Grammy’s dog figured out that something was afoot, and she wasn’t going to be left behind. She’d hop up in the Porsche, fluff up the car cover, get all staticky, and take a quick nap in there, confident we wouldn’t disappear without that car.
There’s a stamp you don’t see every day.
Grammy has a pretty severe case of macular degeneration, which over the last couple of years has really made living on her own a challenge. A fall or two, combined with her latest battle against Covid, convinced everyone that it was time to leave Arizona behind and move closer to her family again. Once that decision was made the focus moved on to getting it done. Never ones to sit idle, we jumped into action.
While Grammy spent her days focused on getting stronger, we spent ours juggling a hundred balls at once. In January the doctors told us it would likely be at least five months before Grammy was able to walk again. But it only took her a couple of weeks to progress to a walker, and a couple more to start getting a little adventurous even beyond that. She’s as strong, if not stronger, than she was before Covid, and somehow her vitals all appear to have improved as well. It really does seem like she has been given another chance at living a great life for many more years.
Her new place is smaller than Arizona, so most of the furniture got sold or given away. By the end, we were just using whatever was left.
Moving day. The list of things that had to come together in order to pack up and hit the road in three weeks seemed endless, but we got it done.
We hired two movers to pack the truck and it may have been the best money we have ever spent. Those two were masters of their trade. If I had packed that UHaul there is no way I would have gotten it all in, much less been able to drive away without hearing a lot of crashing and settling in the back.
Car haulers appear to be made for cars a lot bigger than mine. Ali was a nervous wreck watching me inch up the ramps with the tires barely clinging on to the inside edges of the ramps.
Ali, the kids, and Grammy flew off to Portland and I hit the road.
This is how I tried to keep the Porsche from disappearing in the night. Squeeze the trailer into a spot that the car couldn’t be rolled off. It’s funny how valuable the car is to me, but to a car thief these days it probably doesn’t even register. A boring new F-150 cost about as much as a house and would be a lot more useful than my little car.
Early on a Saturday morning the Vegas skyline is about as impressive as a view of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Not long after leaving Vegas in the rearview the snow started to appear.
While there is always a barbed wire fence everywhere you look, the distance is nothing but wide open. I like that. Must remind me of the ocean. I shudder every time I find myself in the suburbs these days, and even big cities have mostly lost their appeal for me, too. Driving through the monotonous, never-ending Phoenix traffic the day before I was sure I must have crashed and gone to hell. Getting out on the open road to cross Nevada without the need for a brake pedal was heaven.
I rolled into Ely without any memory of the place, but as I slowed through town I first spotted a parking lot that looked familiar and thought, “That looks like the place I changed out a U-joint on the blue bus.” Then I passed the Napa a block later, and was sure of it. The McDonald’s a couple blocks earlier was where Ouest’s Molly lost her head on the playground. That afternoon in Ely I fixed both the blue bus and Molly’s head.
I parked out front of the Town Hall and walked over to a bar for lunch. Taped up underneath the television behind the bar was a very prominent homemade sign telling me not to even bother asking them to turn the tv to an NBA game. I have no idea what their beef is with the NBA. On the way into town, I had been struck by how vehemently—judging solely by their billboards—anti-marijuana and abortion they were in Ely. It was pretty typical roadside proselytizing that had really only registered with me because I had just spent the entire morning crossing country where I had assumed everyone would be hell-bent on not being told what to do. Anyway, one good steak sandwich, and one period of a Penguins game later, I was back on the road.
Meanwhile, in Portland, the family was dealing with snow of their own. The AirBnB entrance was coated in snow and ice (nobody in Portland owns a shovel, despite the now routine snowstorms they get every winter).
Ali and the kids took Bridget to visit the park across the street from Grammy’s old house. Still as fun as ever.
Ouest was trying to teach Aunt Johnnie how to play sticks (a quick math game you play by tapping each other’s fingers) without much success.
I spent a night in Twin Falls and briefly thought about taking a quick hike in the morning to see the Snake River Canyon, but I had ground to cover so all I got was a quick view out the passenger window.
Driving got a little sketchy for a bit while climbing up the mountains out of La Grande.
1,500 miles later we were all back together in Portland.
The snow was melting quick.
Ouest had been looking forward to visiting Portland again. Like us, she really likes the funky, free-spirited vibe here. We made a visit to Jackpot Records—Cavetown and Wallows for her, $1 rack Pat Benatar and Carly Simon for me.
Then over to the Bagdad for a movie and McMenamins for dinner. A solid Portland neighborhood afternoon.
12 Comments on “Off to Portland”
Glad you had a safe drive back to Portland OR. That haul from La Grande OR over to Pendleton OR can get hairy this time of year. Sorry to hear your mom had to leave the southwest. But at least she’s close to family now. Safe travels and smooth sailing.
Grammy is fortunate to have such a loving and caring family…Happy you made it to Portland safely..Hopefully no more snow…
My mother also have macular degeneration. We take her for needles in her eyes every 5 weeks, luckily that has kept it at bay for the most part. Glad she will be near to family to support her, thats gonna be awesome for everyone! Its great news that she has come back and then some from that dreaded covid.
Hi Tracy, can I ask how old your mother is? We had read up on that treatment but had heard Pat’s mom’s is too far along to help now. And that the needles would have slowed it down but does not correct the vision.
Great photos, as always, Pat. Your comment about being uncomfortable in cities, needing open space and consequent love for the ocean, struck a chord with me. Being a former Midwesterner myself, it long ago occurred to me that some of the most famous sailors and Navy folk come from the Midwest. I think this is because the concept of an endless horizon does not scare them. I have found folk raised in cites or hemmed in mountain terrain generally have a different mindset. Anyway, that’s my theory and I’m stickin’ to it! God’s Speed to Grammy, your family and you.
Cute haircut Ouest!
I’ve always appreciated opening up your blog and being blown out of the water by your latest pivot, but I have to admit, I didn’t see Grammy’s move to Portland (the decision, the packing, the move) all within a three week period coming. I’m so glad she’ll be near family. I’m sure that will put your own minds at ease when you finally set sail. Eyes on our elders is always a good thing. With regard to the signage around Eli, we just recently made the drive up I95 from Florida to Baltimore. South Carolina’s billboards alternate between Jesus Saves and adult toy stores. It’s quite a dichotomy.
Those 3-weeks of getting everything done – oh my goodness!!! Pat didn’t even mention half of what went into setting a date for everything and everyone being out of the house at 2pm that Friday, including the dog! It’s a little bit like setting a date to be off the dock in 11 days. 🙂
From the blog: “I parked out front of the [Ely, NV] Town Hall and walked over to a bar for lunch. Taped up underneath the television behind the bar was a very prominent homemade sign telling me not to even bother asking them to turn the tv to an NBA game. I have no idea what their beef is with the NBA.”
I’ll take a stab: The racial makeup of NBA players is approximately 73% black and the lowest paid NBA player with no experience earns $1,017,081 in salary per year, currently. The ten highest paid NBA players are paid an average of approximately $43.75 million dollars per year, with Steph Curry topping the list at just over $48 million/year.
World Population Review states of Ely, NV which is the county seat of White Pine county: “With a 2023 population of 3,825, it is the 37th largest city in Nevada and the 7767th largest city in the United States. Ely is currently declining at a rate of -0.86% annually and its population has decreased by -2.52% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 3,924 in 2020.” WPR also lists the following:
Ely Demographics
According to the most recent ACS [American Community Survey], the racial composition of Ely was:
White: 90.23% [includes Hispanics who identify as white]
Native American: 3.21%
Other race: 2.93%
Asian: 1.5%
Two or more races: 1.15%
Black or African American: 0.98%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
The Nevada voter registration statistics indicate there are 5,265 registered voters in White Pine County, NV in 2023 (total county population in 2021 was 9182), breaking down as follows: 799 Democrats (15%), 2,767 Republicans (52.5%), 290 Independent American party (5.5%), 36 Libertarians (<1%), 1,330 non-partisan (25%), 43 other (<1%).
Do these statistics paint a picture that might explain the anti-NBA sign in the bar? Perhaps . . .
I think this post just convinced me to keep our Porsche instead of selling it when we take off next year on our own sailing adventure. Part of me hates the car not seeing the love it deserves more often, but for some reason I have an affinity for keeping it and maybe shipping it overseas to do a European tour with it. Then the other side of my brain says, just sell it now and buy a new one and pick it up at the factory when we are ready to do that…but I’m afraid they might all be electric by then. First world problems : )
Ali, you asked how old my mom is: She is 72 and has had it for 7 years. Yes the needles do not improve things just help stop the progress of it to help keep what sight she now has. Time between needles varies with each person and right now she gets them every 5 weeks, but has been as much as 8 weeks apart at the start. So her need for them have been slowly increasing. She gets what she calls bubbles and floaters in her vision that come and go from the fluid that they inject. Not everyone gets those, but she finds them annoying and they seem to stay longer now from years ago. With the needles your chances of cataracts increases and my mom just had one removed. I am in BC Canada so the injections are covered by medical but not the 250km. round trip we have to make to where we take her to get them. I hope this has been info has been helpful to you and maybe others.
Wow, that was a quick change of venue, but makes perfect sense. SO glad you were able to be there in Grammy’s time of need. Beautiful drive, most of it. And Ouest got a major haircut without even a mention! I hardly recognized her without the sunkissed blonde locks. She’s really growing up!