.

The only descendant of mine who wasn't in San Diego was my grandson, Boone. He stayed in West Plains, MO, and had a big Thanksgiving dinner at his Grandmother Margaret's house. I did talk to Boone a couple of times on the phone during the week. He is into heavy-duty reading - things like the novels of Stephen King. That is fairly amazing for a nine-year-old fourth grader! I will see Boone next weekend when we all meet in Noel to watch my Dad serve as Grand Marshall of the Christmas Parade.

Molly and Scott's wedding was on a very public beach, and, not surprisingly, life on the beach kept right on happening even with the solemn event occurring at the center of the maelstrom. One notable competing event was a game of beach paddle ball that worked its way right up to the edge of our little group. I guess that we didn't bother them because they never quit playing! Then a company-sized unit of young military men ran by in formation heading north along the beach. They were wearing shorts, t-shirts, and military footwear. Ten minutes after that a similar group ran by headed south. It was hard to tell if they were the same unit or not, but if it was, they had lost their shirts. My guess is that they were marines, and running on the sand was preparation for Iraq. But whoever and whatever, they are now a part of the history of Molly and Scott's wedding!

My Dad's older brother, Wayne Macy, died of leukemia in San Diego in 1956 at the age of thirty-five. He is buried in a military cemetery on a beautiful piece of land that juts out into the Pacific just north of Coronado, a place that we could see clearly from the beach. His widow and daughter were at the wedding. So Wayne Macy was a part of the wedding also.

My Dad is too old to travel - or at least he thinks he is, so he stayed in Missouri and did not attend. I called him from the reception and he was able to visit with the happy bride, her brothers, and my Aunt Mary and Cousin Janet. So he, too, was a minor character in the wedding.

After the reception I wanted to make sure that my kids had the opportunity to visit among themselves and to talk with other people there who are important in their lives. To get out of the way, I drove to Imperial Beach, ostensibly to see the new sixteen-foot statue of a surfer that was unveiled on the beach this week.

I got to the beach community shortly before the sun set. I drove down the same streets that I had walked last May, taking note of the yard full of roses that had resulted in my making a new friend during my last visit. I stopped at several different beach access points, but never did find the statue. I did sit on the rocks until well after dark watching some surfers riding the waves. A storm was blowing in off the ocean, probably making their waves better, and definitely bringing a welcoming calm to my life. I guess that I had forgotten just how wonderful the solitude of the ocean could be.

Peace is the ocean soothing a beach in the moonlight - and if lightening is dancing across the dark horizon, that's all the better!

Thanskgiving Thursday

by Pa Rock
Parade Float

The Macy's had two Thanksgiving Parades today - the traditional one in New York City, and a west coast affair that stretched from San Diego to the center of Arizona. I paraded out to the airport this morning in a heavy rain to get Tim and Erin to their plane, then Nick and I paraded over to Coronado to return Scott's jacket that he had left in my car, and to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Files and little Sebastian. Nick and I completed the day by parading back to Goodyear, with the rain following us most of the way. It was so nice to see rain falling across the Sonoran Desert! There was a rainbow over San Diego as we left, and a rainbow over Phoenix as we got back. With omens that good, I had to buy some lottery tickets!

A fellow at a gas station in San Diego told me that he has lived there since 1973, and last night's rain was the heaviest that he has seen in all of that time. There were even tornado warnings for Coronado Island last night. Who knew they had tornado's on the seacoast?

Tonight Nick and I paraded around Goodyear looking for pizza, but to no avail. Even the local grocery store was closed. We finally stumbled across an Arby's that was open and were able to procure sandwiches for our Thanksgiving meal!

Nick will fly out of Sky Harbor early tomorrow, and my life will start to get back to some degree of normality. Tomorrow night I am going to a Phoenix Suns basketball game. They are playing the Miami Heat. I may also go by work for a couple of hours and clear off whatever has piled up on my desk this week - if the shredder is working!

Coronado Tuesday

by Pa Rock
Sentimental Tourist

Tim, Erin, Nick, and I were out on Coronado too early this morning so that Molly and Scott could borrow my car to go get their marriage license. We had breakfast at a 50's Diner on Orange Street (Coronado's main drag). When breakfast was over we headed out toward the beach where we ran into Scott's dad, Alvin Files. We walked along the beach, and Tim took his shoes of and waded into the surf. Our next stop was the beautiful Del Coronado Hotel where we walked through the lobby (adorned for Christmas), the shops area, and the gardens.

Coronado is in full bloom. The sidewalks are bordered with flower beds and flowering shrubbery. There is a type of canna common here that I have not seen other places. It is called "bird of paradise," and the blooms look exactly like the profile of a crane. We also noticed poinsettias planted in the flower beds with their red holiday leaves stunningly out of place in the warm Pacific sunshine.

We rode the Coronado ferry over to the San Diego Harbor for a few hours in the afternoon. En route we passed the USS Ronald Reagan (aircraft carrier) that just returned to port today after several months at sea serving in the Middle East and the Philippines. There was film on television tonight of its arrival - crying families, wives with babies that had been born since the ship sailed, banners and signs - much like the reunions that I witnessed in the aircraft hangars back at Ft. Campbell.

Our main activity at the harbor was just to walk along looking at the large art displays that line the waterfront. Alvin and Susan Files showed us how to get to the ferry. Molly and Scott were able to join our group for that outing. Susan Files is a teacher, and she and I had a discussion about education - with her catching me up of some of the changes that have happened since I left that profession. Alvin is an attorney. They live in Ada, Oklahoma.

The forecast is for heavy rain later tonight. It will supposedly be the heaviest rain since January. Molly and Scott have a Plan B for an indoor wedding, but they had their hearts set on getting married on the beach. Maybe the sun will come shining through!

This evening we went back to Coronado for dinner with Scott and Molly. Little Sebastian arrived this afternoon and was quite the center of attention. We ate at an Irish Pub and were entertained by an older male vocalist (somewhere around my age!) with an acoustic guitar who sang the songs of my youth - the Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, Simon and Garfunkle, James Brown, Janis Joplin, and Arlo Guthrie - to name but a few. It was a very nice evening!

Tomorrow is the wedding day, rain though it may.

We are having a grand time in San Diego!

San Diego Monday

by Pa Rock

Nick and I spent a couple of hours today touring the USS Midway, an Aircraft Carrier that is pulling retirement duty as a museum in the San Diego Harbor. The Midway has numerous aircraft that saw service from the Korean War through Desert Storm. The Carnival Cruise Ship Elation was anchored in the neighboring berth. That is the ship that Molly and Scott will take on their honeymoon.

Molly and Scott arrived this afternoon, and Nick and I got to Coronado in time to help them take their luggage to their room. Then we hustled over to the airport and picked up Tim and Erin. So hail, hail, the gang's all here!

Two interesting things happened at the airport. We were in McDonald's waiting on them to butcher a cow and make our sandwiches, when a distinguished looking gentleman wearing a suit and carrying an expensive briefcase walked up to the counter and ordered a hamburger. "Just a hamburger." He told the crew kids. The girl at the counter told him that would be two dollars and four cents. The interesting thing about that encounter is that I can remember when a McDonald's hamburger was fifteen cents! And from the look on the customer's face, he could too!

The other incident of note happened when we accompanied Tim and Erin to the luggage carousel. I saw what appeared to be some litter on the floor. As I looked it over, the litter came into focus as a crumpled up twenty dollar bill. I quickly bent over and snatched it up. After a careful scan of the environs, I determined that no one was stumbling around looking for their money, and, more importantly, there did not appear to be some film crew doing a "candid camera" piece - or a psychology professor doing honesty research. The three alternatives as I saw it were to give the twenty dollar bill to TSA (aka Public Enemy #1), wave it around in the air yelling "Hey, did anyone lose a twenty?", or avoid the public melee by putting it in my pocket. I chose door number three.

Goodnight from San Diego.

Report from the Road

by Pa Rock
Over-the-Road Journalist

Nick and I arrived in San Diego in the early afternoon. It was a good drive. I took the wheel from Goodyear to Yuma, and he brought us the rest of the way.

There still are not many trucks on the road, even with the lower gas prices. We did see several trains carrying truck cargo containers stacked two-high. Putting several hundred containers on a train is undoubtedly much cheaper that putting several hundred trucks on the road. So, long-story-short, the trucking industry may have suffered a permanent blow from the last national gas-gouging.

The trucks may still be scarce on the interstate highways, but the RV's and Fifth Wheels are back clogging the roads and sucking up that cheap gas. Those old farts better enjoy it while they can because the age of affordable gas is almost history!

We drove by numerous snowbird villages, RV parks in some of the most God-awful desert settings. Senior citizens inhabit these sad outposts every winter as they seek refuge from the Midwestern winters. Today we could see them sitting out in their lawn chairs, half-hidden in the mesquite and sage brush, forty miles from the nearest shopping, and looking utterly forlorn. We did see one old fellow walking his dog out along the edge of the highway, and I don't know who appeared to be sadder, the man or his best friend tugging at the end of the leash. The weather was beautiful, but if it were me, I would rather be home in Missouri shovelling snow than trying to relax in the desert while being constantly on the lookout for scorpions, Gila monsters, and rattlesnakes.

Speaking of varmints, a shiny white Lexus passed us today bearing a "Palin" bumper sticker! That's pretty scary - you betcha it is!

Our room at the Navy Lodge is wonderful, lots of space and even has a small kitchen. Nick commented tonight about how polite the gate guards are. I asked one of the ladies at the desk tonight about the best way to visit Tiajuana some evening. Her pained facial expression said it all. "We shouldn't go in the evening?" I surmised. "Oh, please don't!" she said. She advised being very careful even if we went in the daytime. Then she added that passports were now required. I forgot mine, and Nick doesn't have one, so maybe we can make it south of the border on our next trip out here.

And speaking of forgetting things, I forgot the new camera that I bought for Molly's wedding. That's kind of a tradition with me - I always manage to forget something. I guess it's an age thing! I even left the battery for the new camera plugged in at my apartment, and had to call the manager and have her go unplug it. I am going to New York in January with a wonderful lady - the camera will make its traveling debut then! But for now, a couple of disposables will have to do.

Goodnight from San Diego!

Heading West

by Pa Rock
Busy Dad

My oldest son, Nick Macy, arrived in Phoenix this afternoon, and tomorrow morning he and I are heading out to San Diego, a drive across the desert of slightly more than five hours. I am looking forward to getting out of Phoenix for a few days. We made the same trip in August, and it was really nice because Nick did all of the driving.

We are going to San Diego for my daughter's wedding. Molly and Scott Files are tying the knot on the beach at Coronado next Wednesday. It will be one of those rare times when all of my kids are together. We are all hoping that the weather will cooperate. but I bought a couple of golf umbrellas today - just in case. I received some strange looks from the check-out lady in Target, probably because it never rains in Arizona.

My youngest son, Tim, is flying into San Diego on Monday with his fiancee, Erin Pater. Tim and Erin and Nick and I will all be staying at the Guest Lodge at the Naval Base - one of the benefits of working for the military. The lodge is convenient to all of the places where we will be going, and the price is nice, too.

This will be my third trip to San Diego this year. I am getting way too accustomed to the drive. It is a beautiful city with a wonderful Mediterranean climate. Maybe I need to think seriously about moving there!