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Epic Insult

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, tagged , , , , on November 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

Tuesday I blogged about a silly gift I put together for my friend’s 40th birthday.

What I didn’t share with you is the trauma I experienced buying the candles for her cake.

It never fails that I will find the one chatty checker at the store. Captain Cavedweller can get in line and no one will say a word to him other than “did you find what you were looking for” and “thanks, have a nice day.”

Me, in the time it takes for the checker to ring up and  bag my purchases, I can know how many kids they have, why their brother is in jail, the last time their car was serviced and how they like their bread toasted.

The day I was buying my BFF’s candles, I stood smiling at the checker who would not stop talking about her washer and dryer, her kids aptitude for creating dirty laundry and why she wished her neighbors would bring back something they borrowed.

Nodding my head, only half-listening, she asked me about some of the gifts I was buying for BFF. I told her my friend was turning 40 and I was putting together a gift for her.

Without missing a beat, she picked up the “40” candles, looked at them, looked at me and asked, “So, are these for your daughter?”

I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped open. It is possible I even swallowed my gum.

I don’t know that I have ever been so insulted.

As in Epic Insult.

Sure I misheard what she asked, I couldn’t quite bring myself to have her repeat it. Apparently, from the time I got out of bed and ran to the store to the time I stood in her check-out line, I’d aged 20 years!

Finally able to speak, I shook my head. “No, they are for my friend.”

“Oh,” the checker said, then went on rambling about something else.

Fuming, I managed to contain my desire to slap some sense into the woman and thanked her as I piled bags in my cart and trudged out the door. I barely arrived home when Captain Cavedweller called to see how my day was going.

He got an ear-full about the checker which made him laugh so hard, I thought he might actually rupture something.

Since that wasn’t bad enough, he proceeded to tell several people at work who also thought it was hilarious.

I’m still living that whole thing down.

And I haven’t been back to the store since, either.

She Who Is Aging Rapidly

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A Monday List

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, tagged , , on November 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

See that cute little girl sneezing with a pile of tissues. If you took out the cute and little girl part and inserted annoyed, chocolate-eating, mid-aged freakazoid, the picture would look exactly like I did last week!

Captain Cavedweller and I went to a book signing the weekend before last. The morning we were ready to leave, I woke up sick. With a cold. No big deal.

Until I woke up really sick the morning of the book signing, five hours from home and on the schedule for an eight-hour event.

Being the great guy that he is, Captain Cavedweller washed his hands 49 times, ran across the street from the hotel to Wally-world and got me a box of tissues and a three month supply of cold medicine.

Doped up, we headed off to the book signing.

The day was somewhat of a blur for me – as is the trip home and most of last week.

But I did learn a few things:

1. When doped up on cold meds, you may be inclined to do things you would not normally do when all your mental faculties are functioning properly.

2. You really can smile until your cheeks hurt.

3. It is nearly impossible for someone prone to sneezing when they are sick to not sneeze.

4. There really is a huge difference in the softness of some tissues.

5. Apparently some illnesses can greatly alter your ability to taste.

6. Saltine crackers left opened in a drawer at the office for goodness only knows how long will taste like varnish when you are in the midst of a wicked cold.

7. The taste of varnished crackers will linger in your mouth for approximately two and a half days, until you burn your taste buds off with a cup of tea that is way too hot.

8. You can really hear yourself think when your ears are so plugged no outside sound will penetrate.

9. After you’ve lost the ability to think, taste and hear, it only stands to reason smell will be next to go.

10. There is nothing pretty about an annoyed, chocolate-eating, mid-aged freakazoid with a bad cold.

She Who is Glad to be On the Mend

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Wind Turbines at Sunset

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Entertaining at Home, Musings, tagged , , , , on October 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 

Where we live, we have a pretty great view of some of the wind turbines set on the hills around our valley.

I don’t know what it is about them, but I love seeing this big white blades reaching up into blue sky. Especially when they are surrounded by fields of golden wheat, like these were in the summer.

The other night Captain Cavedweller and I were driving home with a car full of groceries. It was almost sunset and although the day had been gray and rainy, the sun had peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the wind machines.

I could tell it was going to be a glorious descent of light and wanted to capture it on camera.

As soon as we got home, I grabbed my camera and ran into our backyard, only to realize the neighbor’s trees were going to obstruct the view too much.

So CC and I hustled to unload the car and I left him with bags of groceries to put away while I jumped back in the car and drove about a half-mile from our house.

Pulling off to the side of the road, I think the neighbor’s thought I’d finally lost it as I stomped out to the edge of their field in my skirt and heels, but I wanted to get just the right angle.

And so began the evening spectacular  – a fabulous show of colors against the purple and green hills.

And then it got even better.

She Who Needs to Watch More Sunsets

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Camp 18

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, Travels, tagged , , , , , on October 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When Captain Cavedweller and I were on the coast, one place we went to eat not once, but twice, was Camp 18 in Elsie, Oregon.

The food is fantastic, the restaurant is pretty awe-inspiring and the museum and grounds are a lot of fun to explore.

Told you it was impressive!

Camp 18 is a dream that began in the early 1970s when Gordon Smith started out with a few rusty pieces of equipment which led to the construction of the massive log cabin. He was joined by Maurie Clark, who had logging industry knowledge. All of the timber used in the building came from the surrounding area and was logged by Smith. Each log was hauled in, hand-peeled and draw-knifed with the help of his friends and family.

Once you walk inside the restaurant, its hard to miss the massive 85-foot ridge pole in the main room, the largest such structural member reported in the US. According to information from the restaurant, it weighed approximately 25 tons when cut and has 5,600 board of feed of lumber in it.

Another not to be missed feature are the hand-carved main doors cut from an old growth fir log. Each door is  4 1/2 inches thick and weighs 500 pounds. So that phrase “don’t let the door hit you on the way out”  you definitely don’t want hit with one of these.

The restaurant took its name from the logging operations in the area in the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, logging camps were numbered. Since the museum and restaurant at mile post 18, the name Camp 18 was chosen.

We sat by some big windows one morning and watched blue jays fight over the multitude of bird feeders outside. One evening, we cozied up to a table by the fireplace to chase away the evening chill.

You can roam the grounds, browse the gift shop and enjoy tasty, hearty-food here.

The Train Car

Table made from a large log.

The tower

This outdoor space was cool with the large logs used to construct it.

I particularly liked the wishbone look of this log.

You can even see a wooden-carved statue of Bigfoot, who apparently is quite popular in this neck of the woods. We did not, however, see him in any of our travels.

There is a creek just below the restaurant.

Where a mossy elephant lives.

And the landscaping was quite lovely.

Trees…

More bright colors…

Gold and burgundy hues…

Beautiful red leaves…

Announcing fall has arrived!

If you ever find yourself traveling Highway 26 from Portland to the coast, stop in at Camp 18. You’ll be so glad you did!

She Who Loves Log Cabins in the Autumn Woods

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