Today 29May2023

I was better in the morning this Memorial Day Monday, but by the time I had lunch with Joan S, I was often coughing. I got back in Air Volvo, and I got better and am better in the house. The pollen is too heavy outside today, I guess. I decided to stay in for the rest of the day to see if I improved. My lungs are clear, but antihistamines and cough syrup help only a bit. I was hoping to do some housework but took a long nap all afternoon. That helped, and besides the pollen, I am tired.

So I am in my office in the house, looking out the window, watching the light fade on Memorial Day 2023. Dinner was reheated spaghetti with meatballs, and I watched the rest of season 1 of Space Battleship Yamato 2199. The story included an extra-dimensional U-Boat to hunt the Yamato, creating a steampunk Das Boot WW2 look. So a guilty pleasure, but full of surprises like space submarines.

As I said, I managed to stop the coughing and rest for a few hours. I think it helped. I was also reading Popular Mechanics, which has changed its format to resemble a maker’s zine. I liked the articles, including information on living on Mars and structural batteries (and supercapacitors) where you can make a beam or flooring into a battery–these are carbon-based batteries, not lithium. Interesting. I will try next month’s and see if I like it (Violet Blue, an Internet acquaintance, was published by Popular Mechanics, and I thought I should try it again).

I did some work on the radio project. I have glued in the stays for speakers (they will be 1″ from the box to allow me to fit in my new speakers around the face plate and nobs and buttons). I try assembled the radio, and I needed to replace a few wires that were too short, but soon the final assembly will start for the face plate and light effects. I will retest the speakers soon with the 5V stereo amp–this time, I remember not to use 9V and wonder what that high pitch sound is (the amp chips melting).

I have a special chopper for small lumber, and it worked great for cutting the stays 1″ each. I am happy with my tools. I look forward to finishing the radio and then painting the figures. I will then plan the next radio or begin one of my ship models or possibly the Addam’s House model (with spooky lighting and sounds).

Moving back to the morning, starting the day over, I woke without breathing issues and only a light cough at 8ish and made cereal and liberal coffee in my French Press for breakfast. I then wrote the blog and checked out the glue in the radio project updates–perfect. I finished the moderately long blog by 10:30ish, rushed showering and dressing, and boarded Air Volvo 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.

The drive included more extra-legal driving from my fellow Oregonians and creative lane use. I managed to ignore it and arrived undamaged in Air Volvo soon at Susie’s place. Susie had just finished breakfast and was ready to head to the park. We made the reverse loop and headed down the streets to the back entrance to Metzger Park. A man in a van was smoking, not tobacco, and walking his ducks. He had a collection of about five ducks, and he picked them up, and they followed him–definitely not wild ducks. I am sure there is a story there. Susie was fascinated.

The park was busy with folks having parties, and the kids were running everywhere. The number of dogs was less. We stopped at a bench and called Leta, Susie’s mother, and talked for a while. After we rang off, I pushed Susie through the tennis courts, not in use, to avoid the rattle of the crushed stone. Finally, we arrived back at the hummingbird house porch, and I called David and Michelle Smith; they did FaceTime, and we talked briefly. Susie was thrilled to see the Smiths. David and Michelle were doing home repairs at their beach house, and we chatted about the usual power/plumbing issues that always haunt you when you do minor upgrades.

After the Smiths rang off, I kissed Susie goodbye, headed to BJ’s Brewhouse, and met Joan S for appetizers. We chatted for an hour or more. Unfortunately, my coughing started to get worse and worse. I could barely talk when we left.

Surprisingly, as I said above, the coughing stopped when I was in the filtered air in Air Volvo (it has high-quality filters that are replaced on certain service miles–I know I paid the bill). So I headed to Barnes and Noble and saw Joan S there. Then, I bought some zines and headed home.

And that takes me full circle.

I water the roses this morning and took pictures of the now proper blooms.

One of the new roses, Wedgewood, a climber by David Austin. I got it last year as just roots, and it is graphed. It should cover the fence this year.

Souvenir du Président Lincoln, a French rose from 1865, is no longer stressed and has its wonderful flowers fully open. It is a repeat bloomer, so we will see only a few more blooms in the summer, but they are worth it, I think.

The orphan rose (the tag was lost at the nursery, so they were sold cheap) is a pale English rose. A nice surprise.

Thanks for reading!