Today was a pretty quiet day. Sarah had gone back to LA the night before, and Rose had stayed the night but left early in the morning to take Ron to the airport. My dad started going through paperwork and decided to show me the trust. I really should have looked at this stuff before, but I guess this was a good time. It was good to know that they had set up power of attorney for both Chuck and I, and to understand the difference to there being 3 inheritors, 2 trustees, and 1 executor (me). I also didn't realize they had put all their stuff into a trust, and what that meant.
The one thing my dad is undecided about is some property he has in the California Valley. He seems to think it is going to create problems being co-owned, but I really don't want him to sell it right now in this market, so hopefully I got through to him on that. We also found it on Mapquest. I haven't been there since I was about preschool age, so that was kindof cool. I didn't really even know where it was it was, except vaguely that it is in the Central California area.
Also, while going through the papers he has together with the trust, I found his Army discharge stuff. I never knew he had a medical discharge and asked about it. Apparently he ended up leaving due to back problems. I had no idea! It seems weird because my dad is the most fit and strong person I have ever known. He has had back problems in his older years, and now I guess I know why.... When I asked him about it, he said he started having alot of pain and went for tests. Turns out they found out his bottom vertebrae is cartilage instead of bone! Why have I never known this. I can't believe he never had more problems! He was even a star gymnast in high school and was fine. Weird.
And then there is the stuff.... My mom has more stuff that you can imagine. I never for a minute thought about changing anything in the main part of the house, but the garage and sewing room are both filled with stuff that was either in her consignment space and brought back when they downsized, or purchased at a garage sale and never taken to the store. And stuff like boxes of blank greeting cards she collected and never used. So I talked to my dad about working on certain categories of stuff while I was there. Like frames and vases. There must have been at least 20 each of those two things just in the sewing room. He kept going back and forth and finally said he didn't want anybody coming to the house. OK.
So I organized a couple things I thought he would never notice. I rounded up all the miscellaneous sewing supplies I found all over the house and gave those to Rose. She said she had a friend who could use them. Then I got all the greeting cards together. Rose went though and got the thank yous and blank stuff out, and then I took the computer out to the motorhome to put ad on Craigslist with my cell number for the rest. (I can sometimes steal a connection from the neighbor out there). A really nice woman picked them up this morning. I told her I was helping my dad and it was hard with no Internet. She told me to give her a call any time if I needed help or that I could come to her place to get online. Total stranger.... Just the kind of thing I would expect to find from somebody back in Oregon.
So it got me thinking. Of course there are nice people everywhere. We just noticed so many more when we came to Oregon. I just don't remember thinking that very often when I lived in CA. But the weird thing is, I notice it so much more when I come back now. Even drivers. The question is, was it always about the same and I am just thinking about it now, or is there a difference? I started developing this idea that I have become so accustomed to the wonderful people in Oregon, that maybe I continue to draw them to me when I am elsewhere. Ever since tapping into the Portland way of life, I have seemed to encounter more nice people whereever I go. Coincidence? Who knows?
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