Lake Wobegon Up North

Though for obvious reasons named Ron, I would never ever, ever, think of moving to Florida, the fact is that I’m a winter wimp. While my daughter just came back from snow camping and a friend recently joined the cold plunge craze, here in Portland I can think of nothing but cozying up to the heater vent in the wall. San Francisco winters I can tolerate, but Portland these past few days have been in the late 30’s and early 40’s, with both wind and rain. Though I know people in Minnesota or Finland are smirking and thinking, “You call that winter?!!!”, still it’s cold for me. 

 

But the frigid air is balanced by the warmth of renewed contact with family and friends. Watching my grandkids play basketball, visiting my son-in-law at his new University job, helping my daughter take 75 books to Powell’s bookstore (my Mecca!) from her closed physical office and getting $85 in credit. Today I’ll have brunch with old college friends, an afternoon with my nephew and his kids, tomorrow brunch with an old friend from our Kerala, India days (45 years ago!) who we haven’t seen in a while. The other day was lunch with the man who has supplied instruments to our course for decades and finally getting to see the warehouse where they all live. We know a lot of people in Portland!

 

My daughter and husband left yesterday to drive to Seattle to have some rare time alone while my wife and I are on full-time grandparent duty. Besides being tourists in a city they’ve never visited, they’re going to a Madonna concert! Son-in-law Ronnie has long been a fan, so why not? 

 

That’s the news, such as it is, where indeed the women are strong, the men are good looking and the children above average. *

 

*Malik scored 22 of his team’s 30 points yesterday! Zadie showed us a report card of mostly A’s! Grandparent pride!