I am writing this on another clear and soon-to-be-hot sunny Oregon fall day. The weather pattern is that we have lovely days and then gray and damp days. The length of the sunny days becomes smaller until it vanishes in November, and we start the rains that end in July (or now ending in early June from climate change). So 54F (12C) in the morning and 82F (28C) in the afternoon. The clear skies fall means sneezing and burning eyes for me from the pollen as the trees and plants send out that last burst before the seemingly endless gray days start.
Thursday, I was rushing. I had a 7:30 meeting, so I was up at 6AM, dressed, out the door by 7AM, and in the office in time for the meeting. The meeting was a bust and was rescheduled to fit other people’s schedules. Before this, I had managed to organize liberal coffee and an NYC bagel and to read some emails and updates before heading out. Somehow, even thirty minutes earlier, I found a school bus to slow me down.
Work was the usual Zoom meetings for hours. The usual place for me to hang out and do the calls was being painted. New giant 85″ screens are going up as part of the building refresh for us new tenants. I found a couch and did my meetings. My hearing is failing, and my left ear garbles sound, so headphones don’t work well for me. Now, I just talk into the screen and try to listen without headphones (the conversation would disturb others, so I find a place in the atrium that won’t bother anyone). I had hours of Zoom meetings.
Lunch was a lunch meeting with Scott. This is my chance to walk the Nike WHQ. Our building, Swift, is on the extreme side, and Serena Williams (the building, not the person) is on the other side. I use the hidden path at Nike WHQ through the parking lots to make the line straight (Scott showed that to me last time). The walk is lovely and encompasses the new campus and the recent campus (Nike WHQ was built in three steps about ten years apart, with the last one finishing up now with the remodeling of some of the existing buildings). I was twenty minutes early, but now, knowing the walk time of 25 minutes, I can plan better next time. I followed along on my iPhone while waiting.
Lunch was from the salad bar–healthy, and Scott and I chatted about work and the cool stuff he is getting done. I will admit I was a bit grumpy, but the project is in the final testing and is tedious and stressful at the same time. After over a year of coding, building systems, and testing, I want to install it and move on–makes me grumpy to wait. But we still had a nice lunch and chat.
I walked back to Swift, and it was now hot, and my coat made me warm. It was needed when I started, but the hot sun had jumped the temperatures by ten degrees! I got to Air Volvo, removed the hat and coat, and boarded. Next, Susie’s place at Susie at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. The traffic was light, and The City of Beaverton was installing holes elsewhere, so the construction delays were short.
Susie was happy to see me. I brought the eclipse glasses kits I found on Amazon for 14 Oct 80% eclipse and gave them to Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide. I received a musical Advent Calendar from the catalog company Bas Bleu that plays 24 different Christmas songs, one for each day, and showed it to Susie. I put it in her room for later use. It is a German product, and some of the songs I don’t recognize, but it should be fun.
Sorry about the finger in the pic!
It was a hot day now, and Susie enjoyed a trip to Metzger Park next door to the hummingbird house. The park was filled with children with their parents and dogs walking their humans. I could see Susie enjoying all the positive energy bubbling off of everyone. We did a three-way video call with Susie’s family members, Leta (mom) and Barb (sister). Susie was thrilled to talk to Barb and Leta. We were at my favorite bench in the shade of the redwoods and cedars. The crows were back and were calling out. It was a pleasant, short visit.
Soon, I had Susie back at hummingbird house, and Michelle Nixon was busy cutting folks’ hair. I kissed Susie goodbye. I will not make it there on Friday; my annual attendance at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival starts today. I returned to work and worked until about 4ish as I was tired from the early calls and had trouble sleeping this week.
I returned to the Volvo Cave via Air Volvo in light traffic, but I did have to circle back as I forgot that our main access road, 209th, is now closed as they rebuilt it (again!). At the house, I got the mail and rested for a bit. I then dressed in my suit, which included suspenders. The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival VIP party and summon ceremony was tonight.
Suspenders are like a reverse bra for men, except it is connected to your pants. So I have to button the unit into the pants and then redo it when I discover it is twisted (since most of it is on your back, it is hard to know it is wrong). The suspenders are under my vest, too, and I find myself, like some gals, discreetly adjusting my straps. I am also aware that my pants are held up by this, so if I pull on the straps too hard, I will unsnap the connection. This mistake will soon be exposed unless I get to the men’s room fast! I learned that at my sister’s wedding, early in the evening, I was quickly in the men’s room to discover the cause of the sudden lightness and corrected it before the problem was exposed to all the guests.
It took me thirty minutes to get ready and leave after 6PM to the usual parking lot, Highway 26, 405, I-84, arriving precisely on time, parking three blocks away in a residential area. The Lift Off Lounge is a dive bar with excellent food, imaginative cocktails, and an Art Deco theme–perfect for us cultists. One free drink was offered, and finger food and even BBQ on a bun (excellent) were free for the taking.
A gal was singing 1920s and 1930s music on a tiny stage. It was crowded and crazy, but we were a friendly audience. Many of us were trying to remember the names of the folks we met last year and before. I became reacquainted with folks and had two Call of Cthuhlu drinks (gin and something). “We Lurk,” and the chanting was done to “bless” and “summon” the festival into being.
I left after 9 and arrived home at about 10ish. I was tired. I disassembled more than I undressed and got everything put away and safe. My blue suit for Friday! I woke up a few times and forgot to put out the trash. I had terrible leg cramps at 6ish.
But it’s still a great day.
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 