Today 3March2023: Friday

I am writing the blog on Saturday morning between work Zoom calls and Slack channel updates. Of course, I have a new high defect this morning, making a mess of my usual quiet Saturdays.

Recalling yesterday, Friday is a work-from-home day for me, so I could sleep in until 7ish, but I did wake before my alarm and had to prove hydration at 3AM, but generally, I got enough sleep. So I made liberal coffee and the last packet of instant oatmeal, adding dried cranberries and walnut pieces to jazz it up. I carried these consumables to the home office. I ate and read the email, Slack channel updates, and news to prepare for the day.

The first status meetings, all Zoom calls, started at 8 and continued until later morning. It is Friday, and the crises have begun to settle. The political items all cooled a bit. Thus, I was able to slip out at 10:40ish to see Susie.

The drive-in was low traffic and low drama–the best drive in Beaverton. In the damp gray, Beaverton’s Finest did not appear on the roads, the police liking sunny days (like all of us). Only a few grey piles of snow were left, and sad collections that once were snow people.

Metzger Park, next to the hummingbird house (Portland (Tigard) at 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116), was green and empty with the constant rain and Oregon mist. But then, the sun appeared momentarily, and everything was dazzlingly bright and cheerful. I toyed with the idea of taking Susie out in the park; the 41F (5C) conditions would not be happy for Susie.

Susie had finished breakfast and was comfortable in her recliner chair in the living room with Judge Judy on. Susie still had ankle protectors on (fuzzy partial slipper) and was no longer in pain. Her tummy issues had also been resolved. Susie was bright and happy to see me. So I resolved to get a to-go lunch and eat that in my office, so I could spend more time with Susie, seeing her clear-eyed and happy.

We called Leta first, Susie’s mother, and chatted with her for a while. Leta was waiting to see how the snowstorm would play out. Would it miss Lansing or dump a massive pile of snow? Leta was ready to enjoy a few days at home, reading and resting. Leta asked about Susie’s pain, and Susie said she had no pain and “I am fine” was her answer.

After Leta, we called Barb, Susie’s sister, and talked more about the storm and her kids. They were ready for another storm. Next, we called Susie’s Aunt Joyce, as Susie was worried about her. Joyce was thrilled to hear from us and happy to tell Susie she was well. They are getting lots of rain, now snow, in North Carolina.

I called after 5PM, and Susie was still without pain, and the redness was gone on Susie’s ankle. So it looks like the good folks at Aligence Senior Care (the hummingbird house) had stopped the issue before it became severe. Thanks!

Returning to the narrative, I left Susie with a kiss; Susie was sad to see me go, but the visit did not seem short–excellent. My next stop, using the highways to reach 185th, was Happy Panda. On the way, part of a minivan fell off (!?) and caused me to dodge large debris on Highway 26. There was no time for cars to brake, and instead, everyone was diving into the roadway’s left shoulder. Exciting. Air Volvo, with good tires and alignment, easily missed the mess.

Arriving safely at the food place, It took about five minutes to get Mongolian Beef from Happy Panda (in a strip mall on 185th). But I would say that I have never seen this with cabbage and slabs of beef. It was still good, but nothing I recognized. Finally, air Volvo arrived at the Volvo Cave without further challenges, and I ate my lunch while catching up on work items.

Evan stopped by, did some work on his taxes, cleaned up, and then headed to his next Pickle Ball game. He was just between appointments and needed a place to park. So he stayed at the Volvo Cave for a few hours.

Work continued, but I had time to plug in my new volt meter and Bluetooth speakers (yes, I had to have that). I managed to play toons through my meter. One strange item is that the meter is powered by USB B, not a power cord. I could not find a wall plug for a USB A (legacy), but I know I have some. I used my Windows laptop to run it for a while. So cool and so ridiculous.

Back to the story, I had a design session for one of the constant crises of the moment, and I think we understood the constraints better. One person just wanted to code it, but we explained the real constraints, and I think they were finally accepted. More to come. It was nice to talk about something technical and complex.

I finished my day with another short status meeting. I did check my phone for the rest of the night for issues–nothing.

I reheated the rest of the Goan Pork Vindaloo I made a few days ago. The spices are incorrect, and it is more of a Vindaloo and Kung Po cross. Still good. I grabbed some magician decks and a magic book. Time to return to magic, as I feel I should get that skill back. I had stopped most of that before the pandemic, but I liked it and should do it more.

I found that I had dozen card decks but was missing the type I wanted. So I found a new one and decided I could open it (it is so much better to open a deck on stage to establish legitimacy). So, while headed to read, write the blog, and practice at Wildwood Taphouse, Mariah asked to meet at Von Eberts in Portland; my plan changed–magic will wait.

So I headed there and still managed to beat her to a table. Traffic across Portland and parking were both troubling for Mariah (yes, I can get to Portland Pearl District from Reedville (Aloha-Beaverton), sometimes faster than folks in Portland). There we had some smoked wings and a few beers. I just had three and nothing else (having already eaten once) but beers.

I am happy to report that the wings are good again. So good are the wings that there are rumors that chickens volunteer. They are delicious.

I tried to stop by Powell’s after dinner (again) and beers, and Mariah let me try. Closed. I remember when they were open all night and then open late. Now they close at 9AM. Sad.

After paying $7 for parking in the garage (the only parking I could easily acquire), Air Volvo delivered me home without events. I was in bed soon after.

Thanks for reading.