A Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day email arrived late Saturday which had some photos which had me doing some hard core remembering. Or tying to remember.
What had me pondering, after seeing these photos, was trying to remember the times I saw my mom and dad, after I moved to Texas, late in the previous century.
The first two years in Texas I drove back to Washington four times, with the final time driving solo, back and forth, in a 30-day period in July/August of 2001. I drove to the PNW to be an unexpected arrival at my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary party.
I remember, during that month in 2001, riding with mom and dad up to the Skagit Valley, one day, and another day I drove to their cabin at Lake Cushman, from whence dad drove us to Ocean Shores.
Shortly after my return to Texas, in October of 2001, mom and dad came to Texas to visit me for the first time. They'd been on a long roadtrip in their RV.
The photos you see here were from that October 2001 visit. The first two photos are mom and dad in the Fort Worth Stockyards, with the first one, mom watching the Fort Worth Herd Trail Drive amble on by.
The second photo is sitting at the Stockyards Riscky's BBQ outdoor patio, having all you can eat BBQ ribs.
Mom and dad were watching local TV news in their RV and saw a story about a grand opening in Fort Worth. Mom always loved a good grand opening. When I saw them the next day I was quickly asked if I knew where the new Central Market was located. I confirmed that I did. Mom then asked if they could go to it, because today was their grand opening.
And here we see mom and dad leaving Central Market.
Upon arrival mom saw the long line of people waiting to get inside.
I got some of my scofflaw tendencies from my mom. Which is why it made perfectly clear sense to me when mom suggested we enter the store from where people were exiting, and not the long line entry.
And so we did. It was fun going against the tide. Mom always loved an event with ample free samples.
I think the above photo is from the Dallas Farmers Market. We'd been to Dealey Plaza and the Book Depository Museum. Mom and dad were not too impressed with the Book Depository Museum, but they were all gungho at the Dallas Farmers Market.
Seeing these photos had me trying to remember all the times I saw my mom and dad this century.
After the 2001 visits in Washington, and in Texas, the next time I saw mom and dad was when I flew up to Washington in July of 2002, to go to a family reunion in Lynden.
The next time was in October of 2005. I am hazy on the details, but, I'd flown to Washington for some website thing, and on the return I was able to route to Phoenix and cause a five hour layover. I remember getting picked up at the airport, going to a McDonald's, then to mom and dad's place in Sun Lakes, for the first time. It was dark and I was totally disoriented.
The previous year, in February of 2004, I'd flown up to Washington for a project with a chocolate purveyor. For the return to Texas, I was able to change my flight to flying out early, to Phoenix, keeping the original flight from Phoenix back to DFW. This made a 10 hour layover in Arizona.
I remember I was packed with a lot of chocolate products. And going to my sister's house in Chandler for the first time. Then touring Sun Lakes, looking for possible places for my mom and dad to move to. Then to an Applebee's Happy Hour, and then to an In 'n Out where I had two double double burgers.
By the time I got on the plane I was miserably stuffed and was so happy it was an almost empty flight, with me having the whole row to myself, so I could lay down.
The next time I saw my mom and dad was in April of 2006. I'd flown to Washington for my Favorite Nephew Jason's first wedding. The way back to Texas routed through Phoenix, so I was able to change the flight and get a four hour layover. Mom and dad and sister Jackie picked me up at the airport, with Jackie driving us to Tempe, to a Ruby Tuesday's, where Jackie and I regaled mom and dad with tales of the wedding we'd just been to. We watched the sun set from a park, and then it was back to the airport.
It would be over two years before I saw my mom and dad again. I flew up to Washington in late July of 2008, staying a month, doing all sorts of things. Staying in Tacoma. Mom and dad came up from Arizona and stayed several days.
And then, just a few months later, in January of 2009, mom and dad came to Texas again, for a week.
I did not see mom and dad again until March of 2012. I do not remember what the impetus was, but, I flew to Phoenix, stayed with mom and dad. I remember going to sister Jackie's for a BBQ, where Spencer Jack and Jason showed up. Spencer was around five at the time.
That 2012 visit with mom and dad was the last, well, happy visit. I did not see them again until July of 2017, when I drove to Arizona after learning my dad was in bad shape. I stayed a month. Got back to Texas and soon found myself flying to Washington, where David, Theo and Ruby met me for the first time, picking me up at the airport.
That was one long poignant week in Washington in 2017. I do not ever recollect ever being both so happy and so sad at the same time, before. After a week in Washington, I flew to Phoenix, for a week in Arizona, with mom and sister Jackie picking me up at the airport.
The next two years saw many trips back to Arizona, to stay with my mom. The last time was in July of 2019. I have not flown or roadtripped anywhere since then.
I'll end this with a photo of my dad, taken, I think, in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Seeing this I realize it is not too puzzling some suggest I look like my dad...
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