They didn’t conquer the world in 2011, but they got away enough times to avoid bordeom. A week in Mazatlan at Pueblo Bonito resort offered winter warmth. They did a week in Carlsbad by the Sea again.  Other than a major power outage, it was relaxing. On the way home they did an overnight at […]

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Tuesday, Aug. 30—A not-so-funny thing happened on the way to the Sun City Ukulele session today. I had the golf cart packed with my uke and song book, started to leave the garage. I stopped at the door to pick up some trash which I would drop in the big garbage container out front. Stupidly, I left the cart in reverse, failed to put the brake on, and started walking the two little bit of trash to curbside. The cart got moving, quietly, picked up momentum on our slanted driveway—and crashed into me.

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Sorting through old photos is fun. Sometimes we find a pic that can’t be identified. This one, however, is recognizable. It is Norma and Tommy wearing their best summer outfit. This was before they departed for California, meaning they are in St. Louis.

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It’s about four weeks since my May 3 double operation—two knee replacements at Kaiser in Roseville. After three days in the hospital, I had a miserable six days in Sierra Hills CC (and that does not stand for Country Club). It’s a care center dedicated to recuperation, but they also house ailing seniors on limited time. It was a depressing

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Dan McClelland walked Sacramento’s K Street Mall at lunchtime Wednesday, dressed as a Greek fisherman and carrying a sandwich sign promoting the weekend Greek Festival. The walking sign man is reminiscent of depression days.
Organizers of the 46th Greek Festival are concerned about Furlough Fridays affecting first-day attendance. Traditionally, admission is free on Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., of the three-day event.
McClelland will carry his signs again today (Thursday) from 11:30 to 1:30, concentrating on the heavily trafficked K and 11th Streets area.

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On April 15, Tax Day, a 108-page booklet arrived from Norma’s travel agent. They don’t want us to miss a thing. They tease us with descriptive Madison Avenue copy on several packaged itineraries for each and every port of call. I had to give up reading my Paul Theroux Pillars of Hercules for one night to study the options.

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Gretchen and I are healthy, all things considered. I await knee replacement but prefer to play with pain as long as I can. Gretchen, the smoker, walks the dog every monrning before work. In my eyes she still looks good.

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Kramer on vacation at Galliano Island in British Columbia. 2005.

The most recent canine in the household of Tom and Gretcen McClelland, Kramer, went through a few months of tough times before dying in November. He had a good life where he was spoiled rotten by his masters. He was well traveled and loved greatly. He was 19 actual years old…and those are human years.

At the end he was deaf, listless, and did his doodies wherever he was situated. He has gone to a better place.

He is survived by fellow mutt Elaine, a sister of sorts. Both dogs were named for characters in the Seinfeld TV series.

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Collecting anything to the extreme is a mild form of insanity. I ran that statement by a psychiatrist (who happened to be a beer stein collector), and he didn’t disagree. So, if collecting antique drinking vessels is a crazy behavior,

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Gretchen, was always the giver and seldom the taker. She had surprised her husband with birthday parties on five occasions. So it was Tom’s turn. Surprises are always much work just to keep it a secret and to get the crowd to attend without giving it away.

On Aug. 25, friends Allan and Marie Stone took the McClellands to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Roseville for a casual dinner. When Gretch got off the elevator at the second floor, she was greeted by 35

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