I still wake at 4ish and fall back to sleep, and I wake after 8 when I finally rose. I let the house slide to 66F (19C) at night, and with it being freezing, 25F (-4C), the house floor was cold. I did not put the little vent covers on this year, and thus, the house was cold.
I was out of sorts and wrote slowly, having trouble finding the enthusiasm I usually have for the task. Dear reader, I enjoy the task (usually) of recalling the previous day and trying to produce 500-2000 words describing my experience for a day (often on the following morning). I want to remember every day and share it. But, on Wednesday morning, I was not enjoying it. It is a new thing, depression-like moments. Something that has appeared since the brain surgery and my wife’s, Susie, passing. I did not realize until writing this blog (on Thursday morning) that I was looking for someone all day, Susie, and the grief was sliding in and crushing me as I remembered her passing (13th of October, a Friday, 2023). It is not really depression but grief that froze my mind and actions on Wednesday.
I spent much time yesterday just talking to Deborah, which was lovely. We talked about simple things and later about hotels and Portland for Deborah’s visit in February. We talked for hours and in multiple sessions, which made the darkness fade. I was finally better by the afternoon, though tears did come a few times as grief surfaced again. I am confident that finding all the items in the garage helped trip the depression/grief. But I have recovered and will watch for it.
I made the last of the Costco pizza, which had too much basil (for me). I managed to eat a few slices and then tossed the rest. I promised myself I would make something I would like for dinner. I took a shower and soon was dressed in a T-shirt and slacks. I took Air VW the Gray to SurplusGizmo and learned that they accept donations on Saturday and that the printer is not wanted. Mike decided he could check out what I had and saw I had a speaker kit (another expensive kit I will never get to) and a flying RC shark that excited him. They took that and the speaker kit and will get some helium for the shark.
The shark thing was a gift from Linda, and I called her. I never got the helium; I never built it. She and I thought it was the perfect ending for the kit to be flown around in SurplusGizmo. I have more goodies for them that I will bring on Saturday.
I traveled to SBC Recycle, which took me a while to find again, and paid them $5 to take the printer. They have flat charges for items. I learned that they do pick-up and that they take furniture and mattresses. They will take the chairs I have for free. I will drop them off on Thursday. Glenda found this place on her last visit.
Next, while a 60% charge is reasonable for an EV with a 275-mile 100% range, I am still not used to this, and it is hard not to have range anxiety as a new EV driver. M@ has a Tesla, and their charge time is only 15 minutes at their superchargers, but I am a VW and have only lesser options that take an hour or more for a full charge. The installation of an EV station at the house has made no progress, as EV Charge PDX has not returned my call. Hmmm.
On my app, I see a fast (well, sort of) station for Electrify America at Fred Meyer (owned by Krogers now) near Nike WHQ. I did not look at the time; the kiddy-jam was in force (all the local school buses and kids hit the pavement at 3ish). I had to backtrack to avoid some of the mess and soon reached my target. I had my Apple and expected a coffee, a treat, and to do some writing or reading. It takes me a moment to park and connect as this is still new to me (and strangely, only gas is full service in Oregon- EV is all DIY). I get more walking now that I have an EV, a strange benefit, as I often park where the chargers are and then have to walk across a parking lot to someplace like a Target, Fred Meyer, or Subway. I imagine doing this in a snowstorm or worse would really suck. I talked to Deborah for part of the charging. I was surprised that the muffin shop closed at 2, that the Fred Meyer did not have a Starbucks inside, and that the Starbucks in the furthest part of the parking lot was closed for some private event. F**k. No coffee or a place to sit. Back to the EV.
I learned, I am sure they told me, that I have 500kW free with Electrify America, and the 40% charge top-off (I slipped to 59% in the travels) was forty-five minutes. Physics says that the last 20% takes as much juice as the first 80% for capacitors, and I believe that this is true to some degree for EVs. Thus, an 80% charge (like gas, you don’t want to drive around looking for a charge near zero) would likely not be 2x that time and cost. The charge cost was almost $15, but my plan covered it; it was free by a discount of the amount (thus, I know the price).
I find the EV an exciting adventure and a chance to learn and understand EV better. I never planned to do this. With the unexpected demise of the Volvo, and while I considered going carless and getting a bike, I decided that I was not ready for that physically (balance issues from the brain tumor) and emotionally (I like the freedom). The VW is cheap ($270 monthly after $4000 down) and seems a lightweight entrance to an EV.
With 100% charge, I reached home with 98% left. I was coughing again, and my nose was running. I had a small 1/2 dose of Benadryl, which helped, but it made me sleepy. I did the dishes and more laundry with The Machine, which worked perfectly on the Permanent Press setting. Dinner was sweat Italian-style sausage with fettucini pasta and sauce from a jar. I defrosted the sausage (I had frozen it) from Trader Joe’s, baked them until cooked, let them cool, sliced them into coins while still warm, and browned them in a metal frying pan (not non-stick). I then deglazed the brown bits with some wine, poured the jar sauce that I had cooked for forty minutes on low heat in the frying pan, and let that settle for fifteen minutes or more while I finished the pasta boiled in salted water. I did not add the salty water to the sauce as I was afraid it would add too much salt, as is my usual process.
I watched the Classic Doctor Who, Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, while eating dinner in a bowl in my comfy chair in the living room. It was delicious, so I had a few bowls. I nodded off, likely the food and Benadryl; I had no wine. I return to the kitchen, which looks like the remains of an exploded Italian restaurant, and do the dishes. I am in bed at about 10ish and read for a while, try a new physical book (my eyes blur a bit with text now), and enjoy
I sleep before 11. I am cold and uncomfortable and wake up often. I finally sleep until 4 and rise at 5 feeling rested. The cough was much reduced now.
Thanks for reading!
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 