A Night at the Opera

On this second weekend of the Astoria Music Festival, we attended an unusual performance in the Liberty Theatre, a recently restored 1920s vaudeville-motion picture palace.

We watched the 1926 movie, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney . Maestroe David Wroe, a regular conductor at the New York City Opera, lead a ten piece orchestra plus soprano, in a accompanying score, written in 1991.The movie was released the same year that the Liberty Theatre opened. I've read that the movie caused quite a stir, a frightening experience in its day. We kept our wits, well, those of of us with wits to keep, and greatly enjoyed ourselves.

Next day, good weather has finally arrived in Astoria. Summer is here!

Bruce

Bruce's turn

Starting in March or so, Bruce developed an increasing severe cough. Cough, cough, cough. You get the idea.

Over the counter cough medicine helped some, but not enough.

Finally, in May, he saw a doctor. Who ordered an xray. Which revealed a nodule in his lungs. What's that doing there?

Medical minds wanted to know. Blood tests and medication showed nothing more.

In the mean time, the best minds in the trailer, i.e. Jenna, uncovered a likely cause. Valley Fever. A fungal infection brought on by breathing desert air. Hey, we spent months in the desert, often breathing the air.

More blood tests, a CT scan, and a PET scan these past few weeks, ordered by an excellent pulmonologist in Longview, WA. Which revealed a history of Valley Fever, inactive at present. Good.

However, additional results still held out the slight possibility of early stage lung cancer. Not so good. [Cue the ominous kettle drums.]

So, what's the plan, Stan?

See a consulting surgeon in Portland soon, to decide on surgery for a biopsy, or wait three months for another CT scan to measure growth.

Faithful readers may send large donations to the newly formed Committee To Send Bruce On A Final Motorcycle Trip Around The World. [No refunds if the lung cancer thing doesn't work out.]

[Note to self: Ask Karl Rove to form Committee.]

It's always somethin'.

Bruce

Expectations Sated

Today our Other Blog Reader wrote us. To complain that we publish too often.

Each time he reads this blog, he hopes to see the final entry. Thus he often feels disappointed. Tho not as frequently as our two readers who want more entries.

One wonders why he reads them at all. Surely he could designate the next one as the last post and put his own end to the whole distasteful business. Perhaps he will get the idea this time.

The term Masochism springs to mind. Of the Literary Type. We may contact the American Psychiatric Association to consider this variation of that diagnosis in their next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

We will certainly include Other Reader’s contact information, to document the illness. Perhaps they can offer him some therapy. And he may find the DSM more entertaining. No pictures tho.

Bruce

PS Note we refer to Other Blog Reader in the masculine. Women have more sense.

Expectations Unfulfilled

Our sole reader, who shall remain anonymous, has turned demanding of late. (Wait. No reason for anonymity when no one else reads this blog. It was Doug & JoAnn.) Expects more frequent postings, do they? We won't forget this complaint when next we hold a rigged contest filled with worthless prizes, you betcha!

We do have reasons for our absence from the electronic world. No reliable internet service here at Fort Stevens. Not so good phone service either, so don't bother to call us to complain, D and J.

We abandoned our Hughes satellite service due to tall trees here and at Park of the Sierras, our future six month home. Then purchased a Verizon air card, which lasted but two days before it stopped working. Replaced it with Verizon's new Mifi card, a combination router and modem. Crossing our virtual fingers.

And so a return to the mundane RV adventures of Bruce and Jenna. You can throw away those sleeping pills you started using during our absence. We offer a more natural alternative to slumber.

Picture taken in a toy shop in Astoria, OR

Action sells better than words.

Bruce

Information Please

First day in the information booth at Fort Stevens. Lookin' smart in our vests and caps and name pins.

All is illusion. If you knew what we know, you'd know how little we know and you'd know that we knew that we don't know.

You know.

Or as Donald Rumsfeld enigmatically put it, "There are known knowns...(and) unknown unknowns." Obviously he fit in the latter category.

But then we held professional jobs in our paid careers. So we well know how little consultants know. Now we don't know for free.

Bruce

Wood for Sale!

We started selling wood a few days ago at Fort Stevens State Park, as part of our host duties. Riding around in a gas powered cart, hawking burnable cellulose. We are very good at this.

Four hours in each of two days per week selling pieces of dead trees. Four hours in each of two days starting next week dispensing information to park campers. One four hour day picking up litter. No pressure here.

No pics just yet, but you just wait.

Or don't. Wouldn't blame ya.

Bruce

With Fondest Regards to Dick Cheney

When I find myself in times of trouble,
..."Flee the country" is for me.
Seeking some asylum,
...Let me be.

Please! And take Rush with you!!