Over the last two years, the Mid-Columbia Senior Center has experienced major improvements thanks to support from the community.
With the help of hundreds of individuals, multiple foundations, the City of The Dalles, Wasco County, the NWC PUD and Columbia Basin Care, an elevator has been installed, the upstairs restrooms have been remodeled, and all the old upstairs floors have been replaced —except for one, the floor in the Deschutes room.
The floor tiles are worn and falling apart, but there is one positive benefit: It reminds me how bad the dining room floor previously looked before the Center received a donation from Columbia Basin Care to replace it. To raise funds to replace the Deschutes Room floor and for the Center’s operations generally, the Center will be hosting its Annual Fundraiser Dinner Auction Friday, Feb. 22, sponsored by The Springs at Mill Creek, Schultens Motors, and Cousins, who will be catering the Cordon Bleu dinner.
Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. and the auction begins at 6:30 p.m. But only one hundred tickets will be sold, so purchase your tickets early. Admission is $35 per person and tickets can be purchased at the Center or at Klindt’s Booksellers.
What may be most important to some folks — the winning raffle ticket for the Chicken Coop will be drawn at the fundraiser. Purchase your Chicken Coop raffle tickets at the Center for $10 apiece, or get three for $25 dollars.
In other news, I know many of you don’t carry around an appointment book or have a smartphone to keep track of your schedule; you may not even care what day it is. (If you’re retired isn’t every day Saturday?) So I just want to remind you of two events coming to the Center in the next two weeks.
On Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m., Lucille Torgerson and Widge Johnson will be presenting their one-hour class, “As I Was Saying — Writing Your Life Story for Your Family, Friends and Yourself.” If you ever wanted to write down your life experiences to share with others, this will be a great place to start. I wish my mom and dad had written their life story so I would have a better idea of the challenges they faced and the accomplishments they achieved.
Two days later, on Friday, Feb. 8, the Center is hosting a 50’s, 60’s and 70’s dance, with master DJ Randy Haines spinning his imaginary 45’s — plus trivia, Name That Tune and door prizes. It is a 21-and-over event, because Freebridge will be selling beer and The Pines will sell wine. Before you come, you may want to refresh your dance moves by watching YouTube videos of American Bandstand, where I learned the latest dance moves.
(Okay, maybe I should say watched. Because at dances, when I was forced to attend by peer pressure, you would usually find me along the wall trying to avoid eye contact with any girl — fearing some girl would actually want to dance with me! Anyone else remember being a wallflower back then?)
This is the last week for questions about “phrases we don’t hear anymore,” and I hope it is one you remember. (I asked my wife this question and she had no idea. And she’s a smart cookie!)
For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was someone called who was unpopular and just not fun to hang out with? And to give you a clue, since this is a difficult one, the answer I am looking for is composed of two three-letter words. Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or write your answer on the back of an old dish cloth.
In the early years of the comic book series “Archie,” Archie Andrews drove an old and dilapidated Model T, which was called a “jalopy.” I received correct answers from Cheri Brent, Jerry Phillips, Mary Hass, Jeannie Pesicka, and this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket, Carol Stace. And I’m doing better. Last week I only missed Louise Wooderson, who sings a fine Happy Birthday.
Well, it’s been another week trying to stay on the bucking horse as long as I can. Until we meet again, as I am frequently reminded, only your true friends tell you when your zipper’s unzipped.
Here’s one of those “Isn’t that the truth” quotes I heard from John Zalaznik, describing how things turn upside down as we get older: “When I was younger, I exercised so I could stay well. Now I try to stay well so I can exercise.”
I didn’t receive the February menu in time for this week’s column because Denise Patton, the director of the Meals-on-Wheels program, had other things on her mind. She and Gary are first time grandparents! Congratulations.
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