Bob & Nancy’s Really Good Holiday Missive, 2025 Edition

Catless in Astoria

No endless cans to wash out and recycle. No car hair on everything. No meowing at 5 am. No cat lying on Bob’s head at night, or on Nancy’s lap during the day. Those intrepid explorers Lewis & Clark are no longer part of our family. The mighty mouser and pretty good piano player, Lewis, or Lulu as he was called, after recovering from surgery a couple years ago, started declining rapidly in the summer. And soon after Bob & Nancy returned from New England (see below), Clark, or Clarksie as he was called, disappeared one night, not to be seen since. Bob & Nancy had decided that when these cats finally succumbed, they would not get another pet for a while, so they could travel (and get new furniture). Despite being a pain, Lulu and Clarksie were beloved members of the family, and are and will be missed. At least they got to live mostly happy lives with good food (though they didn’t always agree), beautiful surroundings and loving parents (and a human sibling for part of the time) for over 18 years. There were those 3 years with Lilly, but those weren’t all bad either…

Mr. Bob Goes to Preschool

First it was a month-long substitute teaching gig at Astoria High School in the Living Skills special education room. Then, as Bob was getting ready to go back to 2–3 days a week, he got the call to sub as the Astor Elementary preschool teacher for the rest of the school year! Well, it was an exciting but exhausting 5 ½ months, as Mr. Bob went from teaching about Chinese New Year to high schoolers to wrangling and chasing 3-5 year olds, and getting used to being a full-time teacher, dealing not only with kids, but with staff, administration, and parents. Nancy claims Bob slept continuously for about a month after this stint, but Bob has little memory of any of it (maybe he WAS asleep!). After a glorious summer with few commitments, Mr. Bob went back to school in the fall, back to teaching and instructional aide work about 2-3 times a week. Much more sane!

Back to Kauai Shores and the Shores of Kauai

Bob & Nancy liked Kauai so much that they went back again this past February, and amazingly got the same room at the hotel they went to in 2024! They visited some of the same places, but expanded the scope of their wanderings, and had a fantastic time. Together, they visited: Hanapepe, inspiration for the Lilo & Stitch movies; Kauai Coffee; Hanalei Bay and Anini Beach; and lucked out chancing on a Dr. Seuss’ birthday celebration at the Kukui Grove Center mall in Lihue, going there to see NOAA’s Kaua’i Ocean Discovery educational center. Nancy got to go on a rafting trip, and Bob got to see yet another cacao farm, and they both ate great local food and enjoyed a week of sunshine and warm weather. Next February could see a three-peat!

Mr. Bob Goes to Preschool

Two Reunions in New York

Bob attended his 50th high school reunion in Queens, NY in May, and also got together with his whole immediate family at his sister’s house in Levittown. It was a trip down memory lane, and included: his first ferry ride from Rockaway Beach to Manhattan, his first time walking on the Brooklyn Bridge, an amazing pastrami sandwich and half sour pickles at Katz’s Deli, an amazing espresso at Flux in Farmingdale, checking out the house he spent his first four years in, and seeing old friends and family. Some good NY bagels, some Sicilian pizza, and glimpses of some of the landmarks of his childhood while walking many miles per day rounded out a whirlwind few days in the old ‘hood. All topped off with staying at the TWA Hotel at Kennedy Airport the last night!

It’s A Folk Life 2025 Edition

Folklife was great this year, making May the most traveled month in years for Bob. From their base at their friend Monica’s house in Wallingford (in Seattle, where they lived for many years), our intrepid couple visited the Seattle Center for music, shopping, and great food for two days on Memorial Day weekend. And Nancy got to have pho at Than Brothers in Wallingford! A visit to the Lacey Public Library and the St. Martin’s College campus while the car charged was a nice pit stop on the way there.

Bob & Nancy Explore the Lower Columbia Region

With Bob’s long-term subbing over in June, and Nancy retired, our explorers spent one day each week during the summer break exploring the cities and sights in the area around Astoria. Portland, Longview, Ilwaco, South Bend, St. Helens, Cannon Beach, Seaside, and more! The region has so much to offer!

Tevan Comes to Astoria and His Parents Return The Favor to Claremont, NH

This past summer, Tevan moved from Burlington, VT to Claremont, NH, looking to start fresh in a town about the same size as Astoria, OR. In the spring, he was invited to attend a wedding of a friend in Astoria, and so Bob and Nancy got to see their only offspring for a week or so in April. Then in October, the parents brought back the tradition of going to New England during colored-leaf season to check out how the kid was doing and explore the region. Nancy wanted to see the other Portland, so the trip saw the couple go from Hartford, CT to Portland, via Northampton, MA (where they found a good Jewish deli!), Millers Falls, MA (where they made a return visit to Element Brewery & Distillery, a chemistry-themed microbrewery that is ultra cool!), Brattleboro, VT (where Bob got to see the mother ship of the Rich Earth Institute, they found a great Israeli falafel joint, happened on a mural painting project, and visited the Vermont Country Deli), Keene, NH, Claremont, NH, Norwich, VT (home of the mother ship of King Arthur Baking Company, where they made a return visit), and the country roads of New Hampshire and Maine, stopping briefly in Bristol, NH, the amazing 104 Diner, Meredith, NH on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukie, and for some photos. Downtown Portland and the waterfront was the main attraction, and a great ferry ride out to the islands off the coast was a big highlight. The parents were impressed with Tevan’s new home and they even got to see him perform with a jazz band from Egypt in a jam at the local cultural center! Tevan is looking to open a nanobrewery (yes, even smaller than a microbrewery) in Claremont, and hopefully there will be good news on that in next year’s missive! He continues to sing in various choirs, and with his band and with other rock and folk bands, he plays keyboard, bass, and sings. He hopes to start teaching voice at the Claremont Cultural Center next year.

Disaster! Bob Returns to the River City Playhouse in Ilwaco for Disaster!

Coming off of the exciting The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, Bob dove in to the next production of the Peninsula Players, starting rehearsals in early January, and performing some memorable songs and being the young, handsome Chad in Disaster!, a musical spoofing disaster films of the 1970s. Remember Without You (“I can’t live if living is without you…”), Hot Stuff, Feelings, Three Times A Lady, Sky High, I’d Really Love to See You Tonight? Bob sang various solo snippets of these. And how about Still the One, I Am Woman, Never Can Say Goodbye, 25 or 6 to 4, Reunited, or Hooked On A Feeling? Bob sang with the ensemble on these and many more memorable hits from the 70s. It was a hilarious, raucous, and very silly comedy, and behind it was an unbelievable amount of work. No more plays for Bob in 2025, and so far, nothing in 2026, though you never know…