Today 10Monday2023: Titanic Day 2023 (111th)

On April 10, 1912 (my late Grandma Lee was only three weeks old), the RMS Titanic left for its first trans-Atlantic crossing 111 years ago. The crossing was delayed, and many crossings had been canceled–there was a coal strike. On its first official voyage, the Titanic was loaded with coal scavenged from shipments for other ships–White Star Line was going to get its new ship out there. The coal bunker fire in the forward coal bunker was ignored. When the huge, then the largest ship ever to sail, pulled out, the pressure wave drew another liner into the Titanic, nearly bringing the Titanic’s first trip to a sudden halt, but the errant liner was recovered. The passengers, unaware that the fourth funnel was mostly for ventilation, were shocked when a man looked over the funnel (there was a platform in the funnel and stairs to enjoy the view and well smoke. The passengers thought someone had fallen into the funnel. No. Now late, the RMS Titanic left on its last and only crossing. Everyone was a bit unnerved by the events (and a fire still burning in the forward coal bunker).

Sorry, I forgot to take pictures today.

The morning started with me waking to my alarm and then getting started at 7:30–going slow. Yesterday I had done the pancake breakfast cooking (with many folks), and my legs were stiff and my back uncomfortable this morning. I took my first status meeting at 8 and then one every half hour for a few hours. During this time, I was drinking liberal coffee made in my French Press. Breakfast was a banana and yogurt. The meetings continued, but as few issues touched our team, I was not paying that much attention. I did react to one crisis of the moment.

I had a long break from Zoom meetings at this time. I did the lighter side of my exercises and stretches as I was still stiff. I showered, dressed, put the dirty laundry in the washer, and then checked back in again. There were a few more crises of the moment, but nothing that was not quickly handled. I boarded Air Volvo and headed out.

It has rained 2.3″ of rain so far in April versus usually less than 1″. As a result, the light flooding was back, and my backyard was slowly filling into a pond. The roads are filling, and the puddles are huge, with Air Volvo kicking some water ten feet in the air. We have rain for the next few days–it is damp.

The trip to Susie’s was without event, and folks, apparently scared by the flooding, passed on driving today. Thusly, very light traffic in Beaverton today. While I saw no police, fire trucks and ambulances showed up every ten minutes of driving. Soon I arrived at Susie’s at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116.

Susie was in her chair, and the evening folks were running things today (Jeniffer, the usual live-in nurse aide, was traveling) and asked us if they could help. I demurred and let Susie stay in the living room (where the action was), and there we called Leta, Susie’s mother. We chatted on my iPhone using FaceTime for twenty minutes or so. Susie was feeling better and was fascinated by the chaos, as things ran a little differently today than most Mondays.

Susie was sad to have me leave, “I miss you.” She gets lonely in the evening (I do, too, some days), but let me go with a kiss. My trip back was a bit wetter as the rain and the, puddles and flooding were more. My emotions were a bit mixed up, so I stopped by Salt & Staw and got an ice cream cone. That brightened my spirits, and the rain, the sadness, and the light seemed all a bit better (it is gray with shades of gray with hints of moss green fading to gray).

I finished my cone while driving, and just after I had finished it, a car was poking into my lane on TV highway (five lanes main drag from Beaverton to Hillsboro), and I slowed and then stopped, not wanting Air Volvo to have an insurance claim. The driver of the wayward car then decided to cross and forced another car to stop to let them cross. The driver of the other vehicle that was forced to stop then rolled down his window, and while we could not hear each other, it was clear we both were amazed and suffering from WTF, and then we drove on.

Air Volvo landed without issue at the Volvo Cave. The mail contained medical bills. One explained the charges (which I had asked for) on a bill I received last week that had no explanation (I just don’t blindly pay ’em), and the others were the usual stuff. My rule is to pay them when I get them by a manual check. There must be paper records for everything. So I wrote the checks, entered them into Quicken (my account software), and walked the bills (paid) to the mailbox. I also downloaded the latest transactions from every transactional account (including credit cards and investment accounts) and noted the correct category for the spending transfers and income. I need good records for the IRS and social agencies I might need to deal with and for myself. I need to know how long the money will last, and Quicken gives me a consolidated picture of all funds and expenses.

I read more emails, texts, and Slack messages to follow along at work. Everything was going OK. I rested as my back had not enjoyed the chairs today. I read more Elric (Michael Moorcock’s new book on his 1960s character Elric seems to fit my memory of the older stories–excellent) and stopped about 4PM. I rested some more and made Clam Chowder from a can for dinner. I then worked on my radio project and started to finish the replacement radio face with the digital LCD insert. I am trying to work out how to replace the nobs. The old holes are too small and deep for my previous approach of sliding new switches in slightly enlarged holes. I cut some wood to place the buttons and nobs, but I don’t think that will work. I am thinking of replacing the holes with a wooden board with excellent brass screws holding it on. I could cover the basswood with veneer. It might look nice. More to come.

I then decided to stop any more work as I was tired and just head to Wildwood and have a beer, chat with folks (JR bought me more beer), and write the blog.

And that is what I did on Monday night.

Thanks for reading.