Today, Saturday, I slept in until 8ish, and quite frankly, I could have remained in bed until late. Events at the shoe company made me want to pull up the covers and hide (2% layoffs started on Friday). I decided to abandon my usual boilerplates and just tell the interesting part. Not that the boilerplates are a waste, as my friends have told me there is comfort in the regular process of life, and I find happiness in applying them like a Rex Stout Nero Wolff novel (Rex always uses the same characters in these mystery stories; they don’t age, and many items are boilerplates–recommended). It is an intellectual challenge to describe the same activities but make them entertaining and find the fun in them.
Firstly–starting the narrative for Friday,
Susie’s service is on 23 March 2024, at 4 PM, at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton.
Susie’s Michigan service is on 18 May 2024 at Grace United Methodist Church, Lansing, at 2PM.
From Oregon, India is ahead by 13 1/2 hours. For example, 8AM in Oregon is 9:30PM in India. India is literally on the other side of the earth from Oregon. In the world-is-flat corporate world of multinationals like Nike, Inc., India is up late or early to connect to folks at the WHQ during our Pacific Northwest time. Like many multinationals, Nike built a computer center in India (and many other places), so our colleagues (fellow IT employees) work and live in India. To reduce the burden of shared meetings, Rajani’s master data governance weekly meeting is now at 6:30AM.
I woke to my alarm at 6AM trying to understand YTF (why-the-f**k). I needed to start so f**king early. Slowly, the knowledge that it was Friday and there was a meeting soon, and I wanted coffee before the meeting returned to my mind. I made coffee and made breakfast. This un-memorable breakfast was likely peaches and cottage cheese, but I have no clear memory of those first thirty minutes.
I managed to get coffee and start the Zoom meeting. The WHQ team voices were rough, and our India-based friends were happy to join the Zoom meeting in the early evening and were bright. The meeting was pleasant, and we were happy to be still working this Friday. We witnessed no layoffs so far. Our India-based team members then started their weekend in the early evening.
We spent the day waiting for the shoe to drop (I think there is a pun in there), but we received no updates from Nike leadership besides an FAQ to read. I made jambalaya (cooking and eating is my stress response) while attending and interacting on the weekly Software Atrchects meeting (my title was changed to Engineer, but most folks still think of me as an architect of the legendary–legacy is not a word we use for these systems–Nike SAP-based fulfillment, accounting, and reporting system). Change and redirecting were at the root of these discussions. The shiny toys of a few years ago have been found wanting, and we are returning to more proven methods and finding, as usual, new shiny toys (likely to be unsuccessful as the previous FOMO-based software selections) to use now.
Soon, I completed my last scheduled meeting, no new meetings about the layoffs appeared, and I said to myself, “f**k this.” Corwin needed more practice driving, and I was ready to use the rest of Friday to de-stress (yes, more food and travel). Air Volvo was readied for a new pilot, and bags were packed in case we decided to spend the night somewhere. Corwin’s phone was connected to Blue Tooth to provide music.
Corwin took Air Volvo to the Oregon Coast and drove for three hours (we took a less direct route as Nav seemed confused, and we had no plans, “Why not”). Mariah was taking her dogs to the beach, had a house for a day, and texted me to meet her. It being Mariah, she reversed this, and was surprised to find us on our way. We agreed with her that today was a good day to see the PNW Coast, and dinner was also an excellent idea.
Corwin and I took the full of curves and “rough road” Highway 6. With the increases in taxes for various fixes in the state for Portland, drug policy liberalization, and housing, you would think we could fix a street. Growl. Corwin got good practice and did have to relearn the sensitive Air Volvo handling (it goes where you put it) and enjoyed the four-wheel drive and power anti-locking braking. He also appreciated the slightly larger rear-view mirror with its auto-dimming in the dark. Air Corwin is a cheap old pick-up with manual everything.
I managed to not panic and got to look out the window for some of the trip. The rivers and waterfalls along the twisting pass that Highway 6 uses are fairy tail-like. As we went along, I advised Corwin and directed his driving as he is still a new driver and has never driven to the coastline. This actually was his longest time behind the wheel so far. I managed not to be too annoying, and he succeeded in never scaring me the whole way.
I think I would base my Tolkien movie, assuming I get to do one, in PNW as it is closer and just as lovely as New Zealand. Our grand lodges at Mount Hood and Crater Lake would make an excellent home for the elves. Depot Bay would look like a great version of the Gray Havens!
We tried to stop at the Oregon Air Museum, but it closed at 4PM. It is actually an airship hangar, slowly rusting, that is all that remains of the American experiment of Zepplin-like on our Coast. Next time!
We finally reached the Pacific Ocean after a few hours, and before it was dark, the sun was already set, and it was cold and windy. We parked at the Casino and walked on a paved walkway to the beach. We then enjoyed a frigid walk on the beach, and Corwin found a few shells.
I called Leta, Susie’s mother, on the cell from the mountains and got a broken service. Her nerve doc told her to be more patient as her nerves have not yet healed in her repaired broken arm. Her bathroom remodel is ongoing, but the guy doing the work has some family events, so the work will likely continue on Monday.
I called Barb Wild (my mother) from the ocean to tell her I was thinking of her as I walked on the beach. She was pleased to be included in my trip to the coast just by phone call. It was cold, and I made it a short call, and soon Corwin and I were at the nearby restaurant having a coffee and dessert (saving dinner for Mariah, who was not inbound to the PNW Coast).
We changed pilots (me) on Air Volvo, and I took us to Depot Bay in the dark and usual ocean spray. This is prime whale watching, but the sea is dark at night. The natural phosphorescence colors the waves in some places, but generally, you can hear the ocean at night in Oregon. We did not see any whales, nor did I try to see them.
Mariah picked Tidal Raves for our meeting. We were early and got a seat anyway. We are not in the Tourist season, so you can get a seat on a Friday by walking in. I imagine the place will be fully booked in a few months. The bartender at the previous food joint with a few of the ocean told us it was the best food in this part of the coast relieved that the prices, while high on the special items and seafood, were not nuts.
Corwin and I ordered drinks and appetizers. We had some kind of lettuce-wrapped five-spice pork with oysters, recommended by our perky wiater, Rosebud. It was great. We also had bread with a smear of seafood and cheese, which was good but wholly eclipsed by the pork appetizer. Our expectations were raised. Knowing her food was terrific, Rosebud smiled and accepted us as new converts.
Mariah appeared on time. We decided to go for it. I had the swordfish. Mariah scallops (she had seen Gordon Ramsey make them and wanted to try theirs), and Corwin had a whole dungeious crab that the kitchen had dissembled and reassembled to make it more food than a dissection.
I learned to love crab in Maryland, and while the locals claim that our native crabs are a superior meal, I find them less tasty than a pile of blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay caked in Old Bay. I also love a simply fried soft-shell crab in a sandwich. So, while the locals recommend them, I recommend the local fish.
My meal was wonderful. We closed the place at 9PM. I took Air Volvo to the more direct route, Highway 18, and arrived back at the Volvo Cave with no incidents. We discovered that one road was closed (glad to see something is getting repaired) and had to drive out to a highway. This delayed us only a few minutes.
I was in bed before 1AM. I dreamed of Air Volvo on the roads and the ocean.
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 