Journal Entry
We just got back from Ponca City, about 75 miles from Enid. Me, Dan, Mom and Charlie. Charlie is a very well-behaved and pleasant standard poodle. He did very well riding in the back seat of the Caddie, no problem at all... for me, anyway. Mom was also in the back seat, and he didn't seem to bother him very much either.
It's another scorcher of a day in Oklahoma, somewhere around 100-104 F was the forecast... no rain in sight, either.
We found our way to my Aunt Ene and Uncle Elson's house in Ponca and visited with Aunt Ene while waiting for Eldon to come home. Ene and Eldon are in their eighties and doing very well. We ate dinner with them, and then Eldon led us down to the shop; he has sold his business (exterminating and storm windows) to his son Jim Johndrow. Neither Dan nor I have seen Jim for a large number of years... like 30 or so, anyway. We spent about a half-hour in the shop before Jim came back from a job talking to Eldon. Like most of his generation, he has lots of stories to tell, and he tells them well.
We spent about an hour talking with Jim after he got there. He, like Dan, is formerly from academia, and they had a lot in common, plus he knows the area where Dan and Lynn are moving to pretty well.
We had to leave a lot earlier than we really wanted to, but Dan had to get back to take care of some business. We both really enjoy listening to Ene and Eldon (and Mom, for that matter) talk about the olden days. Many very good stories... that, and they are such neat people... hardworking, always bitching about everything but dependable as hell. Additionally, Aunt Ene is a supurb cook.
I'm really missing Kansas, though... Karen and the kids and grandkids... and my bed. And e-mail. I thought about getting the email from here, but decided against it.
Dan and I are having a damned good visit too. We have such a lot in common, but completely different viewpoints on some things. It's really good to be around someone who can make me think.
So... what's he doing, moving from one coast to the other? I sure would like for him to be closer, dammit. He nor Lynn have been impressed with the midwest, especially with the weather right now... the hottest summer in a long while in this area.
It's gonna be Pizza Hut Pizza tonight, then relatively early bedtime again. I will either be leaving Tomorrow night or early Wednesday morning, depending on how the sleeping goes....
More tomorrow...