Author: alohawild

I turned off the heat and air circulation, opened the office window and the sliding door (leaving the screen door in place, of course), and let the house cool and dry out with the fresh air. I did not open a window in the bedroom as 1) it was garbage day, 2) my neighbors are often up early, 3) and my allergies would not improve with more exposure to pollen. I woke, having slept the night, with my alarm at 7. Then I luxuriated in bed until 7:35. Finally rising and happy to not be coughing, and the cold air (56F) felt good (but the floor and carpet were cold enough that my cold sensitive feet (from the chemo) actually cramped.

My flannel robe kept me warm, and I did skip my exercises, mostly because I could not fit them into the quickly disappearing morning. Soon the sun was heating the deck, and my feet enjoyed the heat and stopped heating.

I had hours of Zoom calls this morning, Friday, but this is a work-from-home day, so there is no rushing to work in Air Volvo. I read the emails, Slack channel updates, and news. I updated my Quicken. I remembered to take my pills.

At noonish (I had dressed in an hour break between meetings), I boarded Air Volvo with my Nike and Apple laptop and headed to Susie’s place at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. I called ahead that I was on the way but would find lunch. Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide, informed me that the top of Susie’s hands was red with a sunburn. I agreed to get Susie some sunscreen, and Jeniffer did not know, apparently it never comes up in gray Oregon, that Susie is allergic to the sun.

I believe we were sitting in the sun for about an hour over the past two days. I noticed my hands were darker, so it was more sunlight than I thought. I will be more careful (I believe that the Oregon sun strikes hard as the air is usually dry and there is little pollution; thus, the sky is darker blue as there is less to deflect the light).

I got some teriyaki chicken at a new place on the way. Then, I stopped at Target, just a few minutes from the hummingbird house, and purchased flowers, sunscreen, and some post-sun stuff (Jennifer approved of my choices). Susie was happy to see me finally arriving near 2ish.

I tried the Sunblock 50 on Susie’s hands and then took her out (after Jennifer moved her to the wheelchair). It was hot, 91F (33c), and I pushed Susie to the cool bench in the cedars. It is a perfect place on hot sunny days. There are no butterflies yet, but I did see two small white ones from the office at the Volvo Cave so soon. We sat there and enjoyed the shade (less risk of Susie just melting or going puff from the sun), and little dogs and people went by. Everyone was smiling.

We called Leta, Susie’s mother, and then Susie’s sister, Barb. They were both happy to see Susie in the shade near the cedars. The deciduous redwood needle/leaves are starting (I ordered one for the house–they grow in wet spaces; I have the perfect place for a redwood). We had an excellent talk with both of them and enjoyed the day, but I was still working today–so we were back at hummingbird house soon.

Susie was resting in bed, and I had a chair and a table to work on. I set up my Nike and Apple and continued along working. I put on Moana(2016) from Disney+ for Susie while I worked, but I must admit I like the movie and watched it too. I like the songs and the sailing. I cried a few times. Susie just watched.

I was still there for the 4:30 status meeting, so I called in from Susie’s room, and Susie said hello to the Nike folks on the status call. Susie nodded off as we discussed data conversions and timelines (so many jokes that I need to leave alone). Susie woke up as I was packing up, and I kissed her goodbye after getting her crash pad in place. Susie is a falling-out-of-bed risk (she fell once), so she has a crash pad and rails.

Traffic was stupid, and The City of Beaverton continued to put holes in Hall Street. As a result, everyone was going slow, blinded by the glare as few Oregonians have sunglasses in their cars in April–I do (Nike brand, I am sure you, dear reader, are not surprised to learn). I arrived safely in Air Volvo and found some new items for the board game Blood Rage (updated components) and a prescription.

I washed my face and then headed out again. I went to the local Sushi place, Sushi Zen, and enjoyed getting my dinner from the track. The place started to fill up, and have a waiting list by the time I had my last bit of uncooked fish. Always good.

Next, I drove to Wildwood Taphouse, sat inside (it was too hot and bright to write a blog outside), and wrote this blog.

Thanks for reading!

 

The sun is down, and a sunny, dry day with temperatures of 75F+ (24C) ends. We don’t get this weather except for the past few years. I remember my first few years here, we moved here in 1996, and there was no Sun until July; it was still cloudy and rainy for much of July. Then, we would see a few hot days in August, 90+, and then it would settle down again; the rains would return in late September, and by Halloween, it was raining every day–the kids were soaked in their costumes.

I read, sitting in a lawn chair tonight in my backyard with my bare feet in the thick grass; I got some new lawn chairs from REI (delivered) during the end of the pandemic–they were on special, and I could use my REI dividends to cover some of the cast. At the time, I ordered two, thinking Susie would like one and we could take them on trips. I have mixed emotions getting only one out. It is an excellent folding chair. I am sure Susie would want a pillow.

I turned off the heat and opened the sliding glass door and the window in the office. I will not open the bedroom window as my allergies will if they don’t kill me, make me wish I was dead. But I know better with all the trees starting up and grasses going all out. My eyes are burning.

The morning started with me thinking that I should just call in sick. I had read late until midnight and then woke a few times, proved I was hydrated, and then my leg decided to cramp. Finally, I slept at 5AM to be woken at 6AM, ugh. I managed to rise, stand, put on my slippers, and find the rest of the house.

I did my lesser workout and was happy to finish at about 6:30, giving me time to make coffee, liberal coffee, and some oatmeal with dried cranberries (I am out of walnuts). I read emails, Slack channel updates, and the news for the rest of the early morning. After that, I showered, dressed in another dress shirt–my fellow Nike folks all but roll their eyes when they see me. I then started Air Volvo and aborted the take-off (I never got off my street). I went back inside, took my morning pills, loaded the coffee cup with liberal coffee, and then reboarded Air Volvo.

The trip to work required sunglasses, and everyone moved and drove happily. Every driver was polite and signaled for lane changes, and seemed thrilled to be alive on such a wonderful morning and did not want to ruin it with an accident or near-miss with the usual angry gestures and comments. As a result, I was early for work.

I did start my two hours of Zoom meetings and followed along for various team and project meetings. I sat by myself in a conference room about six feet from some participants. The usual Thursday set.

I headed on this glorious day to Nike WHQ, which looked different under our slightly dark blue skies with no rain, water reflections, or clouds. No gray anywhere. The WHQ has vast lawns, and the grass was plugged and dethatched with farmer-sized lawn equipment. Impressive.

I met Scott at Serena Williams Building at Nike; we ate there in the cafeteria, getting a DIY salad from the salad bar. Then, we sat in the sun on the porch. We talked about work, projects, and family items. Scott and I have done many projects together; he works in the Trading Company for the biz. Some of this is the secret financial sauce for Nike–don’t look for any details here.

Scott suggested a trip to the newly renovated buildings, and we stopped in one and chatted for a while in the lobby sitting on a ring coach that went the length of the lobby. The building has been much improved since I saw it last. We did wave at and even chatted with a few friends who were happy to see us sitting there. The Nike WHQ is not like any other workplace–Magnificant. Scott is a Nike tour guide, and he had another group to do, so I headed out, thanking Scott for the mini-tour.

I walked to the NYC garage for fifteen minutes to cross the campus and then headed to Susie at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Susie was waiting for me in her recliner, napping in the shared living room. Susie was happy to get in her wheelchair (Jennifer put Susie in her wheelchair with an ease I am always envious of) and head to Metzger Park.

Dogs everywhere. Kids everywhere. The park was sparkling with care from the staff. The water fountains are now back, crushed graven for parking, the detritus from the storms and winter gone, and the paths ready for use. The English daises are still bright, and there are even more. I notice none in the main field, so the staff has been deliberate and careful with weed control. Excellent.

We sat in the sun and called Leta on my iPhone using FaceTime to see Leta so she could see us. We talk about her new deck, and she gives us a remote tour. She is looking forward to warmer weather to sit on her deck and relax in the sun. Soon!

I am rushed a bit, so we just do the park, and then I get Susie back. It was short but longer than many of my trips. Susie was disappointed I had to leave but was happy to get out and spend some time with me.

I return to work and follow along. Nothing breaks with the data conversions, and so it is the first quiet afternoon in a while. I do the last meeting as my shift ends and then head out. I upgraded my Nike laptop to a new version of Windows and discussed how that went with the Tech Bar person–feedback is good, as many co-workers will soon have to take the same journey.

I travel in Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. I reheat the extra pork chop and leftover sides for dinner. I read some news while eating.

Next, I headed outside as I described at the start, coming full circle.

My fancy yellow tulips have bloomed, and my red Turkish-like tulips are still a splash of color.

The apple tree (not Apple but apple) that fell over and has been pruned back into a tree shape is also flowering.

My roses are all canes, thorns, and leaves. The one climber with some yellowing seems to be drying out and recovering from the wet spring that threatened to drown it. The other climber is bright green (and on higher ground) and growing fast in the hot sun (both are Wedgewood by David Austin). The Cardinal rose, Cardinal de Richelieu, looks a bit unhappy, but I hope the fertilizer I placed on it (and the yellowing climber) will make it happy. The other new rose, Souvenir Du Président Lincoln, is a bourbon rose (1865) and is growing fine (it is more fragile than modern roses), and the canes are larger now (it is grown on its own roots, unlike the grafted Wedgewood).

All the other roses look happy.

I expect I will have flowers everywhere soon!

Thanks for reading.

This took longer as I wandered on the Internet on pages on roses. So many that would look so nice. Oh my!

I am in The Rock, a pizza and beer joint that makes wood-baked pizzas that I love. I have not been back since Susie’s stroke. The bartender remembered me and asked about Susie (scared of what the answer would be), and while sad to hear about Susie’s current condition, he was happy to hear she was stable and still going. I showed him a few recent pictures, and he was relieved. There is no place like home; even the pizza folks remember you.

My sister, Linda, had some tests today and is recovering. Been there, and it is mostly the anesthetic that makes it hard. She should be better after some rest.

Mom Wild got a new phone, all pink, and once fully installed, it will print the words you say on a screen. It is mainly for folks with hearing issues, but Mom already loves it. Apparently, it is very pink.

Starting Wednesday, the alarm at 6AM woke me after I had woken at 4:15, 5:10. 5:20 and 5:35, and I finally slept. The alarm was not welcome. It took me an uncharacteristically five minutes to get out of bed. More of a summoning than a waking.

The kitchen took only a bit to find, and there started to heat water for coffee. Next, I found the living room and its floor. I started music, Adele, on the Alexa device and completed exercises and stretches. Time just flies by, and when I reach the office with a bagel (from NYC, thanks Joyce) and coffee–liberal French Press (I spent a moment on the way to the kitchen in the office reading some emails, and thus I was out-sequence of my usual sequence), I have only ten minutes left. Ugh.

I manage to read emails, Slack channel updates, and news websites to get a handle on the morning, so I am ready to start. I rush off to the shower. Again, I recently decided to dress in a dress shirt and new pants to celebrate the end of the pandemic and my upcoming retirement–I am through with worn-out pants and T-shirts. But I might wear some cool T-shirts, but now I will choose to wear them.

My co-workers were surprised by my dress style change. But they are getting used to it.

I arrive in the office before 8 and start a long morning of Zoom meetings. I forgo the all-people meeting for the project as a status meeting is over it–I let my fellows attend the project meeting while I did the Zoom status meeting.

The shoe company has an upgrade for my laptop, a new Windows version. I follow the pre-checks, but no update is available to me. So I visit the experts for help at the Performance Bar. I am served, and they determine, “Why yes, you are getting an update, and no, it does not seem ready for you yet.”

After that, I head out to see Susie at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Despite a near-perfect day, the Beaverton Police were not seen on Highway 26 or 217. I reached Susie just before noon without any incidents, close calls, or delays from The City of Beaverton’s program of beautification by digging holes, an unsuccessful program.

Susie was ready for an adventure, and while I suggested camping in Metzger Park, we did a tour instead–Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide, just ignored me. It was a wonderful day, and Susie, safely moved into her wheelchair by Jennifer, was without a coat.

The park had collected dogs with humans, some legal (leashed) and others illegal (free-running). But the free-running dogs were well-behaved, so there was no trouble. Little kids were everywhere, and a young gal set out a blanket and had her late lunch. There were smiles around as the rains this year seemed oppressive and everlasting. A hot sunny day in April was welcome and unexpected–there were cheerful people (and dogs) everywhere. Again, Susie admired the English daisies (tiny little flowers considered a weed) in the park.

We called Leta from a bench in the sun. Leta chatted with us for twenty minutes or so. Susie listened to the call while watching the people and dogs. After Leta rang off, Susie and I spent another twenty minutes watching people, occasionally petting a pouch and enjoying a post-pandemic moment in Metzger Park. I had to return to the shoe company, and Susie was disappointed that I was leaving after an hour, but I had to return to work. I left her with Jennifer after a kiss and a promise to return on Thursday.

I had lunch at Red Robin and chatted about elections with Trump supporters. Always fun to find common ground. I enjoyed my Ensalada platter, and the Trump folks discovered that a liberal Democrat was not a demon worshipper or criminal. It was unreal for me. Last time for lunch there as this is twice now, and I would just like to eat and possibly watch sports.

Work was quiet, but I did help with a few design and software bugs. Mostly these are crises of the moment which disappear the next day. So I headed home after the last meeting and an ad hoc design session on data egress. There was no gaming with Z tonight, so I headed out for dinner after dropping off some mail for Corwin. Corwin, who lived with us for a long time, lives in a house about a mile away.

Thanks for reading.

Update: I did not cover this. As I drove back to the office my colon decided it needed attention. I managed to not have a sequencing issue, but I was in and out of the restroom for the afternoon. I was exhausted and was happy to head home–after everything emptied. I cover this as it was part of my experience today. I was worried that I would have a problem but managed to sequence properly, and everything was OK. I will say that it was like a colonoscopy prep–everything left. Yikes.

Tired tonight, Tuesday, so this will be short and hopefully focused. I met Shiva and Subha at Central Station Taps for a drink at 6:45PM. Subha stayed with water, but Shiva had a beer. We talked about work and life and how we are doing. It is the first time we have all met since the pandemic–it was good to meet. Central Station Taps was busy for a Tuesday, and there was little parking in the area. The excellent weather, sunny and over 70F (21C), had folks flocking to Beaverton and its food carts- a great day to have dinner outside with the carts!

Before this, I was at the house making and eating dinner. This time I did not overcook the pork chops. I made plain couscous to go with it (alright, I might have toasted it in the pan in hot butter before adding plain boiling water), and my frozen microwaved green beans wilted in a frying pan with salt, butter with garlic, and onion powder (just hints). I browned the chops, boneless and thick wrapped in bacon, in a pan in butter (yes more) and then baked the now seared chops in a 350F oven for twenty minutes until 160F (I don’t want them at 170, the usual overcooking). It was good. I made two chops and put another dinner away for another day, having plenty left.

Aside: Grammarly must be in the middle of a software update, as here is the change it recommended:

• • I browned the chops in a boneless and thick pan, wrapped in bacon…

Don’t worry. You are still safe from Artificial Intelligence.

Before this, I finished my day in the office, following along at work. I finished my shift at 5ish.

Susie enjoyed the trip in the park before I headed home from the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. It was a clear sunny day with temperatures headed to 70F (21c). The park was busy, and everyone looked happy. From what I observed, the habit of social distancing is still in place; folks stepped off the path to let others by. I am not sure folks recognize they are still keeping six feet apart.

Susie loved the flowers again; the daisies were bright and tiny in the park (English daisy–from Google). going backward, Susie was delighted to see me when I finally arrived in the afternoon and was happy to tour the park and sit in the sun. I spent some extra time with Susie. We called Susie’s mother, Leta, and she was pleased to see we were outside again enjoying the sun (we use my iPhone to see each other via FaceTime). I pushed Susie through the park.

Starting the day, I woke at 6AM and got going. I made oatmeal to go with the liberal coffee after completing the lighter exercise and stretches. I do the complete set on Monday, Wednesday, and some Fridays (if it is not too crazy at work). Then, I read the basic stuff (emails, Slack channel updates, and the news) to prepare for my day. I put on a new blue striped LL Bean Oxford dress shirt for work with a button-down collar. I decided I liked dress shirts and wanted to return to wearing them–so I ordered some more. I am more comfortable in dress shirts than T-shirts.

Air Volvo got me to the Clubhouse office building before 8AM. I started my two hours of Zoom meetings then. We had a few crises of the moment take over the morning and some meetings best not described here (my blood pressure meds were working overtime today). I had to grab a turkey and cheddar sandwich from the coffee shop (very fresh and pleasant, actually) as I had a meeting over lunch.

The day was typical, with a bit more going on than usual, as we have two overlapping releases running. As a result, it is hard not to mix up the issues.

Thank you for reading. I hope this was not too disjointed today.

I write down in a notebook by my pill bottles when I take my pills, and the results show I forget some nights. I seemed to have missed 1/2 of my doses this last week. Not good, but the night pills are not very important–so no serious loss there. I also noticed that one was running out, and now I have to pay an extra $20 to correct this. Usually, United Health Care sends me almost two sets of 90 days, but this time no. Instead, I had to order it. So I am being more diligent and watchful. I discovered another one that needs to be manually requested before it runs out–done!

The morning started at 7:30ish, with me resisting my alarm at 7AM and finally rising like a drunken magician assistant without the outfit (I have a robe). Poof, I rise. Coffee was located and assembled. Breakfast was still more muffins that were getting a bit stale–but I matched them this morning, so it was OK.

The night shift did not have a rough time, and I expected the usual slow and quiet Monday, working from home. A bit of a dull morning with hours of Zoom meetings. I got in all my exercises and took my pills. I finally got dressed and continued to follow along at work.

The morning was cold, and the sky was filled with cotton-candy clouds with our darker blue skies (the blue here is a bit darker than the East Coast, I think), but the forecast suggested a warmer and nicer afternoon. I stayed home for lunch, re-heated tagine-styled chicken from a few days ago, and watched a few YouTube videos on ships and shipwrecks. I also did my usual checks on Quicken, downloading all the newly available transactions and checking my recent re-alignment of investment priorities in my 401K (80% Stable Value (not bonds) and 20% Nike stock with NKE at $127 today)–everything is correct. I am passing on extreme volatility and will see if things are less scary this Halloween 2023. I usually realign once every year.

The roads are mostly dry, and my fellow drivers stopped hitting each on this first day of the working week. I saw a lot of pile up this weekend (?!). The weather was not nice enough to bring out Beaverton’s Finest. Still, I suspect they will be out as the rains stop for a while, with the forecast above 70F (21c) on Wednesday and becoming a sunny day on Friday in April with a California temperature of 84F (29C)–unheard of in Oregon. An Other Day of Sun from La La Land.

Air Volvo, with no alarms, reached Susie at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Traffic was heavy, with the surprise hole installation starting all over Beaverton. The City of Beaverton has four seasons: Make holes, enjoy flooded and messy holes, partially fill holes and enjoy stressing your tires and suspension, and finally, repave as school starts. Beaverton, unlike many municipalities, often re-holes the same area over and over until reaching some new standard and then moves on.

Susie was sleeping in her recliner in the shared living room when I arrived after 1PM. I woke her, and Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide, got Susie comfy in her wheelchair with a zipped-up coat (Susie insisted) and her hat. Out to the now sun-break afternoon. The wind was still saying 50F (burr), but the sun said, “Why a coat.” The park was not yet busy as school was on today, but young kids were everywhere running around in shock that the grass was primarily dry and it was warm (well, sort of).

We found our favorite sunny bench and parked there for a bit. We called Leta–Susie’s mother and she was happy to see we were outside and enjoying the day. We chatted about the weather (it is only to get better here) and the new deck Leta is getting. We rang off and then took the long trip through the park. The tiny English daisy (I Googled this) got Susie’s attention growing as a weed in the park’s grass, and she loved all the flowers, “beautiful.” The tulips are out, and some of the late cherry trees are blooming. It was a lovely walk, and I also completed the walking part of my exercise.

I headed back after kissing Susie goodbye. I drove to Salt & Straw and got an ice cream cone. The scooper (what do you call folks that scoop ice cream) suggested I try some more, as I might want to order something different. So I tried a few, and the coffee with nuts will be my next cone (if still there when I stop by again).

I reached the Volvo Cave without incident, but I dodged more hole installations for most of the flight. My snail mail was full of new and exciting items. I have the new Lord of the Rings for Dungeons and Dragons 5E. This is a new edition (I have spent a lot of money on the previous one), and it closely matches the earlier version. The old material can be used with the new version, which is excellent. It is not as colorful as the earlier material, and the maps are more basic.

I also got a new Decisions Game issue on Panzer tanks. These are quarterly-created magazines with one subject, and I love reading them. The mail was full of fun.

I continued the day following along. I had a few colon issues, and this made me tired (best to not describe). I nodded off when reading for a minute to take a break, but woke with a start and went back to the office. My left ear and jaw hurt (I cannot hear out of my left ear for some time now and have a doc appointment for that). I took some Advil, and that went away.

I was done at 5:20ish with my shift and laid down to read, and woke at ten to seven! I decided a hamburger was needed and maybe some beer and people, so off to Imbrie Hall, a McMenamin’s joint. There I had a Ruby (beer) and a Captain Neon Burger (blue cheese and bacon) with fries. I am feeling better now.

I am enjoying a new book (and I might have read it too late last night): Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire Book 1). This is space opera with the usual focus on a middle-ranked women officer, disgraced by doing the right thing and now finds herself at the center of a plot and battles. The focus here is on mathematics and establishing consistency with the current vision of the universe described by agreed to equations and stopping heretical equations being used by heretics called rot. I like it, and the main character is a soldier, a super mathematician who uses math to solve weapon issues and is mostly to attracted to girls. Fun so far.

Thanks for reading. I finished writing this at the bar with a cup of coffee to finish my dinner. The bartender wanted a shoutout, Brooke, at Imbrie Hall.