Author: alohawild

Wednesday night, I finished the blog sitting at the bar of Wildwood not far from the Volvo Cave. I had a second lighter beer, a locally made Pilsner while setting up the solo game, Ottoman Sunset. Some of my fellow beer drinkers were interested in the board game and came and looked at it after I had played it for a while. The goal was to survive the events that the Ottoman Empire (and later the Young Turks) faced from 1914 to 1918. These events are represented by a deck of cards that move threats, represented by troop markers on tracks coming closer to Istanbul. The deck has three sets of events at different times, but you must play them all to win. You can also sort them by number to repeat history in order. While the threats come closer, you have battles on other fronts to win and keep the people supporting the war. If they don’t, you repeat the fall of the Empire, just like what happened in history.

I found the cards exciting and managed to get through most of them, with maybe twenty left when Istanbul fell to the British Mesopotamian force. Lawrance of Arabia was also closing on me, too. I am not sure I like the game yet, as I mostly hoped for good rolls (representing driving back the invaders), and that is not a strategy (but it might be historically more accurate). I think it will play fast once I have the game rules down. The events in the deck are like a class on WW1 moments. I think there are more strategies available to me.

I closed Wildwood as I left just before 10PM when they close on Wednesdays. Air Volvo got me home without incident, and soon I went to bed. I woke up; I was working from home today as I had a delivery today, at 7AM (getting a little more sleep than my usual 6AM).

Waking and getting started were hard. I was missing Susie and just wanted to say, “F**k you,” to the world, and roll over and never get up again. I don’t want this world without my wife. I do not want the memory of her death and her body’s last moment with me, lovely dressed by Jennifer and holding Bunny, her hat, and a rose I brought her a day before. No tears, just sitting on the bed looking at my slippers.

But I put them on. I got my robe. I made coffee. I reheated wonton soup for breakfast–I need to go grocery shopping, but I like soup for breakfast. I take the soup and coffee into the home office and start my day.

Today for work is a KT day: Knowledge Transfer. Our team has a consulting company writing the code and designing some of the solutions for the new go-live this December. They need to turn them over and provide us with KT. While the developers have written some impressive items, the code has flaws and needs some important corrections. Apparently, I am still a talented enough ABAP programmer to help define these issues. I am glad I could bring some value. Notes and discussions will follow, but KT is done. We get the new stuff with the issues we identified. Life in IT for a multi-national. All this is on Zoom with India and the USA overlapping our morning and their early evening.

Between things, I also cleaned up my Quicken accounts and got eTrade reconnected to Quicken, at least partially. I also opened a new high-interest savings account, a 4.5% interest account in US Bank, under my name and Social Security Number. I can move the insurance money there now. Better.

John Nilsen has set aside 23March2024 in Beverton and 18April2024 in Lansing for Susie’s Celebration. More details to follow. I still have to check with Grace United Methodist in Lansing if we can have that date, but I think it should be OK as we are so far in advance.

Leta, Susie’s mother, has surgery on her broken arm on Friday. Leta fell last week and broke her right arm. I am hopeful.

I had a few more Zoom meetings to approve software changes and process items. A headache had me resting for the afternoon. I was glad I was home; the headache would have sent me home anyway.

My super (and expensive) chessboard controller for my cool electronic chessboard was delivered today. I powered it up and updated it by giving it access to my WIFI network. It is Raspberry Pi inside and Linux and can play, using a natural and standard wood chess set, across the internet. Yes!

I recycled Susie’s Skater Magazines and started clearing away the paper blob she had from years of ice skating, judging, and interacting with the cancer folks in Seattle. The rules books, notes from classes on judging, and other items without context without Susie are going. It is sad, but Susie would likely have tossed them years ago if she had been well enough, so there is nothing to save.

I found Susie’s own clipboard with her name on it. It was a treasured possession of hers, a gift for judging in a competition, and she always had it with her when judging. She would always use it instead of a plain clipboard. The clipboard was next to three inches of rules books in a Cambell Soup World Championship skating bag, another treasured possession. I remember Susie carrying that with her when she was judging. I kept the bag and the clipboard.

I will continue clearing the papers, magazines, and unneeded documents. Again, Susie would have done it if she was well enough years ago. Time to let go. There is time for everything, as the preacher said. I hope to get the room back in order and my chess table back in the room to use with the new computer.

I forget how grief leaves me mixed up sometimes. I popped out to Safeway for groceries and items to make Indian food tonight. It took me three trips around Safeway to get everything. I realized I had forgotten my wallet, put my cart aside, headed out, and took Air Volvo on a here-and-back trip to get it in just a few minutes. I then checked out and walked out without my bank card or paying.

I must admit, I was thinking about Susie the whole time I was shopping today and almost heard her telling me I should buy something. “Buy the good toilet paper–remember the last time you bought the cheap stuff,” I remember her saying.  Susie loved to grocery shop with me. She was the dietician, so I had to do what she said; she loved that. She pushed the cart, and I got to walk behind.

Returning to the story, one of the checkers, the Iraqi guy Awz, stopped me, wished me well, and told me how sorry he was about my loss. While I did not think I was upset, I managed to walk out as I said. The other checker ran after me and brought me back to Safeway to fix everything and return my bank card. Everything was OK, and everyone was supportive–they saw the grief that I did not know I was showing. It was a hard day.

On the more fun side, the holidays are starting, and the world apparently needed to update the gingerbread house. Yes, you can get Barbie, Trolls, Swiss Miss, Godiva, and Minion versions of the old gingerbread house kits. I said, “F**k,” when I saw this. Not sure we really needed this.

I know what you (at least some of you) are thinking. “WTF! Where is the Star Wars one?” A silver one for the Mandalorian. Maybe we should also have a retro Star Trek house too. Hmmm.

After I returned to the Volvo Cave and put away my goodies, I defrosted the chicken breasts I had put out in the microwave. I reserved one huge chicken breast for later. I cut up the rest, still partially frozen (it cuts easier), and made a mix of garlic and ginger paste with lots of ground cardamom with salt and some turmeric powder. I added cayenne pepper for a little zing. I put this on the chicken and rubbed it in, and let the chicken warm up while absorbing the spices. I thinly sliced a red onion and combined that with some bay leaves together with the chicken, and fried it in a pan. Once done, the chicken was a bit tough, I sprinkled some chopped cilantro on it to finish it. I heated some frozen Naan from Trader Joe’s to go with it. This is a reworking of a recipe in 666 Curies, my favorite Indian-style cookbook–recommended.

I watched a movie, my usual modus operandi while cooking, and enjoyed Knives Out again. The headache comes and goes today. The food was great (but likely better with thighs or drumsticks as per the recipe). I then wrote the blog.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

Wednesday started with me waking just before my 6AM alarm. The early start lets me be ready at the office at 8AM, my first Zoom meeting. I decided to just have breakfast at work and reheat yesterday’s coffee. It was not that good. I did my usual things and found myself at loose ends a few times. I will have to start riding the immobile bike soon. I have the time.

Air Volvo found a school bus on the way to work, but I was still early. But I forgot my Nike Badge and had to scan a QR code to add myself as a visitor to Swift at WHQ. Yes, that is the process. I did this all on the tiny phone screen, and then the desk folks took my picture and gave me a paper badge I used to enter. I put it in my pocket.

I got breakfast, talked to some folks about some issues, and was a bit late for my first meeting. No matter. Next, I did the next couple of hours of meetings. There were more discussions on various topics, and soon, lunch appeared with huge burgers with all the fixings plus cheese and bacon as options. I had a burger at my desk. There were chicken breasts as an option, too.

We have open seating, but everyone always sits in the same place. Very human. So I sat in my usual spot and ate at my desk. When I do the Zoom meetings, I am in the atrium, sitting on a window seat, talking to the screen. I don’t use headphones as my left ear scrambles the sound–but now it has gone deaf in that ear. I discovered on the plane that I could use headphones again. But, for now, I pick up my laptop and go somewhere that will not disturb people. I don’t want to be that guy who is talking loudly with headphones on.

I did a few more Zoom meetings and talked to a few folks about various work issues. We are planning some improvements after the go-live this holiday.

Yes, I am working every day but Christmas once December starts. The big installation is coming up.

I left 4:30ish. At the house, I rested briefly but woke up before 5:30 and made dinner. I got out a frozen chicken cordon blue, frozen corn on the cob, and the remains of a Caesar salad from GrubHub yesterday and summoned dinner into existence. Corn on the cob, even frozen, is always good. I did not make any sauce for the chicken but I still like it.

John Nilsen sent me potential dates for Susie’s celebration, and I picked the 23rd of March for Oregon and the 18th of May for Michigan. I thought 2PM would work better, but 4PM would work better in Oregon. I am looking forward to getting this moving–Susie would love it.

After dinner, I headed to Wildwood Taphouse and wrote this at the bar. I am fatigued still, and it is a challenge to write this. JR hugged me, and with damp eyes, we drank a toast to Susie–she would love this place.

I hope to try Ottoman Sunset today. I was going to use a larger table, but someone took it, and I let them have it. I can use the other one.

Sorry, it is short today. It’s just mostly work today. Thanks for reading!

 

Dinner was with Mariah tonight. We decided to compare Texas to Oregon, so I ordered yet-another-ribeye. Mariah went with the fillet steak. My steak was good but was not 1/2 inch thick and had little salt, unlike the Texas version. Mariah’s fillet was slightly over-cooked (a sin against nature and, I think, anti-patriotic), but still good, she said. Our waiter, the unflappable Eric at BJ’s Brewhouse, was willing to take it back–but Mariah was not that guy who sends a decent steak back. The potato was perfect, the salad was well made, and the dressing, A Thousand Islands, was slightly tangy–again, excellent. Eric constantly checking in and brought me coffee and cream without asking when I finished. I finished with a shot of Armaredo with the coffee. Mariah stuck to red wine, something called Freak-Out Red, which was dry and excellent, according to Mariah.

Mariah and I talked about writing. I asked her about my blog (this one), and she said I could make the mundane interesting and important. She was disappointed when I wrote shorter blogs, and I will try to add some extra moments I sometimes leave out on shorter blogs, like today’s. Before, I always worried about writing too much, and now I see I should put that fear away.

While we had a nice dinner, we both seemed to notice that Susie was not there for dinner, and our chat was no longer about Susie, which was a bit disquieting. I only cried once when discussing Susie’s last day with us. I cry most days, usually just wet eyes–the sobbing seldom returns.

I forgot to bring Mariah’s T-shirt and other trinkets from Alamo Music Center next time. It was good to catch up. We had a nice, pleasant meal with Eric, hovering to ensure everything went well.

Before this, I discovered that IMPAX, Susie’s IRA management company, had locked down her online account after her death. They have not sent me the forms to transfer ownership. I went to their website, found the forms, downloaded them, printed them out, and filled out the IRA forms to open an account for me. I identified the account I was taking over, Susie’s. I wrote a letter to explain what I wanted to do. I included this with a copy of the first page of Susie’s last IRA statement and put all that in a large envelope with a Death Certificate (short form) and a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the certificate. Seeing that Nike did not need me, I drove to the post office and sent the information to IMPAX first class for about a buck and a half.

Before this, I collected the mail and had another Kickstarter delivered. I am unsure if this is a Christmas present for Cat or something I want to keep. This is the comic Skies & Fire republished in slipcased volumes I and II with foil imprints. I also got a check for over $490 for over-repaying my loan against my 401K–I used Susie’s insurance settlement to pay off the loan I used to cover her medical expenses. This seemed sensible to me. When paying off debt, it is nearly impossible to get a perfect pay-off, and I was not surprised to get a check. I try to use US Bank’s app to deposit checks instead of driving them to a bank. This requires holding the phone perfectly to get the front and back images. It took three attempts to get the back of the check accepted.

Moving even further back in the day, I worked in the afternoon while the lawn service suffered with the leaves. My lawn waste can is full, and they took about twice that with them. Only some of the trees have let go of this year’s leaves. I was on Zoom calls with the mowing and blowers running, but even with the noise, I followed along and approved some items.

I ordered lunch as I was at the house. Mariah’s mother was coming to the house to pick up a set of laundry appliances stored there for a while. I left the garage open after I got here, and they, without me noticing, grabbed their items. Another item off my checklist–Excellent. Thanks!

Beginning this work-from-the-office day, I started at 6AM and woke before my alarm. I got up a bit early and started coffee but would, remembering how much better I felt at Zorida’s in Texas, have only one cup of coffee. I read emails, partially catching up on emails (there are too many to read them all from four days), Slack messages (again, only the newest ones), and some news to prepare for my day. I was soon dressed and headed out without a coffee cup as I hoped to reduce my coffee drinking. I had my last yogurt for breakfast as I needed to eat with my meds, which I remembered to take.

On reaching the office at Nike WHQ, breakfast was served, and I had more for breakfast and slipped and had a second cup of coffee without thinking, but I did not have a third one until Eric brought it to me after dinner at BJ’s. Better.

I spent the morning doing Zoom meetings. I also talked to my boss for a while, including discussing the new CTIO that Nike has hired, Dr Muge Erdirik Dogan. We have a new boss. No comments can be published here, of course.

I headed home and opened the garage door when Air Volvo got me there without issues. I ordered lunch to be delivered from Happy Panada. I like their food, but it is a bit plain for many. I had that while watching YouTube, including updates from Battleship New Jersey plans for dry docking.

I next had a decision to make. Would I make another ad hoc trip, visit the coast, or stay home for the upcoming holiday weekend here in the US? I checked with my boss, Brad, and Rajani, our leader for master data, and I was free to travel that weekend. After considering some insane items, including trying to make Thanksgiving dinner in Michigan, I went of the more simple seeing the ships in San Diego and enjoying the now luxurious US Grant Hotel (The Grant family, as I have read, took the money from the US 17th President’s autobiography and built a hotel as an investment–it worked well for them and still is named for the president). I will have dinner with the Weld-Martins and fly on Friday (a direct flight very early) and fly back (a direct flight and early too) on Sunday morning. This gives me most of Friday and all of Saturday to visit the ships and various sights. I might be able to attend church in Oregon on Sunday!

I also bought an updated and expensive chess computer: Mephisto Phoenix. I have the previous version, and chess has always fascinated me. I will try to set up the computer permanently in the house soon. This is a Millennium and should plug into my existing computer chess board, an early birthday present for myself.

I talked to Leta today; Barb (her daughter) was out then. Surgery is out as Leta is too old (95) and not in the best health, so braces are the remaining option. Barb is searching the Internet for a solution and might have found something that may work, according to Leta. Fingers crossed. More doctors will be met to get second opinions and also to get access to physical therapy. Leta is looking at a facility until she can better care for herself. This is all in flux, and I only put it here to help.

I punched the solo board game Ottoman Sunset and put it in the car. One of these nights, I hope to try it out. Today, dinner and writing got in the way. Maybe Wednesday. Gaming with Z is on hold as school practices are in the way of gaming opening on Wednesday for that possibility.

Goodness, I kept my promise, and this is a long blog!

Thanks for reading.

Today started with me sleeping well and waking before my 7:45 Sunday alarm. I had no plans other than to pack and hang out with Zorida for the morning. I had a 3:45 flight, but it boarded just after 3PM. The flight would take me back to Salt Lake City and repeat the rush to the next flight with another 35-minute connection, but it made the day easier not to be trapped in an airport for hours between flights. Zorida, once again, made us a fine breakfast and some coffee. My caffeine intake was down to one cup of coffee a day, and I felt better for it. I will keep it that way, I think.

Time flew, and soon it was later morning and time to hug Zorida and try the rental out on Texas traffic again. I packed my roller bag and my travel bag (red Nike gym back) into Air Ford and let Nav take me to the airport. I was surprised that the Nav worked, and I had no issues finding my way into the airport and returning the car. Texas drivers hold on to their lanes and aggressively go where they want. There also seem to be two types of drivers in San Antonio: Those who can’t go slow and those who only go slow. This creates a conflict and, with the aggressive lane changing, explains why all the barriers (I do mean all) are marked from violent contact. I looked at all the barriers while Zorida drove us into the city and noticed the marks!

I found my way to Delta and checked my bag, but it could have been free, as they will let you check a roller bag for free. But you never know if they will continue this, and I could not pull it behind me and make my connections, so I paid the $30 and checked my bag. I was surprised that the Delta App informed me that the bag was on the plane and the next plane. You can track your bag; excellent!

Security was simple. It is strange not to worry about Susie or others traveling with me. Just me and easy–I am used to traveling hard with Susie. It did take two tries in the X-Ray thing for me. I moved or something, but the second shot worked, and I was free, and I reassembled my belt and shoes and headed to my gate.

There was no food by the gate. I walked back five gates to the smoked BBQ place and ordered a large beer and a brisket sandwich with cheese. It was American Cheese (yuk!) and salty. I ate my sandwich meat (still too salty) and had a side made of corn in a spicey creamy mix that was excellent (and not salty). I knew there would be no food until I got home, so I ate a good lunch.

My gate was crowded, and I was still unwilling to sit beside someone. I found an opening with nobody next to me. I also noticed that our plane was landing at Salt Lake City Airport at a gate nowhere near my connection and talked to the Delta agent at the gate. She surprised me at boarding by moving me to 17A to get me off the plane sooner. It is always good to talk to an agent–they have your back!

The flight was the usual packed-in full flight I usually experience now. I managed to stay awake and thus grab a ginger ale and a cookie. Delta has excellent cookies. The other snacks are OK. I watched a movie and noticed that the hearing in my left ear is completely gone now; ugh! I wanted to see Astroiod City, but events prevented that, so I watched it on the plane. It is a strange film that I am not sure I would recommend, but it was fun to try it.

Soon, the two-hour flight ended, I deplaned without any actual delay (it is hard to watch people hold you up while retrieving their roller bags), and I walked fast for fifteen minutes to cross the airport. I was at gate A45 for only minutes before walking onto the plane. I started on A12. This is an hour or so flight, and I watched Stanely Tucci’s foodie show episode set in London. I had never been to London and did not know that London is three times the size of NYC. I may have to fit London into my travel plans after enjoying watching Tucci find excellent food (!) in the UK. I also read more Canadian crime-mystery on my iPhone.

Sunset over the Great Salt Lake.

I snagged coffee with cream (real cream!) on this flight and a cookie that was oh-so-good dipped in the creamy coffee. The steward agreed that the coffee and cookie were an excellent combination. I managed a chapter of my book, one cup of coffee with two cookies from a package, and the London episode from Stanely Tucci before we landed.

I found my luggage and then walked the whole length of the terminal from the closed men’s room to the only one on the first floor. The info gal saw me, knew what I was doing, and smiled as I rushed, and then I pretended to be relieved when I went past her again. She was laughing. Yes, there is no place like home!

PDX travelers take a picture of their feet on the carpet when returning (and leaving), often with no comment as the local signal that they are traveling.

The carpet is famous and has a unique pattern that we all love. The carpet is a bit cut up by the construction, so there was a giant Post-It on the wall acknowledging this. The blue and grey carpet is temporary. It is a thing here.

I could not, at first, find the car, as I used the wrong tunnel. I was looking for the Orange Trout marked elevator, and I could only see the Orange Crab elevators–yes, we are back in Portland. I tried the Crab and found the 7th floor was the roof, but the photo showed the car inside on the 7th. Hmmm. I headed to the next garage, but that was Purple, which was wrong. I returned to the Orange Crab (eye rolls resisted) and did the roof. I walked into the inside garage nearby, and Air Volvo was where I left it–yay!

I did not take a ticket as you can, if you know this, put in your credit card and do not get a ticket. On exit, I put in the same credit card, paid, and exited in all one action. Excellent! The trip home across Portland and Beverton was comfortable and not memorable.

I reached home and got the mail and found all my packages, including some heavy terrain building kits from New Zealand for a Kickstarter, and the mail. I soon had that handled, including decking for IJN Yamato 1/700, which I plan to build soon, and one bill was paid. I started laundry and ordered pasta and a salad delivered. Which soon came.

I wrote the blog while eating.

Thanks for reading! Thank Zorida for her kindness–it was a good visit.

Working backward, I am back at Zorida’s house writing the blog. I fly out on Monday, so this is my last night here. We decided to try out the Longhorn Steak House fifteen minutes away on roads that Zorida knows. The food was good (Zorida’s soup was salty–an issue we often have in Texas: They love salt), and my ribeye steak was excellent. The salad was the usual, but the sweet potato with butter and cinnamon sugar was perfect. I had a ginger ale and Jack Daniels, as the beer in Texas has been a disappointment these couple of days–back to whiskeys! The steak was blackened on the sides and perfect inside, and the salt was at the right level. So, it’s not a bad ending for Texas evening.

Before dinner, we napped at the house, and I rested and read my Kindle on my phone. I am enjoying my Canada-based crime murder mystery. We returned to the house after lunch on the River Walk. We tried the Casa Rio;  I ordered the “deluxe plate,” their most popular item according to the menu. I will not recommend it. I wanted to try the place as it was called the longest-running restaurant on the River Walk since 1946, and I figured it might not be great, but it should be good. No recommendation from me. But still, I was happy to try it.

Briscoe Western Art Museum is on the River Walk, and we did try to find another place, but it was in a Hotel. We then walked to the River Walk and saw the Casa Rio, only to learn that we walked about twice as far as there is a back entrance from their parking lot. Also, it was $25 to park in the parking garage on a Sunday for less than four hours!

Before this, we traveled on the highways back into San Antonio from Zorida’s house to find the Briscoe Art Western Museum. There was light rain, and we could not find any reasonable street parking, so we used the parking garage across the street (for $25-30 on Sunday, as I said already!). There are no shoulders or significant space for the water to accumulate in, and thus, you have to be careful driving in the rain here as the puddles can be considerable.

The museum was wonderful and full of paintings, sculptures–metal, clay, and stone, and objects. The saddles were a study in the history of saddles, the culture of horse riding, and some just from famous folks. Pancho Via’s was not far from Wild Bill’s and a room away from Santa Anna’s sword. The paintings of views of the West and various natives, cowboys/girls, and military from long ago were stunning. A French woman had a show of her black and white photos of the current life on the range and rodeos from the current times. It was surprising and told a great story of the people of the West. It looked old and new at the same time.

The Alamo Room told the story well–their diorama was better than anything at the Alamo, and a whole Wells Fargo stagecoach made me want to build a model to match. I was only sorry that the gift shop did not have a book on the general items in the museum for me to take home. I only found wooden nickles that seemed the perfect gift.

We started the morning around 8ish, and Zorida made breakfast again. Scrambled eggs with chicken with toast.

I slept well. The mattress was unbalanced and set off of the box spring below it, and it nearly dumped me at 4ish. I pushed the bed back to normal, and all was well afterward.

Thanks for reading.