Today 19May2023

I am writing this Saturday morning as I wanted to relax a bit on Friday night. It is another lovely sunny day in Oregon.

The morning started at 7ish, and I can sleep on Fridays as it is a work-from-home day at the shoe company. I used a bagel-like product (I have some in the freezer and grabbed the wrong bag today) for breakfast with cream cheese sprinkled with cappers and liberal coffee. The cappers add a salty pine flavor that enhances the cream cheese taste. Then, I took the food into the office and started two hours of Zoom meetings. The first hour was our weekly staff meetings, where Rajani, our acting director, tries to make sense of the chaos and helps everyone ground on what is essential and what can slide (in multi-national company IT departments, there is unlimited work and not enough people or time to do it all–you have to keep focused on the goals with high priority). This was followed by a few status meetings.

I had a crisis of the moment and spent hours in meetings trying to find a solution and how to apply it. This went on all day, with the last meeting at 5:05PM with me calling in a while driving home. This crisis broke into multiple issues, and each was resolved. A crazy Friday.

As I had a meeting at 12:30PM, I heated up the last of the tamales in the frig from the tamale lady at Wildwood Taphouse for lunch. I ate it while listening to a crisis meeting.

With the crisis likely over (until another one surfaces), I headed outside and rediscovered why one should use gloves when cutting your roses. The English rose, The Herbalist, has hypodermic sharp thorns–I was reminded when I went to add the rose to my cuttings! The old rose pink moss’s (a lovely but once-blooming rose) moss had hardened from the hot days and stuck me a few times. China rose, a very old, continually blooming rose, had politely pointed down thorns. With a small collection (and a bit of pain), I boarded Air Volvo and headed to see 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.

Jennifer placed Susie in her bed with her head up, and I pulled a chair beside her. I set up my work and personal computer, my 13″ Apple M1 2020–yes, my previous Apple died in the pandemic, and turned on the TV for Susie. We put on Volume 2 of Guardians of the Galaxy, preparing to watch the new movie. Susie watched some of the show but mainly rested, but she often held my hand. Constantly letting go and doing something at work and then retaking her hand.

Somewhere in the early afternoon, we did call Leta, Susie’s mother, from Susie’s room. Leta was surprised we were not outside. Susie, Leta, and I talked for a bit about little things. It is not so much the words but just the ability to see each other (via FaceTime) and talk that is important.

I had one protracted crisis call that Susie heard and even said “Hi” to everyone. After that, I could mostly send updates, reviews, and emails for Friday afternoon. Then, finally, at 4ish, the movie stopped, and Jennifer got Susie ready to head outside to Mezger Park–Susie was a bit confused about a talking raccoon and a tiny talking plant in the movie.

The park was not overheated, and we were past the hot part of the day, so it seemed to be cooling off. There were more kids and many early dinners as the weekend was starting. There is no cooking in the park, and food waste is quickly disposed of in tight-lidded trash containers, so wasps are not an issue and are not a problem in the Spring, usually.

We found an unoccupied bench in the shade and looked for butterflies (I like the French better: papillons), but today I did not even see the flash of color of a wing in the light. I have not seen the big ones at the house either, so I suspect the caterpillars are still working on eating and will appear later as papillons. Susie and I just enjoy sitting and watching the people for a while. As I said, I have one last meeting, so I return Susie to the hummingbird house with Louis, now the nursing aide on duty, and cook for dinner (burgers tonight at the hummingbird house).

I head back to Beaverton and stop at McMenamins Cedar Hill Pub for a Captain Neon burger (bacon and blue cheese) and a Ruby beer. I am tired, and dinner does not sit well with me, and Air Volvo takes me to the Volvo Cave. I read and rest for a bit. I decide this is likely the last chance to see Dungeons and Dragons, the movie, on a large screen. So at 9PM, I was in the living room-like room at AMC Progress Ridge Theater with popcorn and drink (costing more than the ticket) and enjoyed the movie again. I recommend it as a good action film, and if you are a 5E and familiar with the official D&D setting, it is even more fun. Recommended.

I am reading Charles Stross’s newest book on my Kindle, and I like it but was surprised by some borrowing from TV. So I find that I will be reading along, and then the story will go in some strange direction and stop. The weight of the Kindle then falls on me; I am asleep, and when it hits me, I wake. Sometimes I invent a whole page before I wake up!

I get home without issue and take my pills, nearly forgetting, and then go to bed, read and fall asleep, put away the Kindle, and turn off the lights. I slept until sunrise.

Thanks for reading.