Story 19June2023

Some days I just want to hide from the world and write, code, build, and read. I don’t want to see anyone, and I don’t want to write the blog–I want to write some SciFi or a fantastic adventure for Dungeons and Dragons or take one I have already written and rewrite it to 5E or improve it enough to publish it. I want to get on a plane with a pile of books, chargers, and laptops and write from some exotic location sitting at a bar eating only appetizers and drinking Cuba Libries.

But feeling passes, and I do want I am supposed to do–being a responsible adult can suck. Also, getting older and having trouble hearing people (me all day), having to read larger print, and trying to do some building requires me to use bifocals safety glasses (yes, I have 3x bifocals on my eye protection) sucks. I am trying to find focus and not hop the next plane to Paris (the flight leaves PDX at 10:30AM–I checked, and is only $2500 tomorrow).

Putting the complaining aside, I started the morning just before 8AM. I woke a few times before my alarm, but I just rolled over and slept a little and then woke; repeat. I made liberal coffee, peeled some hard-boiled eggs, and heated some links I made a few days ago for breakfast. I enjoyed an hour of status and defect meetings, including sending my teammates a request for an update on one issue. After that, I am just following along. I wrote the blog until after 10AM.

Next, I started on my radio project again. I repaired and rewired the mistakes I made yesterday. I then cut a veneer piece to cover the basswood (white without much grain). I also drilled the basswood after mounting it on the front of the radio box. I drilled into the box to mount pretty brass screws to hold the plate.

But the veneer moved, unknown to me when I pressed it between some books–puke! That ruined it; I tried to soak the wood to remove the veneer, but the white glue was locked in. I made a new face plate, veneered it first, and then started drilling. That is working better and might look better in the end, as I have not had to beat it up as much as the first piece.

After making some progress on the radio project, I got a lunch of pasta I made a few days ago with Italian sausage. I finished watching one video on YouTube (ShipHappens) and some more tours of the inside of the USS Texas (Drachinifel), which included some exciting (for warship geeks) views of armor plates that have rusted and now breaking bulkheads as the rust expands. The WW1-style doors, open connection electrical controls (knife switches), and other unique items like the torpedo room (yes, WW1 battleships had underwater torpedo tubes) were fascinating.

I finished lunch and then took my meds (I missed them in the morning), and yikes, I was nauseous and had to rest. I am unsure if it was my lunch or poor timing with my meds. I finally could move around without tossing my cookies and headed out in Air Volvo.

I stopped by McDonald’s to get a shake and fries–my comfort food. I was in the drive-in and watched a car hop a curb and leave. When I got to the window, I paid and saw it was not my order. My hearing missed the question of whether I was “Joe” and got that order. It took five or more minutes, and two people decided to just ignore this (I paid less for Joe’s order) and was given my order.

I sipped my shake and ate my fries as Air Volvo took me in low traffic (it is a holiday) to see Susie at her place 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 weather was damp and grey, typical June, and the streets again showed local light flooding–back to normal.

Susie in her kids Just Do It with Bugs Bunny–a nearly impossible-to-find Nike shirt (I paid full price).

Susie was happy to see me, and the 55F (13C) and sideways rain discouraged us from visiting the park–I was damp just from exposure to the rain from Air Volvo to the front door. Instead, Susie was set up in her bed by Jennifer (the weekday nursing aide), and I sat in the over-stuffed chair next to Susie. Susie is again having painful constipation.

Aside: passing stool is hard lying in a bed. Susie cannot sit safely on a toilet and let gravity work for her. Instead, it is all up to her. This is a common problem I read about when we were in NYC’s Mount Sinai West. Their policy was to get folks on the toilet ASAP to prevent these problems–letting gravity work.

In her room, we watched the third Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade. Again, I forgot how fun these movies can be. After that, Susie was now on her side to help with the passing, we listened to Elton John, and I managed to fall completely asleep in the chair. After 5PM, I left with a kiss. Susie was falling asleep again, but I put M.A.S.H. on her TV for her–Susie has HULU and gets M.A.S.H. without commercials and in order.

I stopped on the way back at Red Robin in Beaverton. I was surprised that our original bartender, Chen, who cared for Susie for years when she used to walk all over Beaverton and ride the buses. Back then, she got lunch there from Chen. He got me an Ensalada platter with two chicken breasts, a regular-sized Stella (beer), and a side of fries. The salad had a wedge of core (I hate that), and the chicken was different than what I got at another Red Robin; it seemed to taste better. I decided not to stay and write there, and I paid and left after finishing my dinner. Chen wished me well and hoped to see me again soon–he sent his best to Susie.

I reached the Volvo Cave splashing through the now large puddles on the roads. I started the laundry, made a pot of tea, and started back on the radio (I made a new plate and tested it fitted to the radio box–tight but works) and then started on the blog. The new plate is ready for the drilling, which hopefully will not break it, and I have to make the third one!

Thanks for reading!