John on the PCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To ViannÉ

the mother of all these children.

Note to the Reader

 

Tonight we had a family meeting over dinner.  It was another step towards coping with our now-adult children.  John is about to go back to Baylor as a sophomore, 19; Katy is in summer school about to start her second senior year at Azusa Pacific, 22; and Viannah has just moved home from Brooklyn where she was laid off from a non-profit due to the Great Recession and could no longer afford the rent, 24.

 

It looks like John is at his full height, taller than Katy who is taller than Viannah who is taller than their mother.  John and Katy have Ōsignificant othersĶ in development and are É learning.  Viannah has been through a few, none at the moment.  Viann is starting into a PhD and is taking Christian Bioethics this summer, her second class on the program.  IÕm tired but thinking about it, currently in the throes of getting the GRAIL Lunar Gravity Recovery System built and tested properly.  There are minor problems and challenges everywhere that I wonÕt go into.  IÕm working, making stubborn progress on a host of personal goals.  Life is good.  At least stubborn progress is still possible.

 

I found an error in the posting of ViannahÕs book online.  It had KatyÕs introductory chapter under the wrong filename and with everything linked to the abandoned earthlink site.  After a disk search, I found the correct file in old PC material that had been archived onto this Mac when I was setting it up.  Re-reading the Note to the Reader for Viannah and Katy, I was struck by how different my approach, focus, ambition, passion, energy level, and outlook were between ages 41, 44, 50, and 53.

 

This book isnÕt the same as the others.  ItÕs more of a chronological travelogue as foreground to a big review of family history.  I took a lot more notes and ended up, perhaps, with a lot less to say.  But, if you think otherwise see the Appendices for most of the lightly-edited raw material.   And, although we somehow managed to document the hike across the Grand Canyon with a mere three roles of film, the digital camera era brought hundreds of photos into this process as well.

 

Three years ago today John and I were in the final stages of getting ready to go on our trip that had more preparation but less planning than any of the others.  Today as we prepare for another family trip with even less preparation (not, however, to be confused with lack of forethought) I have the same feeling that I did when finishing up the other books.  John has changed so much.

 

Contents

 

Dedication

Contents

 

Introduction

1.  The Idea

2.  The Preparation

3.  North Bound

4.  The Northwest

5.  Seattle

6.  Turning South

7.  South Bound

8.  San Francisco

9.  Highway One (the Pacific Coast Highway)

10.  Back Home

 

Appendices

A.  E-Mailed Pictures

B.  Statistics (license plates, miles per gallon, ledger, miles per day)

C.  Preparatory Outings

D.  Ham Radio:  Past, Present, and Future

E.  Joanne Butler

F.  Training and Planning Lists

G.  Post Outings