Bright Ideas

I was mentally prepared to compose a series of articles about the weather starting with the day fog settled over Ekalaka most of the day. Then came WIND! That’s right, all caps; the wind deserved them. At 4:00 am, Brice got up to unplug the computer, but it was too late. The computer was dead, or in a coma from which we could not awaken it.

When power goes off and quickly comes back five times in a row, problems result. The power company is strong, but it can’t control the wind.

Brice took our computer to the Best Buy where we bought it in Rapid City, after he had someone to watch me in the afternoon. From there it was sent to their “Geek Squad” repair center.

A week later the telephone rang and a voice told Brice he could pick up the computer in Rapid City. Fortunately, the repair cost was lower than expected. Deadwood concert goers retrieved the computer Sunday morning and brought it to our door.

Brice plugged it in and after a little tweaking, we were ready to go.

I realized how handicapped I felt, being unable to do anything but read. I couldn’t write to relatives in Missouri, I couldn’t write for the paper. I was disabled!

Without a telephone conversation with my step-dad who died March 20, I had to reach out to my aunt and uncle for a familiar voice. I have a couple cousins outside Jefferson City I can contact via email. Another cousin is around the world, literally, and incredibly busy, but occasionally we connect. And that’s most of my family.

I have a nephew in Kansas who was invaluable in caring for things after Tom Sturman died. My daughter was executor of his estate, but couldn’t travel to Kansas immediately after his death. My nephew prepared everything for her.

Everything has been done now, except dispersing his funds. Bills are still coming in, but eventually Tom’s remaining funds will be divided between Katie and Reed. They were his favored grandchildren, and they provided him with great grandchildren.

Tom Sturman had a grandfather who lived into his nineties. Tom was just 88 when he died.

As the snow melts away, I leave for Billings Thursday, April 5, in preparation for the April 6 gamma knife radiological treatment for my trigeminal nerve pain. Bye for now.