Travels and Children - and Grandchildren!

 Date:   1/10/2021

Dad Joke:    (This one came from Alyssa.)  Why did the cookie go to the Doctor?  (Pause)  It was feeling a little crummy.

More to see than can ever be seen:    I stood on the shore of a dried-up lake to the north of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.   I was assured that this extensive shallow lake held a lot of water during the rainy season.   However, at the time that I was there, the vista was miles and miles of hard-pan sand (clearly not the rainy season) with no water in sight!   On the “weirdness scale”, at this same Lake, I followed a line of man-sized rusty iron sculptures for roughly a half-mile out into the lake-bed.   These sculptures – something of a local attraction – were stylized human-figures in various poses, almost robot-like as I recall.  If you have seen the sculpted runners in Spokane’s Downtown Park, you get the idea.   The Australian Dry Lake figures were spaced many meters apart and “disappeared” into the mirage-like haze of the lake.  [ https://traveloutbackaustralia.com/lake-ballard-goldfields-western-australia.html/ ]

More to know than can ever be known: (While remembering this Australian junket….) Emily has been to the empty interior of Australia.   Unlike America, there is relatively nothing as far as modern civilization and conveniences in this Country’s Outback Regions.  Example, when I drove out of Kalgoorlie - on the only main road! - a sign pointing southward warned that next fuel was 900 kilometers away, and a sign pointing northward warned that the next fuel was over 400 kilometers away.   (I have a wide-brimmed dark green Outback Hat, an Akubra Brand “Territory” model that I brought back as an Australian memento.  For Jan, I bought a nice fiery opal pendant – since this is the gem of Australia.)

More to do than can ever be done:     The continuing Odyssey of Tom Bassier

·         During my early college years, I declined to join some of my roommates, changing my plans, on the very morning they left for the infamous / famous and defining concert of the times (Woodstock).  I decided not to hop in the van, claiming it was just a bit far to drive and there were going to be too many people and crowds and the weather looks to be rainy!   Oh, well…..

·         Courted and married Janet Lee Ohnsman.

·         For a postponed honeymoon, in the summer of 1973, we loaded up our VW “Hippie” Van for an extended cross-country trip from Michigan to the West Coast and back to Michigan.  (This is worthy of a saga-entry on its own merits.)

·         (For the record, Jan and I were not “hippies” culturally and as far as how we lived – but we are of that Generation.)

·         There have been five constants in my life:  reading, swords, exercise, early to bed and early to rise, and a strong work ethic.

·         Was next to Jan as Eric, Emily, Brian, Kathryn and Elaine came into the world, and the first or simultaneously with Jan the first to hold you.   (Comings into the world, again, each worthy of their own unique story.)

·         Lost my second son, Brian when he was just a young man….what a scar this left.  (Sorry, to just abruptly drop that event horizon in ….but, look to the four - thus far - subsequent event horizons!)

·         Held Alyssa first when she was a couple of weeks old.   This was in Virginia.

·         Held Ben first when he was hours old in Walla Walla.

·         Held Beau first when he was hours old in Seattle.

·         Held Winter first when he was hours old in Las Vegas.

·         Hit the roads across America on a motorcycle twice.

·         Hit the roads across America a dozen times by car.

·         Ran two Marathon Races.

·         Ran a handful of ½ Marathon Races.

·         Jogged as part of my daily exercise regimen over 40000 miles until my back failed me (and now I just shuffle along walking!).

·         Collected over 60 swords (current collection is down to 3 dozen).

·         Hiked above the mountain tree line in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Peru.

·         (One should see the Milky Way from the clear skies of high altitude, and remote from the ambient lights of civilization.)

·         Ran trails in the wilderness of Northern Canada (lots of black flies and mosquitos!)  And, startling, while so doing, came across a professional hockey team doing their morning run while up there on a fishing trip!   They said to watch out for bears! 

·         Based upon my reading logs of the last few years, as well as the number of books on my bookshelves, I have to have read well over 2000 books.

·         Traveled to Australia (long trans-Pacific flights!)

·         Traveled three times to South America (maybe more on this later.)

Okay, I am winding down and have lost track of a coherent timeline and sequence of events.  So……

There you have it.

TAB

P.S.:  Of course, it is cool to remember the things you have done.  But, rest assured my memories are more importantly full of the people who were literally or figuratively alongside during these “adventures”.    LIKE JANET LEE!