Author: alohawild

I rose early, rolled over, and got going at 7ish. It was my last full day in Michigan, and also most folks’ back-to-work day, including Deborah. We knew she had to work for some of the day, and I found some things to do for the first hours of the first Monday of 2026.

I had a light breakfast, complimentary at the IHG, and then wrote the blog. I updated my insurance information in MyChart for Legacy and OHSU. I was disappointed to learn that OHSU informed me they are now treated as out-of-network by Regence for 2026, and that I will not be able to use them at all if I keep that insurance in 2027. They are negotiating, but that is what is suggested now. I checked what places are open on Monday, and Deborah and her sons would join me for dinner in the evening.

I had the sheets changed and the room cleaned. While I was leaving the next day, I still wanted things to be better. I gave the staff a few tips, and they were happy to make the updates.

Deborah picked me up before noon, and we fueled her mini before heading again to Detroit. I come from Oregon, where full service is the norm, and I drive an EV now; it is exotic to have to fuel a car. King Books was our next stop as something to do on my last day. Another used book store!

Deborah and I had no issues until we were within sight of the store, when the mini’s wheel seemed to disappear into a pothole. Deborah said, ” There goes the realignment!” The streets were covered, except for the one space directly in front of the store, by no parking signs. We had a perfect space.

The store was cold, since it opens at 11, but soon we were warming up as we climbed the stairs to the other levels and found some warm registers. One 2, I found books on the Akkadian Language. On 4, Deborah found some Portuguese books but was disappointed to find none in Icelandic. On 1, Deborah picked out some political buttons.

Next, only a while away was the Corktown Slow’s BBQ, which was just opening too. I had a Red Zepplin that I was surprised was from the Midwest, not 54º the Pacific Northwest, which is my usual source. It was good. Deborah had the two meet for lunch, and me the three. It was a lot of food. It was excellent. The seasonal BBQ sauce was described as a Kansas City style and was excellent (Deborah got a bottle to take home).

Nap ready, Deborah dropped me off at the hotel. I had to pack. Deborah had work items. Kruse and Muer on Main was open on Monday, and I enjoyed my last visit there, but this time I would be going for a salad, as I was still stuffed. Liam and Donovan met us there.

We tried the desserts too, with Donovan and I getting our own chocolate mousse and Deborah and Liam sharing an apple crisp with ice cream. Deborah and I went for a walk downtown and then spent some time together. Donovan and Liam went shopping.

Thanks for reading!

 

Deborah and I had no plans for a couple of items that were in light pencil, but we did not do them. Instead, we headed to Lansing, Michigan, to see Leta (Susie’s mother). Leta was still waiting for a room in the hospital and was improving according to her daughter, Barb C. Leta spent the night in the ER, but was moved to a quieter room they use for folks waiting to move to the hospital. She is now in room 606 in McLaren off of Collins (here).

(passing Laingsburg, my hometown, again)

I rose on Sunday, showered and dressed, and then talked to Barb C to arrange our plans. Deborah had some tasks to complete at the house, including caring for the dogs Trixie and Zelda. We left around 11 and arrived near 1:30.

Like most Emergency Departments, there is a strong security presence, and all folks are escorted into the rooms by security. We went through a metal detector, and both of us had to be wanded. All was good. We met Pastor Sue Platt from Grace United Methodist, Leta’s church, and the church where I was married, and we all headed to Leta.

Leta is 97, sharp, still drives, lives alone in her home, and volunteers to keep busy. She gives us all hope that our later years could be so good.

Leta and Barb were happy to have visitors and Pastor Sue. Pastor Sue got Leta caught up on all the church events and will try to update folks on her condition (Leta volunteers at a food bank and at other church events). Pastor Sue asked questions to ensure that Leta accepted the release of information, a new policy she has to follow for Grace UMC (and admits to sometimes forgetting to ask, as it is still new to her). She prayed for Leta and reminded Leta a few times to stop worrying about everyone else and instead to get better.

Deborah and I kept Leta company while Barb found lunch at the hospital cafe. We talked about church and family things. Later, while Deborah got coffee (and was then delayed by events inside the ER, leaving her waiting until things were resolved), Barb and I (well, mostly Barb) helped Leta get up and walk. Leta was breathing better, and the edema was resolving.

While it was tempting to visit East Lansing, it was cold, and we did those things in October. Instead, we headed to the Greater Detroit Area. We took a short break once we returned and rested. We agreed that RH House would be great for dinner, and we soon found the place not busy (unusual, but the Lions were playing). I had their excellent New Old Fashion and Deborah some white wine. Deborah enjoyed her usual salmon (excellent and recommended), and I tried something new in the Sea Bass, which was also good and had a different flavor with capers. We split a dessert of butter cake with ice cream. The cake was like a pound cake, but with even more butter (pound plus cake?), and it was also delicious.

Later, after Deborah headed home, I tried to sleep, but the time zone (which I thought I had got over) and the must-get-ready-to-fly feelings kept me from sleeping. I finally slept around three.

I dreamed I had been called into the military and given some rank, but I did not know how to wear the uniform or what to do. Apparently, the US was at war with the world now, and I was drafted to invade small countries. I had to wear an out-of-date uniform (the only one available), have my rank formally pinned on me, and be sworn in. It was chaos.

I woke too early from an alarm, dreaming that I had decided to sleep in after turning it off; I don’t know how long it took my reduced hearing to hear and wake me for the alarm. I rolled over, reset the alarm, and slept another hour, making part of the dream come true.

Thanks for reading!

Going back, I returned to my hotel and learned that Leta was in the ER and had been late-admitted. I have not learned much, but I believe she is resting comfortably. I went to bed, then woke every couple of hours to check for updates. She was admitted late, and her daughter, Barb C, went home late.

Before this, I was at the Wagner Christmas (though many names are changed from marriage) with Deborah and her sons and me (and Chris, another in-law) included. There, we exchanged gifts (Deborah and I purchased a few items for me to give) and had a marvelous potluck-style dinner. Milo and Abner, the youngest, made out well, with me scoring a new Horror-based game I have always wondered about. Plus other fine gifts, most of which are small enough to fit in my bags without trouble.

I will leave many of the details and pictures out, as these stories belong to others to tell.

I woke to a new war. President Chaos-Battleship bombed (spending millions in missiles and other expensive ammunition, and risking billions of dollars ‘ worth of expensive hardware) to arrest the head of Venezuela (a country I cannot spell) and to take over running the country. Rather, 1980s style, and today, I read on Facebook that if I protest, I must be a supporter of a narco-dictator. Seems so Reagan-Bush era stuff. We will investigate you as a communist if you protest. Yup, it looks like the 1980s again.

Need to find those old Bloom County and Doonesbury cartoons from the invasions in the 80s.

Returning to my 1980s complaints, the money we are spending on bombing and killing people, and then trying to run a country that does not want us, seems a waste. Better planning and better policing, and this stuff wouldn’t be needed. It looks so wasteful.

I expect that, now that we are loving the 80s, the new Trump ballroom will go disco. Wham it is!

Before all of this, I got up in my room at the IHG and went slowly, trying not to get distracted by the war. I wrote the blog, dressed and all that, and had breakfast and then spent some time with Deborah.

Sorry for the short blog. It was a lovely day. Thanks for reading!

An early end to Friday, with me back in my hotel room around 8:30, but then I watched some YouTube stuff on history and ship model building, including a build video of a new kit of the USA’s CV-1, USS Langley, “The Covered Wagon.” I tried to read, but I just fell asleep.

I also, after I remembered this after I finished the blog, looked at my Social Security Benefits and applied for SS this month! And the amount has gone up. I learned from the check sheet to get the start and end dates for my employment at Nike (the layoff process has a complex end date, and I will get the official one from Nike, Inc.). I left work on April 20, 2024, but was paid until the end of May, I think. 

Before this, we had dinner with the Wagners (plus Deborah, Chris, and me) and some grandkids. We had elected for Mexican food, though Slo’s was across the street (we could not get one table to fit nine at Slo’s) in Birmingham, Michigan. I made my own combo and had a medium house Margritta (delivered in a beer glass).

We talked a lot about Dungeons & Dragons. Jim Wagner played in my original group of players back in the AD&D days. We discussed our favorite character classes in the 5E version. My hearing problems made some conversations hard for me to hear, and I am sure I missed much, especially from the kids. Something I have faced before, and understand that lack of hearing and depression are connected.

Before this, we met at the Cranbrook Science Institute. They had a show on Permian Monsters, the epoch that preceded the dinosaurs on the giant Pangaea landmass more than 250 million years ago (the end of the epoch is exactly known from the remains of the eruptions that brought the worst extinction event known, 252 million years ago). Milo, lead us into the displays, including some automated full-sized models of the ‘monsters.’ There were also many full-sized copies of skeletons (the staff told us that the bones require considerable protection, so copies are displayed instead). Still, many of the smaller items are originals.

It was an interesting display of various successful Permian versions of creatures, some quite strange. Large, but not massive, insects were present in the Permian. The strange shark-like animal, Helicoprion, was included in the display with its new look, though we have very little information beyond circles of teeth (cartilage does not usually fossilize).

(From the mail display, as this was not in the Permian, T. Rex)

The extinction event claimed 70%, and thus, few moved on to the next epoch, but a small furry creature made it, the ancestor to mammals. It was interesting to see the recreation and fossils (even copies) from this time. It felt like a time machine in some ways.

Before this, Deborah and I were at Original Pancake House for a giant pancake lunch. The food was excellent, and the staff were friendly. Recommended.

I rose before my 6:30 alarm. I dressed and was soon out before the sun, in the IHG lobby, having the complimentary breakfast and coffee from their machines. While I often call it industrial or corporate, it is complementary, and that is a good flavor. Yes, free (though some would argue the price is in the room cost), tastes wonderful. And I find that IHG is not more expensive than its competitors without breakfast (at the same reasonably priced hotel range).

And that completes the day! Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

I rose late, as many do on the first day of a new year. I did my usual things, including reading my email (which mainly consists of deleting), doom-scrolling the news (Outrages to cover for crimes and control the news cycle), and downloading my transactions in Quicken (to ensure everything is safe and sensible). Then, I showered, dressed, and all that to get to the industrial breakfast at my IHG hotel’s lobby before it closed. Kurt (I mistakenly called him Keith) wished me a happy New Year as I helped myself to the bounty he prepared for us.

The coffee is from machines that produce not-quite-awful coffee, but not great. I have the potatoes every morning, red-skinned with rosemary, and even when coming from a frozen pack and baked, they are still good with some ketchup. I often go for a bagel-like bread product, toasted, and with cream cheese. Other days I have yogurt.

I wrote the blog in the lobby, and we have gone for quieter days for a while during the holiday, so it is shorter, and I am done quickly. I am back in my room before 10, and the cleaning crew arrives. Deborah finds me in the lobby waiting for the room to be ready.

For lunch, Deborah and I go for simple and healthy: Panera Bread. We have the ‘pick two’ option, and except for the soup, we match. We looked, and we could have saved a few dollars by sharing a whole sandwich and ordering an extra soup. Next time.

Next, we head out, with a coffee for Deborah and bring a hot chai for Danni, Deborah’s father (he married her mother). Danni is happy to have guests and has stayed out of the snow and cold. He was doing some experimental baking when we arrived.

We talked about some travel, but mostly about my years in international trade and how different countries manage their transactions. He also asked me how AI software handles new NVIDIA hardware, since he sees large purchases of the latest gear in the news. He wondered how AI absorbs the changes.

I have done some basic coding on this and know that we use a series of libraries (called CUDA) to detect the hardware and take advantage of the powerful in-chip technologies when available; otherwise, when they are not present, it simulates them (or ignores them, if too new or faulty). NVIDIA, having early knowledge of the new features it is releasing, updates its libraries to incorporate the latest features and (usually) makes them backwards compatible. This revised code contains checks and runs the legacy code when it detects legacy hardware. This means that existing AI software, for example, will now run and soon incorporate new features as hardware is updated. Often, new features are first enabled by setting a ‘switch’, as there are frequently mistakes in the initial software, and it is best to let tested and working code continue to run as-is. No surprises!

Though I did not cover this, I have written code on Arduino and other small-footprint machines, such as Raspberry Pi, that check their location and hardware. For example, Europe and Asia often use different frequencies and standards for radio signals, and for available hardware (GPS hardware is detected before I try to use it). Internally, some Arduinos (a user-friendly DIY hand-wired device that is used for education) do not have real-number math built in (!?), so it must be simulated, which slows the code. The math libraries have built-in detection, so I can use the same code without changes, though I often have to recompile it with new settings.

We left Danni with New Year’s good wishes and headed to Deborah’s house. Donovan was there. We decided to get some chicken from the local chain Chicken Shack. Deborah and I got in her mini (covered with some ice, salt, and snow from a Michigan winter) and tried the local place for a to-go dinner. Twenty minutes later, we had a load of food that smelled wonderful in the mini and returned to Deborah’s house. We shared this chicken heaven with Donovan and then watched more of Elsbeth Season 2 (Deborah has seen all of this, but is enjoying rewatching them with me).

It was nice to just do the homebody thing and relax and watch a show. The cold (in the teens, -8C), snow, and darkness made us sleepy, and it was nice to just pet the dogs and watch shows. My TRIPIT app says I have traveled more than 51,000 miles in 2025, and my status is Silver or Gold in many of my other apps. A little relaxation is good.

Deborah, in her mini, got me back to my hotel at 9ish, and I was asleep by 10ish, but I did wake often and rose early, before my 6:30 alarm. I did dream of AI and coding solutions for ancient languages to English. Most of the dreams have faded to only a hint, and there were some tears on Friday for those who did not join us in 2026, but it is good to be here in 2026, with Deborah, and well, Chicken Shack was good!

I wonder where we (including Deborah when she can join me) will go this year! How far will we go together, dear reader, and will I keep or improve on those Silver and Gold ratings? Will I need that platinum AMEX to get those extra miles and status? I apply for Social Security soon. How will that go? Like the Dr. Seuss book title “Oh, The Places You’ll Go,” I look forward to the future. Deborah was looking at Costco travel to Ireland, Scotland, and other various ‘lands.’ Excellent!

Ignoring President Chaos-Battlship, I am already enjoying 2026.

Thanks for reading!