I rose around 7 and found the kitchen. It had not moved, and I made coffee. It was still dark. I turned on the lights to be safe and see. I had my robe and slippers on. It was still cool, 66°F, and I must protect my feet, as they are partially numb from diabetes and/or chemo. A cut might go unnoticed. Discipline is important. And to that end, I took my meds before I had any coffee, another rule. One set before coffee, and one set after I put on my PJs.
I then did my usual processes, another discipline, and updated Quicken and checked the status of my money and debts. I read my accumulation of emails, mostly deleting about 100 emails (smirking at the phishing ones), and dipped my mind into the NYT and tried not to become depressed by the latest shenanigans of the President. My bleeding liberal heart is hoping for lots of blue on Tuesday, but we have been surprised and disappointed so many times that I try not to hope.
More discipline. I sent Deborah a good morning as I started my day. We miss each other and have to wait until December to see each other. I am headed to Brazil for a church mission trip as an alternative to Thanksgiving. I try to start and end our days together.
And then, again, a discipline, now more a habit, I started another daily blog and began to reassemble my previous day in my mind and words in WordPress, with Grammarly flagging mistakes and then trying to push AI simplifications that steal your voice but do make the text brief. I resist. And enjoy the process.
It is always fascinating to me, as my mind sticks and squeaks like it needs oil as I try to remember yesterday’s details. Slowly at first, images reappear in starts and stops, and then a flow begins. But there can be pieces missing, and often I will remember something later and return to the early text and insert the lost moment.
I wrote the blog and looked outside my office window. A bird strike surprised me: a loud thump and a small cloud of downy feathers, and I walked outside in my robe; the recently washed outdoors, it had rained all night. No bird was stunned or killed, but a new hole in the window screen and some downy feathers showed where it hit. The house has been here since the late 1970s, but birds still strike the windows. I have another screen to repair. Hmmm.
I finished the blog, my coffee (about three cups), a banana, and a yogurt. I published it (meaning I clicked the publish button, added the link to a Facebook post, and sent an email with the link). Soon after, I showered, applied various creams for skin issues, and all that. Next, I grabbed my almost finished American Civil War (ACW) book, The Demon of Unrest, and headed out.
I met Wendy, Jack, Dondrea, and Ken for a meeting with a new church that is considering renting our church for a Saturday worship. We discovered that the folks we met had worked with Ken before; both were surprised, and the meeting shifted tenor from a meet-and-greet to a how-to-make-this-work. Excellent.
After that, I headed to Shake Shack and had another caloric disaster of a bacon and avocado burger (single) with fries and a Diet Coke. I read and finished the book. It’s always sad to finish a story, and I really want Erik Larson to write a second volume of the first year of the ACW, because his footnotes and storytelling bring everything to life and are based on traceable records. His last chapter hints at the war and its consequences.
The day was escaping me, and I returned home to rest for a few moments. Lunch did not settle well, but it was sooooo goooood. I discovered that Emma and Mariah were headed to trivia again at Lay Days in Beaverton, and I agreed to join them.
Again, time flies, and I headed to Beaverton Old Town, only to arrive too early. I thought it started at 6, but no, at 7. But I could use a walk, and I enjoy the local area and looking at restaurants. I found new places to try, including a wine bar with a local Tempranillo on their glass list. London, the bartender, was friendly, and we talked about their favorites.
There is also an LL (Loyal Legend) bar in Beaverton with German-style food. But there was also a heavy downpour, and soon my coat was soaked and my shoes damp. I headed to Lay Days, got a table for three for trivia, an Old Fashioned, and waited.
Emma and Mariah appeared, and soon we were busy coming in sixth in trivia. I partook of their pizza orders. Detroit-style square pizza with heavy crust. Delicious, I thought. We had a good time visiting, closed Lazy Days, and headed out.
At home, I was cold and shivered in bed for about an hour. I must have let my core temperature drop; something I have to watch (a family trait not made better by chemo). I then slept. I woke later, dressed for bed, and took my pills. My legs were stiff, and I was tired from shaking. But I was better. I slept the night away and woke late.
