I started Christmas early this year and ended up getting one of the best presents ever. Getting there was an entertaining journey however. Last weekend I took Friday off and flew up to Seattle to visit my grand kids for an early Christmas. From the get-go this trip was filled with excitement. I got to the airport about 2 hours early since traffic was easy and the TSA line went amazingly fast. My first adventure was with the TSA screening. It seems that the new equipment is not just interested in metal objects. When I left my wallet in my front pocket, it triggered an alarm. I got to be patted down by the friendly TSA agent who appeared somewhat annoyed that yet another passenger had something in their pocket. All was well and good and I was on my way.
The departure schedule for my flight said I would be leaving from gate B12. I took a seat at my gate number and pulled out my Kindle to read about essential fatty acids. After an hour went by, I noticed that there were hardly any folks seated around me. However, four gates down a line of people were almost finished loading. I decide to wander over there to see what’s up. I asked what flight was loading and they said it was headed to Seattle. Sure enough, it was my flight. They had moved the departure gate. I just made it onto the plane.
Other than just enough bumpiness the keep the fasten seat belt sign on the entire time, the flight was uneventful. My son Devon was waiting in the pickup zone for me with a big smile on his face. On the way to his house we made a brief stop at the grocery store for supplies. About $180 dollars later we headed for his home. The moment we arrived I received the first highlight of my trip: My grand kids running up to me and grabbing my hand to show me around. Eliza dragged me to her room to show me where I would be sleeping for the next couple of nights. While I would be sleeping in her cute little bed, she was getting stuck at the foot of her parent’s bed.
The first order of business was to start making cookies for the kid’s teachers. I suggested they try some molasses ginger cookies as they have been a holiday favorite of mine forever. A short internet search for a recipe and we were ready to go. As we gathered everything for this construction project, I notice the sky getting darker and a good wind kicking up. I figured this was normal for Seattle as no one else paid any attention. Progress was going nicely with the cookies
with a production line started. Devon was in charge of scooping out a 1 inch ball of dough and passing it to Eliza who then rolled it nicely on a plate of sugar to coat it. Eliza then passed the sugar coated dough ball to her little brother, Owen, who then arranged it on the baking sheet. The first batch came out great. Just at that moment there was a big bang out in the front yard. A big tree limb had broken off and planted itself into the front lawn. A few minutes later the lights went out – no power. By now it was getting pretty dark. Cookie making had to be put on hold as their house was all electric, so no more stove. Candles appeared and flashlights were placed where needed. Fortunately Devon had been an Eagle scout, so he was prepared.
Halbe, Devon’s wife, needed something at the health food store, so we ventured out into the dark in his little Honda to find our way to the store. This was a challenging trip as lights were out all over the place in a very patchy fashion. About half the traffic lights were dark. The store had electricity, so we were able to get what we needed and successfully make it back home. It was just as we were settling in for the evening when the next adventure started. Susan McDonald texted and called me to let me know that the office had been burgled and that we had been really cleaned out. She sent me pictures of all the empty shelves where our supplements used to be, including such unlikely items as all the spare Miracle bread mix and Dr Dave Double sugar. All the office supplies were gone, even the paper
clips and pens. I asked her to check in my room to see if my Activators were there. No luck. Everything in my office was gone except the table and the Jeanie Rub. Strangely, they left the office computer and photocopier, which was fortunate as the program I run the office billing on costs over $6000.
It was odd what went through my head when I first learned that I was cleaned out. I was concerned about losing only three things – the computer, Ellen’s artwork in my room, and the 6 inch rose quartz sphere on one of the shelves. All three of those items were left untouched, but everything else was just gone. (Well not completely, my textbooks were still there.) My first act was to call Greg, my handyman, to see if he could do something to secure the premises. My second act was to get on Amazon to order a knockoff Activator to arrive Monday morning so I would have something to adjust my patients with that morning. With that taken care of, it was back to the dark house that was slowly getting
colder, as all they had was electric heat. The cookie dough was wrapped up in plastic wrap and set outside to keep it cold. Off to bed we went with a flashlight in hand.
Sometime in the middle of the night the electricity was restored and we had heat once again. This was good because we were planning on an early Christmas morning present unwrapping time for the kids with all the presents I got for them. This was much nicer in the
warmth and light. Everything went well in the morning with the kids really liking the sleeping bags, mats, and super power flashlight I got them to support Eliza’s recent joining of the Cub Scouts. They also got papyrus scrolls with Egyptian pictographs, books, and passport carriers from Egypt from Ellen via our dentist who is from Egypt.
Then it was my turn. I got a heavy box from Devon with quite a surprise inside; one of the best presents ever. I opened it up and inside was seven copies of a book titled “A Balanced Life” by David DeLapp DC. Devon had combed through all my past newsletters and created a book out of about a third of them. This was so professional looking, and quite a weighty tome – 400 pages. It was amazing to sit there holding a book written by myself. I would never in a million years have expected anything like that. That had to have been a ton of work to put together. I was so touched. He says I have enough material for another book as well as a recipe book stored in those newsletters.
He had the book printed locally, so it was pricey. But he says that if I were to get 100 people who wanted the book that he could get them printed up for under $20 a book. I will put a copy up in the office to see if there is any interest.
There were further adventures with the car dying in line for the Vashon ferry as we were headed to Halbe’s parent’s for a viewing of the Nutcracker and a soup dinner, and the actual encounter Sunday afternoon with the empty devastation of the office and subsequent cleanup. But the real story today was about the wonderful Christmas present I received. All the rest was just stuff, and didn’t really ruffle my dander. It’s interesting that my last newsletter was about people behaving poorly these days. The last couple of days patients have asked me if I wrote the article as a response to the break-in. The answer is no. The article was written the week before any of this had happened.
In closing I’d like to send my very best to all of you this holiday season. You enrich my life every time I see you. I hope your holidays are as great as mine have been – though perhaps without as much adventure – unless you like such things.