I woke at 7ish and dragged for twenty minutes until finally heading into the home office. It was still black outside as the sky was full of clouds full of the atmospheric rain river, letting us enjoy a sudden two inches of rain overnight. As the sun rose, I could see the dry puddle in the backyard was filled and now a pond reaching a new depth. I was tempted to sail a model boat in it but instead growled at it. Seeing that the water was not intimidated, I padded to the kitchen and made coffee. Tiny ants, likely floating in on small boats–a little D-Day landing, had found the kitchen, but I had sealed everything, and their scouts were summarily executed as spies. I made coffee and eyed the unclean dishes in the sink (house elves must be on strike again).
The work Zoom meetings had started, and my coffee was not ready for the start, but I could slip out when the defects being reviewed were not ours and get my freshly made coffee. I added a slice of baked goods, carefully resealed the bag, and a banana; I carried all of this back to the office. An enemy spy was detected on my hand, hitching a ride from the kitchen, and faced the same end as its fellow scouts! You would think the ants would just drown!
The Zoom meetings continued until 9, and I followed along with some issues until the early afternoon. I reheated the last of the pasta and had that for lunch. I did the dishes (the house elves still missing), cleaned the kitchen, and ran the dishwasher. I finally showered and dressed, enjoying being in my night clothes, robe, and slippers until the afternoon.
The data conversions and other items ran all day, and while it was about the same excitement as watching paint dry, when you make the paint, the drying is important to you! I followed along until about 3PM when my official shift ended.
Mariah and I connected by text, and we agreed to meet for a holiday dinner at BJ’s. I also connected with Corwin and picked him up at 5:30 to join us. I gave Corwin a spare copy of Susie’s father’s book, The Alaska Psychoactive Mushroom Handbook, for Christmas–I am sure Susie would want him to have one.
At BJ’s, I had the prime rib Sunday dinner. I called Leta today, and she said she had overeaten at the buffet at The Willows. Leta looked better. I decided to do the Sunday dinner, so I’m off to BJ’s for prime rib! Mariah met us there and had a steak. Corwin did the pasta with extra meatballs. A feast. We split my “pazooke” dessert (one of Susie’s favs) three ways.
We talked about traveling and mushrooms (Corwin’s hobby) and how to get past people who have let us down. It was a good chat, and everyone left, full of food, happy to see each other, and a nice chat.
Mariah and Corwin are concerned about my brain scan on the 14th related to my hearing loss on my left side. I am not expecting any bad news, as I would have other symptoms if it was a severe issue. This is the usual medical test to dispel any doubts.
Air Volvo dropped Corwin off with his new book at his house and returned me to the Volvo Cave. I returned to the home office and began to write this blog. Like most folks working in IT for an American multinational, my discipline is strong, and I still find recording my day part of a sacred voyage.
I am sad this Sunday early evening as I miss my weekends with Susie. I sat in her room with her on Sundays until Anessa left and Lewis made dinner. If Susie was sleepy, I would write the blog there. I miss those comfortable, quiet afternoons with her more than I expected. In the future, once the weekends are back (no longer working the weekends), I will have to find that peace again.
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 