Today 8Dec2023: Friday

I decided to write this on Saturday morning while I work from my home office. I am mostly filling in here and there and covering some leadership items.

Going backward, as this is easier for me to remember, I ended the night watching the old series The Magicians while baking a new holiday circle loaf recipe from King Arthur Flour. It did not go as well as I had hoped, and I will change to using the puffy cinnamon rolls recipe and just replace the filling. I think it works better, and soft and puffy rolls are better than slicing a huge round bread-like loaf (the presentation is better, I will admit). Still, I liked the flavor, but I would add more fruit next time.

I ignored my hobbies, paperwork, and other things and went slow for Friday night. I also did not want to head to a tap house and play a board game against myself; it seemed more like self-medicating. Instead, I just did the dishes and the laundry and made a salad for dinner. I had the leftover cold streak, thinly sliced, from a couple of days ago to add, plus some nice exotic olives stuffed with blue cheese to make the salad special.

Next time, I will reheat the steak in a frying pan to get it hot. I am also thinking of getting another NY strip and cooking again (rare this time) and using that to decorate my salads. I will have only a 1/4 of the steak for dinner and save the rest for later use.

Before this, I resisted finding dinner to-go or sit-down and picked up some missing items for the house. I ran out of all-purpose flour, and following Jack’s recommendation, I picked up Red Mill’s locally produced unbleached all-purpose flour at the ridiculous price of $2 for a five-pound bag–nearly sold out. I could grab a few items I forgot in the last run (toothpaste, eggs, and cleaning supplies). I am hoping to get organized enough to order and have it delivered. I hate the time sink of buying groceries.

Friday is a work-from-home day, so I followed along and did all the status and update Zoom meetings from my home office. It was the usual work. I reheated the pasta and meat sauce I made a few days ago (the Swedish meatballs had not aged well and sadly went to the trash–next time, I will toss the sauce instead of putting on the meatballs) for lunch. While eating, I watched more Battleship New Jersey and some of the ShipHappens YouTube channels.

At the shoe company, we had some breaks in the data conversions, so I was following closely and reporting some status here and there. Work also included reading and approving designs and fixes. Just helping to keep things moving.

Aside: I nearly struck this next paragraph as it made me cry hard after writing it. I am sorry if it is too emotional and retells a story already told on 13Oct2023. Please skip it if it is too much.

I did cry a few times, as often happens in moments of peace; my memories of Susie’s passing returned (it was a hard moment), and I wanted some other ending. After Susie’s passing, there were various procedures, and then Susie’s remains were washed, dressed, and prepared to travel. For Susie’s last voyage, she carried her hat, wore her best Halloween clothing, held her stuffed animal Bunny and her black cowboy hat, and also a rose in her hands from a dozen I brought the day before. It is a lovely last image and sad for me. Even the funeral people commented that they seldom see such love and care–Thanks, Jennifer and family from Alliegence Senior Care! The funeral folks played Moody Blues; they asked for favorite music when carrying Susie–Susie left with the “Cosmic Rocker.” I am trying to focus on the memories of early times with Susie and all the good times. It is hard in those quiet moments to find them. 

Returning to the narrative, the morning started at 7ish, with me rising before my alarm and seeing the Oregon Mist had stopped us from drying out, but the rains had halted. The puddles are dry. We did see the cold, starry sky the night before, but the fog and mist only hinted at blue behind them. I made liberal coffee and found a slice of baked goods and a banana for breakfast.

Thanks for reading. Sorry if I range from boring to sad–it is where I am right now.