How to have a wonderful afternoon with a lady...

Don't y'all worry, I told my wife about it, she insisted I visit, my mother insisted and of course my better nature also said I should ride up, park and go see my aunt Velva. I had to get by the gate guard, which I did, and then found her not at home, but was told she was at lunch on the second floor.

So down I went and found her eating with three other women, and I surprised her - since she never got my morning email. She knew I was thinking of coming from a letter months ago. She said she would change tables so we could eat together and I said I had to feed the parking meter outside. I did that and came back and they told me there was guest parking already. I would move later. We had a nice lunch, I had a berry soup (it was good but not sure why they said it was soup) and I had a hamburger. Velva thought I needed more, but twisting the throttle doesn't take that much energy. We spent the meal catching up a little, then went up to her room.

We talked and laughed, and I was able to show her the videos and pictures of my grandson in Hawaii, and all the stuff my wife and I have been up to since I was found less than necessary in the State of Washington, by the State. We did lots of talking about family, old and current. She was interested in my life and I just rambled on and on. She has tremors now, and she has lots of medicines to take on time. We were interrupted once by a lively lady that laughed and said "You have a visitor" and I looked to see who was coming, but it was the exercise coach tracking down her missing participant and I was the visitor. Okay.

A quick three hours and it was time to move the Trusty Triumph to the guest parking, if I visited more I would have known where it was. She waa going to get me into the right place and moving quickly with her walker, down the elevator out the door and pointing me to my spot Northeast of her building. I got a fair picture of her and her building and her studio on the Eastside overlooking a wooded park. I stayed for dinner and had fried catfish with dreaded (yes, I thought the word was breaded, too) it was pleasantly spicy. A good hug, a suggestion that maybe next year after my wife retires we would drive out and visit again (my wife agrees). Off on my Trusty Triumph.

I had to get fuel, but first a stop to see the Veterans Memorial, and make sure my father and his brother's markers were still there and okay. They were, right beside the engraving of the helicopter my cousin flew, and the paratrooper I was once upon a time. A very good visit to Rochester, Minnesota and with my ninety-eight year old aunt.