Paula and I went to the Irish-American Festival in Cuyahoga Falls on Sunday. As usual, I headed for the art place to see Art's bonzai tree. You know, those miniature minature trees that the Japanese like to grow. No Art bonzai tree. No Art. I asked around and BJ reporter Kathy Antonnini's husband said Art and his bonzai weren't there because "Art and Char were in an auto accident. But they're both fine."
At my request, Art emailed me. Be prepared for a whirlwind of activity:
John
Thanks for "inquiring." Sorry we haven't been more in contact. Last week, starting with Sat night on (the accident), was the week from hell. I had to deal with every beaureaucrat imaginable.
The grandbaby is born. I can tell you in a nutshell that she was 7.5 lbs. and about 21" long. She was born in early May (I wanna say the third but not sure). Her and her sis, Julia, and mom and dad are doing fabulouso. We just spent the afternoon and evening here with them. It was a birthday dinner and Julia was so excited to give me my presents.
Yesterday, she came to my screen door and shouted "grandpa, grandpa." When I went to see her she said "happy birthday." I opened the door and let her in. Mom and dad and Hannah, the new baby, were just out of view. I picked Julia up and she hugged and kissed me and said happy birthday again. Then she put her head on my chest and just hugged me for the longest time. It was her idea to come over. She insisted they come see me ON my birthday. What a great birthday present and it'll last a lifetime. Btw she is only 3 in August.
Grandpa daycare will be reopening for the month of August so little Hannah doesn't have to enter the daycare world until Sept.
I attribute grandpa daycare with the closeness that Julia and I enjoy. I cared for her for about 5 weeks, about 6-8 hours a day. I think I'll have Hannah for a little less time each day; Char assures me she'll be available more to help. It is very rewarding but also pretty exhausting.
OK, that covers the new baby.
The accident - a kid, just turned 17, tried to run a "yellow" light that he said he saw turn red. He really was trying to speed through dead red.
I never even saw him until his headlights filled my window.
He "T-boned" us and it was a really solid wallop. I thought immediately, while struggling to regain control, that was a pretty big collision. I knew I felt OK but was worried that Char might have been hurt. I didn't really know what had happened yet.
As it turned out Char was fine, I was fine. The kid (fine too) smacked us square into the driver's side but the main impact was directly on the divider between the front and rear doors. Thank God it was a sturdy little car. We were outweighed by 600 lbs. but our Suzuki Sx4 took the hit and I was able to drive home. Only a mile (I wouldn't have driven it much farther). He got cited for crashing the light. I had the car towed to Barberton Tuesday where we bought it. They will fix it and then we're trading it in. Only 17K miles but it will always be the "wrecked" car. 'Course the insurance co. doesn't want to pay anything for that blemish "just the cost to repair it."
No independent estimates anymore either. Every body shop will fix the car "per the insurance estimate." Ugh.
So fighting with the insurance co., getting the car towed to the dealer, renting a car, babysitting, getting a new sticker at the License Bureau, and then Fri. the IRS claiming we owed $2K more on last year's taxes. We were ready to be taken out of the oven, we were cooked.
After a 3.5-hr. "chat" on the phone with the IRS they were able to "adjust" the return to reflect exactly how it was filed.
I had to have a couple beers by then. So, as you probably know, retired doesn't mean time to while away the hours listening to the birds.
The rest of the summer is shaping up to be a buster. In 4 days we go to Char's 45th class reunion and then continue from Wheeling (West Virginia) to Garden City Beach, south of Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), to meet up with Ann and Roger Mezger and Sue and Roger Reynolds for a week's vacation.
Then we return and in 4 more days we fly to Connecticut to meet my son's future in-laws (Oct. 30 wedding in CT), then we fly home and in 4 more days I set up an art show at Hardesty Park. Then grandpa daycare opens pretty shortly after. Then I have to set up another art show at Hudson's Art on the Green. September something. Then October is the wedding and then it's the craziness of the holidays.
Wonder if I can get a job just to escape the craziness? Probably not.
Retirement ain't for the weak or lazy, that's for damn sure.
Hope everything is going well for you folks.
I'm sorry to hear Harry's Helen is having troubles. Such wonderful people.
Take good care
Art and Char
WHEW! It's exhausting just reading Art's stream-of-consciousness recollections. They'll have enough things to tell their grandchildren for years to come from just this one week.
The Mezger and Reynolds couples are BJ alums, too. Ann Sheldon Mezger once was in charge of the BJ Features Dept. Roger Mezger was among about two dozen BJ folks who switched to the Plain Dealer. Sue Reynolds, as I recall, kept track of loose ends for Metro reporters.
What about you? Why not catch BJ Alums up on your life since the BJ? The spike in the number of hits to the website when we run a "Catching Up With" article proves that your former co-workers are interested. Also email recent photos of yourself with family members.
And travels? Where have you been lately? We'd like to know, with photos that show you and your family at your travel destinations. Email details and photos to John Olesky at
Jo4wvu@sbcglobal.net
No comments:
Post a Comment