Author: alohawild

Susan “Susie” G Wild (nee Guild) passed away in her sleep on Friday, October 13, 2023. Susie had suffered a long illness and is now at peace. She is survived by her husband, Michael Wild, her sister, Barb Czajka of Grand Blanc, Michigan, and her mother, Leta Guild of Lansing, Michigan. Susie’s father, Bernard “Ben” Guild, predeceased Susie in 2003 in Alaska.

Susie was born to Leta and Ben on November 20, 1962, and was described in announcements of her birth, including foot size, a standard biology method for describing specimens. Susie’s fondest childhood memory was with her parents during their summer on Georgian Bay on a small island with a cabin.

Susie took up ice skating early and was soon flying as fast as she could. For USA nationals in 1980, she was 4th in Junior Ladies in Atlanta, Georgia. This is after being diagnosed with leukemia, passing through chemotherapy, and entering remission. But in the 1980s, cancer was less known, and her protocol was insufficient to stop the leukemia. Susie’s choices were limited, and she and her family picked a radiation-based bone marrow transplant in Seattle; her mother, her donor, was a mismatch—but the risk was accepted.

Susie would battle the side effects of the radiation and the consequences of the mismatch for the rest of her life. Susie, no longer able to compete in ice skating due to the impact of the graft-versus-host issues and radiation effects, decided to try Central Michigan University. The radiation made her blind from cataracts, and no eye surgeon, until later, would risk repairing the loss. Thus, blinded and stiff from the effects of the transplant, Susie started her college life.

Susie selected Dietetics as her focus; CMU has one of the best programs, and she was elected resident hall president, too. Susie was picked for Mortar Board. Susie fell ill before her graduation, and a professor who took an interest in her, Dr. Pete Koper, cleared Susie to graduate and ensured that Susie graduated first while in a coma. Susie recovered and started her internship in Richmond, Virginia, for her licensing as a Registered Dietitian.

Michael Wild met Susie at CMU and soon joined in the caring and loving of his soon-to-be wife. Susie married Michael in 1990 after completing her RD, now added to her name. Michael and Susan shared an apartment in Laurel, Maryland. Susie’s eyesight was restored by cataract surgery.

Later, they would buy a townhouse on Oak Point Drive in Laurel. Susie worked for Marriott as a dietitian and later as a facility manager of Ring House. This was a kosher facility, and Susie soon developed a slight NYC Jewish accent to the delight of the residents, who often shared various cuss words for Susie to use in Yiddish—making Susie practice them until she got them perfect.

During state audits, Susie would be called “the standard” by the auditors. The new medical folks, the charting being manual in those days, would ask who this “Doctor Wild” was as Susie’s notes were so complete and helpful. After being promoted to manage Ring House, Susie was called the little hostess at Ring House by the residents, who thought she had never worn the same outfit twice. Susie loved to shop for clothing. Using her nearly perfect memory, Susie would know all the residents by name, their preferences, their health, and their family members’ names and would play the role of ideal hostess while being the manager.

Susie and Michael traveled to Israel with the Maryland Bible Society in 1994 during a moment of peace in the Middle East, the first of many international trips. Michael and Susie decided to try the Pacific Northwest, and Nike hired Michael and moved them to Aloha (Beaverton), Oregon, in 1996. Susie gave up her work at Marriott and would not return to dietetics. Michael and Susie continued to travel, and Susie visited the Great Wall twice, Europe, and all over the USA for various family events or with Michael for business trips for Nike.

Susie returned to ice skating, competed in light comedy, and won first place locally in 2010. Susie faced skin cancer that was controlled. She had a double mastectomy and never fully recovered from the anesthetic. But despite these trials, she began judging ice skating and trial judging and was appointed a silver judge.

Susie’s health began to decline with the first stroke, leaving her to use a walker. Susie joined Michael and friends in NYC when the pandemic seemed to be passing in 2021 and enjoyed a Broadway show, but Susie suffered a stroke in a hotel in NYC, and she and Michael spent three weeks in NYC until Susie recovered enough to travel. Susie had a series of strokes days after that that left her unable to walk, eat solid food, and care for herself, and her speech was affected. Susie moved to a care facility.

Michael visited Susie nearly daily for the next sixteen months—even when undergoing cancer treatments himself. Susie was cared for the last year of her life by the excellent people at Allegiance Senior Care, LLC, at their hummingbird house in Tigard, Oregon, an adult care facility. We could not have asked for a better place.

Susie entered hospice care twice, the last time days before her passing. Susie wanted no heroics and left this world resting next to her husband, who nodded off next to her as she passed.

The family has yet to decide what to do with Susie’s ashes. A concert and party to celebrate Susie is being planned for 2024.

Susie’s favorite drinks were ginger ale and bourbon (she would sneak a small bottle of Jim Beam onto planes when traveling) and a Southern Comfort Manhattan on the rocks with two cherries. She loved a grilled cheese fried in no-salt butter and cut into quarters. She would always eat three and keep a spare quarter for later.

Susie’s service is on 23 March 2024, at 4 PM, at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton.

Susie’s Michigan service is on 18 May 2024 ** at Grace United Methodist Church, Lansing, at 2PM.

** Not May 4

Susie’s service is on 23 March 2024, at 4 PM, at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton.

Susie’s Michigan service is on 18 May 2024 ** at Grace United Methodist Church, Lansing, at 2PM.

**Not May 4

I started Saturday at 7ish and found a clear, cold morning. It’s not our usual weather in February in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). It should be gray, warm, and rainy, but we are cold and dry because of climate change. I never saw the sky in February for my first twenty or more years in PNW. The rains return on Monday, according to the forecast; yet-another-river of rain is coming for us and California.

I wrote the blog, a few hours of work as it was for Friday, and then published it. I use WordPress and Grammarly to keep this easy and, according to the algorithms of Grammarly, correct. Proof still that the world is safe from Artificial Intelligence! I must reread everything to ensure that Grammarly did not over-improve my words.

Air Volvo was showing a lack of care with bird poo and cat prints on it. I had a pile of things I set aside for Good Will that needed to go, and I needed paper for the printer. Or, in other words, chores needed to be completed.

So I put the recycling in the recycling bin, which was stacking up inside the Volvo Cave, loaded up a few items (mostly Susie’s various items that can go like her ankle weights) for Goodwill, put some board games in the cargo hold, and boarded Air Volvo after cleaning myself up and getting dressed.

Air Volvo, after the treatment, while looking better, is still showing some cat prints and bird poo, but I will keep washing at the facility to see if it will clear. Otherwise, I will have to invest in the detailing and polishing of the vehicle. It is cheaper than buying a new one! But tires, alignments, tune-ups, and other items are approaching, so it will feel soon like I am putting down a downpayment at the next repair/maintenance. Volvos are not cheap, and I am not interested in becoming my own mechanic (a lot of the work and repairs for Volvos can be found on YouTube now), as the investment in tools might be more than the repairs!

Aside: Susie would tell you it would also be more expensive to have the Volvo refixed after I did the work.

I drove to a now-former Office Depot and headed to Target in the same area instead. I found the paper in the office supplies, but not at the cheap price I am used to at Office Depot. I was also surprised that the DIY checkout is closed in the morning and you must employ a checker. Some strange corporate logic closed the stations on Saturday morning as it appears to be planned. So I waited in line with ten other people to get a checker to sell me just a few items–there was nobody there with more than a few items.

The stop at Goodwill took no time. I forgot to get into the U-turn lane and had to turn around. No surprise to anyone that I went an alternative way.

I put in Nav for Hoyt Arboretum in the hills near Portland. It is a lovely hilly section filled with trails through a managed forest of different plants and trees. I like the bamboo garden. I was last there with Glenda Hill when she came out to help, and together, we found the hummingbird house for Susie, Adult Foster Care. Glenda loves walking, and she enjoyed the arboretum as a special treat. I wanted to increase my steps and thought it a good choice on a sunny, cool Saturday.

I arrived there in Air Volvo without issue or much traffic. It took me a few minutes to work out the trails, and after going the wrong way twice, I got a map at the visitor center. I headed to the bamboo and was happy to find it without issue. It is a bit stressed from the winter and rains, and I was surprised to see some bamboo replanting. The stuff is usually impossible to kill. I looked and did not see any growth in the ground. It was still lovely and peaceful.

I then headed to the ginkgos but got lost twice and found myself headed back each time. Deciding that I should just go for a short visit, I returned to the area near the visitor center and looked at the oaks and pines. I tried to tell them apart before I read the tags. I am not very good at tree identification and have not improved! As I tired from the ups and downs, my balance issues returned. I took the outdoor stairs and nearly fell. I will have to stay on level ground and avoid stairs without railings! Bouncing down a steep hill into some water would not improve my health. If there is a next time, I will not do it alone and with a cane. I saw others with walking sticks. Hmm. And maybe I will come with a GPS.

I had only coffee and a banana, and the walk (and its moments of terror) left me hungry. I headed into downtown Portland in heavier traffic, but it took no time. I noticed that the graffiti is worse and more obscene. Sad. The county and the city received huge funding to help, but the officials seem to be losing the battle against folks with spray cans.

I crossed the hills of Portland to reach Elephants Delicatessen and parked Air Volvo in their lot–there is not always room. This is Portland’s version of an East Coast delicatessen (as we are in the PNW, there is a full bar with a bartender, and the coffee is excellent and comes in various forms and blends). The company opened one in Beaverton and enjoyed it a few times. The Portland one has more of a feel of a NYC place. I had a pint of Mama Leone’s Chicken Soup, an Italian version with cream, a piece of bread, and an S.Pellegrino sparkling water (it tastes like fresh snow). I sat at the bar and ate. The bartender gave me a glass of ice for my drink. I read on my Kindle app on my iPhone, but I also chatted with the bartender and watched the show. Coffee and soft drinks for lunch. They had Pusser’s Rum, a blue version, on the shelf (Nelson’s blood), but I stuck to water.

MyFitnessPal is tracking me, and I update it with my food. I picked the highest-calorie version of chicken soup. I was almost 50% of my walking goal (the goal set by the app’s mysteries). I thought I should have got more credit for those steps.

I headed to Guardian Games and discovered the Morrison Bridge, a draw bridge, was closed for work, and I had to drive back to Burnside and take its bridge, also a draw bridge. Traffic was backed up on the bridge. There are three other working bridges, so I was surprised to see the slowness. Soon, I parked on the street as Guardian was busy. I did not buy anything but was tempted by the board game Arc Nova and its add-on, Marine.

I met Evan at Rogue in SE, a usual place for us but darker and more expensive than the places in the Hawthorn area. It had been repainted in white, and the lighting was better. It had a new menu, and like most places, the prices were a few bucks higher. I ordered a beer: Dead Guy Ale. I was surprised that the exact beer is in the app- well, maybe not that surprised. I stayed under my calorie count goal!

Evan and I played The Lost Ruins of Arnak with the Leaders add-on. We did not use the extra hard boards in the Lost Expedition add-on this time. We both know this game well, and we played cut-throat. I did update the game with the new cards and replacement items from Lost Expedition. Many cards were unknown to us, making the game full of surprises. Evan pulled off the win with a score of 90, and I just breath away with 82. I agree with Evan that I should have stopped advancing my book and instead used those resources for the final score items. Evan beat me by purchasing one 11-point item at the end of the game.

We next played a two-person Furnace game with the new add-on and were crushed by the artificial player. I beat Evan by more than ten points. I could find some efficiencies, but I had to buy some cards to prevent the artificial player from getting them. I later learned that I should only score the cards once that the artificial player gets. This would have made it a close match. Next time!

Both games I would recommend. Furnace has a tiny footprint and plays fast; if you can find someone to teach you, it is an excellent game (it would be challenging to learn on your own). Arnak is a friendly-themed deck-building, worker placement, and resource management game. It can be harsh, and you often will know you are losing, but the theme (1920s movie-like South American archeology setting–very Indiana Jones) makes it more fun. I love it when I buy The Hat.

Arnak.

Next, after paying the bill and saying goodbye to Evan, I went to more games. Saturday is my gaming day. Richard was assembling, to my delight, the Marine add-on into his copy of Arc Nova. This is a monster card and resource management with light worker placement. The teach, Chris, had not played before, and getting me updated (I have not played this game for about a year) and incorporating the add-on took more than an hour. We played until about 10:30, with Richard pulling off a win by just passing Shawn’s score and me managing to be ahead of Chris. I had misstepped in the last quarter of play and did not have the animals for my zoo and money. Richard said I played well this time (I have been crushed many times in Arc Nova). I did pull my score up on my last move, surprising everyone. Chris and I agreed that we were just two turns from scoring many points.

The drive home after the game was easy, with clear skies and no rain. The bridges I needed were working!

I found some more baked chicken, just a few ounces of breast, to go with my pills. I recorded that in the app. After a shower, I went right to bed.

Thanks for reading.

It is the 50th day since I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. I am waiting for the date of the surgery.

Susie’s service is on 23 March 2024, at 4 PM, at First United Methodist Church in Beaverton.

Susie’s Michigan service is on 18 May 2024 ** at Grace United Methodist Church, Lansing, at 2PM.

** Not 4 May

I am writing this on a foggy, cold, blue-skied Saturday morning in my home office.

Friday was a work-from-home day for the shoe company. I was up and feeling the four days of working back-to-back to flying back from NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) and just stared at my slippers for a full minute. I summoned the will to begin, found my robe, and found the kitchen–it had not moved.

Corwin has been cleaning the kitchen, and there were only a few dishes in the sink; I put them in the dishwasher. I made Mexican coffee from the collection that the Kramers sent me–excellent. I grabbed just a banana as I was counting calories. I put all the information into the MyFitnessPal app. It also counts my steps, and there, when I start exercising, it can be recorded. I find the first Zoom meetings, and the early morning disappears in a puff of Zoom meetings with Mexican coffee and a banana.

I shave, clean up, and dress. Next, between meetings, I slip out to the nearby Safeway. I have a list, and soon, my cart is overflowing with food and paper products. We are on our last roll of toilet paper! I buy extra food as Corwin is weight-lifting, and he packs it away. Eight bags, plus paper products and a gallon of milk, for over $300. Air Volvo delivers that, and I must unload and put it away. I think the step counter on the iPhone should give me extra credit for that. I distribute the toilet paper. I still worry about having enough TP–leftovers from the pandemic supply chain problems.

Glenda, when she was here a few years ago, put the sugar in a reused container with a tight lid, so I filled it. The ants discovered that while it was almost empty, sitting on the counter waiting for me to fill it, the lid was loose. I have to dump out the sugar in a bowl and extract the ants. Ick! The container is, without ants, now back in the pantry with the lid tight. The remaining sugar is in the frig. No ants in there!

Aside: Yes, I have an ant killer on retainer, but ants are back after the flooding and snow let them cross the barriers. I will be contacting them again to redo the defenses.

I returned to work online, did a review, and made lunch. I bought a pre-cooked chicken and cut off some white and dark meat. I have that with some cottage cheese. This is delicious (not a salad), and I have half a can of peaches (no added sugar). I have none of the colon emptying issues later. Yes, salads are out for a while. Work continues to be quiet, the usual for Fridays.

I put on my walking blue Nike Zooms (the name’s irony is not lost on me) and walk to the little stream in our area for thirty minutes. I have thought about using a drone to track it or, more my style, building a boat with a camera to explore the stream and the culverts.

I’m back to the Volvo Cave via Nike Zooms, and my steps are over 7,000. Yes! Work is still quiet. I do two loads of laundry, read, and send Corwin a note to get some dill and shallots. I missed them.

I wait and watch my phone. No calls from the surgeon’s scheduler. Paperwork is still being done, and I continue to wait. I am expecting the surgery to either be in April or later May. The tumor is called an acoustic neuroma, 2.5cm, and the surgery will use a translabyrinthine approach. While slow growing, it will likely crush the brain stem if left untreated. The brain stem is needed!

I made beef stroganoff with egg noodles for dinner at Corwin’s request. Corwin’s Lion’s Mane mushroom (a kit I gave him for Christmas). I chop everything and pull out most of the ingredients. I am using an old recipe that I used to make years ago. I then wait until it is later to cook.

When it was time to cook, I used store-bought beef broth to make the sauce (using a roux to make it thick). I cut up the beef chuck bits into slices and salt and pepper. I fry the beef in batches. I cook the sliced shallots in the same pan. I add the mushrooms (I use some store-bought ones to fill out the amount), but the shallots start to burn. Next time, I will empty the shallots into the beef and fry the mushrooms in butter and oil alone. The mushrooms are not cooking fast, so I add water to the hot pan and cover. The scalding steam gets the mushrooms hot enough to cook now. I assembled it, remembering the sour cream to be added to the sauce but forgot the mustard.

It is delicious but needs salt. In my usual cooking, Corwin approves but adds salt. I don’t–I have high blood pressure. I would double the sauce volume next time and, of course, remember the mustard. I have two servings but don’t bust my calory count for Friday on my app–excellent.

While I have an open night, I am still tired today and have elected to stay home. I spend hours collecting the tax documents and assembling the deductions. Last year, I paid more than $80,000 on medical care–go right ahead and ask me about how “good” employer health insurance is. We will see if I can top the number this year with the co-pays and co-insurance (and other various ‘co’) for the brain surgery. Talk to me about why unregulated medical insurance and getting the policies from your employer improve my life. Growl.

Aside: United Health Care’s top executives receive more than $17 million in compensation each. Google it. Again, tell me they are using my money well. Does anyone think the UHC is managed so well to pay that kind of money out? Growl.

After growling over the numbers and assembling my giving last year, I wrote a letter to my accountant, who does my taxes. I am out of paper! I need to buy more paper for the printer. I usually buy a case of paper, but I have not used the printer that much. Now, I print out everything for my bookkeeping and burn through more paper. I am off to the office supply store on Saturday, and I need a binder for 2024.

I read and finished making the bed and all the usual things. I was in bed a bit early, but I was tired.

My meds have changed as the surgeon has me taking antibiotics and putting on a cream on my left ear as it is having some trouble. This requires a snack–meds must be taken with food–and I found the butter (now that I have bought groceries) and put a tiny bit on a slice of raisin toast. I added that to the app, but it is still under calorie count. Yay!

I wake at 4AM as I have an earache on my left side, and I take some ibuprofen and Tylenol. I sleep until 7ish.

Thanks for reading. By the way, I am reading The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Mysteries Book 8), which I recommend. 

Going backward, as I have not done that in a while, I am back from Portland and writing the blog in the home office. Corwin and I met Mariah for dinner at Hopworks off Powell in the Rose City. There, I had a pilsner and a bowl of chili–resisting fries and other carbohydrates (other than what was in the beer) and dutifully added these meals to my app. We headed to Portland before we had a target and stopped in the Pearl District, and then Mariah sent us a text to do Hopworks. We re-boarded Air Volvo and used Nav to get us there. I missed a few turns, but Nav worked it out for me.

We had a nice dinner chatting, and Corwin and Mariah laughed at my misuse of the words hook-up and connect, which had more sexual context than I understood. Corwin and Mariah had burgers, and I had to resist not taking a French fry. I continued to misuse slang phrases.

Air Volvo took us back across Portland and handled well through all the curves and required lane changes. We reached the Volvo Cave without incident. We did witness some creative lane use by the other drivers.

A box with a new digital bathroom scale was delivered from Target. I could not make it work. I sway a bit, preventing the scale from giving me a weight. It’s useless. It did work for Corwin. I will send it back. I ordered a more run-of-the-mill scale from Target–hopefully, that one will work. Frustrating.

Corwin puts out the trash for me. He remembers that it is lawn debris week, so he puts out the lawn and trash containers for Friday pick-up.

I start to write the blog.

Moving further backward, I arrived at the house at about 3 p.m. and picked up Corwin. We headed to the DMV so Corwin could get an official Oregon ID, the first step to getting a driver’s license. Next, we found his credit union on the other side of Beaverton, and he deposited his check. After that, we took Canyon Road to Highway 26. Canyon Road was one of the old passes over the large hill between the valley and Portland, Sylvan Hill.

Moving further back, I rose at 6:30, and starting was hard. I was tired from the near week of work and my travels. I found my slippers and my robe and started the day. I dreamed last night, but I cannot remember the dreams. I find the electric kettle in the kitchen and the coffee and make liberal coffee, but the Mexican stuff is waiting (thanks, Kramers) and likely better. Friday, I promise myself.

I take the coffee and a banana and read the news and email. I look at a few messages from work. Time vanishes, and soon, I am scarfing the banana. I clean up, shave, and get dressed. I pour the coffee into a thermal cup and head to Air Volvo.

Air Volvo turns off of Baseline and uses a local street to avoid the three lights, which works better. I arrive early at Nike WHQ, the Swift building (named after the Nike Swift Suit, not the singer). I do some meetings and call out some issues with existing code and design. Rajani told me he likes it when I do a knowledge transfer session–I find issues. I had a few more meetings. Later, it was agreed that it was an error and should be corrected. Vindicated!

Lunch was with Scott. We walked across campus. We talked about internal Nike items–none of which can be repeated here. It is always good to reconnect. I got to walk across the Nike WHQ and back, significantly improving my step count for today.

We are having unexpectedly nice weather and even sun. This makes for a lovely walk across campus. Everyone is smiling and looked comfortable.

The meetings, emails, and requests continue into the afternoon. I am the backup approver and have to approve some changes into production as other folks are out.

I get a call from my primary care physician’s office. They will send in the final approvals, but my H1C was 7.5, and I need to work on that. I agree, but remind them I was in New Orleans last week. That gets a laugh.

I blame the vampires–they wanted me extra sweet-flavored.

The salad sent my colon to emptying mode again. It seems that fresh salads are not working for me. I will try something else for lunch on Friday and see if this is just a new afternoon thing or if it is a reaction to salads and fresh veggies. I am still running experiments. Iced tea is ruled out as the cause, as I had none today.

I leave early to get Corwin to the DMV.

And that takes me full circle.

Thanks, and I do mean that, for reading, even on boring days. It’s just a normal day.

The day started with me rising before my alarm. I was dreaming, but I don’t recall the dream other than it was excellent, and I wanted to go back to it. I woke at 5ish and went back to sleep but could not find the dream. I woke over and over, still not finding rest. I finally kicked off the covers at 6ish and rose, still wishing to return to the warm dreams. Susie and Dad were there.

Reality comes into focus. This morning, I have more medical appointments. I can at least have a banana with coffee, and I do. I get the addresses, phone numbers, and names in an email that I both print and email to myself. I have a large envelope with my EKG results and an explanation of the surgery and its risks. I call it the doom paper.

I headed out in Air Volvo towards work, a less efficient but more familiar drive with the cardiac doctor’s office just a short drive from Swift at Nike WGQ, my home building. I am early and wait. Fifteen minutes late, I met a new doctor, and he surprised me with his energy and excitement. He looks at the provided EKG, and we then review my experiences since my last workup. I am doing well. My EKG has a slight abnormality, which will have no impact, and I ask for an explanation. I get a five-minute well-done lecture on how the heart’s electrical pulses propagate and what the readings mean. He reminds me of my experience with cardiac docs; they love to talk shop and give good news–they don’t get to do it enough. I am passed for surgery, and questions and concerns are welcome, “call any time.” He recommends getting a new workup after the surgery, as the chemotherapy could have made some changes, but there is nothing to do now.

I have an hour or so for the next doctor, so I head across Beaverton in Air Volvo. This office is on St.V’s campus, where the surgery will be done. Doc G, the neurosurgeon, will remove the tumor and restore any nerve issues. I met him first in his office, where he covered everything, and I asked questions about my brain scans. He explains that all is good except for the tumor, showing me the scans. He does a neurological exam, and that is all. I met the scheduler, and they will soon call me with days, likely in April. I am disappointed as I do not want to worry about this for ten weeks! I should hear soon. The likely date will be near my 60th birthday, 16 April 2024.

I head back to the office and talk to my boss. We are waiting for an official day. Concentrating on work after a morning filled with medical stuff is hard.

I head to McMenamins Cedar Mills for the same lunch I had last time: an Aztec salad and iced tea. I wonder if I am having issues with salads. I seem to get gas and other side effects. It is time to experiment.

I joined MyFitnessPal this morning and started tracking my steps, exercises, foods, and calories to lose some weight and increase my activity. This was my plan all along with it, starting after my trip to New Orleans trip. MyFitnessPal was a highly rated app. I record my steps and food.

I do hours of meetings, and soon, I have colon issues again. I have repeated the issue. Now, I will have lunch without the salad and see if it goes away. I head out at 4PM after multiple sudden visits to the restroom!

I head to the other side of Beaverton again, following the path that once led to the hummingbird house. Before reaching the facility, I stopped at Target to get some flowers for Z. Z is in a middle school play. Next, I stop at Sushi Hanna for dinner. This is a track sushi joint with a low cost per plate. The rolls and raw fish are not all exotic types, but they are fresh. I have four plates, hot tea, and miso soup. Perfect for a cold and rainy day in Oregon.

I headed to Whitford Middle School for their play Box or La Caja. Z had three parts that required costume changes. The play is about life and the moods of middle school, and each student carries a box that represents their desires, challenges, and personality in school. The different actors introduce their box and explain it. Z had two different boxes as Z played three parts. The play is done back and forth in English and Spanish. A projector has both texts. I follow along often on the screen as my hearing issues make it hard to hear some words. My Spanish is not good enough, and I read English. Z has one of the darker parts, and she is believable. The play is excellent, and soon, the audience dispels disbelief and enters into the emotions of middle school. It seems real.

After the short play, only forty minutes, I give Z the flowers. I brought Z and Dondrea masks from the Big Easy. They loved them too.

After that, I took Air Volvo back to the Volvo Cave. There, I had a snack of raisin toast (which I recorded in the app) and wrote the blog. Dondrea and Z sent me home with a little electric throw to use in the office.

I am barely able to stay awake. Thanks for reading!