Salem, Oregon

I spent the weekend in Salem, Oregon with a friend that I had since the 1980's. We met in Kansas City, Mo when I worked there in the Kansas City, MO Veterans Hospital while attending graduate school at the University of Kansas. I was also introduced to a book club there that I liked very much and joined it. They read books that are not main stream and by authors that I have not read before. The one that they discussed was Tom Spanbauer and his book, "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon." My friend gave me his copy of the book so I can read it.

Tom Spanbauer is the creator of a new school of writing called "dangerous writing". He lives here in Portland and I have never heard of it before or "dangerous writing" . I find it interesting. The New York Times said: "The miracle of the novel is that it obliges us to rethink our whole idea of narration and history and myth...Spanbauer captures the music of the mind and the body." Everyone in the book club found the book interesting and thought it had something to say. I am going to try to read it myself.

I am still in the throes of trying to get around Portland and although I had the driving instructions on how to get to my friend's house, I had trouble just finding I-5 highway south and got lost several times trying to get out of Portland but readily found his house once I got to Salem. I had been there several times when I lived in Redding; but it has been a while since I had driven up there since my last car had been slowly dying. My current car does not have any current health issues.

I am going to try and straighten out my auto insurance today although I am in a quantry as to whether I should try and get my Oregon driver's license first or insurance. I think I will try for the insurance since I have only a week to get Oregon AAA insurance. I have California AAA. I have not been happy with the Southern California AAA since I have not received my AAA card nor my insurance card as yet. I did find the AAA insurance company up here while I was looking for the nearest Fred Myers store which I like very much.

I might drive to the DMV and get my book and fill out the necessary paperwork for the driver's license. The manual is on line, but I had reading on line and do not want to download it as it would use up ink to do so. The nearest full service DMV is downtown Portland and I live on the outskirts of Portland.

The red flowers outside my bedroom window are now in full bloom. They were only buds when I first moved in and now fully opened. I don't know what they are, but they are beautiful. In Portland, there are flowers everywhere. I have been watching the weather for it was supposed to thunder and rain today, but so fair it has only been overcast.