I find myself mourning the loss of the East Wing of the White House this Friday morning as I write this blog. It is an unexpected reaction, but in all my years living in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore Corridor, I always meant to visit the White House but never managed it. I am surprised by my reaction, as I did not realize how deeply ingrained the image of the existing White House and its wings is in my identity as an American. Now that White House wing, from Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhour, and the Cold War, is gone. Not even, from what I have heard, was a window or door saved. And while I have little hope for this, maybe Trump’s structure will work.
Going deeper, like most hotelers, Trump announced a plan, said the historic building would be protected, then destroyed it and put up a new building before anyone could do anything. It is an old trick. “We have a better appliance and I have a dented one for just a bit more than this basic model?” he says, looking innocent and helpful. Yes, a form of the old bait-and-switch con.
Leaving behind my anger and disappointment (and surprised by how many of us were fooled by the con), I rose early —6ish —having slept well. I made instant coffee and made peanut butter toast from bread I keep in the freezer. I do not eat bread fast enough to finish it before the mold starts. I am time-boxed as the construction company was again meeting at the church with the demolition folks. Sort of a destruction meeting. I wrote the story of the day before, slowly recalling and assembling the day in my mind and in text, and getting it down in a few hours of work. I also drank coffee, read the news (depressing as I said above), and looked at my transactions from the days before as they loaded in Quicken.
The trip for Deborah’s Birthday is officially over, as the last bills have arrived. It was a great time and we miss each other. We do call and text often and try to start and end our days together.
I dress and all of that, and make it just at 10 to discover that Pinepoint was already there. I find them and we talk a while. Blake from Pinepoint suggests they will remove the carpets last, making the areas safer on Sunday. The placement of the trash and other tools was resolved, as Pinepoint, our church, being the Heart of Beaverton, will take the trash containers and tools back with them every night. This will prevent all sorts of issues.
Jack and I moved a table —my first furniture move since the brain surgery (it was fine) —and that gets the point across that nothing can be left in the spaces to be demo’d, as it will be trashed too. I talk to Wendy for a bit. I am her representative for the SPRC Committee (for those who don’t speak Methodist, that means her HR representative): Paperwork and things.
I head to Powell’s and find a used trade paperback of Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which is getting a special printing because it is considered the greatest detective story. The introduction is by Louise Penny, one of my favorite authors. I also spotted the first in a series of translated murder mysteries set in pre-WW2 Japan, The Honjin Murders, highly recommended by a note from Powell’s staff, also in a trade paperback. I resist my urge to get it on my Kindle and instead buy a physical copy. I suspect one of these will be on my trips to New Orleans and later to New Hampshire. I also cannot get past the Ritter candies, thinking of “Elric,” who loved them and introduced them to me. I miss you, “Elric.”
With my plunder, I met Scott at our usual Thursday lunch, McMenamins Cedar Hills. We have the “lunch box” and beers; I just have one. We talk about travel, investments, and politics. Scott and I review future plans, and Scott thinks the idea of Portugal in March is an excellent idea for Deborah’s spring break. Scott also suggested I give Miami a check if I head to Florida for a prelude to Christmas and New Year’s. I would meet him and his daughters for some dinners, and I can explore glass-bottom boats and similar activities (I don’t dive).
We had a nice lunch, and we then headed our separate ways. I went home and the travel and time change and beer caught up with me and a nap happened. Rising after an hour, I paid bills, put away some of the accumulated paper blob. And connected with Joan S. She is still facing mobility issues, and I met her at her house. Air VW flew us to BJ’s Brewhouse for appetizers, and she bought (thanks!). We chatted and got caught up. We then did some shopping, and I even bought some coffee and bananas for breakfast. Excellent.
I dropped Joan S off at her home and helped her put away her stuff and do some recycling. I returned home, plugged in the EV, which was down to 47%, and tried to read more of Agatha Christie’s Cat Among the Pigeons. Instead, I slept and woke with a terrible nightmare where I needed to escape from a bed after being hurt by the bad people, who were returning to hurt me more. I was made of lead, and it was difficult. I partially woke, got out of bed a bit, then fell back asleep and found myself still trying to escape. Now I was frightened; my dreams are good at creating something scary! I finally woke, glad I hadn’t fallen out of bed or returned to the nightmare. I had one leg out. I was still safe. I rose. Yikes!
I took my meds, I bought bread earlier, and made toast with peanut butter. I find food helps with the pills. I return to my laptop and start on my new adventure. I need to write an adventure for a Thanksgiving play in New Hampshire. I am revising a 2012 4E story to fit 5E and a one-sitting play, and at a higher level. It is one of my favorites, and I will see if we can bring it back.
It was after midnight when I closed the laptop. I managed to sleep, but I woke between dreams, all vivid, and I remember the one when I agreed to return to IT at Nike or a consulting company working for Nike; it was confusing. A new version of the college dream: learning you have a Final for a class you did not know you were supposed to be in. This was a job I did not really want and apparently had started without me knowing. Yikes!
And with that, I woke early this Friday morning.
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