Today started with my alarm waking me for the first time in weeks. I usually wake up before it. It was hard to wake up as I was dreaming all night and waking a few times. It is another all-day playing meeting today, and in the office, I have thirty minutes for breakfast and getting started.
I assembled coffee in the French press and found a banana. Corwin eats two or three a day; they are disappearing fast. Once the water is hot in the electric kettle, I pour it into the French Press and start applying caffeine to my sleepy body–wake up!
I run out of time before finishing my first cup. I then clean up and dress. It is back to unrelenting rain–the usual February weather in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).
I am still excited to live here. I remember when I was a boy, looking at maps and seeing the strange coastlines and art of the coastal tribes. It all seemed so exotic and a fairly land. I love it here and wearing my hat in the pouring rain. I will, I think, be traveling from the PNW for the rest of my time. This is my home.
The drive-in was in light traffic, with me leaving a few minutes early and avoided the school buses. I parked and walked in without my badge. I gave little boxes of candy to the desk staff. I think that it made their morning that someone would think of them. I gave the rest of the candy boxes to my team and Mike, who is now a stretch member.
The morning was more meetings on planning, and I helped when I could. I also approved many software fixes as the team was busy planning. Mike and I were happy that our new work, Mike’s stretch assignment, is moving forward and included in the planning for the next quarter.
I did not know a stuffed pizza was over 500 calories a slice, but my app does. I had a slice of meat pizza (not wanting to discover if my reaction to salad could be made worse) and a small Caesar salad. No reaction, but I was so tempted to have another slice. I resisted. My app counted nearly 700 calories for lunch, but I still managed, by the end of the day, to stay under 2,030 calories. That did include St. Vanatime dessert of sorbet (I passed on cookies, cake, and other caloric wonderlands).
After lunch and dessert, I needed to stop by the house and handle some paperwork. So, I took the Air Volvo back. The traffic was light, but cars were throwing up water everywhere. We are having some serious wet.
I completed work remotely, with the plan being accepted with a high level of acceptance. We also got our expensive package from Istanbul. We had finished my supply of Salep, and more was acquired. I ordered, more for curiosity, some treats. While pricey, they certainly bring back memories. I plan to have Salep with my meds.
I had a can of Campbell’s Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner with a handful of extra egg noodles. I had this for dinner and then headed to the church for the Ash Wednesday service at First United Methodist, Beaverton. Traffic was thick, and the water on the roads slowed everyone even more. I arrived with plenty of time and brought the board game Scythe with me. My copy is a blinged version with painted figures and printed meeples.
The church service was the usual recognition of the start of Lent, and ashes were applied by Rev. Anne Weld-martin. I missed Susie during the service and thought of all the various ways I have participated, including the fire department arriving when the pastor’s attempt to make fresh ashes in the fireplace was not wholly successful. The pastor completed the service without fire alarms or other new surprises.
I supplied Z and Dondrea with a smallish heart box of chocolates.
After that, Z did today’s math homework (Z is twelve), and then we played a two-person version of Scythe until Andrew and Seth were done with choir practice. The band practice follows, and often we get ninety minutes to play. Andrew and Seth had to learn the game. They caught on fast, and Z remembered much of the game from previous plays. Z and I managed to get the game moving for everyone, and Andrew and Seth enjoyed the newly learned board game. We had to end before the game early, so Z and Seth decided to fight final combat for control of the center factory hex. Z was happy to win, ties go to the attacker, and based on money and resources Z took the partial game.
Z, Seth, me, and Andrew finishing the game. Z is planning her last attack!
It was a fun evening. We packed away Scythe, and everyone headed home happy. It was an excellent evening, and playing a competitive game on St. Valentine’s Day is always fun!
Air Volvo took me home after Z returned the cames to the cargo hold. It was a wet trip with water splashing everywhere. My gutters, now cleared by my lawn service, are now running.
And that takes me to writing the blog now. Thanks for reading!
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 