I’m never usually very good at putt-putt. But today, I did just fine. Not par, or anything, but enough to be the winner. Lee did have an impressive hole-in-one, but it was not enough for the win. However, he did beat me handily in air hockey.
It has been a good day. I had to work, which I thought would stink, but I didn’t have to stay all day. I got to play putt-putt with Lee and Erin, which was lots of fun. Now I have the rest of my afternoon/evening to get stuff done.
There’s a lot to get done. We leave in four days. I’m working on laundry, and making a list of all the other things we need to get/do.
Anna sent us a list of potential “things to do” in Portland, and it looked like a lot of fun. Weather permitting, I think we’re going to the coast (I’ve never seen the Pacific) and also going to spend some time in Portland, seeing the city. Best of all, we’ll be spending time with good friends.
I had to work yesterday, too, which I thought would also stink. But, I met a really nice man at the candlelight memorial service I was covering. He was in his 80s, and had served in three wars – WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was wounded in Vietnam, and just shy of 30 years in the service when he had to be discharged. He said if the army hadn’t made him get out, he’d still be serving today. He talked about being upset about the way Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home. He said it still hurts, even now. Sometimes, when I’m working, it’s hard not to blur the lines between reporter and person. The person in me wanted to give him a hug, the reporter held back. Instead, I tried to write a good story about him, but one that I know won’t do his life justice. I’ll try to remember him every Memorial Day. He didn’t die in the war (thank goodness), but he still made sacrifices, and I thank him.