Ned Luce

You feel it, don’t you. The weather is better and family is coming to visit.

Last week was full of our daughter and her family in town. We have no shame in getting them to do some things around the estate. Our daughter and 9-year-old grandson did some deck cleansing; well, most of the labor came from the daughter. The grandson is a budding capitalist dead set on accumulating the money to acquire the largest cache ever of “Pokemon” cards and whatever one gets through a phone “app” locating “Pokemon” hits in Kehele Park and our back yard. So, I paid him $10 for his contribution to the cleaning efforts.

He then wanted to visit the toy store in Port Townsend to purchase additional “Pokemon” stuff but we declined and substituted some Ferino’s pizza. Since he returned home we have been advised that he hit the “Pokemon” store in Seattle and spent the $10. Our son-in-law helped by cleaning an air vent high on the living room wall. He was rewarded with some good beer from Port Townsend’s PourHouse.

I needed some work done on my car at MAXRPM in Bremerton, so my son-in-law and grandson also drove down since I was leaving the car and needed a ride home. We took the opportunity in Bremerton to tour the “Turner Joy,” a Navy destroyer of both World War II and Vietnam War service. We went from the engine room to the top deck, reading all of the information presented at each of the 18 self-guided tour stops.

The grandson climbed all of the ladders and took a tour up into the gun turret on the aft section of the ship. He was interested in all of it, particularly the fact that the captain’s bunk was the only one on the ship with a pillow. He is ready to sign up. I recommend this tour.

I also took him to my Rotary meeting at the Tri Area Center. He enjoyed the pizza and then read his book finding the discussions of minimal interest although he did find the comments provided by Pat Cooper memorable. I probably wouldn’t recommend the Rotary meeting for a 9-year-old!

Two days later the car was ready so my friend Steve Gross kindly gave me a ride back down to Bremerton to pick it up. On the way back, the Hood Canal Bridge was closing to allow two sailboats to pass through and I was stopped about 10 cars short of getting through.

Sure, let’s inconvenience the 500 folks in 300 cars on Highway 104 for 45 minutes while the four folks in two boats navigate through the bridge opening.

No matter, since I was going to be held up for a few minutes, I got out of the car to stretch my legs, back, etc.

The fellow in the car behind me also exited his car and said, “You are a little old to be driving that car, aren’t you?”

I was a little annoyed, but then I noticed he had a ball cap on that said “Let’s go Brandon,” (if you don’t know what that is about, Google it), so I knew that engaging him in any kind of meaningful conversation about my age was not going anywhere fun. I mean, I am not as old as Joe Biden. Then the bridge opened.

Eighteen months ago our daughter gave BJ a 2,000-piece puzzle. They set up the largest folding table we have in the living room and went to work. Our daughter was here for three days and left with approximately 40 percent of the puzzle finished. The only time she was not working on the puzzle was when she was cleaning the deck! BJ finds it impossible to walk by the table without attempting to place another piece and it may now be about 50 percent done. Maybe done by Christmas? 

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week.

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. Ned says it’s all good in the Hood unless the bridge goes up for a boat and you are not on the boat. Contact Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)