Tuesday

. . . . I hit the streets by 10am this morning. My first stop was at the dentist’s office to thank them for all of their good work. It was the first time I had been back since having my appliance installed. I told them that the fit was perfect and that at no time did I experience any ‘wearing in’ pain or discomfort. They were happy to hear my report and asked me to come see them again one day. I told them that I might see them next year. After leaving the dentist’s office I walked to the Plaza where Nancy Morgan has her park bench and sign announcing her aid to tourists. She was in conversation with several people at one time, no problem for Nancy, and she also found time to greet me and to give me the envelopes of the pictures she is sending back to Longview and Silver Lake. The plan is for me to drop them in the mailbox once I get to Kelso. I told her I was leaving Friday morning and she said she hoped to see me next winter, I told her it sounded like a plan. She gave me a big hug and wished me a safe journey home. I then found some lunch and time to read for a while before delivering the envelopes to the house. They are large 8 by 10 brown envelopes and I did not want to carry them around all day. I then walked back to Old Town and shopped for a thank you gift for Natalia. I discovered a very pretty artificial flower center piece for her dining room table; the colors go nicely in her house. My plan is to leave it on the table on Friday morning after she leaves for work and before I walk out the door for the last time to catch my plane. After arriving back at the house with the centerpiece I took a nap and awoke about3pm. I then decided to hike to the restaurant on the beach and have a light dinner, retuning to the house about 5:00. Natalia had told me this morning she had no idea what time she would be home because of the auditors at work and her mother’s need for attention after she gets off work. She got very little sleep last night so she is bound to be really tired by the time this day ends.