Tuesday Coughing and Resting

Tuesday was a day full of coughing. I generally get a cough when I have exhausted myself, and it was a fun and busy long weekend in California and Southern Oregon. Matt V piloted Air Volvo and ran the trip; he is an excellent travel partner, and I can’t say thanks enough (thanks, Matt!). I have endless, or so it seems, proof of hydration that is stealing my rest.

I made instant steel-cut oats and nearly burned them, as they are, well, instant. I added some sugar, King Arthur Flour’s fruit, and walnut pieces. They were just wonderful for a quick-made breakfast. But all carbs and thus less wonderful for me.

I spent the day doing chores. I did five loads of laundry in The Machine. The endless drying issue went away after I took apart the lint collector and reached in and removed the piles of lint in there. This is mentioned in the direction of keeping that too clean. Done and back to running normal. Excellent!

All my sheets and clothing are clean and put away. I have some towels left to fold and put away.

I went to Safeway next, taking Air Volvo, and loaded up $240 of groceries (including much meat) into my cart, paid for them, transported them, and then put them away. That left me a bit winded with the cough announcing what a stupid idea that was.

I spent little money on premade or what is now being called overprocessed foods, being aware that I need to cut those down and reduce the portion sizes, too. This aligns with my plans to have time to make and eat better food. I am less interested in various approaches to eating. I think just making good stuff with good stuff and eating regular portions are my directions. I also plan to increase my exercise back to 10K+ steps and swimming if the workout places are not too intimidating and shaming for a 234-pound grey-haired guy. I have not heard good things about them.

To that end, I sliced up a pork loin chop and soaked it in Teriyaki sauce while I pan-fried sliced fresh Brussels sprouts and broccoli in butter (unsalted) until they started to blacken (covering them to let their steam cook them through). I removed them from the pan and cooked the pork and sauce. The pork was tough, and I will have to look into how to fix it for next time (chicken, I think, would fit this, too). I added back in the veggies and finished it with a few stirs. It was a lot of food, but I had missed dinner the night before, and I needed the veggies.

I finished A Dreadful Splender by B.R. Myers, a mix of Victorian social intrigue with murders. The story is told by a con woman making a living as a spiritualist now over her head, having to play detective and fighting to not be hanged as a thief and a fake. Overall, I thought it a great brain cookie, and the ending, while somewhat predictable, was well presented and kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read. It is recommended and likely cheap as it is getting a bit old. I believe it is also a young adult fiction. I picked it up some time ago at random and for cheap.

Dinner was with Dondrea and Z at The 649. This Tuesday night was not a trivia night, so we could sit inside and enjoy an easy dinner. Z was slightly unwilling to pick anything, but we soon, with effort, got her to agree to a non-alcoholic drink. Crystal, one of the bartenders, sampled the blueberry hibiscus mix, and Z was ready for that. Crystal dresses it up like a cocktail with fresh mint and dried orange that Z ate, too. After more lack of direction, we got Birria Tacos for Z. Dondrea, and I shared nachos and the hummus plate (that Z also dived into–she is a teenager and eats and eats now). I had a red ale, Red Zepplin, while Dondrea had a bourbon peach cider, which she said was good (but could have a stronger peach flavor). The food and friendly service always brings us back to The 649.

We chatted about my trip, and I heard about their plans. I will not repeat them here as that is their story. We plan to be in contact while they travel and share their adventures. Dondrea might even write something. Z is happy that Wednesday is the last day of school. She is ready for a break. Soon, we needed to go our ways, and we hugged, and off we went.

The rest of the night was going slow, putting away more laundry and going to bed early. I woke often, but I did feel better this Wednesday morning when I wrote this story.

Thanks for reading!