Author: alohawild

I rose around 7 and found my way around 9 to write the blog. I am out of bananas and still have not stopped at 185th Corner Market for some more. I looked at the church fireside and entranceway refresh plans. Later, I looked at Ashey’s proposed church goals. In reaction, I ordered PowerPoint from Microsoft (via App Store) and installed it for the first time on this Apple, and I can now edit and write PowerPoints again. I am not sure that alone gave me nightmares (this Thursday morning), but I was discombobulated this morning.

But Wednesday morning was spent reading emails, updating Quicken (including zeroing Air Volvo’s value from assets), getting news updates (finally, there is the hoped-for cease-fire in the Middle East), and finally focusing on the blog. I spent a few paragraphs on some musing before finishing the story on Wednesday. The blog records the events and my thinking then, and the musing is part of that.

I spoke to David Smith about Air VW the Gray and my experiences with the ID.4 so far, and he shared some of his experiences driving a rented Tesla (the Tesla 3, long-range, lease for over $469 a month). We both found learning to drive EVs a marvelous and strange experience. We both agreed that I could not have done better for the $269 monthly. My perfect credit helped, and putting down $4,000 (including the first payment) helped reduce the monthly rate. I added a ‘Charge’ account to Quicken instead of using ‘Gas & Fuel’ to break out the cost (in 2024, I paid over $2,100 in gas). I am excited to learn more about EV.

For my lovers of gas cars, I agree that EVs are not a great solution. The environmental impact of building the infrastructure is harsh, and the EV makes little sense if it is powered by coal-powered electrical plants. We need to do better. Also, lithium batteries have issues. But, I could not be happier with the entry price I got and the chance to learn more. For you piston-heads, please keep those old gas cars going and tune them up. The cost to the environment for them is mainly a sunk cost now, and I will always smile at a late-model Mustang or other old lead sled passing me in my EV.

Steve, Rev. Wolff-Lynne, Retired, texted me that he was in the area, and we agreed to meet at La Provence Orenco Station for lunch. I finished the blog and mostly published it (the email was hung until the evening when the Mail unexpectedly disconnected from its server). I traveled to Orenco Station and parked in the Retail lot. I had to put in the temporary license number for parking. I found Steve in a booth, drinking coffee. I went French, always having wine at La Provence–it seems the right thing to do, and I ordered a fine local wine for lunch with a breakfast item. Steve followed my lead and had a glass with his sandwich. Steve smiled as I told him I was on church committees again and talked about EV experiences (Steve has one) and my travels. We both rejoiced that we had found someone to share our lives with at our age. Steve and AJ are considering traveling and renting a place for a month (even Orenco) to enjoy new places (some known but could be better-known ones). This is an idea I had and had yet to execute. I found great places available for a month at a time, often for less than 1/2 the cost of hotels (or you could pay the same price and get twice the stay time–another way to think about it–often with a kitchen). It was a great chat, and we look forward to meeting again.

Air VW the Gray dropped Steve off at his vehicle with him impressed with the fine American-made car (with German engineering, of course). For those wondering, leasing does not get you the tax credit, but at least Oregon will do the registration for less, lowering the buy-in cost for the lease for me. To some degree, the $7500 Federal credit to VW explains why I got the low price. I headed home.

I would like to tell you I cleaned the house, did church paperwork, completed my 2024 paperwork, and got my office working again, but that would not be true. I took a nap. I was cold and still fighting (and winning) the cough—blankets were good. I rose and reheated some of the eggplant and sausage Italian-style bake, and Corwin stopped by. He still gets his packages delivered here, and I made him the same dinner. We chatted for a while, and then we headed out.

Air VW the Gray arrived at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton, but instead of parking at the church, I toured the library parking lot and soon located the chargers (Jack reminded me that they were there). It was another mystery as these chargers were not on my apps. Soon, I loaded yet-another-EV-app, put in my information, and connected it to ApplePay. I then used the app, heard the plug unlock, and plugged it into the EV. And soon, it was charging, but it would cost money this time. The City of Beaverton, according to the app, set the cost. I was not surprised that Beaverton found a new way to charge me. The car would charge for a few hours, it was a level 2 (level 3 being fast and often expensive), and I could leave the VW locked in the parking lot.

Andrew joined Z and me for games tonight. We played in the Fireside room, which I have the information for a plan to refresh; I looked at it a few times while playing. Andrew had not played Ostia before, and soon, he was getting this Mancala game-style movement into his head. I am enjoying Ostia more and more as I play it. It is elegant, and each turn is a puzzle to solve. There are two boards, yours is the Mancala, and then there is the travel board, where resources are invested and earned. Also, the multiple goals make the puzzle multi-dimensional. The game is an efficiency puzzle and race. In this play, Andrew had to do choir, meaning we ended early and scored. I pulled ahead, with Andrew being beaten by Z by a few points.

According to the app, Air VW the Gray was done charging for $1.74. Z and I headed out to move the vehicle. Z got Z’s first driving lesson in the library parking lot. It took a moment to find the seat adjustment lever (this is a more manual car), and soon, Z could reach the pedals. Z was shocked by how quiet and easy the VW moved but did not know what the pedals were for; more explanation next time! Z drove about twenty feet.

Z and I tried Furance for our next game. It is our go-to for a short, less brain-bending game. I recommend the base game. Z took the game by a few coins, as we ended early as the choir finished. Dondrea tried out the EV with multiple settings and was surprised at how strange it felt. We tried the Eco and regular settings. She was shocked by the sudden slowing when Eco was used to release the accelerator.

We all headed home, and soon after a shower, I was in my PJs and slept. Nightmares did not start until the morning at 6ish. Hmmm.

Thanks for reading.

I rose early, having gone to bed early to fight the cough. The runny noise continues while the cough has stopped (or been reduced). Breathing is easy, and sleep comes on fast–I nodded off watching Classic Doctor Who on Tuesday early evening. I am writing this on Wednesday morning and feel much improved.

Part of the good feelings is that the car disaster is ending. Air VW is lovely, and I am learning how to drive it and its seemingly endless options. I am surprised that I am grieving for the XC60, remembering some of my favorite trips (M@ and I traveling to California comes to mind) and some of its features (I ordered a Tardis sticker on Etsy.com).

The problem with the past is that its view is clear, and you forget the terrible things, transforming it into a paradise. For example, the TV show Happy Days recreated a version of the 1950s without racism, the draft, the Cold War, or the Korean War. We forget that “It’s a Wonderful Life” was a disaster, and without divine rescue, the story would have had the bad guy win. George Bailey would have died from the manipulation of Mr. Potter. It is so important to remember this. Thus, while I will miss the XC60, I am excited to drive into the future with the Air VW, a ‘pure grey’ 2024 ID.4 AWD Pro. Dear readers, please trust the future and turn away from the past.

Another example that comes to mind is burning carbon products (wood, coal, hydrocarbons, and other versions). Since learning to make fire, humankind has added carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. We can see in this century that winter is hotter; Michiganders talk about missing the snow and how little they see of snow now on my last trip there. It is obvious; we cannot imagine another century of just pouring CO2 into the air. And why would we want to? Pumping CO2 to be used by plants, capturing it, and other obvious strategies seem to be the direction we must go. Taxing and making carbon more expensive seems less attractive, but I understand this, too, is a strategy. Again, we can look at our Happy Days version of memory, or we can try to turn to the future.

Putting aside my musings, I wrote, texted, and even updated Quicken with transactions, and soon, I was late. I had a game with Richard and James in Portland. I enjoyed Air VW the Gray (Steve’s name for the new vehicle) in the slow end-of-rush-hour traffic. I used CarPlay, though later, Corwin got the Nav going, and it better interfaces with the screens on Air VW the Gray. Soon, Air VW the Grey arrived at Richard’s, and we continued gaming. We played the next scenario in the RPG-styled board game Mansion of Madness, Second Edition, playing one for each Tuesday morning. The game uses an app to run the scenario, eliminating the need for a ‘Keeper’ to run the game and avoiding mistakes that haunted trying to play the first edition.

I found this scenario immersive, and soon, we were fighting for our characters’ lives. We had been unlucky, and the many clues seemed to delay us more than have us reach the conclusion. James and Richard, being board gamers, wanted every clue and goodie. I was less sure. Soon, we reached the summoning location and were late unlocking the final item. Poof, we were facing an unstoppable collection of Lovecraftian monsters. We died. Richard had gone insane and killed his character on purpose. I was slain, and soon James followed was gone too. Having read many Mythos stories, I think this one seemed about right, with our losses being part of the story. We will likely try again next week.

Air VW the Gray got me home with one set of extra-legal driving, having a pair of drivers change into my lane and then exit simultaneously on the front and back. They needed waltz music! Happy to survive with the paint still gray, I reached Beaverton.

I used the Electrify America app to find a fast charging station, and soon, it was plugging in and charging to 100%. While there, another matching ID.4 pulled in. She bought hers just last week and loved the ‘pure grey.’ While waiting, I walked to Subway and got a tuna sub. In forty-five minutes, I was at 100%, costing $0. I’m not sure I understand why, but I took the free power and headed home.

When I arrived, I plugged the car into a wall socket and saw that it would not charge above 80% for a wall socket. I overrode that and was unsurprised that it would take more than two hours to get 2% back. The physics of energy storage requires more and more energy as you approach 100%. I then started laundry and published the unfinished blog (I missed that Grammarly damaged the text again and later corrected it). I checked the charging to discover that a flock of evil birds had painted a new Pollock-like work on Air VW the Gray. F**K!

Air VW the Gray took me to the local carwash, and with two tries, we removed the fresh local art. The trees have overgrown my driveway, creating an excellent place for the local birds. I need to get the garage, which currently is smaller-on-the-inside, back to its former use (parking). Yikes, I parked on the street!

But before heading home, I went to the Oregon DMV and waited forty minutes to pay $106 for a replacement title for the Volvo. I can not yet sell the wreck. I need a title. Rituals were performed, and the summoning will take two to six weeks. As I waited months to learn of its loss, I can wait for the title.

Mariah suggested dinner in Portland, and Corwin agreed. Air VW the Gray gets us through the slow-moving traffic of a Tuesday night. Again, the lane changing from the most left lane, across the lanes, to exit requiring everyone to slow down and let the driver through could be put to music, a slow waltz (maybe this by Dmitri Shostakovich). I did not know about the alternative parking at Hopworks, and we parked on the street a few blocks away. While Corwin thinks Air VW the Gray would be a target of car thieves, I was of the opinion that just trying to find how to put it in Drive would stop any would-be thief if they had some marvelous hack for the fob controlled access (I still have to stop and think how to do it now).

We chatted about travel and how Mariah was disappointed in Chicago while I enjoyed it (Mariah was there for a biz trip right after my visit). I agreed with her the food experience there was not as good as a meal in Portland. I thought the cultural items made up for it, but she feels that NYC still is the best. And while I agree with her, the housing costs in NYC are insane, and I would not likely move there. I could imagine living in Chicago, enjoying the cultural items, and ignoring the food scene and inner-city issues. But, I would have to be a snowbird as I have had enough Mid-western winters, even with the climate change. For now, I will remain in the PNW. I have no plans to move (though cheap housing in NOLA is always tempting); I love the PNW.

I have a burger, and we share some chili fries. I have a Vienna-style Lager (think of the waltzing traffic). Soon, we broke up, but we could have talked for hours. Corwin, as I said, found the NAV and made it work. It flashes lights and talks me back home. I will have to use it more often!

We also listened to one of Corwin’s Spotify songs. And while I would not expect to like all the Norse words for Odin’s many names done as a rap to be good, it was excellent. Corwin accidentally discovers we have granted his phone not just access to the sound system, but he has control of the Air VW the Gray. Oops. We get control back to my phone! I have much to learn about this VW!

I soon am home, and Corwin takes his leave. Corwin wonders aloud if he could qualify for an ID.4 could that improve his income by giving rides and delivering food? At $269 a month, that would be less than he pays for gas. I don’t know if this would pencil-out for him, but it is an interesting question. I learned from the Tesla Uber drivers that they rent their cars.

I soon head to bed and sleep. I wake about 6ish but roll over. Thanks for reading!

 

Monday is my Saturday. The weekend rush is over, and folks working are back at work. I am retired, meaning I have nothing to do but sleep in and start on laundry for the work week. I made breakfast, liberal (Fair Trade) coffee, and some maple breakfast sausages (baked). I wrote slowly and talked to Deborah at her break at work. I finished and published the blog by 10:30.

I cleaned up, coughing less, and put on a white dress shirt, blue sweater vest, and gray cotton slacks. I went with my walking shoes. I collected my information and car information in a large envelope with the checkbook. I boarded Air Ford (Escape) and headed to Volvo to pay off the work on the former Air Volvo, about $2,400 to pay that off. I arrived and was treated well by the Volvo team at service, and they decided I insisted on a personal check and took my check. On the Volvo team, Doug had purchased an ID.4 from the Volkswagen (VW) part of the dealership and wondered what happened to my appointment. I informed Doug that I was ill on Friday and was expecting an email, but I did not get one. I had a miscue and was headed to VW to untangle that.

On Monday, Torrel was on duty with my original caller off. He took me for a test drive of their white ID.4 AWD Pro (not the top-of-the-line S version). I had never driven an EV before, which was a strange experience. The slow, noiseless start and driving (no shutter or sound of any type) were at first disturbing, but soon, I was enjoying the quiet. We had the EV set for maximum conservation (go all the way), and this means the acceleration pedal (can’t call it the gas pedal) must be pressed, or the car quickly slows and stops. Yikes, this explains some driving experiences I have had behind EVs! Torrel set the vehicle to a different setting; now, it feels more like what I was used to. Interesting. The EV will be a relearning for me.

It was far better than I expected. It was smaller than Air Volvo, but it was still an SUV, and this one did not have the dreaded Sunroof that leaked and killed Air Volvo. The gate and seat adjustments were manual. On the way in, Torrel and I talked about colors, and the only color they had was ‘pure grey’; we drove through their remaining 2024 inventory, and I said I could live with the grey.

As expected, Torrel wanted to sell me today. I told him I would have lunch and decided. I did not know I had taken the key to the white ID.4 with me. Oops. The cost to me was a short (7,500-mile a year) lease for two years at $270 a month with about $4,000 down (including the first month’s payment). It was insanely cheap.

My decision was to end the car nightmare, and I sent a text to Kia canceling my appointment, moved the cash to the checking, returned to VW, and then test-drove the car I was leasing. I took the would-be Air VW on Highway 26 (it went to 75 before I knew it was going too fast) and toured Nike WHQ. Torrel had not been there before. I was testing the handling, speedbump reaction, and just getting used to driving. Torrel enjoyed the tour.

I then sat in a room while they brought me things to sign. It took two hours to complete everything. I turned down all the extra coverage, as most things were covered by the warranty. I had to get my Allstate information; I added my card to my Apple Wallet, and they then took a photo. The final price was $269.54 a month.

I thought it was a good way to test the waters of electric vehicles. A two-year lease involved little risk, and the price was too low not to jump at for such an excellent model. I could also turn in Air Ford (Escape) and save a hundred bucks! The lease mileage was low, which may be a problem, but I will see. I drive much less than I did when I worked.

Air VW has a charging cable, which I can charge slowly from a wall socket. I drove Air Ford (Escape) home, and soon, another driver delivered Air VW. I unloaded Air Ford (Escape), primarily games, and loaded Air VW. The driver is picked up, and I then drive Air Ford (Escape) back to Enterprise. There, Cyrana, the gal that rented some of my cars, takes back Air Ford (Escape), and I pay $208. I walk back and nearly get lost as it gets darker.

I take Air VW for a drive, find a weak charging station, and plug it in—I have never done this before. I have to download Shell’s app and begin charging. It will take an hour to charge to 80%. I call Deborah and talk mostly about my new experiences with the EV. I pay $0 for 4.13 kWh. I am still trying to understand all this, but I remember reading that some charge stations are free in Oregon.

I have to order a home-charge unit, which also means cleaning out the garage. Then, I have some shelves to build/install and will likely make some trips to Goodwill. This is my new focus for the next two weeks.

After sitting for twenty minutes and charging three percent, I rang off from Deborah and headed to dinner. A sushi track near home was the choice. The food was good and let me reflect on the day. I had only managed to resolve the car issue, but it needed to be resolved. With car rentals, payoffs for repairs on the dead Volvo, and lease costs, it was a lot of cash.

I headed home in Air VW but was worn out and coughing. I parked it. I went to bed early and got some rest.

Thanks for reading.

The cough worsened as the day continued, so I took the afternoon off and just cooked and watched Classic Doctor Who. I was on the last episode of The Third Doctor (1974-5). The cough got worse, but it was responding to Cough and Cold, High Blood Pressure (HBP), antihistamines, cough suppressants, and ibuprofen. This suggests that it is a remnant of asthma and allergies. I have faced this before. My best solution is to rest.

I rose early, around 7, and started writing the blog. I talked to Deborah, who had invested the weekend in working data for arranging classes and took a break to speak to me for a while. We miss seeing each other and have started counting down to Deborah’s visit in February—less than five weeks away.

While Deborah returned to crunching data, I finished and published a blog about Saturday, cleaned up, shaved, and dressed for church. I switched to grey slacks, a gray dress shirt, a Pride tie, and a blue sweater vest, my new look for church (my suits are now quite big on me). I found my black shoes, Cole Hann’s, and black socks but wore my usual wool brown hat.

Air Ford (Escape) took me to First United Methodist Church in Beaverton. About 140 years ago, the congregation started at the first Methodist Meeting House in Beaverton. The current location was a land gift of the local families, along with the park across from the church, which, at the time, was a field far from the town center. The current buildings, the second set built on the land, were assembled in the 1950s and expanded to the present arrangement for the next twenty years.

I had coffee and soon was listening and singing through the usual service. Dondrea played the cello and the base today. The choir, waiting for a slow-moving member, sang beautifully. The sermon was connected to the creation stories of the Hebrew scriptures, known as Genesis, but moved to the story of Cain’s murder of Abel. Pastor Ken focused on Cain’s claim, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Ken’s answer was “yes!” Ken claims we are not meant to be alone and focused on our selfish needs but to be in a community. When, as with Cain, we focus on just what we want and act alone, we deny community, and both lose. Ken also dwells on the creation story of Eve and points out that it is often used to degrade the position of women. He instead suggests that cooperation and community are the real focus of these stories. God’s plan, according to Ken, is for us to work together, respect each other, and build strong and lively communities.

I stayed around for a while and had coffee. I begged off of a Bible study and headed home. There, I did the dishes and soon made a mess in the kitchen. I decided to make a messy Italian-style dish but used eggplant instead of pasta. I peeled and sliced the eggplants, chopped the slices into cubes, salted the cubes, and let them sit for hours as the salt removed the bitterness. I then tried to make a sauce but got distracted and started again after dumping the burned stuff out; f**k. The remake had me setting the alarm every five minutes to stir.

I watched Classic Doctor Who while the onions, diced fresh tomato, green pepper, and garlic cooked. I then added a can of peeled tomatoes that I carefully mashed (they will spray if you are careless). I let that cook on low for an hour. I baked some sweet Italian-style sausage, cooled them, and sliced them into squares. I washed the salt off the eggplant (there was a pool of dark liquid). I then put them in a towel and squeezed them, lots of liquid, and then took the now-ready eggplant into the pan with the sausage.

I uncorked some red wine and poured a glass. I had about two.

Shredded mozzarella layers with the mix and then dabs of ricotta cheese created a familiar baked product, except there were no slices of eggplant. I roasted it for thirty minutes, and it was not cooked. Another forty-five minutes produced a better product. It was delicious.

The Classic Doctor Who has now moved to the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker’s version, which most of us older watchers would say is The Doctor. One can see Tom Baker’s zaniness starting, and soon, the show will move to its friendly structure, which will define the show until it was canceled in the next decade (and after three new actors follow as The Doctor).

I try to read after a shower and dressed in my PJs. Soon, I was nodding off. I managed to ignore the wheezing and sleep. I woke a few times but rolled over, but I rose to prove hydration.

Thanks for reading.

 

I rose too early at 6:30 and started writing the blog. I was helping with a 10-2 church alignment meeting. While writing the blog, I ordered two dozen sliced bagels with a spread from Einstein Brothers and a jug of coffee. The order came with plastic knives, paper cups, and coffee stuff. I finished a short blog, and as I was coughing so badly on Friday, I stayed home and rescheduled my car adventures.

The car adventure is Kia vs. VW ID.4 (all-electric, EV). To be frank, the Kia is a cheap-ass gasoline compact SUV, but practical, and with a lease, I can give it back after a few years. The Kia is really a retro choice. The VW ID.4 is a new electric vehicle that has been sold for a few years and is thus forward-looking. Charging on long trips will be an adventure, but it is worth it in exchange for dropping oil changes and other maintenance costs. I understand that VW has a discounted lease program (the dealership still has not sent me the promised offer). Both choices are cheap (compared to 70-100K Volvo and other high-end options) and short-term decisions. Two weeks of renting the Ford Escape is about $370. Uber trips run $12-$25 each way, with longer trips running about $100. I am not prepared (yet) to live without a car.

Aside: The Ford Escape is out of production in 2025 and thus came off my list of options.

I finished the blog, washed up, shaved, and so forth, and then dressed for the day. I went with a dress shirt and sweater vest. My pants would now barely stay on. Hmmm. I still need to lose another twenty pounds to reach a good weight, but I need to buy another set of pants, size 38. Ugh! I should also replace the shirts, which are not yet too large.

Dressed and my belt, desperate to hold up my pants, Air Ford (Escape) took me to Einstein Brothers, and there, my order was ready. I walked across the parking lot, balancing a box and bag with coffee, and loaded the goodies onto the seats. The trip to the church was uneventful, with no signs of Beaverton’s Finest not being out to hand out bills for driving too fast or using their phone. I arrived just before the rest.

With a bit of chaos from using a smaller room, we got started and soon started talking about alignment and goals. We spent most of the morning and early afternoon listening to each other. I took notes as I was there to listen and help. I shared my notes when done and enjoyed a Pud Thai for lunch (lunch was provided).

I returned home and rested and read for a while. I finished the Pud Thai for dinner and, on the way to Richard’s, picked up some French fries and a shake from McDonald’s; not great food, but something I enjoy. I was soon explaining Ostia (Richard and I played it last in 2022—Richard records all his gaming in an app). I recently covered this game, so I will briefly describe it.

The game uses a Manacala system that can be brain-bending as your turn is decided by moving boats on a port. Thus, your decisions must comply with the Manacala, and this can take you to choices that are not perfect or even make a turn incomplete. This was the first time I played Ostia with four players, and James, while coming in second, had trouble remembering that the large cubes are three, not four or five. The play is layered and more nuisance than you think, and soon, you are working out three-dimensional constraints for your turn. Simple errors are costly. Richard managed to make the Mancala work for him and soon was leading and won a crushing victory. I was busy teaching still, and I think I can be forgiven for a third-place finish. Everyone enjoyed the new game style, found it a brain-burner, and wanted another shot at it. Excelllent.

Ostia is another Kickstarter-only game by a Japanese game designer. It has the best components, and while the rules can be a bit of a trial (Richard found that the Admin action is more powerful), I like it.

I returned home and soon was showered and in my PJs. I tried to read but soon was nodding off. I was asleep before 11, I think, and woke only before my alarm on Sunday at 7. Thanks for reading