The morning started with me for the first time in my memory of sleeping in and having little on my schedule for the day. My paid time off started today, planned initially as my prep day for a now-rescheduled colonoscopy. I had managed to sleep, and the coughing and wheezing are fading, and I would say it is all now sinus based.
Sleeping in after 8 was good, as I had trouble sleeping the night before. I felt much better, and the coughing jag did not resurface on Wednesday. I felt better, and the exhaustion also faded.
I wrote the blog, making it a long one, which made me later for my visit to Susie. Unfortunately, I was made even later by the holiday traffic. It took me twice as long to traverse Beaverton, and I was locked into full streets on Hall Blvd as it approached Washington Square Mall. With snow in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, especially in the higher altitudes, it was the last chance to do that last shopping, so the roads are full.
I reached Susie a bit late, and we sorted the cookies from Leta; I picked out some for Susie that was safe for her and her favorites. The rest were put out for folks to try. Jennifer and her husband, the live-in nurse aides, tried a few.
Susie and I moved to the social room and watched an Opera, Le Comte Ory. This is a comic opera with very unusual music, almost sounding like a modern musical at times–except in French. It is one of my favorites; this version is done by the MET in NYC and is one of the more approachable operas, and it has a happy ending (except the lecherous Comte Ory never gets the girl).
We stopped halfway and chatted with Leta, Susie’s mother. We also got calls from Dondrea and Evan, who were happy to speak with Susie. Later we broke for Leta’s cookies, and Susie had some fudge; I had two of my favorites too. While sitting for the opera, after two hours plus breaks, Susie was ready to take a break and rest.
Jennifer got Susie arranged in her bed in her room, and I stayed another hour. I brought Susie’s rocking chair from the house (she had had it before we were married) and sat in it. Susie was thrilled to see her rocker. It will stay in the hummingbird house now.
While Susie rested, I sent out the e-gifts from Heifer International. I ordered bees for folks who needed help in the name of some of our family. I sent a e-card to the folks I had purchased in their honor–no carbon burned for this. I sent a Hope Basket to Hope and Misha as they did not get a fruitcake.
Susie agreed that she would like some small bottles of Wild Turkey for Christmas from me. So with that settled and Susie mainly sleeping, I left with a kiss (and one more of Leta’s cookies) and found that the traffic was worse–I did not know it could be this bad.
It took me an hour to return home–usually a twenty-five-minute trip. I had no lunch, and it was already 5ish. I got the mail and plugged in my laptop to charge. Next, I headed to the local sushi place, Sushi Zen, and got a place next to the track. I had miso soup, hot tea, and various raw items. The selection was limited, but I soon found what I wanted. The place filled up, and I was crowded at the counter and decided to leave. I am still uncomfortable with anyone sitting next to me that I don’t know.
Next, after circling for five minutes, I found a parking spot near the local liquor store. Oregon is a controlled state, so there is only one store in a wide area. Thus, getting into a store on a Wednesday night before Christmas can be difficult. I wanted to make this the only trip, so I also purchased many flavored items, such as Grand Marais, for cooking. I found miniature Wild Turkey bottles for Susie and her favorite, the reserve version. It was more expensive than the last time I bought it, about a year ago.
I got this home, tried the Irish Cream, rested, and woke up an hour later. I was tired, and the drink put me right out.
I had some potato chips and watched Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which, to me, seems the only movie in the Fantastic Beast series to capture the original feeling of the film. It could be watched stand-alone as it is so well put together that it leaves nothing to previous movies.
I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while watching the movie.
Next, I searched through my too-vast collection of electronics (it needs to be thinned out) for a USB to FTDI connector. The tiny machines I use in my radio, and some other excellent hardware do not have a USB connector but a direct connection. I used to have a pile of them, but they are small and likely found their way into various boxes of things I started. I also had to find a 3.3-voltage one, not 5V, and after twenty minutes, I found one still stuck on a device for a failed lightning detector project (the hardware does not seem to work well). I am ready to work on my radio now.
Time seemed, as usual on a PTO day, to evaporate, and it was late. So I decided to just read and finish the Poppy War. The book did not go where I expected it to go and, to me, has a comic book-like dark story–more Gen Z than I am used to. So no Tolkien-like fantasy or Space Opera good vs. evil, but troubled folks and terrible war. I was looking for a brain cookie, which this does not qualify for, but I thought it a good story once I let the book go where it wanted and tried not to be grumpy or annoyed. A dark tale that reminds me of the later tragic Elric books and the Mind MGMT comic I just read. Interesting and hard to recommend, but good in its own way.
I purchased a newly published short book by one of my favorite authors, The Red Scholar’s Wake: A Xuya Universe Romance (Xuya Universe Romances). Yes, Vietnam culture in space and an empire in a SciFi universe written by Aliette de Bodard. I started it, and my mind disappeared into mindships and a Vietnamese space-faring empire.
Soon I fell asleep, woke, went to bed, and slept quickly after turning off the lights.
It is Day 21 of Advent, and it is time to get some Josh Groban slightly over-engineered holiday music: What Child Is This?
A bonus: Here is my fav by Josh Groban, this music from Chess: Anthem. He is the Soviet chess player in this song. While Russia is not a loved place now, this song still is great.
Feel free to call or send cards. Susie resides at:
Allegiance Senior Care
Adult Foster Care Home
9925 SW 82nd. Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97223
The house phone number: (503) 246-4116
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 