Did we think during the Nixon years that when John Dean kept talking about “this point in time,” we’d still be using the stupid expression years later? For one thing, he should have stopped at point. Of course, it’s in time. That’s where we live. I should accept the fact that copycat phrases have always been the way of the world, but some clichés just tick me off.

Our August storm on the 29th was really exciting. It came a little later than expected — a little after 6 p.m., but when it really began in earnest, I enjoyed the wild tossing of leaves and branches — the wind whipping around the trees, doors slamming in the breeze. It was fun after so long a time. The national weathermen quoted our wind velocity at 90 m.p.h.

Hood to Coast, an annual moneymaker, was well nigh ruined by the storm. Beach activities, an enjoyable part of the holiday where pretty much destroyed. Where I live, except for an occasional van going by on Roosevelt, the run might never have happened. This week will go down in Hood to Coast annals as a washout. We’ve been lucky before to have had good weather, plenty of help and happy runners with snappy slogans. Next year it will be good again if we say our prayers. (Maybe I shouldn’t have prayed for rain for the fires. I did think of the guy in the Bible who prayed for rain. It came and lasted for three years.)

Does anyone know if the puppy dog had her knee operation so she could walk? I haven’t seen any follow-up info in the paper and have been watching. There is so much good that can be done for handicapped animals these days. I like to hear about it.

Sorry to learn of the death of Dave McDonald on Aug. 19. Before he moved to Warrenton, he and Emmadine were a part of Seaside’s up and combers, including the Junior Chamber of Commerce and a lot of young people’s activities. I don’t know if he’d moved to Longview or that he’d just gone to the hospital there.

Katherine Lacaze is a prolific writer for Eastern Oregon Media. I always enjoy her articles because she’s a girl after my own heart. She’s not afraid to go for the nostalgic stuff. If she hadn’t written about Seaside Union High School aging 100 years old next year, I would have forgotten all about it. As it happens, my youngest brother was born while it was being built. Most of my siblings and I graduated from that school. I was in the class of 1937 as salutatorian, ha. Grade wise it was an honor I shared with my best pal Evelyn Stewart, although I gave the speech. Whenever my own kids brought home stories of happenings at their school, I always visualized them in the old building. When it was torn down, the razers threw out class pictures as well as mottoes and quotations that were framed to hang on our walls. One I would have loved to have had was from President Lincoln’s second inaugural address beginning “with malice toward none…” It was in our assembly hall next to the stage and some of us committed it to memory from countless readings in study hall. When Leo Marlantes was principal, he rescued some of the pictures but there should have been a pre-demolition sale for all of us to have a chance at something which otherwise would be plowed under or thrown on the garbage. I actually knew one of the people on the board of director’s list — Leona McKay and have heard of others like Otto, Lounsberry and Kables. The old gym was used with the new building for a while.

It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere.