- Ben Olson graduated from SHS in 1999. He served as ASB president that year, and that's about all I knew of him then. I've read his commentary in the Sandpoint Reader--that's the paper Zach Hagadone (another SHS grad) started a couple of years ago after graduating from Albertson College. Ben's contributions to the paper have featured reviews of writers like Hunter Thompson or journals of his own traveling adventures. I received a note from him a week or so ago, asking me to look over a publishing contract for a book about his cross country train trip which left him down and out and back in Sandpoint. We later agreed to get together and talk books, which we did yesterday at Di Luna's. Had a good time too, especially when Zach showed up and shared his Sagle flea market story about military helmets. At age 12, he had a chance join forces with a helmet entrepreneur. Zach chose to abstain. Instead, he saved his talents for the newspaper business. He's not making a lot of money (let's see, was it $500 last year), but he's made a mark on an eclectic following of local readers.
- Speaking of newspapers---I've got good sportswriter news. After one week as a temporary employee, Willie learned Wednesday that he's been signed on for full time at the Idaho Post Tribune, Nampa's daily. He says the 4-12 midnight shift kinda fouls up his sleep habits, but in the job market, he's hit a homerun. He's writing about what he loves: sports.
- Sylvia-----she's Dennis Timoskevich's older sister. I didn't know my Class of 1965 classmate from Sagle had an older sister until I met her on that wet birding tour with Earl Chapin last month. She's one of the honchos in the Native Plant Society, so I saw her again yesterday at the Arbor Day celebration. The grand finale was to plant a black cottonwood in Lakeview Park's arboretum, and Sylvia was in charge. When I heard she was the one, I yelled out, "What's Sylvia mean?" She knew----one who inhabits the forest. Very appropriate person for planting that tree, I'd say.
- Just in case ya don't know---in Idaho if your sisters, brothers or kiddies sell you a vehicle or trailer, ya don't have to pay sales tax. I never knew that and had my checkbook ready yesterday at the motor vehicle registration office. Lucky I mentioned "sister" while discussing our motorhome purchase with my classmate Sharon who owns Lake RV in Sandpoint. The clerk said, "Oh, if you bought it from your sisters, you just fill out this form, get her to sign it and no tax will be needed." Later, Bill said he wished he'd known that when he purchased Annie's car from my brother Kevin. He plunked down $150 when he registered it in Idaho.
- Speaking of motor homes, Bill has slept in the Dodge Brougham twice now. He took a nap yesterday afternoon after enjoying a solo RV lunch and reading some magazines in our new surrogate house. Then, he took his sleeping bag out there last night. Said he slept like a log after reading for a while. The gals down at the motor vehicle office--all locals--told me I've got a new means of getting him out of my hair. "Just send him to the motor home," they said.
- I'm going to a wedding shower today for Jeff Bock's fiancee, Kristianna. She's from California and she likes to vacuum. I learned that one day when Jeff brought her to the house. She didn't vacuum for me, but I think she would have been quite willing if I'd asked. There's gonna be a crowd at the shower who inspire me to enjoy my creative side---so I've got some unique gifts to present. One will be something borrowed and happily returned. If folks know Judge Heise or Jeannie Bock, they may concur that ya just don't go to something like that without something up your sleeve. I promise not to disappoint.
- After the shower, I think I'll go to the Sagle flea market and pick up some kitchen wares for the new old motorhome. I don't think we need helmets though, even if I threw out some bullets today.
Gotta shut up now and go shorten a 1,200 word birding story to 900 words. Maybe if I really cut it down and wrote: Birds fly. People watch the sky. Birds go, "Twiddle diddly dee. " People go "Well, golly gee." D'ya think that would suffice?
Happy Saturday to all. May the bird of paradise fly up your clothes and make you scream!
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