December 2022
Volume 29
The challenges of European travel
Dale slowly disappearing
Renting a car in Colmar, France turned out to be the most exciting part of our trip. Rental cars in France come with manual transmissions and are parked in tall, congested garages with narrow winding ramps. It took 15 minutes for Dale just to figure out how to put the car in reverse and back it out of the parking spot. From there he had to immediately go up and down several tight and winding ramps. Not having driven a manual transmission in over 25 years, Dale still managed to keep the car going forward up the ramps, stalling the engine only 5 or 6 times. Our hearts were racing the whole time as doom seemed imminent. After 30 or 40 minutes, he exited the garage, an expert at shifting gears. We figure this is how the French make sure that only qualified drivers are on the road. The manual transmission was not the only challenge we faced in Europe. The train system there is wonderful but it helps if you speak the language. We We were only lost occasionally got on our first train in Frankfurt, Germany where our plane landed. Not having slept for over 24 hours, we still managed to find the train station. A monthly pass for unlimited train and public transportation use in Germany cost only 9 euros in June! A young woman directed us to the train we thought was going to Trier and we got on. When the train stopped, we noticed everyone getting off the train. We figured it was just a popular destination. However, a stern-looking German conductor came into our train car, excitedly yelling at us to “Mach schnell” while pointing forward to the next train! Cindy yelled to the conductor that “We don’t speak German!” a fact the conductor had probably already deduced. He kept yelling “Mach schnell!” and pointing. We grabbed our suitcases and ran as fast as we could to the train in front of ours. Dale shoved his suitcase into the door as it was closing, and we made it into the train. We had to stand in the crowded train to a town called Koblenz, where there was a transfer we could comprehend to Trier, our destination. The original train we had boarded was actually two trains hooked together, with one train only going part way. People had told us that everyone in Europe speaks a little English, but, Cindy after learning the several times, when we asked ropes people, “Do you speak English?’ they just stared at us. In Paris, however, we did find that people literally do speak a little English. In response to our question, they would say, “I speak a leetle English.” In trying to communicate further, we found out that that was the only English phrase they knew. On one occasion, Cindy lost her wallet and we excitedly asked a worker at the hotel where we had lunch if there was a lost and found. By our excited state he deduced what our problem must be and directed us to the restrooms.
In 2004, Dale’s over-sized thyroid was removed, along with a nerve from his neck which had a benign tumor on it call a schwannoma. In 2018, he had to have his right shoulder reconstructed after a fall on the sidewalk. In 2020, he had melanoma spots cut off his face and chest. That same year, he discovered he had lost 1-2 inches of height. Finally this past January, a doctor removed his prostate gland (along, we think, with all of the cancer). Dale has considered Dale in Frankfurt donating his body to science, but, at this rate, there might not be much left to donate. Despite his disappearing body, Dale harvested over 400 pounds of food from his garden and berry patch this year. He made 70-80 pints of his Rockin’ Salsa, and 24 quarts of dill pickles (using Isabel Muckerman’s secret pickle recipe). In honor of his trip to Germany, he made some senfgurkens or, as they are also called, German dill pickles. His mom Isabel used to make senfgurkens, but did not share the recipe. Dale exercises to keep in shape, including using In Frankfurt church. his grandson Asa for weightlifting which is good Much of Dale’s body has disappeared because Asa always wants to be picked up for making his hands seem one thing or another. inordinately large
Asa rules Asa’s first word was “uh-oh” which he still enjoys saying when he throws food on the floor. When at Grampa and Gramma’s house on weekdays, he likes to go on stroller rides to visit Copper, a neighborhood dog, and some goats on the same gravel road. Often we also push the stroller onto a trail at Rocky Fork Conservation area. Asa loves being outdoors. Dale has taught him how to throw rocks, sticks, and acorns— valuable skills in today’s world. He especially likes going down to the pond to throw acorns in the water. Luckily the acorn drop was quite heavy this year. Cindy, on the other hand, has only taught Asa to use sign language and to talk (he can say about 25 words so far.) Maybe not as valuable as being able to throw things, but useful nonetheless. Even more than throwing rocks and acorns, Asa likes being pushed on the swing while Gramma and Grampa sing songs and play music on the Asa McGuinn phone. His favorite songs include Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys, the William Tell Overture, the theme to the Magnificent Seven, Bad Reputation by Joan Jett, and (his #1 favorite) the Missouri Fight Song. In August, we all went to the campus for the Tiger Walk, a ceremony each year where new students walk through the Columns on the Quadrangle. Asa was entranced by the show that Marching Mizzou put on. That’s when the Mizzou Fight Song became his favorite.