You say you can’t find something to do around here? 

How about sailing to Alaska? With 8 women? Two of them just started sailing 3 months ago. They started, they sailed, and they won the R2AK, also known as the Race to Alaska. 

How about running for Jefferson County Councilperson? There are 4 candidates for the one seat being vacated by Kathleen Kler. There was a big crowd at the “Honesty Forum”, (where did that moniker come from?), at the Bay Club last week to hear the candidates for all the upcoming elections deciding County Commissioner, Sheriff, Prosecutor and Coroner, State Representatives, and Public Utilities Commissioner. There are 14 good folks running for local office. I don’t know if they all showed for the “Honety Forum”, but they had a big crowd for the event. Since my back is acting up I just drove through the parking lot and noted all the cars. 

BJ and I bought a “Hot Pot” dinner at the Port Townsend Rotary fundraiser a couple of months back. The event was held a couple of weeks ago at the Quimper Inn in Port Townsend. My back was still acting up so Fran Bodman filled in for me. By all reports the dinner was great. 

Last spring we purchased tickets to see Andrea Bocelli in concert at Key Arena in Seattle. The concert was a week ago last Sunday. We can’t see spending that kind of money very often but we enjoy his music and we probably still had 50th wedding anniversary celebration afterglow so we coughed up the shekels for the tickets. It was going to be a nice evening in the big city. Well, since my back is not doing very well we decided not to go and our daughter showed us how to sell the tickets through Ticketmaster. Magically, they sold and we got about 80% of the money back. My back felt a little better. 

The Jewel Box Theater in Port Gamble was presenting “Calendar Girls” recently so BJ joined several other women in a rousing evening of dinner, laughter and theater in Port Gamble. Surprising, right? Steve Gross suggested he and I go out to dinner and, well, my back was still hurting, so he bought a pizza and brought it by the house to share with me. He suggested my back might get better by taking the pain pills with a gin and tonic. I have not been brave enough to try that approach yet. 

We had a couple of grandsons at our home for the last week. They found new friends here in Port Ludlow as well as caught a couple of swimming lessons from Lynn down at the Beach Club. The schedule included time at Kehele Park, pizza from Ferino’s, the movie “Incredibles 2” at The Rose Theater, and quality time with Grammy BJ and Papa. They even helped out with a couple of chores since I have a sore back. 

Caleb Summerfelt was inducted as the new president of the East Jefferson Rotary Club succeeding Terry Umbreit at a nice event at the Bay Club. The Rotary club is doing well with 9 new members the past year driving growth and energy for the club’s activities. I sat through most of the event given the pain I experience with my bad back when I stand too long.

Missing the Andrea Bocelli concert because of the bad back reminds me of an observation by Ed Gardner. He said, “Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.”

Love a curmudgeon and have a great Independence Day.

NedLuce@sbcglobal.net