Author: alohawild

Saturday started with my being woken by my alarm. I had risen a few times to prove hydration, and it still felt like the middle of the night. I could have slept until late in the local morning! I had one coffee pod left for the Keurig. The coffee purports to be liberal and Fair Trade and is called Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. According to the Internet, its flavor was designed by Keven Costner, and the company has been double-certified organic and fair trade. Yes, I have been drinking liberal coffee all the time here at the Holiday Inn Suites.

With the first cup of liberal coffee, dreaming of universal health care, I started writing the blog and spent the next couple of hours on the blog. I soon cleaned up, dressed, took my laptop to the lobby, had breakfast, and continued writing. A different staff I did not meet today ran the complimentary buffet breakfast–mostly industrial food. However, one staff member was getting some food and coffee while other staff and managers were suggesting they get to work. I smiled and nodded.

A gentleman, younger than me but with gray hair, lectured me (I believe the term is ‘mansplained’) on conservative politics and why he was right, and I was obviously wrong. He was sure that COVID-19 was made in a lab in China (science officially has no answer, but I was told to ‘stay in my lane’ and that there was no way that the virus was from natural processes–he read the reports–the same one I have read that clearly says we still don’t know) and knows that Joe Biden is mentally gone, knows that all the spending was Joe’s fault and that nothing good happened for the last four years than wasting money, and could not explain to me why lifting the debt ceiling was good (it did not happen) and why Trump wants to spend more money beyond the ceiling. He is sure it is a left-wing plot, and it must be stopped. Removing the debt ceiling will allow a balanced budget and reduce spending–somewhat nonsensical to my moderate financial and political stance–was the right thing to do. I was polite, and he tried to argue that gender-affirming help was child abuse, which got me to tell him to stop; I was not going to argue out of my opposing view, which got some respect from him. I also told him I believed he was using logic and that he firmly believed what he said, but I also believed other views as strongly. We shook hands, and he soon left, and I saw him head out of the hotel, flying back to Florida.

I went back to writing and soon completed both breakfast and the blog. Deborah was awake, and we had plans for the day. I put the laptop in the room, which was still not cleaned, got my coat, hat, and car keys, and soon took Air Kia to Deborah’s place using CarPlay and the maps on my phone. Liam was just having breakfast there, and the dogs, Zelda and Trixie, enjoyed my attention. Deborah had a library book to pick up, so we headed there while Liam, her son, continued his morning rituals.

Deborah and I headed to the library, a new and remarkable monument to what can be done right and public. The library was neat and full of services, including Deborah’s favorite: the ability to check out household items for a short time instead of buying them and then putting them in a drawer for years. We marveled at a microfilm reader (they still have them), but now with a digital camera and screen. School was still open, and the place was not busy, but Deborah assured me the place would be filled with younger folks when school was out.

Liam would meet us at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), and we left the local temple of reading and services and headed to Detroit. I drove, and soon, we parked outside the DIA in a near-perfect four-hour space at the base of the steps for the DIA. Our parking would run out about the same time as the movie’s end, British Arrows 2024, so we would rush out after the film.

The gal was friendly and smiled a lot. As a local resident, Deborah gets free access (the locals’ taxes pay for the DIA), while I paid $20, a low price now for a city art center. We waved at the gal, both cashier and information desk when we passed her by a few times. The spirit of the place seemed to me to be pride and wonder.

First, we just spun around in awe of the Diego M. Rivera 1930s frescos in one of the courtyards. We had already smiled at the Pewabic tiles on the floor and used them for a water fountain as we walked into the next courtyard to be stunned, once again, by the beauty and messaging from the 1930s art. The docent updated Deborah, who, as a local teacher, has been here many times. Deborah says she learns something new from a docent each time she visits. Today, we learned that the executive at work combines Henry Ford’s and Edison’s looks. Also, the turbine behind the executive combination figure is shaped like an ear, representing the spying Ford ordered on his employees (something illegal now). The docent also showed us the image of Rivera slipped into the painting.

After enjoying the fresco, we headed downstairs for lunch. We found that the Kresge Court had a great club sandwich with cranberry sauce and homemade potato chips for us; we passed on the café. The area resembles a medieval castle courtyard crossed with the Tavern of the Green. Excellent. Deborah was served by a former student, and they were happy to see each other.

We wandered for a bit, finding just a few sets of armor that did not match my childhood memory of rooms with this stuff. Liam joined us, and we headed to the rooms of excellent Impressionists. It was always a treat. And while the DIA collection can not compete with the volume at Chicago’s museum, the quality and relevance of the twenty or so paintings were excellent (more modern, but what I would still call Impressionists were elsewhere and will have to wait for another day). The self-portraits and landscapes were terrific, and a Van Gough still-life had me confusing him with others–a most excellent example of shared styles.

My Sunday school teacher took over as we visited the mummy collection in the Egyptian Arts section. I also marveled at the recipes from four thousand years ago from the Middle East, making my IT heart happy to see ancient document storage (fired clay) still working after thousands of years. Yes, that is a receipt for a cow from three thousand years ago!

We reconnected with Liam, who got lunch while we wandered, and headed to the attached theater, an old-style theater with a stage set for a movie. It was general seating, something you don’t see that much now, and we sat close to the front with an aisle for Liam.

I forgot my hat at the Kresge Court and rushed there, found it exactly where I left it, and then rushed back. The info desk staff and the security folks waved me through and smiled. With the tragedy of another lost hat avoided, I was ready to enjoy the British Arrow awards choices for 2024 with Deborah and Liam. These are the Best British Commercial Ads awards. As you, dear reader, can imagine, the ads ran from sad to insane, and some were on the edge of tears or slap-sticks. I cried and sobbed on the one about end-of-life services and why it is OK. Recommended, Arrow Awards 2024!

Deborah and I reached Air Kia in the still-freezing air before I had a mandatory payment to the City of Detroit and returned to her house. Trixie and Zelda were happy to see us, get fed, and be taken out. Trixie leaned into me, seemed weak, and pushed me to pet her, but belied her weakness when she leaped in the air and dived for the food when Deborah brought out their dishes. Deborah believes that Trixie learned to be cute and docile when she was a stray. Deborah adopted the former stray. Trixie’s look worked on me!

Deborah recommended Lucky’s Prime Time for prime rib. The place was packed, but we got a seat at the bar when a family of three held a spot for us. The prices are slow for the food quality, and Luck’s Prime Time is a Michigan chain of two places. We had the prime rib, 16 oz, for about $24, and we took 1/2 of it as leftovers. We also had a few glasses of excellent, not-too-sweet wine, Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling, a Michigan wine. The folks next to us were having dinner with their daughter back from college for the holiday. It was a happy bunch as we marveled at each other’s food. The guy beside me had a smaller prime rib with a massive slab of ribs. He was impressed with the enormous slabs Deborah and I got, and I said they were middle-sized versions!

And with dinner done, I think I will stop there. Thanks for reading!

 

Friday was a difficult start as I had, as usual, the first night in a hotel, and in a new time zone, sleep comes slowly and is often interrupted. I rose 7ish after ignoring a 6:30 alarm. I made coffee by summoning ritual and the hotel Keurig machine and pods. This involves the sacrifice of one pod per cup.

Deborah had slept in and did not hear from her until later in the morning, which would never happen when we were in different time zones.  We did not connect for breakfast. I realized I had no alternative numbers for Deborah, and she had none for me. Everything was fine, but we exchanged some numbers and soon were working out plans for Friday.

I remained in my room with a Don’t Disturb sign on my door and wrote until 9. I then switched to the lobby. Kurt is in charge of breakfast, and we talked a few times. I like to get to know the staff as they try to be invisible, but I appreciate their work. People want to be seen, and soon, we talked about travel and Oregon. Breakfast was the usual hotel, including breakfast with industrial scrambled eggs, sausages, and potatoes. Excellent biscuits with industrial gravy were a nice addition. There is a pancake machine; I did go that way, too. All good with excellent coffee.

I wrote for hours in the lobby, recalling my travels from Portland to the Greater Detroit Area. I was trying to rush to get to Deborah and some sights, but I wanted to get the whole story done and assembled with some skill despite the lack of sleep and the slightly confused state of my mind on the first day in a new time zone.

At this moment, I panicked. The keys to Air Kia were missing. I took apart the room, and they were not there. I walked outside in the snow and did not find the keys in the snow or in the car, then back to my room. I returned to the front desk to get a keycard (I left it in the room). I managed over 6,000 steps, many in the first hours. Finally, I found the keys in my gym bag’s outer pocket. Yikes! It was a black web and perfectly disguised the black key fob.

Deborah appeared in her blue Mini-Cooper. She drove, and we soon enjoyed our travels into the city. Detroit looks better. There are plenty of boarded-up buildings, but the snow covers many sins. There are many older houses with lovely yards. Some apartments have gone condos that tempt me back to Michigan. As always happens, be it here or in New Orleans or Chicago, I want to buy a home and rent it out when I am not there. I love the emotion of recovery, albeit slow and strained, and love for the city shines.

Deborah has dreamed of visiting the old pottery company in the USA in downtown Detroit, Pewabic Pottery. Today, we pull in, and we are enchanted. It is Friday, and they are open, and the work areas are open for us to walk through–only on Fridays; excellent. We marvel at the tiles and what they are known for, and the artisans explain their glazing process; we get to see the pottery items fresh from the kiln. We also watch the stamping of tiles using a more modern method. All interesting and fun. We saw stacks and stacks of older-style molds that we were told take a long time to safely de-mold. We toured their museum and enjoyed learning the history of the process and company since the early 1900s. We had a good time. We managed to resist buying a tile. Deborah dreamed of her house numbers done in Pewabec tiles (@ $42 a number) and looked at what that would look like. Maybe someday!

Next, we needed food, and Deborah and I decided on a place, Slows Bar-B-Q, on the way to John K. King Used and Rare Books’ main store. We found parking and realized that we were at the renovated Train Station. Something we had on the list to see, but we headed to food. We crossed the four-lane road to get to the place. The main door is somewhat hidden, with signs on the wrong door that says, “This is not Slows Bar-B-Q.” I spotted a door made of reused floorwood that matched the facade, and that was it. We wait for a seat at the bar, and soon, a group leaves, and we take a seat.

We have a dinner-sized lunch there, with me taking It’s Legit and Deborah (believing she will take some home) Deuces. I got thru a 1/2 pound of pulled pork–my favorite. I had slaw (not ordering again; good but not great) and baked beans (I will dream of them). Deborah has perfect brisket and pulled pork with only the fries and the pork making it to a box, plus a bottle of their Apple sauce. I cannot praise them enough; once again, this experience reminds me not to order BBQ in the Pacific Northwest!

Stuffed, we fit back into the Air Mini and soon park as another car leaves near John K. King Used and Rare Books. Neither of us has been here before. It is a stacks used book store, something rare now; most are gone now. There are messy piles of books and things all over four floors. Deborah sees Mr. King, as he is called, and the staff all wear a smock referred to by the first name. Everyone seems happy or overwhelmed by the chaos. I feel happy and warm in a stacked used book store. Our big store in Portland, Powell’s, is neat and well-lighted, but I remember it being more worn like this one twenty years ago. Cameroon Books and other stores, all gone now, looked more like this, as do a few in New Orleans.

Their catalog is held in the heads of the staff. You ask Deborah, the woman at the sales location, to tell you if she has seen it and direct you to where it may be found. She also knows what they have not got out yet and will get that for you, too. My Deborah asked for signed items and soon walked over to cases with Deborah and reviewed various options. It is so old-school, but it feels new and fresh. With items put in a cubby hole, we walk to the top and walk through the whole store. It is a wonder in endless choices, most cheap, and we explore but are mostly overwhelmed by the options, though the Rex Stout items were few. There are overhead lights that you pull a string to light. The mildew has us sneezing on the top floor, but the rest smells of old books and fading magazines.

We pay for our items retrieved from the cubby hole. First, unique gifts for Deborah’s boys, and I have, with some chaos, a translation of all the famous ancient Greek plays in four volumes mailed to the house in Oregon. I try to avoid carrying books home. We marvel at the manual sales ledger and putting receipts in different envelopes for later reconciliation, which is old school, indeed. I am given a complex recipe and told to call a different phone number and ask for ‘Tom’ if something is wrong with the shipment, “Tom handles shipments.”

We head out with our purchases and food, and soon, Air Mini has us at Deborah’s home. The dogs, Trixie and Zelda, are thrilled to have a new source of petting. I am warned to turn my back on Zelda if she jumps, and I do, and it works. Soon, I will be busy petting and making the doggies happy while Deborah arranges food and other items.

We leave the dogs, who were happy to see us, and next, get a drink at a local bar, Grand Tavern. And there I will stop. Thanks for reading.

 

I was up early as it was a travel day. Sleep was troubled with one break for proof of hydration. My colon was also back, demanding some attention with late-night requirements. After the loss of 25 cm of my colon to cancer, I have trouble knowing when things are ready, and if I am not taking extra breaks, I find myself with sudden, often middle-of-the-night events. With all the packing and getting ready for my long, almost three-week trip, I had not been careful enough.

It was difficult to rise, but I had a 7:05 Uber car reservation, and I started at 6:30. I rushed, but I was mostly packed, and only the Apple and my hairbrush needed to be added to my carry-on red gym Nike bag. I forgot to replenish my biz cards and have none to give out. That is too bad, as I had multiple opportunities to give them out on the plane and in the waiting area.

My Uber was five minutes late. I had my luggage in the street as the meeting location was mid-street and not at the house. It was strange to have no vehicle at the house, now returning to its original name, Chateau Wild. Soon, Uber arrived, a Tesla. I learned there was a nice trunk on these models and relearned the mystery of Tesla door handles.

Soon, I was on the MAX after waiting seven minutes for a Red Line train to the Airport, PDX. There was another gal on the train with luggage. It was the usual silence of headphones and earbuds with little eye contact you find on most subways and buses now. I read Analog, a SciFi magazine, reading a physical copy. I finished the story of a union meeting voting to continue the alliance in the union of AI, called instances, and other workers. It seemed like a version of the recent election and politics set in the near future when artificial intelligences join the workforce. I enjoyed the novelette “The Compromise” by Tom R. Pike.

The ride was about ninety minutes, and I arrived as planned at about 8:30. I started the walking. Airports are about walking now. My day would include more than 8,000 steps. I found the bag check for Delta in the lovely and newly rebuilt terminal, printed off my $35 tag, attached it to my bag, remembered to take my phone used to scan the boarding barcode, and handed it over to a friendly agent who also viewed by driver’s license, a Real ID, that cost an extra $100.

To get a Real ID requires you to bring additional proof of your address and birth (or US citizenship) and pay extra when updating your state-issued driver’s license at the DMV. I see it as a version of a poll tax and a political means to have all Americans carry ‘papers.’ I think it is awful, Facist, unnecessary, but I complied.

My colon decided it wanted more attention, and I spent some time in the restroom attending to its needs.

Security was a short process, with the new machines already looking worn and the machines requiring a patdown for my arms. My hat was, as usual, worn and then hand-checked by an officer. My Real ID was scanned, and a photo was taken compared to the measurements and images supplied by my Real ID. The photo, which passed, according to the sign, was then deleted. Now, the cameras in the area are a different story…

I put back on my belt and shoes and headed to breakfast near my gate. Grassa is a local pasta chain, but they make breakfast here in PDX in the morning, which was terrific. I had a breakfast sandwich after asking the staff what they liked. That and coffee was an excellent start now that I was on the other side of security. I completed the blog and posted it.

I was surprised that Grassa had more choices for drinks than food, fitting our unique thinking in greater Portland. Once it was 10, the lunch/dinner menu was put up. I spoke to the manager when I saw that the prices were reasonable. Fifteen bucks for spaghetti and meatballs with freshly made pasta is a good deal in an airport–pretty good anywhere. I was told that PDX requires all prices to match the street price. This was more proof that we do better things at PDX.

Soon, I was on my plane, having stopped once more at the restroom, but my colon was still grumbling when I boarded. I had the window seat and sat next to a couple returning to Baltimore after going to an event for event companies. Yes, it is an event event. Alden and I talked on and off the five hours of travel time. He gave me his card. I also met Mary Ann in the boarding area, and she was interested in my blog (again, my biz cards would have been lovely to have), and she looked it up. Thanks!

The flight was the usual experience with water, Ginger Ale, and coffee. I watched the How the Universe Works show from Discovery with a warning that it may not be appropriate for children. I was expecting this meant that the science would include a profane version of Bill Nye. No, it was flashy, well-done science covering cosmology and the state of knowledge in 2021–nothing scary or profane. It was f**king good and nothing to protect children from. Yikes!

Soon, I headed out with Alden and friend headed to their next flight. I found the baggage claim after yet another visit to the restroom. I was then redirected from 10 baggage claim to 1, more steps, and soon acquired my bag. Next, I found Hertz, and after a short bus ride, took any car in the Gold section (I signed in online and provided everything ahead of time). I picked a Kia Sportage as it looked ready for snow. I passed by the white ones, as that never seems the best color for winter in Michigan. One I first liked had a dead bird next to it; I decided not to risk that one (cursed or just strange). Soon, I was headed around in circles as my CarPlay directions were set to a multiple-stop trip (how?), and soon I pulled over and corrected the mistake after visiting the DTW a second time, f**k.

The trip was exciting as it was dark, the rain turned to snow, and I had 50 minutes of driving to learn a new car with snow and new places. Michigan drivers are aggressive and fast. Fast means 80+ here. This is not some car trying to reach 35, like in Portland; this is where cars are born and driven at those top speeds on busy roads. I stayed in the slow lane! Soon, I was up to 85 on the Kia. Everyone slowed; this is Michigan, and wet, slick roads mean everyone slowed to a safe 60 when we passed two spun-out cars loaded up for an insurance-filled holiday.

I found the hotel, and I will stop there. I was safe and fine at the hotel.

Thanks for reading.

Going backward, I am writing the blog Wednesday night after walking home. The hiking boots I planned to wear to Michigan were killing my back, and I decided I would not take them with me. I will just take my walking shoes and hope that will be good enough.  I dropped off an Air Ford (Escape) and thanked it for being a perfect fill-in for Air Volvo, which is currently in the repair shop with no ETA. Estimates run to as much as $8,000, including maintenance costs, once the damage is repaired from the water intrusion. The sunroof seal failed, and the car flooded. The streets were poorly lit, and I am glad I didn’t make that walk every night. Susie used to walk it with a flashlight many nights when I was traveling.

I am packing lots of clothing, but no suits this time. Instead of suits, I will wear sweater vests and a nice red vest for Christmas. I also know I will buy anything I forget or need. My carry-on will include my laptop and its charging cables. The battery I carry for emergencies and for missed charging options can power the computer for a day and recharge my phone multiple times.

Tonight, I was at the church to play games with Z, and Shawn’s daughter, Lauren, joined us. We got shooshed once as we laughed a bit too loud. We were more careful after that. We all had a good time.

Lauren had not played the heavier board games but allowed us to teach her Wyrmspan, and she soon got it and was playing her turn with minimal help. This game is a revision of the well-loved Wingspan with dragons, not birds, and many efficiencies and a logical flow of the game that makes it easy to play and learn. We played the first round with all of learning and re-learning the game again. We had not played it for months. Z got the game for Christmas; we took advantage of me being there to play again, allowing Z to be ready to play with family when I was not around.

By the third round, Z and Lauren were doing well. I had the usual frustrations, such as why the dragon cards were the wrong type! I filled my board with many dragons cards and had various end-of-game scoring dragons but had not yet fulfilled the requirements. I needed more time for that shockingly high score (what Z and I refer to as evil plans). Lauren was with Shawn and headed out when the Praise Band was done. We ended the game early and scored. Z won by one point (my plans had yet to come to fruition), forty-seven, with Lauren only three points behind me. An excellent game, and even stopping early, everyone had a chance to win. Lauren seemed to be surprised at how much she liked it.

We made too much noise, putting the game away, and were asked to be quieter. Oops. Z and I switched to the fast (and quiet yet intense) game Furnace. A favorite for quick play and a small footprint. This is a resource management game in which you run plants in a network with the input of one fed by another to produce more of another resource or sell the goods for money. The player with the most money wins after four rounds. We played the base game with a player setup that uses an automated third player. Z was just six bucks below me at the end.

Going back further, I was home doing laundry and putting away dishes. I want to have the house picked up and as clean as possible. I later washed the toilets, removed all the trash, and put away all the clothing. I made a toasted bagel for dinner with sour cream (I was out of cream cheese) for the spread and added some bacon that I fried a few days ago and a couple of hard-boiled eggs.

Going back, I drove Air Ford (Escape) all over Beaverton to get my Dungeons and Dragons players their Christmas gifts for the holidays. Nobody was home, but I put everything in holiday bags and left them at the front doors. School traffic was heavy as I was traveling during the dread school end time, about 3:15, and I had to backtrack once to get to a road not choked with cars locating various children.

Going far back to the morning, I rose early, made coffee, and soon was crossing Cooper’s Mountain on a near-perfect sunny day (just a short break in the weather) for the usual charming drive looking down at the valley, home is the Tualatin Valley, but across the mountain is the huge Willamette Valley. This split between the valleys is wine country, and I lost count of the vineyards I passed by.

In Newberg, in the Willamette Valley, I met Pastor Ken, and we talked for about ninety minutes at Five Guys and had lunch. He wants me to help with the administration of the church. I said I would help; more to come later.

I drove back, stopped by Great Clips, and waited a while to get my usual biz man look. I was getting a bit spiky. Soon, that was done, and I stopped by Rite Aid there and got some of the bags for gifts.

Returning to the end of the day, I assembled my bag with underwear, socks, PJ, and T-shirts on one side. Dress shirts, cotton LL Bean pants, and vests with hangers are on the side. This then gets crushed into the carry-on-styled roller bag (well, a large one). I will check it anyway. I thought about trying to roll it through security, but I feared I was not careful enough, and it would get opened, and then I would have to sit on it to close it again. Nope. Check for $35.

I started arranging my gym back carry-on with my usual cables, batteries, etc. I put the remaining clothing in The Machine and wore my robe while I wrote, cleaned, and tried to bring some order to chaos. I wrote this blog. I was sleepy and soon had issues forming meaningful words. It was time to sleep.

I showered, reassembled the bed (I had stripped and washed the bedding that morning), put away the still-damp clothing, let it dry on the hanger, and read until I could not stay awake. Time to stop.

Tomorrow was a quick cleanup and dress, and Uber had already ordered me to the MAX to take the Red Line to the airport, PDX.

Thanks for reading.

 

The morning came with me rising not too early, having some coffee, cleaning up, dressing, and rushing to Portland. Air Ford got me there before the storm hit. It would be windy and wet today, with sideways rain that soaked and destroyed umbrellas. The local schools have not finished for the year, and the words I hear over and over this year are, “I am not ready!” The panic can be seen in the driving.

My drive into Portland is slow and crawls across Beaverton. Air Ford (Escape) is heavy and is not pushed by the wind, and the tires grip the now more than just wet roads. The All Wheel Drive is automatic, but I do not feel it take over while driving today in the flooded streets. The air is warm, and it is what we often call a Pineapple Express from the tropical Pacific.

I arrived at Richards in northern Portland five minutes late. James and Richard are still setting up. We are again playing a scenario in the older Mansions of Madness, Second Edition board game. This is one of the role-playing games (RPG) styled board games and uses an app to avoid assigning one player the keeper’s role. I still find it slow, and board gamers want to win; it is their nature, and they have some trouble with cooperative games. But still, it is interesting, and the Lovecraft theme is my favorite. This play, the third scenario, is more complex, and the story fits the theme better.

No spoilers, but I enjoyed the game this time as there was a good story that fit the Lovecraft theme, and I felt we had choices to make with many options and consequences. James did go insane, but Richard and I managed to keep our characters sane, though mine was wounded. We finally worked out what we needed to do and soon saw the ending, but we still had choices. We finished about an hour early, near 1. I would say that scenario three was the first time the game fulfilled all its promises. It was excellent.

I made my goodbyes as I am traveling soon and won’t be back until 2025 begins. The traffic was light, but the storm had picked up, and the waves of wet, hot Air Ford (Escape) and the high ramps onto the bridge were damp, but there was, thankfully, no flooding. I do not like coming down the ramp onto the roadbed through puddles, but that was not there today.

I arrived home and made a salad for lunch. I chopped carrots and celery and found the beets and little corn cans still in the frig from the Thursday party. It’s best to use them up, though I did toss some of the beets as they would not keep over the next three weeks! I organized a few things and wrote Christmas cards with gifts. I drive the cards to the post office, which is slammed, and I cannot even use the driveby boxes. I took Air Ford (Escape) in a circle, questing for a postal mailbox, and found the box near the Federal Express Office. Done! I return to the house, and Corwin stops by. He gets in Air Ford.

We tried to reach Reedville Cafe, but the roads were blocked, and other roads were choking with traffic. There was a nasty crash on the TV Highway, and it was shut down. Yikes, someone’s holidays are ruined. With some backtracking, we reached the Cafe. I bought Corwin a late lunch and early dinner while I shared some onion rings. We chatted, had a nice time, and didn’t hurry, as the traffic mess was ongoing.

The flashing lights disappear, and we head back. Corwin was happy to get the chicken fried steak, but no mashed, more veggies. Corwin avoids carbs and alcohol now. I had an iced tea.

I rested for a moment, and Deborah and I texted (having started the morning by exchanging ‘good morning’ texts). I sent Deborah and the household a new cookbook, “Does This Taste Funny?” by Stephen and Evie Colbert. They tried a new recipe for brisket (with a few changes), and it was a good dinner.

I grab Z’s gift, a large wrapped package, and board Air Ford (Escape). The traffic and rain do not make the trip fun. It is dark, and the road markings are difficult to see, so I mainly drive by memory. However, I get to talk to Deborah as I travel, making the trip more pleasant. Soon, I will arrive, and we will say goodnight as I park.

Dondrea and Z were delayed a few minutes because they needed to cross Beaverton, but soon, we were at Pastini in Cedar Mills Cross, just a few shops away from Beaverton Powell’s. While Pastini is a chain, I find the food at their Beaverton location good and their wines excellent. This is not cheap dining!

The pinot is superb, and Dondrea and I both have large glasses. Z found the seafood pasta excellent, and Dondrea and I tried the noodle-based Stroganov, which was excellent. The garlic bread makes you want to see how they make it. So simple and so good! We demurred when offered desserts. Instead, we headed to Powell’s, a less caloric dessert but likely not cheap.

Dondrea and I look at books and share our favorite history books with Dondrea in recent history while I am pointing out ancient and American Civil War (ACW) titles. We both wish we had more time for more reading.

Dear reader, here are my ACW titles:

Gettysburg: The Last Invasion. The best complete story of Gettysburg I have read with footnotes and covers all the questions you have about what we know and don’t. Read this, and you will see the battle in your mind, and here are the researched answers. I have read many books on this one battle, and I think this one is the best for the history and accuracy of what we know.

Stars in Their Courses: The Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863 by Shelby Foote. This is the poetic version of the battle and ignores some of the questions answered in the previous one. But this one, you can almost hear the rebel yell and smell the sulfur from the burning gunpowder. I read his larger three books of narrative history, but I think he is best in smaller bites. 

These books are recommended for reading. The first is a keeper; the footnotes are excellent if you want to learn more. The second is dreamy and an example of how to tell a story, but one I would seldom reread, but it is fun to quote from. My copies were loaned out and never returned, so I will repurchase them.

Dondrea and Z presented me with most of my Christmas gifts, a date kit that can wait until Deborah arrives in February. Yay! When I return, an urban fire kit will be added to the mix (arriving late). Deborah and I can light a fire on the deck, sip champagne, and eat salmon paté with crackers and cheese. It’s most excellent!

We hug and will see each other on Wednesday. The wet and dark drive was messy in Air Ford (Escape). I arrive home soon, doing the dishes and trying to bring some order to the chaos. While I have not vacuumed or mopped, I still am tired and fall asleep (wine, food, books, friends, and chosen family) as I marvel at all the goodness I have been blessed with this year. I rise one last time, check a few things, and then shower and read in bed until I fall asleep.

I put the background music, ‘Music to Sleep By,’ station on Amazon’s Echo and have to make it louder as the storm startles me awake. I did not know that the wind blew the front door open. I had not closed it properly, and it was open all night, but the house was dark. It shocked me to find that this morning and checked, nothing was taken. All safe. Goodness!

Thanks for reading.