Author: alohawild

Monday was another gray Pacific Northwest day, more usual for April. There was little or no rain on Monday, a disappointment as our outdoors appears magical, glittering with some water in the gray light. I rose later, past 8. Monday is my Saturday. I have no plans, and everyone is back to work. I do laundry, bills, and other chores on Monday.

I wrote the blog, which took much of the morning. Deborah and I chatted by text and on the phone all through the day. Deborah is back to work. It was beyond 11 when I finished the blog, showered, shaved, dressed, and all that. I got cards in the mail in time for the mail person to get them. My mail was mostly junk on Monday. I boarded Air VW the Gray and took it to the nearby MAX station, boarded the Portland train, and read my Canadian-based crime/mystery book on my Kindle.

The train reached Pioneer Square in Portland without issue, and then we stopped. A train was broken before us, and it would be fifteen minutes or more to wait. I decided to walk. I walk the green/orange line and wonder why I never take this train. But I walked and soon found a place still serving lunch or breakfast with their specialty being grits: Mumbo Gumbo PDX. I got a seat at the dinner’s bar and noticed the place full of New Orleans Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee cans; I liked it immediately. I got coffee and their small breakfast with buttered grits. This is two eggs, ham, toast, and grits. Perfect. I had toast with peanut butter and coffee for breakfast; lunch could be light.

The food was excellent, and I promised I would return. I paid the bill (with a big tip), which was still no more than $20. Just off the Oak stop on the Green/Orange MAX line.

I enjoyed the walk to the Chinese-style garden and soon walked through it for a few hours. I passed on the tour and just walked through the place alone. Monday was quiet, and there were only about ten visitors at any time.

I also found someone collecting the flat and smooth stones that broke loose and cementing them back into the walkways. Again, this is a good thing for a quiet Monday. I was told that the garden needs some updates and repairs. After that discussion, I noticed the paths that needed work and saw that rocks collect just off the paths. You just get them and put them back with a bit of cement. Interesting!

I learned from Quinton, our tea server, that glass tea service is unavailable in the garden (I usually have it inside). People walk in the garden barefoot, and breaking glass on the path must be avoided. I did not know and was tempted to take off my shoes. Next time, when it is warmer! Instead, Quinton walks the tea refills to us, never risking dropping the glass pot. I also learned that wine is not served in the garden as, to everyone’s surprise, it stains the rocks.

I had a moon cake with my tea (way too much sugar and carbs for me) and just enjoyed the peace in the garden by the little lake. I read my book, sipped tea, and munched on the cake. My number was 42, and I thought it a good choice.

Thanking Quinton, the guides, and other staff, I headed back, walked to the MAX, remembered I wanted to play some pinball and old video games, and headed to Ground Kontrol. I did not know they closed some of the buildings on some days until the evening, restricting what I could play. But still, I could get a few games in. I enjoyed the new Jaws version pinball with scenes playing from the first movie while you play. I did hit the shark a few times. Old school Asteroids, Galaga, and a new version of Asteroids ate more into my card. No quarters or tokens now, A card taps to pay for a game. I was not as terrible as last time. More investment is necessary.

Deciding it would be good to head home, I waited for an Orange/Green MAX train, this time to Pioneer Square. I am feeling off from the tea and moon cake. I stopped at the food carts at ordered a small cheese stake from The Block. It was a lot of food, and I ate it while watching the folks. One guy searched through the trash and retrieved the cans (worth ten cents in Oregon). And while there may be better ones, the sandwich and cheese melted into the shaved steak were excellent. It was the best I had had.

Two excellent meals and new places made for a most amazing day in Portland! Then I boarded a Blue MAX back to Beaverton/Hillsboro, read on the train, and soon took the EV home.

At the house, I saw a squirrel out exploring the backyard. I watched as he/she dug up his/her supply of filberts that he/she had hidden in the lawn. The nuts are hard to open, and I have noticed that they plant them, sprout them, and enjoy them now, aged, split open, and likely tasty, like bean sprouts for us.

The rest of the night, I finished the laundry, put it away, and read my book.

Thanks for reading and sorry for being so late.

 

I usually rise at 7 with time to write this blog, but Sunday I woke at 4 and then 5, knew sleep was not returning, and rose to enjoy my day. I turned on the coffee I had assembled the night before and soon had toast with peanut butter and a banana with coffee to start my day. I wrote the blog, but as it was Sunday morning, Deborah called, and we chatted away much of the morning. I completed the blog and got to church at the last minute.

It was a cool, overcast morning, and nobody really wanted to get started. Dondrea mentioned at the start of church that the skies felt like a blanket and a reason to stay in bed and pull up your own covers. It was the Sunday after Easter, always poorly attended, and the choir and staff nearly outnumbered the rest of us!

The music was good, and I did the usher duty for the collection. I did not stand in the back as I was distracted and not focusing much on the church. Again, waking so early damaged my attention span. Pastor Ken gave the sermon and seemed to struggle with the lectionary text. These texts are Bible verses that are supplied for pastors every week. Today was hinting towards the rise of the Holy Spirit and the arrest of the apostles as recorded in The Acts. Ken said the officials, like many we see, took the expedient solution, repression, rather than the more risky choice of tolerance. But the officials are under the thumb of the very scary Roman Empire, which wants only order, trade, and most importantly, extracting cash. While often called taxes, I would characterize these payments more like protection money from an intolerant, violent group, Roman officials far from any oversight or appeal: Pay or face annihilation. Ken’s love of history came through, and he covered his realization that we, as the dominant authority (well off and Christian), must not repeat this mistake. It would be easy to let fear, expedience, and not love (or Justice or Compassion), drive our decisions.

I received a call from Mom Wild just before church (which is why I was almost late). She was lonely and needed someone to talk to. She wanted me to visit, but I won’t be there until July and only for a few days. She called again later and repeated the same request. Mom Wild is struggling in her new facility and also with memory issues.

Corwin met me in the street; he was walking over. We took the Air VW the Gray to Portland in slow-moving traffic. This is not usual on a Sunday. The usual forty minutes were an hour with Beaverton and Portland roads and highways stuffed with cars. I may start using the MAX and meeting near MAX locations for lunch.

We did find some parking off Hawthorn and soon met Mariah at Grassa on Hawthorn for a late lunch or early dinner. I have wanted to try their food for years. I had the baked pork ‘Sunday Ragu’ with freshly made rigatoni. They use more salt than I do, but it was excellent. We had some garlic bread with it (a separate charge) and resisted another $10 for a salad. The wine was good. Mariah and Corwin thought theirs were good (Corwin picked sausage and vodka sauce).

We chatted during lunch, and then we headed back. Traffic outbound was light. Corwin was soon on his way, and I took a nap. The lack of sleep, wine, food, and driving prepared me to sleep. A few hours later, I woke up more refreshed. Deborah and I texted and chatted a few more times now that I was awake. I wished Deborah a good night as she started to fall asleep. We often begin and end our days together by text or a call.

A new Doctor Who episode dropped, and I watched it with reheated pork roast and potatoes. I added baked beans to add some more flavor. I roasted the pork in the oven to get it warm. Using faster methods would have dried it out. The food was great, and the Doctor Who episode returned to a scary one full of jump scares. No spoilers. It was frightening, and I thought it was well done. It has been a while since they did one like this.

I debated and decided at the last minute for a late movie on a Sunday night. It was nearly empty when I was in the theater, as the previews were still showing. There is no reason to be early for the movies now with assigned seats and twenty minutes or more of ads and previews. Another woman was there a few rows back, and I apologized for invading her private viewing. She was gracious, and we laughed.

The Account 2 was an excellent assassin movie, and I have noticed that this theme is appearing often in action movies now. This film did not include Anna Kendrick, but many others did return and the movie picks up years later. The movie, like the first focus on The Accountant and now includes his brother and builds slow. The computer hacker scenes I loved. I enjoyed it and, with the warning this is a voilent movie with assassins, recommend it. Kathleen had told me on Saturday she liked it.

I was not home until about 11. I went to bed, read, and was hit by my Kindle when I fell asleep. I turned off the light, asked Alexa to put on music to sleep by and was soon deeply asleep.

I dreamed that my uncle visiting me here in Oregon. I have never dreamed of him before. He was his usual condisending self. I woke once to prove hydration and went back to sleep.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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I watched a little of the funeral for the late Pope Francis. I remember seeing on TV the old movie The Shoes of the Fisherman when I was a child, and learning that there is a pope and an election. The more recent Conclave is a fun set of twists and turns, more like a Cold War spy movie (George Smiley as a cardinal). Dan Brown gets credit, too, for this movie, Angels & Demons. And the Godfather III movie includes papal intrigue. There is also a comedy in which an unknown was selected by accident, The Pope Must Diet. And lastly, The Road to Gandolfo is a comedy spy book that includes kidnapping a pope by the thriller writer Robert Ludlum (originally published under another name as it was too zany for his usual audience)–I enjoyed it years ago.

The point is that I experience the papacy and its election through books and movies. It seems unreal to me, obviously, I am not Catholic. However, one of the items on my list is the “Dan Brown Tour of Rome.”

I will miss Francis’s attempt to merge kindness and discipline. It seemed more of a personal struggle for Francis, who then extended it to the Catholic Church. I wish the conclave well and am betting on Cardinal Parolin, an Italian. He would continue Francis’s work as he is the head diplomat of the Holy See and an insider.

I rose late on Saturday, after 7:30, and the sun again appeared. I had turned off the heat and AC as we are now in the in-between times in Oregon. The house was just getting cold. It was another bright and sunny day in Oregon, which seemed more like California than April in the Pacific Northwest.

I started on the blog, rejoiced that coffee awaited me (I assembled it the night before and set the timer), and started on the blog in the office. My morning started with a text from Deborah, and we also talked for a while. I wrote fast, but at 9ish I showered and all that to make my show.

Today, Le Nozze Di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) was shown locally in theaters at 10. The Met in NYC broadcasts and records the matinee show for some of its operas. Today, the Met used a spinning stage but revised the story to a 1930s look with suits, dresses, and even hairstyles, but no smoking. It was my first time seeing this Mozart opera. Though I thought it dragged a bit in the second half, it was fun, lovely music, and an enjoyable 4.5 hours.

The sound was troubled, the broadcast started too quiet, and it was not in sync for much of the show. I read the words often, so I did not see that problem. There were some dropped frames here and there. They gave rain checks to the audience. Still, I enjoyed the Opera and will try to make some more. I got a small bag of popcorn for the second half.

I was at loose ends for a few hours. I thought about heading to Portland for lunch, but instead found the Cedar Hills McMenamins and got a seat at the bar not far from the open door. My sweater vest worked as the desert wind was cold while the sun was hot. We often get cold winds from the high deserts; in the winter, it can be 20°F winds on a 30-40°F day. It will kill any tender plants. Thus, smarter gardeners plant those near the house and out of the wind.

I had a beer with fish and chips. While I sat at the bar, eating, I wrote the rest of the blog. I use my iPhone’s HotSpot for the Internet, never trusting the local connections.

I was late for lunch, about 2ish, and ordered dessert and coffee. The lemon cake was OK, but the berries with it were a mess. I thought we did better in Detroit at the cooking class. It was not as lovely, as often happens, as the picture.

I boarded Air VW the Gray and dared the Sunset Highway (26) on a sunny, warm Saturday. It was slow, but there were no accidents or construction, and I was surprised to quickly arrive at Guardian Games in SE Portland. There, I looked at the games and other role-playing game (RPG) items. I found a cheap ($23) stapled book adventure for the SciFi Horror RPG, Nietzsche’s Demon.

It was still early, and I was still at loose ends. I took the VF to Cargo’s parking. I saw that the Hair of the Dog bar, which once shared the parking, was defunct. The establishment was a favorite that did not come back strong after the pandemic and appears to be finally gone. Before the plague, their beer and food were proud and well executed. I remember the Chuck Norris Duck Wings were spicy–they had a kick. I had forgotten my hat there, and a week later, I found they were holding it for me; the bar will be missed!

When they reopened, the food was awful, and the beer was expensive. They did not last long. On Saturday, I walked by the For Rent sign, and a guy was sitting at the table drinking and looking unhappy. I almost stopped, but I decided I wanted to remember the place as I remembered it.

Instead, I entered Cargo. This store is a mix of imports, antiques, and miscellaneous paper items. I found some cards and breath mints in an Ouija-style. However, resisted some of the cool wall hangings and their new travel book section.

Next door is Malpractice, a high-end cocktail bar. I met the owner, Rick, and he had no recommendations. I picked something from their online menu: a boozy and interesting mixed beeswax and bourbon drink with hints of peach. A bit of mint was placed on a clip on the super-thin, tiny glass bowl-like martini glass. I would breathe in mint as I sipped, not mix it into the drink. It was a perfect fit. While not cheap, the drink was good, and I would like to try others. There is light food to go with the drinks. I will be back!

After giving out my cards, I headed back to the EV and traveled to Richard’s place. Soon, we were repeating the same board game as last time: Stupor Mundi, a deck-building and resource management game. I watched Richard have perfect combinations and score 50% higher than the next person. Yikes!

The game appears more like a race to get the perfect combination than an efficiency game. I struggled with my setup, and Kathleen said it was difficult when she played it. Each player has special superpowers and can acquire more. Blue, the side I was playing, was weak. I managed to just stay in third place with some misplays at the start as I had some trouble reading some cards and process. I was more careful for the rest of the game and watched Kathleen struggle a few times. It was not just me.

While I will play it, Stupor Mundi will not be in my collection. Victory is based on knowing what combinations to grab that complement your color’s special abilities. You then efficiently use your unstoppable advantage to win. Not that interesting to me, but my complaints may be unfair. I have played the game twice and still have not gotten it into my head. After the game, we talked politics, and I got home safe late in the VW. I had trouble sleeping and woke before sunrise at 5:30. I did turn the heat on as it was cold tonight (30s).

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

The forecast was wrong, but usually, predicting overcast conditions in Oregon in April is riskless. This year’s rains are reported to be 105% of expected amounts. A little sun is OK. It was like a day in Northern California, cool but sunny.

I rose after 7 and found my pot of joy waiting for me. I assembled the coffee the night before and set the new coffee machine to summon the elixir of liberal bitterness. Fair Trade coffee ensures my cup helps and does not hurt the world. The dark and bitter taste reminds me of how much more needs to be done, but Hope is in the cup, and I know that eventually, the world will remember Justince with Compassion and the Love of Community. I hope that each sip gets us close.

I did the usual things: reading the news (doom scrolling for us liberals) and updating Quicken. I looked at my investments, and with the wild ups and downs from Trump proclaiming and then reversing tariffs, plus his threats to assume control of the Federal Reserve and then reversing that, too, I was surprised to be so far ahead. I had sold my 401K to cash to move my holdings to an IRA. This happened just before the chaos, meaning I sold out high and bought back in low, though I am still heavy in cash. The stock that I hold (i.e., not in the IRA) has tanked 8%, but I feel lucky it was only that bad.

I wrote the blog, texted, and talked to Deborah. It is wonderful to wake up to a text from her and, often, a call. Later, on Friday, I wished Deborah a good night as her day had ended first. She resides in the Eastern Time Zone.

The blog was not finished until the afternoon, but I had no plans for Friday. Mom Wild surprised me with a call, and I texted my sister with her request. While I try to help, distance makes things complex. I started the laundry. Friday and Monday are my usual laundry days, the once work-from-home days when we first returned to work from the lockdown at the shoe company. I stripped the bed, put out the other sheets, and later put them on just before getting in bed. Lunch was me finishing the reheated pasta and meatballs I made a few days ago.

I watched ShipHappens, Battleship New Jersey, and Drachinifel on YouTube. Drachinifel had translated a document describing Henry VIII’s navy and created tables of the main ships’ armament, ammo, and stores. I expect a new book soon.

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I then decided I wanted to try out the Age of Steam board game–an 18xx train-style board game, packed it in the Air VW the Gray, and headed to Wildwood. JR was there, and we chatted for a while. Then, I grabbed a beer and a table and spent the next two hours playing two partial games for three players. I have played a game like this at Richard’s, but the map was different, and there were no goals that were not in this 18xx train game. This is officially, if you are into 18xx games, 1875 Age of Steam, Deluxe. I misplayed and underpaid the players and knocked one of my test players out of the second round. Wrong! I then overpaid in the next play, but that at least let me try out many of the game’s features. Unlike other 18xx games that can go on all day, this one ends in under two hours. Also, the bank and the players running out of money are not a game-ending trigger. I liked this game as it was about building and running your railroad, and that is all you score for (and stock offerings reduce your score).

With the game set in my head, I paid my bill for two beers and headed back home in the EV. The sun was setting, and I watched in the backyard in its light for a while. The hummingbirds were in and out of the pine trees and redwoods. Bugs would whirl in the short-lived flight of early spring, with many living for only days. Larger bugs would perform figure eight flights, raising and falling more than ten feet. Bees were all over the few flowers on the apple tree, rhododendron, and mountain ash. A few small white moths or butterflies flew here and there. No larger predators-like insects or butterflies, were yet out. The bugs I witnessed are harbingers of summer and often fall to frosts or rains.

I took out the pork roast from the frig and despite the two hour cooking time, started roasting it. I also boiled potatoes and made a salad. I cleaned and did laundry while it cooked. I also connected with Deborah on the phone before she slept and ended her day together. Dinner was more assembly and following a process than chef work. I made four servings of pork and admit I had two. It was delicious.

Lettuce was frozen in frig. I managed to salvage enough for a salad. I had lots of olives, so I added them.

Aside: Getting frozen items on the frig is a bad sign; I remember Dad telling me that. This is an older frig and when they start to freeze in the frig part it means the cooling stuff is failing and it is over rev-ing to get the freezer cold. I tried to turn things down a bit, but I suspect it is doomed–but the frig is more than twenty years old and was rebuilt once under warenty–I got my value out of it. I will take measurements for the space (it is smallish) and look for a replacement. I will, based on Deborah’s suggestion, also clean it up.

I binge-watched the first three episodes of Andor, which is now in season 2. I am not sure if I think it’s better than season 1, but it is busy tying together some leftovers from season 1. It is dark and harsh. There was some irony and even a funny moment. Though I did not like it as much, I could not stop watching. So, I recommend it with reservations that I cannot specify.

After that, I did the dishes for dinner and headed to bed. Sleep was hard to find as I was warm (the heat and AC are off), and then I woke twice for proof of hydration and one bad dream. I dreamed I was choking to wake to an asthma attack. I got it under control with my inhaler. My throat is sore today. Yes, Spring is full of pollen, and I opened the windows earlier. Hmmm.

Thanks for reading!

I still feel that I need to do something every day and make the day mean something. A friend asked me, with concern, “Can’t you take a day off or read a book?” Maybe on a beach in some distant land, but I feel like every day filled with things to do and learn is a gift. Perhaps I will slow down and relax someday (maybe reading on a distant beach or sitting in a chair, sipping a drink on the porch in New Orleans), but now I think there is much to do. Thank you for asking!

My father, Bob, rose every morning to see the sunrise. “There are only so many left,” he told me. All these new things and some familiar ones make my day feel fulfilled. Someday, they will stop, and someday I will be slowed by age and proud to just watch a show, eat something, and remember the days when I wrote this blog. Thank you for reading!

On other challenges, Grammarly continues to rewrite my writing with correct but differently meaning sentences that, while grammatically correct, are inconsistent with my sentence’s original thought and words. I have to rewrite more than before; it is too easy to update by clicking the new incorrect version. Yikes! It is at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence (AI) and reassures me that we are much further from the singularity than some writers think.

Thursday started with me rising after 7. It was a warm, sunny day, and I had rolled over a few times to resist the bright sun trying to reach my vampire moment. I welcomed the morning, shaking off undead thoughts of pulling up the covers and hiding from the sun. The coffee was waiting for me, liberal fair-traded, and soon I had a cup, breakfast of toast with peanut butter and banana, and walked to the office to start my electronic AI-enhanced life. Grammarly revised my words to be more correct (and often less clear). My transactions were pattern-matched by an AI model I helped to create in Quicken (and likely my work was lifted and shared internally to make their product better), my searches all AI (now SwissCow and not Google, thank you), and Alexa answering my questions about the weather. Yes, an AI-filled morning. I did have to override Quicken twice, Alexa was confused a few times, and let’s not even talk about Grammarly. I think we are still safe.

Aside: I imagine a Terminator loaded with this technology, and our hero, Howard, using a double negative to defeat the AI running the SciFi death machine. Or maybe a few quotes from Monty Python. “Now that is done, maybe a stop to get a taco in Portland,” would be his reaction to the pile of destroyed silver-colored tech.

Feeling more like myself and finding my groove, I wrote 1900 words, and I did not feel exhausted when I finally finished at nearly 11. I took breaks for food, walking in the grass in the warm sun, and other needs. It was a nice morning.

I quickly showered and all that and then boarded Air VW the Gray to travel across Beaverton to Cedar Hills McMenamins. I met Scott for lunch at 11:45, and we talked about investments, AI, travel, and a few other topics. This is our weekly meeting, and we enjoyed a burger (Scott’s non-meat and with a salad, and mine with meat, bacon, blue cheese, and fried). Scott has found some interesting Europe-based mining companies he bought at the Trump-dip with a good dividend. I noticed my US Bank Wealth Management group investing me in load funds, but using institutional versions that are not available to the individual investor, are low-expense, no-load, and high-yield. Interesting.

After that, I took the EV home and napped for a bit. My usual response to beer and lunch.

I remembered to put out the trash and other containers. I don’t know if this is recycling or lawn waste week, but I put it all out. I carried the collected cardboard, cans, and bags to the recycling, uncluttering the house. I also fold and put away the laundry. The house looks more ordered now. We all know it is an illusion; American homes junk-a-fy without effort.

Yesterday, I made milk bread, white bread with milk powder, using the bread machine with some milk powder. It is a softer loaf, and the powder resists bread mold. I made toast from it. I tossed the wheat bread as it was getting old. I had that for breakfast today.

I discovered rust on the roses, and it was worse now. Looking on the web, I then took my cutters and alcohol and cut away the rust-poisoned canes, about half of the rose bush’s growth for the Spring. I cleaned the cutters often and between plants and washed my hands. The rust-poisoned canes were put in the trash. Next, I popped over to Ace and looked for sprays.

Some had warnings that would not have me use them as paint, let alone as rose sprays! Do not use near food, pets, children, or areas in use. Do not use on seed plants. Do not use unless appropriately dressed. Yikes! I then saw neem oil and went for that. It is not a super deadly chemical, not likely to cause the next zombie invasion or an Audrey 2, and it works by drowning the rust. Spray it on in a well-shaken bottle once a week. There! Done! Fits my usual lawn care thoughts, which is not to use harsh items in care for my lawn (dig out a weed, don’t spray it).

With the roses less rusty and missing some buds, sadly, I think that might help. I will monitor, spray, and clip as needed. It’s the first time I have faced rust that I remember. It is on two older-style roses (the old school tea rose that came with the house and is likely older than me, and the bourbon rose) with no sign elsewhere.

With the roses done, I return to a board game from GameFound that I have ignored, Age of Steam, Deluxe Edition. I reread the rules, and have played a game like this at Richard’s that I think is a version of the same system, 18xx, but revised closer to a Euro and worker placement. Many operations loved in a more train/market 18xx are abstracted now. I could play it on a Wednesday (many 18xx games have unlimited duration).

I punch it and discover that the replacement tracks are transparent, but all 114 are covered with a transparent film. I start to remove it. I will do this over time, as this is a tedious task and takes time for each piece.

Next, I meet Dondrea and Z for dinner at Nonna Emilia Ristorante Italiano, an old-school American-Italian place with even the plastic grapes stapled to the walls. I get a planter for my birthday from them that we get in Air VW the Gray with some effort.

Dinner was good. Dondrea and Z split a plate of clams and pasta. I had sausage with grilled onions and peppers and a side of spaghetti with meat sauce. It has been months since we have had dinner, and it feels good to just relax and let someone bring us food while we chat.

With the happiness of good company, food, and drinks, we went out separate ways. I returned home in the EV, and put the planter out. Looks good.

I spent the rest of the night reading more about the board game. I went to bed about 10:30, but some chocolate I had enjoyed made sleep hard to find. The house was 71F, and blankets were unwelcome. Eventually, sleep found me.

Thanks for reading!