HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINNER WITH JOHN

John at Table

          Yesterday was a bit of a sad day, but I turned it around and made it a good day. I decided John and I would go out to dinner. If Tony Roma’s had still been open, I would have made a reservation there, but they disappeared some years ago. Then, we moved celebrations to the Black Angus in Lynnwood, but they closed due to the light rail coming through. Our default celebratory place then became Arnie’s in Edmonds and I called and made a reservation for one for 5:00 pm. It was a beautiful day for dinner on the waterfront. Then, I put John’s Orb and light in my purse and took him with me. We started with a Gin & Tonic, then had Caesar salad and Northwest Seafood Fettuccini. The only difference in what John would have ordered was I had fresh ground pepper on my food. I declined the dessert because I was stuffed and didn’t even get it to go. I’ll have leftovers for lunch today.

John & I Sharing G&T & Bread

          I thought I might be uncomfortable as a party of one, but the spacing Arnie’s has to do made that a non-problem. I sat by a window and watched life passing us by down below. I couldn’t believe how many people were out walking about without wearing a mask. I wouldn’t take such a chance. And, there was one altercation I would have loved to hear. Some woman had a little boy on a leash. She was with another woman who had a baby in a stroller. Apparently, the leashed little boy’s daddy (a male person anyway) took great exception to the leash. They all disappeared except for the lady with the baby. Eventually they returned with a stroller and ice cream cones and everyone walked down the boardwalk and out of sight. It was kind of fun, like being in an aerie watching people come and go.

          Both John’s boys, our sons, called me to talk a bit about their dad and the fact it was his birthday. Their thoughtfulness and love for their dad did make me get all teary, but they really weren’t tears of sadness. If we hadn’t done such a good job as parents, they wouldn’t have remembered to call and check in on this, the first birthday without their dad.

          I also pretty much took the day for myself and John. I had trouble going to sleep Wednesday night, so didn’t get up and walk first thing. I really just wanted to snuggle on the couch with our doggies, which is exactly what I did. Once I got moving, I went out to the garage and brought in the scrapbooks one at a time. Since they were kinda damaged and dirty, I wore gloves as I went through each one.

          The scrapbook of polio memories was a bit sad, and I could tell where John’s mom had input. There was a whole section titled, “Friends I Made in the Hospital.” It was clipping after clipping about children who’d had terrible accidents, i.e., pulling a pot full of boiling water off the stove; a hidden, loaded gun that went off; a child hit by an automobile on her way to spend her allowance, and that’s just the few I remember. I didn’t read beyond the headlines of the articles and they were all depressing as hell. I really wanted to ask John if he actually met and knew those kids or if he even remembered. I wonder why his mom would have put such negative articles, and there were many, in his book of memories. I would think John would prefer to just forget the entire experience which is perhaps why he never brought that scrapbook from the box in the garage.

          There were lots of cards that had been taped in place from his parents and sisters, aunts and uncles and cousins and his grandma. It appeared that John was hospital schooled some and later on had a home school teacher/nurse who came to the house. There was a letter approving the surgery on John’s foot that allowed him to walk normally again. There was also information about a camp for handicapped kids in Idaho that John apparently attended the summer of 1951. He would have been nine then, but he never mentioned going to camp in the entire time I knew him. More questions that will never be answered and perhaps additional memories he’d just as soon were gone.

          The other scrapbook had photos of family members and friends whose names and faces I didn’t recognize…I did recognize family members, but not the other friends. There were lots of pictures of Mike, John’s dog. He did talk about Mikey now and then over the years. I think that was his first dog and he loved Mikey to pieces. John had also saved a bunch of information about his father, Jack Otto Karlberg. All of his awards and certificates from his navel service. Apparently, he ended his career as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy as the head honcho at the Guantanamo base in Cuba. Again, I wish I had known enough to ask questions and get more history, but there’s no one available now that could provide a single answer, at least as far as I know.

We watched ferries come and go

          Anyway, we’re back from dinner now and I’m going to finish up this post so it’s ready for the morning. I think John and I celebrated his birthday very well for our first time out and about. My sister has her husband in an Orb as well and I laughed when she told me she takes him places. Well, I’m not laughing any longer now am I. Until next June 18^th and John’s 79^th…we’ll really have to do something extra special for the 80^th.

Beautiful Edmonds Day