Today 22June2023: About Midsummer

The news from the ocean was grim, the submersible imploded, and the wreck was found a short distance from their goal: the bow of the RMS Titanic. Sad.

Yesterday, after I finished the blog, I wrote my 500-word horror story for the 2023 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. I learned last year that Gwen, the judge and one of the event’s directors, wants a story that makes her shutter and connects to  H.P. Lovecraft’s horror writings. This year I wrote a story that made me look over my shoulder, see things that were not there, and made it hard to sleep. I wrote about a dream that still scares me. I managed to sleep, finally. I hope it will work for Gwen (I won two years ago).

I started the morning at 8, sleeping in a bit; I had a breakfast of yogurt and some liberal coffee made in my French press. I put my work computer in the cargo hold, boarded Air Volvo, and then headed to Susie’s 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.

Jennifer had Susie dressed and ready when I arrived in morning rush traffic across Beaverton. I then used the moving belt (humans don’t come with handles) and lifted Susie into the co-pilot seat in Air Volvo. I put the wheelchair in the back. Before I left, I had unloaded all the games from the cargo area and some from the back seats to make room for the wheelchair.

We made the voyage of Highway 217 (under construction), which was slow to 26, with Beaverton’s Finest patrolling, moving at extra-legal quick speeds. We arrived at the Legacy Clinic building, and I unloaded Susie and rolled her into her wheelchair to get her blood drawn. We need to recheck Susie’s liver function after a month without her statin, hoping for an improvement.

It took two tries to get the sample, with Susie tolerating the first fruitless attempt. The second try was on a heated hand and a tiny needle. It worked and filled the tube. Done, without too much extra pain, we were happy to leave.

The Krispy Kreme Donut place is next door, and Susie and I agree we should consider that. A quick call to Jennifer, the nursing aide at the hummingbird house, confirms that donuts are allowed. We take the sidewalks to get next door and discover a Willy Wonka-like world of donuts. We get a coffee to share (I get ice and another cup to cool the coffee), and Susie sips this with great care as we watch the donuts get made. We get a dozen to share with the hummingbird house and get a hat.

I drop Susie off to Jennifer after retracing our steps back to the hummingbird house. My second lift did not go as well; I hit my head on the door frame but landed Susie well enough. I left with a kiss as Jennifer promised Susie some apple fritter (Susie’s fav from Krispy Kreme) for breakfast.

Air Volvo took me to Swift on Nike WHQ, our new building, in August, and I walked through the building and took some photos. I sent the pictures to my teammates, many of whom joined Nike during the pandemic and have never worked from Nike WHQ. I did months of meetings years ago in the building and liked the place.

 

I then parked my car in The Park, the first parking garage at Nike WHQ, and took the stairs from level 4. There are seven! I walked across campus to the Williams building and had a working lunch (salad bar) with Scott. We have met every week for years. We often design software together.

It was hot, and I walked the distance of the WHQ to The Park and climbed four sets of stairs. I am no longer using the lifts–time to get better. I am tired, and between the lifts, wheelchair lifts and reassembling, the long walks, and stairs, I have had quite a good workout today.

I drive back to our old building, Clubhouse, and I notice how worn and out of alignment with the norm this building is. I never liked it and will be glad to see it no more after August.

I spend a few more hours at the building, catching up and doing a few more meetings. I am tired and will head out at 3ish to the Volvo Cave. I arrive at Air Volvo without incident, rest until 4:30PM, and take the last status meeting from my home office.

I make dinner, jambalaya, without seafood, and watch the first episodes again of the show Wednesday. It makes me laugh, and I really like it.

Where did you learn those moves? My uncle taught me he was in Tibet for seven years in a monastery. Was he a monk? No, a prisoner.

Yes, the lines that Wednesday gets are fun. I wish I had written them.

After that, I did the dishes, pour a glass of Kalua, and started on the blog.

Thank you for reading.