Rainy day Oregon

Mr. Lee and his mom made it safely to Hong Kong. Actually, other than the shitheads at J & V Travel, I hear it was a great flight, great airline, great hotel, and the tours J & V booked have been outstanding, although yesterday's 12 hours odyssey was a bit much. And now they are having a great time in Beijing. Excellent.

As for me, it's odd being back in my old Southern Oregon stomping grounds, this trip in particular. It's my state of mind. I drove by the empty field that used to be the Medford A's stadium. Dixie and John owned them, bought the team after watching Field of Dreams... including some hot young rookie pitcher who was throwing balls about 100 miles an hour. She and I sat behind the catcher and timed him. But John's vision faded and with it his enthusiasm. They sold the team, left town. I don't know what happened to the kid. Or them. All gone. The team is gone. The stadium torn down, the field reverted to grass. If you didn't know, you wouldn't know. And the lumber mill that was in that part of town... long gone. Really long gone. Before John and Dixie came to town. But the old duplex in Ashland where I used to live... it's fixed up, white picket fence and all. Slugs used to crawl up through the hole in that bathroom floor and lounge around on the walls, probably why my daughter is so repulsed by them, even to this day, no matter how I plead their case, that it was not their fault, that they are just little ol' slow moving, don't mean nobody no harm fellows. Hates 'em. Anyway, it's gray and rainy here. I leave for Portland in the morning. Baby Thea's one year birthday is next Tuesday. That is soooomething.