Story 21Nov2022: Monday

I started the morning by not writing the blog but taking Barb, Susie’s sister, to the airport (PDX). She was doing the weekend visit for Susie’s 60th birthday on Sunday, coming in on Friday and leaving Monday. We made no mistakes, and while there was some traffic, it was forty minute trip to PDX. Barb made connections and was back in Michigan in their evening (three-hour time difference).

I flew in Air Volvo from PDX without incident (watching two cars nearly change lanes into each other). I arrived at Tom’s Pancake House in Beaverton and sat at the counter. I barely fit (which explains why only I and younger and thinner folks sit there) as the seats are bolted to the floor and come from a distant time when folks were smaller. Tom’s is a local non-chain joint open for breakfast and lunch.

I had poached eggs, some ham, and hashbrowns with toast. I should have skipped the hashbrowns, but they were so good. Also, I got to put just one packet of orange marmalade on my toast.

While drinking their coffee, I wrote the blog for Sunday and Susie’s birthday. While always rushing food and coffee all over for folks, they had tables open and no line–so nobody minded me staying and finishing the blog. It was an electric atmosphere to write in.

I headed home in Air Volvo; I rested a bit and read the end of A Master of Djinn. I would recommend this Islamic steampunk and magic queer adventure/detective novel. I was sorry that there is no second novel yet, it is the first novel, but there is a short book, a novella, set in the same world. I might read that later. I picked another book, a novella, And What Can We Offer You Tonight, to try. More on that later–so far, I don’t like it.

I headed to the hummingbird house. Susie was resting in her bed when I got there. She was exhausted from her busy weekend. She loved the way her room looks now, she told me. Susie, while still hard for me to understand, was often talking and could not fall back to sleep while I was there. I left with a kiss mid-afternoon after sitting with Susie for an hour or so.

I had chores to do. I bought groceries at Safeway, including the necessary items for making a few pumpkin pies. I don’t do pie crust. So I had bread again and more bagel-like bread products. I also picked up some Boost for Susie (strawberry flavor was only available in Boost and not Ensure at Safeway). I also bought a can of sweet potatoes and marshmallows (yuk!) to give to Jennifer for Susie’s fav at Thanksgiving. Just heat in the syrup until bubbling, add marshmallows, and heat to brown.

I unloaded and put away the stuff and then read some more. I next headed out to get gas for Air Volvo. Now down $4.89 for the chain gas stations. After that, I did the car wash to get the windshield clean. We have sunny days in the winter, not our usual weather, so I need to keep the glass clear. We see rain starting every few days (our typical September weather), but we have had frosts from the clear skies–early October for us. It feels like we are a month off on our climate.

I enjoyed Portland traffic again but stopped in the Pearl District. Monday night is always quiet, and I even got a parking spot on the street next to Van Eberts Brewing. Parking Kitty, our parking app in Portland, took my money and let me know that a twenty-cent tax is added to my parking now. The app meows when your time runs out. As pay parking ends at 7PM, I only paid to that point, so I would not have any meowing today.

I went to Powell’s as I was early for dinner with Mariah; we often meet on Mondays and found a reasonably priced computer book on Machine Learning that was only a few years out and from MIT. Excellent. I had trouble with my asthma and pushed on the stairs to the top floor and back without incident. I felt better after doing that. I need to keep moving and enjoy deep breathing.

Mariah found me later at Van Eberts, having reviewed the partial differential equations in the new purchase. Exciting–I can barely remember my math for these as this stuff has not surfaced since college. Something to relearn! Instead of math, we focused on events and beer and smoked chicken wings, so good that the chickens are rumored to volunteer. I had a smoked beer that was like a beer at a campfire and a refreshing pilsner. We ordered, primarily curious, the Korean-styled tatter tots and would not recommend them–messy.

After paying, Van Ebert’s menu and ordering were online, and we headed out. There are no waiters. It is a strange feeling, but the wings are excellent. The pizzas look good; I have not had one.

I drove home and read How to Lose the Time War, another book I am trying to like. I then went to bed early and had trouble sleeping. I finally slept better after 3PM.

Thank you for reading. Over the holiday week, I will likely be writing in the morning.