Helping the Environment

For years now I've toted things around in cloth bags and reused plastic and paper bags. This year I've decided I'm going to try really hard to remember the cloth bags for grocery shopping. I have a couple I keep in my car and I can never remember to take them into the store with me. Today, Jim and I went to the commissary. I remembered most of my bags. So when they said "Paper or plastic" to me today. I got to say "paper after you fill up my cloth bags." They filled up my cloth bags first and then finished with paper.
Europe has been doing this for years. Now we need to do it, not because of a paper or plastic shortage, but to not add more trash to landfills.
This past week in my classes we have been talking about polluting our groundwater.
My 4th hour worked really hard one day and the next day we had a few minutes free.
So I challenged them to come up with ideas that would be good for the environment and benefit our economy. One of the things we had talked about the day before was how China buys our trash, sorts it out, recycles it, makes things with it, then sells those things to the US for us to buy. Here are a couple of the kids' ideas:

1.We keep our own trash and have unemployed people sort it, recycle it, and use in our factories to make things. Everything made stays in the US unless we export some it.
2.Build places to burn trash that will not let chemicals & ash out into the air.
There will be jobs for the unemployed to burn trash.
3. (This is mine)Either Federal or State Government give people tax credits or reimburse them for making their houses more energy efficient & proving it has saved gas or kilowatt hours of electric. The people who do the improvements have more work, the people who pay for it will get tax credits and have more money to spend or invest and less energy is used - costing less, so there is another way there would be more money to spend or invest.

I'm sure they will come up with more this year.


Newest bag. I bought about 10 of them in Oregon.


I used new and old bags today.


Lexi had to have her picture taken with a bag.


I've been collecting bags for years. Some I've even worn holes into the bottom & had to throw away.

Our Cats

Our cats, Sunny and Lexi have turned a corner. Since we came back from Oregon they are in the room we are in - right now Lexi is laying behind me in the computer chair.
Jim says she is like a dog now. If I leave a room, she gets up and follows me. Lexi has continued joining Jim in the bathroom when he gets ready for work. She meows at him and he talks to her and rubs her belly.
Sunny seems to be adjusting to his insulin and both cats continue to lose weight.
Lexi has lost 2 lbs. in 18 months and Sunny has lost 0.7 pounds since summer.
He stills begs to go outside. Now that it is cold, he doesn't stay out but a minute or two, then comes right in when we call him.


The new thinner, healthier Lexi

Pretty, pretty Lexi girl


Sunny in his favorite place


Sunny assuming the door position - he is very patient


Sunny relaxing - being on guard duty all night - makes him tired

Happy 2009!!!

We wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.

Several years ago we started going to Pios for dinner on New Years Eve. When the girls and their families are in town, they go with us.
Jim and I both laughed when they handed us the menus this year. We already know what we are going to order. I think we have ordered the same thing every year that we have gone there.

Our hopes:


that everyday we remember we live in the greatest country on Earth. Be proud.


and that countries can change for the better. This is Prague December 2005. Prague reminds me that countries can change successfully. The Czeck Republic changed from communist to capitalism in under a decade.

Billikins Game

Since the St. Louis University Billikins returned to play at the Savis Center about 15 years ago, we have had tickets. At first, it was Jim and Allison who went. It was their Dad and daughter thing.
After Allison went to college, I started going with Jim. Now it is our "date thing" we do. I finally remembered to take some pictures. This year is the first year in their on arena on the St. Louis University campus. The arena is called Chaifetz Arena.
After seeing the HUGE difference in talent and coaching styles this year, I understand why Rick Majerus earns one million a year. He has a great eye for talent.
At any one time there are 3 freshmen playing for the most part. With their skill and talent you can hardly tell they are freshmen. Their record so far this year is
9 - 5.


This year's team during a time out.


The cheerleaders are very different this year. First they are called the Saintsations, next no males, and finally new uniforms - so much better than in past years.


This is the Billikin during the time out. Yep, he is holding a "gun" that shoots t-shirts into the crowd.


Our favs this year are: on the left Kevin Lisch, #14 Brian Conklin from Eugene, OR and #13 Willie Reed from KC, MO. (Guess the universe made us trade for the girls.)


Close up of the Billikin


Me & Jan, her & her husband are our friends we met at the games years ago.


Bob and Jim - Bob is retired from NGA - Jim and Bob know a lot of the same people.

The Trip Home - You Won't Even Believe This

I swear this is not a lie. We were really worried about getting back to Portland on time - since ODOT doesn't seem to have a lot of sense. We watched the weather and the highway reports. We left Eugene at 11:00am to make our 3:30 flight. Hwy 5 was clear our way, but going south it started backing up in Woodword and was backed up past Hwy 205, our exit. We got to the airport, turned in the car, checked our bags, all with no problems - smooth sailing right? Wrong!! Our plane came in and they didn't board us, we stood in line and waited and waited ...
Finally they told us there was a maintenance problem on the plane and they would get back to us. We waited.
The next time they came on they said they were waiting for contract maintenance to get there. Some door had to be resealed before we could take off.
We left about one and a half hours late. Since so many people were meeting connecting flights, they told us the planes would be held and they would fly faster with the tail wind.
We landed in Las Vegas 45 minutes after our plane took off. Southwest tried to tell us we should have known our plane left and made other arrangements. That statement didn't go over well with Jim. In the end, they paid for a room and our dinner and booked us on the 7:30 am flight the next morning (they wanted to just put us on standby).
The hotel shuttle came and picked us - we were in an old place that in its hayday was a pretty nice place.
We could see the MGM Grand from our hotel, so we decided to walk there. We didn't want to pass up a chance to see at least one place, since neither of us have ever been to Las Vegas before.
The MGM Grand was packed and a high rolling place - wow! We spent time walking around and then settled down to play some slots. I wasn't doing well on the slots and Jim wasn't too interested, so he wondered over to this other game and played on it. I finally gave up and went to sit by him. The machine I sat at had a lot of games on it. So I played Double Double Bonus poker, then when I got bored with that I played some other game. Jim started watching me and together we couldn't figure out way I wasn't winning anything, since it would come 7s all the way across screen.
I finally read the very, very small print and it said to win you had to bet the max.
So I did, the third roll 100,000 started flashing - yep 100,000. That 100,000 was pennies, but still that was $1000.00. Oh boy! I played it down some and we left.
I bought myself a sweat shirt and some chocolate. That is the most I have ever won.



The next morning we went to the airport (in the same clothes). We got some breakfast and then I went off and found a poker machine to play. I did well on that, then it quit hitting and I went off to find something else. I found a Double Diamond Deluxe machine. I won back all I lost that morning plus $20.00. It was a good day, so far.

We got to St. Louis and no bags. Turns out they sent our bags on the 6am flight and it hadn't arrived. We found out Southwest has no tracking system for bags. They were delivered later that day to our house.

We had a really good visit with Allison and Geoff - it was just getting there and getting home that was the problem. Of course, I wouldn't say that having to spend the night in Las Vegas was a complete bust.

Other Eugene, Oregon Sites

We knew the weather was not going to be great so we were not disappointed we couldn't hike or make it to the coast. These are some pictures from right around Eugene. Eugene lies in Williamatte Valley. It doesn't snow there often, but did twice this winter.


Eugene from Skinner Butte. There are two, this one you can drive to the top, so we opted for this one, as it was raining and pretty cold.


This is the stream they rerouted through Alton Baker Park and it leads back to the river.


Allison and me in the park. Notice how everything is not brown.


Because it is so wet, most trees have moss on them and it doesn't matter what side of the tree you are looking at, notice how green the grass is in the background


This a tree on Skinner Butte. I thought it was special because it was by itself. Most trees are grouped together.


Jim and me on Skinner Butte


Jim, Allison and Geoff on Skinner Butte. Geoff is wearing his new sweater. I am so glad it fits.


You can see the stadium from Skinner Butte, look for the O on the left.

The Oregon Ducks

Mallard Duck in Alton Baker Park


The Duck Store at the stadium

Law School Building on the Eugene University of Oregon campus


Hayward Field


White duck at Alton Baker Park


Male and Female Mallards


University of Oregon Stadium

Our G-dog, Larry

Larry is such a big part of Allison and Geoff's life that he has to have his own section since I took so many pictures of him. He remembered us and was so excited to see us. He really likes Jim a lot, as you can see in the pictures.

A Visit to Allison's Work - Enterprise

We visited Allison's work. All her bosses were in and out, so we met all of them.
Allison's office is downstairs and has glass walls. Her office is BIG - the pictures do not show how big it is.

Allison's PHR certificate.


This is the Enterprise sign as you walk into the lobby. The receptionist is a guy.



Allison has a name plate - it is still wierd to see "Allison Bowers." I'll get used it someday. They call her AB there. AB for Allison Bowers and Anherser Busch.
This is about one half of Allison's office.


This is a conference room. They have training rooms, a huge call room and the amazing break rooms and lounge areas. There are lots of windows so employees can see outside.


This is a picture of Allison's work and the downtown Eugene from Skinner Butte.
Her building is the one with red brick on the right, and lots of windows in the middle about mid picture.