Our Family According to Mom

Mom didn't get the 'shades mandatory' memo.

It's family reunion time and ours is gearing up for a weekend retreat in the Hualapai Mountains late in June. Aunt Jackie (a loyal reader) is in charge of collecting individual updates for the family newsletter. My Mom (also a loyal reader) submitted the update for our family of four. She gets her writing skills from me. :)

"I'm sure more has happened in our family over the past two years than I can remember, but I'll give it a shot. I changed jobs last June - left the foot doctor for a dentist. It's a very small office – the dentist, the assistant and me. The Dr.'s wife was pregnant and I was hired so she could stay home with the baby, once born. I get to work 4 days a week (yay!!!), and it's a lot less stressful than my previous job.

"John retired from Edison in October of '06 and was fortunate to find work the following spring at a local boat shop (a return to his first career). He works from April thru October and takes off almost every other Friday. Since I'm off on Fridays, this allows us to get out of the heat just about every other weekend. We have a trailer we leave in Williams for the summer and stay there, sometimes taking the Harley for local rides or just hanging out in the COOL.

"Chelsea flew the local coop a year and a half ago and has settled in our nation's capitol. She is not currently working as the Republican Congressman she was working for did not seek re-election (read-indicted for some land trade deal). She is not letting that slow her down, however. She continues to follow opera the way most of us follow a sport. I wonder if they make Opera Trading Cards? I understand she is submitting her own update, so I'll leave the rest to her. Check out her blog – http://www.chelsealately.blogspot.com/.

"Kevin has also changed jobs. (At one point this past spring our household was at the 75% unemployment level!) He is working for a friend of ours who has a business cleaning up and maintaining foreclosed homes. They stay quite busy and travel all over the state. They get to bring home whatever they find at the houses. A couple weeks ago he came home with a box of about 40 LPs from the 80s. He was more excited about the album covers than the music. In August of '07, he bought a Harley (just like John's – a touring style). A couple of his buddies also had bikes and they rode quite a bit. A group of 7 rode to Sturgis in Aug '08-on the road 8 days (I believe) and about 3200 miles. Last December he traded it in on a FAAASSSST Honda Street bike. I pray for his safety every time he gets on it. He rides this bike a lot more than the Harley. He has a girlfriend, whom we have actually met and really like. Michelle is very nice, friendly and can carry on an adult conversation! She is also motorcycle savvy, having ridden dirt bikes most of her life."

"We had to have Fluffy (Himalayan cat) put down last May (he was 14) but still have Sophie (Lhasa Apso-12 ). I'm ready to be petless for a while but John would like to get another Persian. I think he's waiting for the cat fairy to leave him one on the doorstep. We're all healthy and thankful for the jobs we have."

A couple of comments: 1) If length is any indication, then my brother is the clear favorite child. :) 2) If there are Opera Trading Cards, then I want them! 3) I sure hope the cat fairy leaves dad a new cat soon (ahem, Mom, ahem wink wink nudge nudge GET A NEW CAT!!!)

P.S. Happy belated anniversary to my padres who celebrated like 50 million years of marriage on the 27th. Without them, I clearly would not be here. Seriously, I would not exist.