Today 11May2023

The day started at 6:30, with me ignoring the alarm at 6AM. I got moving and made breakfast and liberal coffee. I had peanut butter toast and a cup of yogurt with fruit. Today I was off and was helping Susie with her cardiologist appointment. I read some emails and news and pointedly did not do more than set my out-of-office response on my Nike email. I paid a few bills, including a medical bill for over-the-counter (OTC) medical supplies for Susie and Mom Wild’s lawn service in Michigan. I have to account for OTC to show that I am not mixing OTC and medical items like doctor payments and medical prescriptions. OTC seldom can be written off from taxes, and thus I need to identify it (therefore, I can prove to an IRS audit I did not mix these expenses). In Susie’s case (but not for everyone), the OTC, food, and room are tax deductible when used for her basic care as she is disabled and cannot care for herself. Thus, Susie accumulates over $7,000 in monthly medical bills that are tax deductible and an additional varying amount of OTC expenses (like disposable briefs) that are NOT tax-deductible (it is obscure logic). All I have to keep correct in Quicken, have paper records, and ensure I have complete records of medical expenses without regard to tax-deductible status.

The new software updates to Quicken broke my connection to US Bank, my primary checking and target for my direct deposit from the shoe company, and I untangled that. I was now running a few minutes late. It takes on average 25 minutes from the Volvo Cave to reach Susie at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. I was sure I would have plenty of time.

Well, I do not know who the folks are on the road as it was after 8AM, as all large local employers start work at 8AM, but the streets were packed with folks who have a 9AM start time. My trip had three lights that I did not have to stop for (i.e., the light stayed green long enough for Air Volvo to get through the intersection without stopping), and many intersections took two to three lights to get through. One of my most extended trips at 35 minutes.

Susie was ready when I got there, and I loaded her into Air Volvo using the moving belt. Susie and humans generally do not come with convenient handles, so I use the belt. I also place a stool on the ground, and Susie stands on that stool; next, I pivot her and put her in the seat in Air Volvo. Susie is not standing now, so I do it more as a fluid movement. Susie is not heavy; loading the wheelchair into Air Volvo’s cargo hold is more of a workout.

With twenty minutes for a ten-minute trip, I was not concerned. But, the road was closed; The City of Beaverton needed to install more holes, and I drove through the mall parking lot to reach the main road to the highway. Susie apologized for the mess; she feels responsible for having to rush, but I told her not to take responsibility for Beaverton’s newest holes. Highway 217 was full of cars in the construction area (Susie apologized for Beaverton’s construction, too), but this soon cleared into lighter traffic. Soon we were at Doc C’s office with me unloading Susie from Air Volvo, reversing the process, and using the belt.

The first appointment was for an echocardiograph, and this took forty-five minutes. First, I had to lift Susie and help undress her. I was filling in for nurse aides today. They had trouble imagining Susie’s heart; she is tiny, but the tech managed to find an angle that got them most of what they needed. I then helped dress Susie and lifted her back into the wheelchair.

Susie was rolled to a standard small room, and we had to undress her again for the EKG. Once that was done, we got Susie dressed again. Next, we met the Doc. Doc C was happy to report that Susie’s tests were good. Doc C told us that the fluid around Susie’s heart is gone, and Susie’s heart is working well. Doc C told us that Susie will continue with her meds as is—no changes. Doc C did share that Susie is showing some heart value problems, calcification, but it is moderate, so we will monitor it every year with a new echocardiogram.

Next, Susie and I headed to the lab to do some blood tests to check for functions that could be negatively impacted by the heart meds. The phlebotomist got everything on the first poke on the side of Susie’s arm. Perfect. Off to Air Volvo. I loaded Susie again (my fifth lift today) without incident and a bit better this time. The wheelchair did not get lighter. Breathing hard, I boarded Air Volvo and took the highways back to the hummingbird house. Susie (and I) was tired, and Susie was looking for a nap. I kissed her goodbye after we made a short call to Leta, Susie’s mother, and gave her the report on the visit (all good).

US Bank is on my way back. I parked in Beaverton, walked into the bank, and waited for a teller. The checks I had were from the City of Portland (tax refund–don’t ask about how Portland gets a tax in Washinton County and then needs to refund it) and a check for $1.00 that will not scan and load into any non-human deposit. Done after waiting fifteen minutes.

Aside: There were four tellers at the bank, but if you are at the bank now, it is for something you can’t do online. So everyone takes a while.

I returned to the Volvo Cave, still amazed by the traffic in the late morning/early afternoon. I reheated some goulash I had made a few days ago–last time for it. I ate it while watching YouTube videos on emergency electrical cabling procedures on Battleship New Jersey and a Sit Down and Shut Up video on the board game Frosthaven (I don’t have the $250 game).

I boarded Air Volvo after chatting with my neighbor across the street; he is a great painter (he did the house a few years ago) and has his own business. Oddly, he saw my pith helmet and said I needed a rifle. I said all I had was an 1898 Springfield bolt-action that was Susie’s father’s gun, which he wondered what it sounded like (he was not surprised that his liberal neighbor had guns), and we agreed it was a very precise shooter. Somehow, I fit into this strange pro-gun pro-Trump group on our street–the token Progressive Democrat.

Aside: Rifles and hunting guns are open to talk about. Hunting is a sport. Handguns are for protection and are not discussed except to share preferences. To that end, I used to like the SIG Sauer P320, but the reported discharge issues have me looking for a new recommendation. I learned of the SIG when I was a member of the NRA. My membership has since lapsed, and my interest in target shooting has faded.

Returning to my story, I stopped by the post office, acquired Nancy Regan memorial stamps, and mailed my bills. I was in Washington when she was First Lady. Next, I headed to Lowes to get some plant food (for the stressed roses) and some brass screws for the radio project. I am building a faceplate to hold the new buttons and volume nob. I could make my purchases without issue, but they had only self-check available, and a woman in a motorized cart was struggling to do the checkout. I followed her out and loaded her plants into her van.

Next, I stopped at Hillsboro to do some shopping. First, I tried the antique mall, and they had jewelers’ shelves for sale that had pulled-out shelves and lots of tiny drawers, all in wood. Very tempting to hold wargame items, but I am not ready for more furniture. Next, I stopped by the coffee shop, a local one, and got coffee, a cookie, filberts (shelled), and locally made pasta sauce. Next (nearly 80F–26C), I stopped by the gaming store Rune and Bone, but they did not have anything that interested me. I walked by Frostgave and learned of the $250 retail price. It is huge!

After that, I stopped by Jim’s Ice Cream and got a more usual ice cream (Rocky Road), and Air Volvo got me home. A package from Zabar’s in NYC was waiting for me (and junk mail). Joyce, Susie’s Aunt, sent me more bagels from NYC. Excellent. Thanks, Joyce!

I was tired and slept a bit until after 6PM. Next, I made an Everything Bagel with roast beef and cheddar in the broiler. It was great. I rested for a bit more. Got a request for dinner after I had started my dinner with Mariah in Portland, which I had to reject. Next, I called into a church Zoom meeting.

It was the second Thursday, so it was Theology Pub, and the topic was Toxic Christianity. How to avoid it and why it exists was the discussion. Mostly we agreed that folks believe they are right and thus have the right, in their minds, to demand folks align to their beliefs. We decided that it was often connected to privilege. It is easy to fall into it, and we, as Christain leaders, must identify it and try to defuse it when we can. This is the usual inclusive and exclusive conflict in some Christain groups’ messages. Saying you must believe this or that to be a good person is the typical exclusion statement pointed out as toxic.

After that, I wrote this blog. I am tired. Thanks for reading.