Murdock Muse
Nov-Dec 2004, Part 2

THREE SEVEN YEAR OLDS AT PLAY
Gene Murdock

Margery and Jack (Aukstikalnis), on their way to their new property in Douglas, Arizona, stopped in to spend a few days with me. They have a large self-contained RV and tow a small "Tracker" car behind. They chose an RV camp in Nebraska City to park in, and it turned out to be a good choice, as they had plenty of space with no "too-close" neighbors and lots of room for their pets to exercise.

They have a female Chihuahua named Buttons, an all black longhaired cat called Bows (what else?) and another cat called Emily. They all are about three years old, and get along fine. Buttons and Bows took to me immediately, but Emily stayed aloof. She is the hunter, and walks to the beat of her own drum.

I had told them that I was going to take them around the area and show them about half tourist stuff and half "my" stuff with Friday in Iowa, Saturday in Nebraska, Sunday in Omaha and environs, and Monday amongst the Loess Hills.

Friday morning they drove to Glenwood, where we got in my car (Casper the Friendly Ghost) and set out north on 275, past the longhorn steer that thinks he is a horse – he is always right among the herd of horses when I go by the farm - and up to the Iowa School for the Deaf where I took them on one of my walking trails to see some prairie up close at the peak of its growth, and several informative signs telling of the winter encampment site where the Mormons stayed on their way to Utah.

Then out through country roads to Oakland who's main street has one of the finest collections of interesting architecture in the area. Then to a field way out in the sticks to see a monument to a B-24 and its crew that crashed during the War. It has a large model of a B-24 with about a twenty-four foot wingspan mounted on a tower so that its propellers turn in the wind and the planes swivels around like a wind vane.

Heading east and north we got up on Interstate I-80 where I showed them one of the Roadside Weather Stations and told them how I "collect" them in my travels and let out an Ed McMahon type "Hey-OOOOO!" when I see one. In explanation, I said that I may have a 72-year old body, but I have a 27-year old mind – no, make that a SEVEN year old mind." They chuckled, but before the day was out we agreed that there were not one, but three 7-year olds in the car, and that set the mood for the next few days.

We stopped at the Interstate Rest Stop and looked over the tributes to Iowa's native son, Henry A. Wallace, the Vice President in Roosevelt's second term. From the rest stop we got back on the highway and turned down towards Greenfield. On the way I stopped to show them the patriotic rock (a boulder about 10 feet high) that is painted with historic and patriotic themes, changing each year in May in time for Memorial Day.

Then down the road to the Iowa Aviation Museum where I introduced them to the Director, my boss, Lee Ann Nelson, and gave them a tour of the displays in the entry room and the vintage aircraft in the hangar. Jack and Margie are a delight to travel with, as they are both intelligent, well read, and are interested in everything. I showed them the back room housing the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame material and the library where my desk is.

We lunched in Greenfield at Subway, then retraced out route up on I-80 back west. We stopped at Intersection 46 to see the C-47 model built by the same guy and to the same scale as the B-24 some 12 miles south. Then down the road to Walnut, the Antique Capital of Iowa to see the town with 18 antique stores in it. Back on the Interstate I pointed out a metal totem-pole type of display shaped like a stalk of corn with a pig and steer included in the leaves to symbolize Iowa's main crops.

Back to Glenwood, I took them to a small park and observation stand up on "Mile Hill" where I did my litter-picking for the Master Gardeners. Finally at my house we chatted and dined on my version of American Chop Suey, which they liked.

On Saturday morning I drove down to Nebraska City to pick them up and take them first to the town of Murdock, Nebraska which we toured and where Margie took a picture of the signpost on the edge of town. Then we headed west partly on the paved road and partly on gravel country road to the Interstate where we stopped in at one of my favorite antique malls, which I had to finally DRAG them out of.

Back on the Interstate we stopped at the Strategic Air and Space Museum and marveled at the huge SR-71 Blackbird aircraft mounted inside the main entrance. I showed them the display of airplanes form the viewing platforms above, but they wanted to go on down and walk among them. They both have an innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge and examined every display. (They are a delight to travel with.)

Back on the Interstate we headed east to the discount stores at Nebraska Crossing. Being noon already I took them in to a restaurant and recommended the Reuben sandwich, which we all had and enjoyed. Jack said – "Best Reuben I ever ate" but of course it was the only Reuben he ever ate. I took them to the Kitchen Store with all its gadgets, and they loved it and spent their allowance in there. Again I had to DRAG them out of there to move along, knowing that when they got home and looked at all their new possessions they would be cussing me out for leading them into temptation.

We stopped at my favorite bookstore – Warehouse Books – then headed back towards Bellevue. On the way I showed them a new shopping center that I like and use frequently. In Bellevue I wanted to take them to a Bird/Nature store and a near-by Army/Navy surplus store, but both were closed as repairs to the parking area were being made.

But just up the road was a gas station/fast food place called QT for QuickTrip. They have one of the greatest drink sections that I have ever seen. I thought it was probably a dumb place to take them, but again, they loved it! (They are a delight to travel with). First there is a long section of hot drinks – cocoa in many flavors, and all the plain and fancy coffees – Margie sampled the peanut butter flavored cocoa, and LOVED it to the point where she wouldn’t give up any for us to taste. At the nest section Jack found a milkshake machine with several flavors and your choice of thickness. Then the regular drink fountains with every flavor and brand known, and two ice machines, one crushed ice and the other cubed ice. All this is followed by case after case of all the bottled drinks known to mankind.

I then took them onto Offutt Air Force Base, where, after we wound through the barriers near the gate and I showed my ID, the guard waved me on with a "Have a nice day, Chief!" After all these years that I have been out of the Air Force (27 believe it or not!) I still legally maintain my rank and all the niceties that go with it. I couldn't resist showing them the parking slot at the Commissary reserved for Chief Master Sergeants. We then headed south to Nebraska City to the RV where Margie fixed a fine fish supper.

Sunday morning I picked them up and headed north to Omaha, driving past the Botanical Gardens, the city Zoo and the AAA Ball Park which houses the Kansas City Royals farm team and hosts the annual College World Series of baseball. In Omaha I drove them around Olde Towne to see all the upscale shoppes and restaurants, then drove west through the heart of the residential part of the city to Westroads Mall where they wanted to visit an ATM that their bank utilizes.

Continuing west out of the City I showed them Boys Town (now Boys and Girls Town) and another mall that I frequent. This mall, Oak View, is the one that I discovered shortly after I arrived in the area, and which had so many of my favorite stores and restaurants that I wanted to rent an RV and just park and live in the mall parking lot. (Like a typical seven year old.) Coming back into town I showed them the Canfields sporting goods and outdoor shop that I consider one of my many "Toy stores."

Turning down 84th street I tool them to Mangelsen's Arts and Crafts store. Now why would you take visitors to and arts and crafts store? Because it is huge, fun and fabulous, so good, that, once again, I had to practically DRAG them out of there. As we went through the Christmas store with its glass cases of expensive displays of scenes of the type that you collect pieces of each year, I stopped at a glass case and oohed and aahed at a 12 inch Santa Claus holding a stack of books in front of his jolly round belly. Wow, I said, I'd sure like to get that for the Museum library! But I looked at the price tag, and seeing around 50 dollars I decided to pass it up.

Margie and I found the restrooms, and when we came out Jack was nowhere to be seen. I told Margie to tell his friends back in New Hampshire that we "lost Jack in an arts and craft store!" Jack finally showed up holding a package to which he answered Margie's query with something like "don’t ask questions before Christmas." It was noontime so we sought out an eating-place and settled on Blimpies, which is similar to Subway, except with no regard for low fat and such, but we had some delightful sandwiches there.

Then we returned to Glenwood and dropped in on Robin, Vicki, Lindsey and Ashley, with Timmy being away at camp. We had a delightful visit, with hugs all around and good conversation to the point that I left there with that warm feeling you get from being around loving, caring people. We hated to leave, but had to go back across the river to Bellevue where I took them to Famous Dave's restaurant to sample the best soup ever made –Famous Dave's version of chicken and wild rice! It topped off a great day, and we returned home to crash.

Monday morning I arrived at their RV at the appointed time, and as I was sitting on the couch stroking Buttons and Bows, Jack brought out a large box covered with wrapping paper and said this is for you, Gene, as a thanks for hosting us and as an early Christmas present. Wow! I tore open the package and guess what – it was the Santa with books from Mangelsens! I was delighted and dumbfounded and had to choke back tears of joy for such a thoughtful and meaningful gesture. So Jack wasn’t "lost" after all in Mangelsens, he was secretly buying and wrapping this wonderful gift.

We loaded up in Casper and headed back to Iowa, stopping first at the Riverton Wildlife Management Area, which they loved. Then I went down to the next entrance to the WMA to see if my pet beaver was around. We didn't see him, but we saw recent branch cuttings near the nest so he (or she) was still there.

We then followed Bluff Road up the west side of the Loess Hills past some fascinating homes, and worked our way to Glenwood for a pit stop. Then I took them down Mile Hill to drive into the Pony Creek valley among the Hills to show them the serenity I get by getting off the highways and into the quiet Loess Hills. Then up to the Scenic Drive on top of the hills towards Council Bluffs. Further north I pointed out the trailhead parking lot for the sixty-mile long Wabash Trace nature trail and bike path that runs down an old railroad bed al the way to Missouri.

We then headed into Council Bluffs where I stopped at a store that has several hundred thousand old records. 78s, 33 1/3s, 45s, eight tracks, etc. Marge and Jack were amazed at the collection, and one more time, I had to DRAG them out of there. I took them across town past the library and headed south to the shopping mall where we went into a restaurant with a 24-hour breakfast menu with some fabulous omelets. After some delicious food choices we visited the Western Trails center to see displays of all the pioneer trails that passed through the area in the 1800s.

We then headed south so I could take them to "Gene's Prairie" where I had named all the geographic features for family and friends as I explored the grounds. At the north gate I showed them Lindsey's Lea, Tim's Turret, Jack's Junction and, behind that hill, Margery's Midlands. Down at the main gate we crawled over and under the chain holding the gates together and walked into the prairie where I pointed out several features like Murdock Mountain and Robin's Roost as we stood on the causeway through Ashley's Acres.

Further down the road I pointed out the holes in the vertical sides of the hills made by bank swallows. This ended the tour for the day so we headed south towards Nebraska City. Jack said that this was their turn to take me out to supper so I chose the restaurant at the truck stop just a few miles from their RV Park. We had a fine meal, Margie and I each choosing liver and onions, and called it quits for the day.

On Tuesday I had a dental appointment in the morning, and they had to pack up, pay bills, etc., so our only activity was when they stopped by my place for final goodbyes. It wasn't easy to say good-bye; because I hadn't had such a wonderful four days for a long time. But I told them I would try to come down to Arizona in January to see their desert land.

What a great visit and what wonderful people! I am many times blessed.

P.S. Margie just called from Wichita to say that they got there OK, and that on the way Jack had yelled out a Hey-OOOOO! when he spotted a roadside weather station. It’s fun to be seven.


UPDATING MY WEBSITE
Darrel Murdock

Oct. 31: I trust you enjoyed the extra hour of sleep. I decided just to get up an hour earlier today instead. So I finished the Vivid Garden Blooms section. Last night I finished the Trains and Lighthouses page also, adding the third train, and every posted pic on every page now has its own preview page. Now I can start putting together the Fall Color and Wisconsin Waterfalls pages. Then I will begin the "By Location" info/pictorials that will feature new pictures, starring AAALynx and Redfox, which will include things like the world's largest hockey stick, the ancient faces carved into pipestone, and a whole lotta scenery. During that time we will also be amassing the winter pictures.

[Ed. Note: Darrel has been working hard on his Website, which can be viewed at http://d21c.com/AAALynx/ . All those photo trips with his friend Kathy are paying off. He has a terrific batch of pictures from Minnesota parks, etc. You might like to check out his steam trains and lighthouses, along with the scenic prints.-NAM]


NOT AS PLANNED
Teddie Doane

Mom went in for her knee replacement-replacement on Friday. Things didn't go as planned. When they opened her up they took out the replacement and found that there may have been some infection, so they could not proceed. They took samples and put in a stabilizer and closed her up.

Now we wait to find out if there is infection and whether it is localized. She is, and will be on antibiotics for as long as necessary. She has gotten some good news about the culture reports already and surgery may be rescheduled for as soon as two weeks away. But for that time she will be in a nursing care facility, hopefully in Gardner at the LaChance center. She cannot bend or put any weight on the leg, making nursing care a necessity.

From what I've heard, the worst case scenario is that she may need to be on antibiotics for 10 weeks before they can proceed. I hope it doesn't come down to that! She had a terrible reaction this morning to the pain medication she was on. It was pretty scary for her. They've come up with the perfect balance now of antibiotic and pain medication and she sounded pretty good this evening. She said her pain level was about a 2 and she wasn't nauseous. She still doesn't want company and I can't really give you an address because I don't know for sure where she will be going. All mail sent to her apartment will be delivered to her. I'll keep you posted!

Nov. 2: Just a quick note. Mom called this afternoon and said she will be transported via ambulance from Memorial Hospital in Worcester up to LaChance Center in Gardner at 4 p.m. She had her cast put on this morning. It is blue on the top and red and white striped on the bottom! :) I'm going to pick Viki up and head over to bring her some things in a few minutes. I'll get a phone number and address and let everyone know. Right now it sounds like she may be there for two weeks. ???????????????

More later!

Oh. Penny isn't going with us because she was diagnosed with bronchitis and sinusitis today! She's on antibiotics and will stay away from Mom for a while. :(

Nov. 2: Just got home from seeing Mom. She is doing great! We unknowingly parked right in front of the window to her room and watched as they unloaded her from the ambulance gurney to her bed. She was all smiles!!! She didn't know we were there. She was conversing with the ambulance crew. She spent all of 45 minutes with them but learned all about them and when she spoke of them after they had left she referred to the driver as her "friend" Brian. That's my Mom!

She will be here at the LaChance Center (59 Eastwood Circle, Gardner, MA 01440) for the next two weeks. Then she'll go back to Memorial for an appointment with her doctor. She will find out then what the next step is. She figures they'll send her back to LaChance for another 2-3 weeks before her surgery.

She's still not ready for company but cards would be great!

Nov. 3: It's me again. Went to see Mom twice today. She's doing good. If I didn't know better I'd think she was faking! She looks like she could just get up and go home! The LaChance Center is a very nice place. She has excellent care and a nice room with a view (of the parking lot), she's eating the food, and we can go see her anytime we want. She's already received a lot of cards and Casey and Scott hung them all on her bulletin board. Her room is bright and cheery with two floor to ceiling windows. I'm bringing her a Christmas cactus tomorrow that I have with lots of buds on it. She could even have her parakeet stay with her if she chose but he's kind of noisy so she decided he could stay with Penny for now.

My life is extremely hectic. I started a new job two months ago. I drive a 22 year old autistic/retarded/cerebral palsy young man from Hubbardston to school in Worcester every morning at 7 a.m. and retrieve him at 2 p.m. He's a great guy. He loves music so we put on the oldies and sing pretty much all the way to and from school. He knows a lot more of the words than I do! He doesn't carry a tune real well but sometimes we actually sound like we're harmonizing! I love my job!

But...........when I'm not enjoying Matthew's company I still see my doctor twice a month and have cervical traction three times a week for the damaged vertebrae in my neck from our 7/2/04 car accident. I meet with my lawyer occasionally for the same reason. I have some dental work going on that will require several visits. (Not accident related!) I have taken over as Viki's babysitter while Mom is out of commission, and I hope to get up to see Mom at least once a day. I like being busy but every now and then I have to put things into perspective and spend time on my home and with my husband!

Nov. 6: Mom is doing good. They get her up for Physical Therapy daily and she's coming along great! She received word yesterday from her Orthopedic Surgeon that her tests have all come back good and she is scheduled to have her surgery on December 10. That made her very happy since originally they had said it could be 10-11 weeks out! As soon as we get the okay from her PT we can take her out for day trips. We will have her home for Thanksgiving. It's good for her to have some things to look forward to. She totally enjoys all of the cards and well wishes she has gotten from all of you! Thank you!

Sally and Ernie are here this weekend and Penny has recuperated from her bronchitis so Mom has plenty of company.


NEW ADDRESS
Don Schlicke

Thanks [to Teddie] for the updates on Aunt Dotty. I print them out and bring them home for my Dad to see, too. Glad to hear that things are looking up.

Please note that we are upgrading our internet service here at work, and with that comes a change in my e-mail address. My new address is don@mass.rr.com. The two services will run in tandem for the rest of the month, but after that only the new address will work. Please feel free to share this info with any of our relatives.


BOB'S SURGERY SCHEDULED!
Nancy Murdock

Nov. 2: After months of treatments for the problems that stemmed from a case of shingles to the right ophthalmic nerve (in his right eye) in March, Bob got some good news. He is now scheduled for cataract surgery on November 16. First he has to pass the pre-op tests on the 9th, but we are cautiously optimistic. Well, actually, we're ecstatic, but we do know that some problem could pop up to delay this operation.

This is for his right eye. If that goes well and heals correctly, he will then have surgery on the left eye a week or two later. That cataract has been plaguing him for at least a year, so this will be a big improvement.

We spent two and a half hours Friday at the ophthalmology clinic, OMNI. This is about par for the course for his appointments there, but it is a comfortable place to wait. I get a lot of reading time, so I always take a romance to keep me in a mellow mood. This time we also watched a video description of the operations he will undergo.

We got a kick out of the room where we saw this: it must have had 30 nicely framed diplomas on the walls. When I told a technician I had been in the Diploma Room, she laughed and told me they call it the Dilation Room. That was my turn to laugh, as all I could think of was my delivery room experiences. She said I wasn't the first to mention that.

We next went to our HMO to arrange for the pre-op. We also (firmly) raised the subject of our flu shots. They had said they would notify the patients with the most critical need for a shot, but no letter had come. I was very concerned that Bob would get the flu before they managed to give him a shot, with all that his body has gone through in the past six months. Fortunately, the scheduler told us we could come on Saturday or Sunday morning for a shot. We would just have to state the reasons we would be eligible. So we appeared the next day and got the shots with no problem. One person did ask us for "the card you received," but I just said I'd been told the day before that we didn't need them. He looked a little startled. When we got home and picked up our mail, there were our notices. It seemed appropriate to receive them on the day we got the shots.

So everything looks good now for an end to this long wait for Bob to be able to drive a car, read signs, and see the Bible verses on the daily calendar without using a magnifying glass and guessing at the text. Please continue to pray for Bob, that this will actually result in the first of two healed eyes.

Nov. 12: Bob passed the pre-op with flying colors. So now all systems are go. We are eagerly looking forward to Tuesday.


Click here for Part 3 of the November-December Muse.

Top / Muse Home / Who's Who / What's New