| Biographical Non-Fiction posted February 19, 2021 | Chapters: |
...102 103 -104- 105... 
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Our differing interests and daily activities
A chapter in the book Remembering Yesterday
The Shelbys in Motion
by BethShelby
For new readers, who may not have read my author notes, this is written in a conversational way as I talk to my deceased husband. When I refer to someone just as "you" this means I am addressing my husband, Evan.
Now that the fence and room were completed, you started getting your exercise by going over to the Hamilton Place Mall and walking every day. You could walk around the mall for as many miles as you chose while staying out of the weather. A lot of people did that. There was a Mall Walkers’ Club, but you preferred to walk alone.
You found a new doctor that you liked. You’d been on blood pressure medicine for several years, but your pressure was high when the doctor checked it. We both have white-coat syndrome, so our pressure was always high when we were checked by a doctor or nurse. I hated that he added more medicine. Once you get on blood pressure medicine, it is almost impossible to get off without throwing your system out of balance.
********
Connie made a lot of friends at school, and sometimes they came over to our house. Some of them came from wealthy families. On spring break, several of them went on a skiing trip to Colorado, and Connie was bummed out because she didn’t get to go. She did join the school bell choir. They made a three-day trip to St Louis, which we had to pay quite a bit of money for. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as the ski trip would have been.
********
Christi gave up her job in order to get back into college. She wanted to live in the dorm, but it didn’t work out, because the loan she got wouldn’t cover that. She didn’t really have time to study, because she was dating several different guys. She was always on a date with someone. She said the reason she wanted to go back to Southern was to meet some decent Christian guys. We couldn’t tell if the ones that came over from the college had superior morals to the others she had been bringing around. Christi seemed to attract all kinds.
If she didn't have a date, Christi spent time with her best friend, Connie Williams. Sometimes she and our Connie would go over to Connie W.’s apartment and spend the night. Christi and Connie had lived with Connie W. while we were in the process of moving here, so it was like a second family for them.
*******
On weekends when we weren’t at church, we spent time exploring the area. We went up on Lookout Mountain and hiked the trails, and sometimes, we drove over to Lake Ocoee. The area around Chattanooga was beautiful, and it became even more so as Spring arrived. Occasionally, Don and Connie went with us if we were going to one of the scenic spots out of town.
*******
Don had a lot of friends here as well. Some were people he’d known from New Orleans. One guy named David Erwin was a builder here, and Don got a part-time job working with him doing some plumbing work. He also knew friends he’d gone to school with here. On weekends when he wasn’t with Kimberly, sometimes the guys would go rock-climbing, or go into the woods and play paintball. Kimberly resented any time Don spent with his guy friends.
When Don first moved here, he really missed Denise from New Orleans. Apparently she missed him too, because every day or two, she would send a fat letter or a care-package with candy and other things he liked. After a few months, Don was talking less about Denise and more about Kimberly. He couldn’t really maintain a long distance relationship with Kimberly around. Denise called often, and they talked by phone, but Don hesitated about telling her that he’d met someone else.
Don and Kimberly’s voices blended well together, and they started singing in church. Christi had always sung with Don before, so this was another reason she resented Kimberly. Don had introduced Kimberly to Mom when she came up, and Mom thought she was perfect. She was so friendly it was hard not to like her, but we thought she was a bit more unrestrained than other girls he had dated. We kept our opinions to ourselves, because we wanted Don to make his own decisions as to who he would love.
********
My job at Chattanooga Shooting Supply doing artwork was enjoyable, but since it had started as temp job, it didn’t pay as much as I thought I should be making. I applied for a printing company job I found in a newspaper ad and went in for an interview. They offered me the job at a decent salary. I gave notice at the shooting supply company. They didn’t want me to leave and offered me more money. I almost stayed, because the printing job was near a low-cost housing project and was further to drive into the city. In the end, I took the printing job in April of ‘88, because the pay was better.
The first day on the job, I was introduced to Ned, the department supervisor, and another person who worked in the department. Curtis, who did the camera work and pletemaking was deaf. Ned was learning sign language, but Curtis could make himself understood without it. There were two other people at the time, but one would be leaving. Janice was new and she was mostly there to touch up negatives.
Ned gave me the most complicated stripping job ever. I think he was testing me to see what I was capable of doing. I found out that both Ned and Curtis lived in other counties and their round trips to work were nearly a hundred miles each day. It made me feel better about driving 10 miles to work.
On Friday, I learned that the company was under new ownership when the owner called a meeting. There were about 35 people present, and I learned that 28 employees had recently quit or been laid off. This didn’t sound good. Rumors were that morale at the company was low. The new owner, who I'd met when interviewed, introduced me. He said I had a pleasant personality, but mentioned that I'm a bit on the quiet side.
In a new situation, I have always tended to be on the quiet side. Sometimes, you learn more by listening than by talking.
For new readers, who may not have read my author notes, this is written in a conversational way as I talk to my deceased husband. When I refer to someone just as "you" this means I am addressing my husband, Evan.
Now that the fence and room were completed, you started getting your exercise by going over to the Hamilton Place Mall and walking every day. You could walk around the mall for as many miles as you chose while staying out of the weather. A lot of people did that. There was a Mall Walkers’ Club, but you preferred to walk alone.
You found a new doctor that you liked. You’d been on blood pressure medicine for several years, but your pressure was high when the doctor checked it. We both have white-coat syndrome, so our pressure was always high when we were checked by a doctor or nurse. I hated that he added more medicine. Once you get on blood pressure medicine, it is almost impossible to get off without throwing your system out of balance.
********
Connie made a lot of friends at school, and sometimes they came over to our house. Some of them came from wealthy families. On spring break, several of them went on a skiing trip to Colorado, and Connie was bummed out because she didn’t get to go. She did join the school bell choir. They made a three-day trip to St Louis, which we had to pay quite a bit of money for. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as the ski trip would have been.
********
Christi gave up her job in order to get back into college. She wanted to live in the dorm, but it didn’t work out, because the loan she got wouldn’t cover that. She didn’t really have time to study, because she was dating several different guys. She was always on a date with someone. She said the reason she wanted to go back to Southern was to meet some decent Christian guys. We couldn’t tell if the ones that came over from the college had superior morals to the others she had been bringing around. Christi seemed to attract all kinds.
If she didn't have a date, Christi spent time with her best friend, Connie Williams. Sometimes she and our Connie would go over to Connie W.’s apartment and spend the night. Christi and Connie had lived with Connie W. while we were in the process of moving here, so it was like a second family for them.
*******
On weekends when we weren’t at church, we spent time exploring the area. We went up on Lookout Mountain and hiked the trails, and sometimes, we drove over to Lake Ocoee. The area around Chattanooga was beautiful, and it became even more so as Spring arrived. Occasionally, Don and Connie went with us if we were going to one of the scenic spots out of town.
*******
Don had a lot of friends here as well. Some were people he’d known from New Orleans. One guy named David Erwin was a builder here, and Don got a part-time job working with him doing some plumbing work. He also knew friends he’d gone to school with here. On weekends when he wasn’t with Kimberly, sometimes the guys would go rock-climbing, or go into the woods and play paintball. Kimberly resented any time Don spent with his guy friends.
When Don first moved here, he really missed Denise from New Orleans. Apparently she missed him too, because every day or two, she would send a fat letter or a care-package with candy and other things he liked. After a few months, Don was talking less about Denise and more about Kimberly. He couldn’t really maintain a long distance relationship with Kimberly around. Denise called often, and they talked by phone, but Don hesitated about telling her that he’d met someone else.
Don and Kimberly’s voices blended well together, and they started singing in church. Christi had always sung with Don before, so this was another reason she resented Kimberly. Don had introduced Kimberly to Mom when she came up, and Mom thought she was perfect. She was so friendly it was hard not to like her, but we thought she was a bit more unrestrained than other girls he had dated. We kept our opinions to ourselves, because we wanted Don to make his own decisions as to who he would love.
********
My job at Chattanooga Shooting Supply doing artwork was enjoyable, but since it had started as temp job, it didn’t pay as much as I thought I should be making. I applied for a printing company job I found in a newspaper ad and went in for an interview. They offered me the job at a decent salary. I gave notice at the shooting supply company. They didn’t want me to leave and offered me more money. I almost stayed, because the printing job was near a low-cost housing project and was further to drive into the city. In the end, I took the printing job in April of ‘88, because the pay was better.
The first day on the job, I was introduced to Ned, the department supervisor, and another person who worked in the department. Curtis, who did the camera work and pletemaking was deaf. Ned was learning sign language, but Curtis could make himself understood without it. There were two other people at the time, but one would be leaving. Janice was new and she was mostly there to touch up negatives.
Ned gave me the most complicated stripping job ever. I think he was testing me to see what I was capable of doing. I found out that both Ned and Curtis lived in other counties and their round trips to work were nearly a hundred miles each day. It made me feel better about driving 10 miles to work.
On Friday, I learned that the company was under new ownership when the owner called a meeting. There were about 35 people present, and I learned that 28 employees had recently quit or been laid off. This didn’t sound good. Rumors were that morale at the company was low. The new owner, who I'd met when interviewed, introduced me. He said I had a pleasant personality, but mentioned that I'm a bit on the quiet side.
In a new situation, I have always tended to be on the quiet side. Sometimes, you learn more by listening than by talking.
Now that the fence and room were completed, you started getting your exercise by going over to the Hamilton Place Mall and walking every day. You could walk around the mall for as many miles as you chose while staying out of the weather. A lot of people did that. There was a Mall Walkers’ Club, but you preferred to walk alone.
You found a new doctor that you liked. You’d been on blood pressure medicine for several years, but your pressure was high when the doctor checked it. We both have white-coat syndrome, so our pressure was always high when we were checked by a doctor or nurse. I hated that he added more medicine. Once you get on blood pressure medicine, it is almost impossible to get off without throwing your system out of balance.
********
Connie made a lot of friends at school, and sometimes they came over to our house. Some of them came from wealthy families. On spring break, several of them went on a skiing trip to Colorado, and Connie was bummed out because she didn’t get to go. She did join the school bell choir. They made a three-day trip to St Louis, which we had to pay quite a bit of money for. It wasn’t nearly as expensive as the ski trip would have been.
********
Christi gave up her job in order to get back into college. She wanted to live in the dorm, but it didn’t work out, because the loan she got wouldn’t cover that. She didn’t really have time to study, because she was dating several different guys. She was always on a date with someone. She said the reason she wanted to go back to Southern was to meet some decent Christian guys. We couldn’t tell if the ones that came over from the college had superior morals to the others she had been bringing around. Christi seemed to attract all kinds.
If she didn't have a date, Christi spent time with her best friend, Connie Williams. Sometimes she and our Connie would go over to Connie W.’s apartment and spend the night. Christi and Connie had lived with Connie W. while we were in the process of moving here, so it was like a second family for them.
*******
On weekends when we weren’t at church, we spent time exploring the area. We went up on Lookout Mountain and hiked the trails, and sometimes, we drove over to Lake Ocoee. The area around Chattanooga was beautiful, and it became even more so as Spring arrived. Occasionally, Don and Connie went with us if we were going to one of the scenic spots out of town.
*******
Don had a lot of friends here as well. Some were people he’d known from New Orleans. One guy named David Erwin was a builder here, and Don got a part-time job working with him doing some plumbing work. He also knew friends he’d gone to school with here. On weekends when he wasn’t with Kimberly, sometimes the guys would go rock-climbing, or go into the woods and play paintball. Kimberly resented any time Don spent with his guy friends.
When Don first moved here, he really missed Denise from New Orleans. Apparently she missed him too, because every day or two, she would send a fat letter or a care-package with candy and other things he liked. After a few months, Don was talking less about Denise and more about Kimberly. He couldn’t really maintain a long distance relationship with Kimberly around. Denise called often, and they talked by phone, but Don hesitated about telling her that he’d met someone else.
Don and Kimberly’s voices blended well together, and they started singing in church. Christi had always sung with Don before, so this was another reason she resented Kimberly. Don had introduced Kimberly to Mom when she came up, and Mom thought she was perfect. She was so friendly it was hard not to like her, but we thought she was a bit more unrestrained than other girls he had dated. We kept our opinions to ourselves, because we wanted Don to make his own decisions as to who he would love.
********
My job at Chattanooga Shooting Supply doing artwork was enjoyable, but since it had started as temp job, it didn’t pay as much as I thought I should be making. I applied for a printing company job I found in a newspaper ad and went in for an interview. They offered me the job at a decent salary. I gave notice at the shooting supply company. They didn’t want me to leave and offered me more money. I almost stayed, because the printing job was near a low-cost housing project and was further to drive into the city. In the end, I took the printing job in April of ‘88, because the pay was better.
The first day on the job, I was introduced to Ned, the department supervisor, and another person who worked in the department. Curtis, who did the camera work and pletemaking was deaf. Ned was learning sign language, but Curtis could make himself understood without it. There were two other people at the time, but one would be leaving. Janice was new and she was mostly there to touch up negatives.
Ned gave me the most complicated stripping job ever. I think he was testing me to see what I was capable of doing. I found out that both Ned and Curtis lived in other counties and their round trips to work were nearly a hundred miles each day. It made me feel better about driving 10 miles to work.
On Friday, I learned that the company was under new ownership when the owner called a meeting. There were about 35 people present, and I learned that 28 employees had recently quit or been laid off. This didn’t sound good. Rumors were that morale at the company was low. The new owner, who I'd met when interviewed, introduced me. He said I had a pleasant personality, but mentioned that I'm a bit on the quiet side.
In a new situation, I have always tended to be on the quiet side. Sometimes, you learn more by listening than by talking.
 Recognized |
I'm continuing to recall memories of life with my deceased husband, Evan, as if I am talking aloud to him. I'm doing this because I want my children to know us as we knew each other and not just as their parents.
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