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It has been a significant length of time since I posted a letter, and I have many images from which to choose, but "old news" is the adjective that describes them now. I finally got a chance to play with my recumbent bicycle. I rode it towards Florence, making 38.9 miles (at an average speed of 14.1 mph) before Barbara overtook me. The odometer on the bicycle generates output, but I suspect it is not reliable (and the procedure to calibrate it is not intuitively obvious), so I took my reading from the odometer in the Geo. The time was a guess (+/- 5 minutes), so there is some uncertainty in that calculation, but (given that it includes three stops [to adjust the seat, to pick up a piece of cord, and to drain some excess fluid] and < 4.8 miles of up hill travel) that speed isn't too shabby. When it was done, I was tired, but my seat wasn't particularly sore, and I think I could have gone on after a rest (and re-hydration). That is the good news. The bad news is that this machine is geared lower than my Puget, a disadvantage when attempting to go fast downhill. In its highest gear, one turn of the Puget crank moves me forward 28.27 feet, while one turn of the Linear crank gets me only 27.23 feet. This suggests (based solely on my ability to pedal) that maxed out going downhill, the Linear will be 3.7% slower. Offsetting that observation is the fact that the recumbent bicycle and rider has a slightly smaller aerodynamic cross section, hence experiences less drag. Given that wind and rider fatigue are major factors, it is not intuitively obvious how to rigorously compare the two machines. At the other end of the gear ratios, the Linear definitely has the advantage. In its lowest gear, one revolution of the Puget crank moves the bike forward 10.1 feet, while an equivalent turn of the Linear crank generates only 5.83 feet. I suspect there aren't too many paved roads that the Linear can't climb. Too bad I'm not planning an uphill trip. I am developing some expertise at herding this bike down the road in something that resembles a straight line, and even starting going up a hill. When I first get on the bike, it is like there is nothing in front of me and I feel almost naked, but after riding for a while, I relax and it is actually quite comfortable. I have not yet arrived at the point where I can't let go of the handlebars with both hands simultaneously (as in starting a stopwatch), but am fairly comfortable riding with one hand (think scratching your nose). Also, when I look somewhere other than down the road, the bike tends to wander. I think these are problems I will overcome with experience (to this point I have sat on the bicycle less than six hours total). This bicycle is longer than the Puget, and carrying it on the bicycle rack proved problematic. It produces a fair amount of drag, and the result is that it has a tendency to rotate on the bicycle rack. So I redesigned the carrier, and placed the front bicycle tire on the rear window of the Geo, then supported the bicycle handlebars on the carrier. This mount is then further stabilized by running a cord from the front bicycle tire to the front of the car. The rear of the bike sticks out 3 feet 5 inches, and a flag is required at 4 feet, so this method works quite well. I installed a new speedometer, modified the seat so it didn't not interfere with the brake cable, and moved the rack over the rear tire so that it did not contact the riders back, then I rode to San Manuel. There were strong winds, but they were basically at my back going down the hill, and I managed to reach 38.0 mph. Unfortunately, after about 25 mph, I could not turn the crank fast enough to increase my speed (that same point is reached at about 28 mph on the Puget). I sure wish this bike were geared higher. But, in its favor, the ride is very smooth, and there is none of the thump thump thump thump (that I attribute to the tires being unbalanced) on the Puget.

The blessing of Sabrina's daughter, Piper Afton Herring was accomplished without problem, and afterwards most of the family had lunch with the guest of honor. As you might surmise, it was wall to wall people. I only include one image, but if you examine it even briefly you can probably infer the noise level. Ameilia made a recording to send to AJ. I ought to learn how to do those things, but technology just doesn't seem to "stick" anymore. It is undoubtedly a case of the "old dog/new trick" syndrome. On the trip down, Wyatt's truck (and I use that designation because Ameilia was adamant that it was not her vehicle) malfunctioned, and scattered parts of his transmission along several mile of highway. Wyatt's take (of course) was that because it was a Ford, it continued to operate for the next two hundred plus miles (over two days) until it made it to the shop. My take (as you can probably guess) is that Ford still has not figured out how to build reliable transmissions. There are many ways to interpret almost any event, and the one chosen often reveals the bias of the beholder. The truck was in the shop over the weekend. They called Wyatt Friday evening to tell him the good news was that the case was still in good shape. The bad news was that everything inside was toast (mostly burnt). According to Wyatt, there is an electronic mechanism that governs shifting, and the last mechanic to service it broke the clips that keep the wiring harness firmly attached to the transmission. It vibrated loose, and without the advice of its electronic brain, engaged third gear and overdrive at the same time. Apparently, that was a bad choice.

In my experience, when a person tries to get something and give nothing in return, he usually ends up getting burned. That is just the way the world works. So, I have a rule that says, "Don't try to get something for nothing." The other day while I was shopping in Sam's Club, I broke that rule. A sweet young employee of that establishment accosted me in the cereal isle, and asked if I would like to save $20 on the groceries I was buying. I knew very well what was coming, but decided to play dumb. In response to my questions, I was informed that if I filled out a short and simple "Sam's Club" credit card application they would reduce my purchase by $20. Obviously, Sam's was convinced that in the long run, they would get more than that amount from me in interest and fees on their card. I agreed, but one problem led to two others and, to make a long story short, I left the store with the credit card but not the discount. Still, I don't really have any hard feelings because of two things. First, I broke my rule above, so I should not have been surprised with what I got (perhaps it was what I deserved). Second, I wasn't really playing straight with Sam's. The credit card (that looked so healthy and hale when they gave it to me) was actually in the throes of death, and it didn't live to see the rays of the next morning's sun.

Sun Life gives their employees 5 days of "bereavement leave," (which, of course, has been very closely defined). The death of a parent, however, qualified me so I took off Tuesday (3-6-07) through Monday (3-12-07). The first day I spent making a flurry of phone calls (many of which produced no answer), but by the end of the day, most of the pieces were starting to fall into place. I also sanded about half the sheetrock joints in Barbara's remodeling project. It is very evident I am never going to be a "world class" sheetrock finisher, but if I could somehow guarantee that I would never again have to play that roll, I think I could live with the shortcoming. As it is, I am unhappy with my work, but still too cheap to hire it done right.

Karren wanted me to ride up with her to help with the driving and also with her husband. Jim has improved from his strokes to the point where he is up and walking (albeit slowly and meticulously), but long periods of sitting in a vehicle render him almost non-ambulatory. At times he resembles a leaking ship. He appears to be listing. Along with us we took Sabrina (with Cub) and Ashlee. Cub may have whimpered twice during the entire thirteen-hour trip (that's my kind of a babe). She is quite alert, follows objects with her eyes (including turning her head), and mimics facial expressions. I got her to make an "oh" with her lips and stick out her tongue. She was, however, unable to do "fish lips" although they obviously intrigued her. She is growing quickly and is in the top 95% of the weight spread of her age group.

Ashlee took Grandpa's passing quite hard. There were a plethora of tears, and she wrote a piece of poetry and placed in Grandpas hand in the coffin. Her fiance (Ben [last name currently forgotten]) flew up and we picked him up at the Salt Lake airport about 3:30 on Friday. Ben is a senior in electrical engineering and is scheduled to graduate in May. He is currently in the throes of his "senior project," so it was not intuitively obvious how he managed to get away (then again, he is engaged to a damsel in distress, and romantic young love is a powerful impetus). He rode home in Karren's van, and since that would have filled every seat, I elected to ride home with Nathen and Terre in their new (to them) Ford Expedition (which seats eight). Unfortunately, Wyatt talked them into taking his Ford Explorer (I suspect he wanted to drive), and I filled the vehicle to its five-passenger capacity. There was little legroom, and my calves and thighs cramped up a couple of times. It was a long (nine-hour) trip.

Karren had wanted to leave Tuesday evening and spend the night with Nathen in Taylor prior to continuing on to Provo the next day but (being Karren) she was unable to accomplish her preparations in a timely fashion, so we ended up driving the whole distance in a single day. Jim is convinced that the shortest route (when time is the metric) runs through Las Vegas, so that was the way we went. It took us thirteen hours (including four stops, each 10 to 15 minutes in length) to make the journey. Since it takes me thirteen hours to travel between Provo and Oracle (with only two stops), perhaps the route through Nevada is the quickest (assuming a vehicle and driver capable of sustaining 80 mph on the freeway), but it is sure a boring drive. (Can you tell that was not my course of choice?)

Laura (my youngest sister) flew to Salt Lake City with her youngest daughter (KD) on Friday morning. Fred (her husband) has accepted a job in Peru, and Laura was to join him there this weekend to select a house, but she managed to change her itinerary and attend the festivities commemorating Daddy's life.

Sunday Laura flew with KD back to Denver (from whence KD drove the family car home to Dillon) then continued on to Lima. Given how I felt at the end of the trip, I suspect that Laura was one tired puppy. She plans to return within a week, and then remain in the States until KD graduates from high school (and moves in with Karren [where she will attend Pima College]), and Ashlee gets married (an event scheduled for June second). Since the Allen Reunion is the following week, Laura may remain for that, and then I probably won't see her again for three to five years.

Friday and Saturday night Lois had wall to wall people sleeping in her house. She is not doing well, and told me that most days she stays in her pajamas because dressing leaves her exhausted. Friday she went out to the hairdressers, then to the three-hour viewing. Saturday, she went to the one-hour viewing, the funeral, the interment, and the dinner afterwards (provided by the Relief Society of their ward). I suspect she was nearing a state of prostration, and was greatly relieved when everybody left on Sunday.

It will undoubtedly take some time before the reality of the situation sinks in. Karren and I were able to help some with her financial affairs. We did her and Daddy's taxes for 2006, along with canceling a credit card (in the names of Reginald and Norma LeFevre). We also arranged a meeting with the Social Security Benefits personnel to maximize her benefits. It appears that her total income will decrease by about 35% and while that is significant, I suspect she will be able to continue living in her house (for awhile it appeared that she might not be able to afford that luxury).

There were two viewings, one (two hours in length) on Friday and the other (one hour in length) immediately prior to the funeral on Saturday. I don't know who made those arrangements, but (other than family) the only people attending the first were the Bishop and Relief Society President. That is not surprising, given that Daddy and Lois moved into the ward as an elderly couple, rarely attended meetings, and held no callings. If the funeral had been held in Patagonia or the Duncan/Virden area, there would have undoubtedly been 200+ people in attendance.

The relatives that attended included Lois, two of her children and two of her grandchildren (with a couple of spouses),

all of Daddy's children, three of my children (with some spouses),

all of Marks family and spouses,

all of Karren's family, and two of Laura's children (and a fiance).

Daddy was number ten of thirteen children, and only one of them survived him. Agnes, his younger sister was there with three of her daughters. A brother-in-law (Mike, as in Mike and Arta) was also there with two of his children. The take home lesson here is that if you want a large funeral, don't move away from where your family is concentrated and don't be the last in your family to die. Then again, a large funeral does not rank very high on my list of priorities.

The funeral was very much a family affair. I offered the family prayer (prior to closing the coffin),

Helena gave the opening prayer, Karren and Laura gave the life story, Mark gave the religious talk, Ashlee gave the closing prayer, and Nathen dedicated the grave.

The only three (non-family) people who participated were the Bishop (who conducted and gave a two minute summary), the chorister, and the organist. Lois wanted to know which hymns were Daddy's favorites and I couldn't tell her (but you will be happy to know I refrained from telling her that I wasn't totally convinced Daddy could distinguish one hymn from another).

Actually there were other non-family members participating. The VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) furnished an honor guard that gave Daddy a 21-gun salute as part of the graveside service. I thought it was impressive, but Ameilia (to whom I had entrusted my camera [I was a pallbearer]) thought it inappropriate to photograph, so I didn't get any photos. I particularly wanted one of the rifle standing upright with its bayonet stuck in the ground, and a helmet resting on the butt end. In WWII, that was the symbol of a dead soldier.

I have taken to riding my bicycle at lunch. It is getting to be light enough in the mornings to ride to work, but it is still too cold (even if Tucson did hit 92 degrees Saturday). Thursday, riding down the second dip headed to San Manuel I hit a sharp rock on the road and experienced an immediate blowout (the rock was flat on top and bottom, and it didn't turn or move). Looking later, there was a 5/8-inch gash in the side of the tire. My speedometer indicated that I was accelerating past 32 mph just prior to the impact so, as you can imagine, it was exciting for a short while. I managed to ride it out and brake to a stop, but not before being liberally sprayed with the fluorescent green stop leak compound I had in the tire (and just for the record, stop leak compound diminishes the efficacy of bicycle brakes). I'm sure I was a sight to behold (with decorations on my pants, my shirt, my face, and my glasses) but some kind soul took pity on me and offered me a ride back to the clinic (which I gratefully accepted). I have yet to take the recumbent bike to work to ride at lunch because I fear it would attract too much attention. Still, the musculature required to ride it is slightly different from that of a diamond bike, and training needs dictate that I make switch soon.

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