Author: alohawild

Nope, there will be no exciting trips or EV driving to interesting places. Instead, I spent the day cleaning floors, dusting, and using The Machine to catch the laundry. So please, dear reader, grab a coffee and enjoy a short blog.

I rose later; it was Monday, and I seldom had plans on Mondays. Today, I plan to clean and use the newly repaired The Machine for four loads of clothing. I found the liberal coffee, Equal Exchange brand, and certified fairly exchanged, and loaded up my French Press with liberal goodness. The dark brew reminds me that we liberals have a near-impossible task to help our fellow travelers focus on Justice, Compassion, and the love of Community, but there is Hope in my cup near the grounds. Drink deep, fellow travelers, and know we are in this together, even the crazy people.

I will pause and remember my cousin Joe Bailey, who just passed away. He was older than me but too young to leave us. Here is his story from happier days, as told by the US Olympic team. Joe’s passing was unexpected.

Returning to the story, I wrote the blog and found my focus. Despite the endless nose-blowing, I am feeling better. We could have clear skies (and diving temperatures down, and an ice storm now appears in the forecast). Again, I have been cleaning and organizing, so the blog is a bit boring. After The Machine broke and spilled water, the Volvo was destroyed by a window seal (still hard to believe) and replaced, and various repairs at the house were scheduled; boring is good!

I ate leftover Popeyes spicy chicken for lunch. I watched a few Battleship New Jersey videos while eating. I was also running laundry loads.

I got out the vacuum and ran it through the bedroom again and the bathroom floor. I also detach the suction and run it along the base of the wall and along the furniture. I clean up all the extra areas with the suction. I dust the spare bedroom, recycle some spare old envelopes, and try to bring some order to the room. With the dust flying and it being over 40F (about 5C), I open some windows and air out while I suck up the dust with the vacuum.

I notice that the cold air return is filled with dust; ugh! I get the broom (which I have been using to clear cobwebs) and create a mess of dust by brushing it clean. I redo the hallway, maybe the fourth time, and soon have the carpet cleaned again.

Deborah and I talked for a while about her June trip, and we agreed to spend an extra week together after her conference (I get to be a +1) and then find something to do in California for a week. We have plans for me to join Deborah in CA for biz trips in March and June. I hope to visit in April for my birthday and a enjoy a long weekend in Canada with Deborah.

The living room and adjoining room are next, and soon, that carpet was cleaned, too. The laundry is folded and put away. Corwin drops by, and I agree to help him with an issue. We head to the local Mexican place. Corwin has the seafood soup while I have my usual and a house margarita with salt and on the rocks. We feel very comfortable there, and the staff knows us.

After dinner, everything hurts from all the housework, so I stop and read and take the evening off. I don’t do late-night cleaning. I did try to order a replacement for the gunked-up Garage Disposal cover.

I read, showered, and enjoyed the new plush bed. I soon fell asleep and slept all night.

Thanks for reading.

 

I enjoyed the company of Repair person Zee (not the gaming partner Z, but Zee, the repair person from Sharper Service Solutions), who was here at about 10:45 to take apart and repair the LG Washer and Dryer (ductless) and make it stop running water down the front from the dispenser. About two gallons of water exit The Machine at rinse each time—enough to make a mess but not enough to be called a flood. I rose before 7 on Sunday and ate a banana with my freshly made liberal coffee. I read the news–inescapably political and Washington-focused, my emails, and updated my transactions in Quicken. I looked at my earnings over six months. My IMPAX has shown good growth, as has my 401K investments, but it showed no real change in the last quarter (election, inflation, ‘price of eggs,’ Trump, all causing no growth–not unusual for an election quarter). After that, I focused on the blog, got a call from Zee, cleaned up, shaved, and dressed.

Zee appeared at about 10:45 and was happy to see the delivered parts. He then proceeded to take apart The Machine, and I was delighted to see inside this wonder of the washer-dryer mix. The radiator and compressor were a surprise. A special type of air conditioner—a compressor and radiator—does the heat and cooling. There are no electrical heating coils, but a reverse AC generates heat and requires only a usual American outlet; excellent!

Although I was not surprised, Zee was disappointed that the repair had no impact. We ran the cycle a few times, and he pulled the dispenser draw out and could see the water was not flowing properly into the drum. I had suggested that something was stuck there before he reassembled the parts. “I will listen to you this time,” he said. He removed everything again, cleaned the water flow areas, and assembled it. No issues. Fixed.

(No water here)

I spent the morning chatting with Deborah on the phone while I ran The Machine thrice to clear all the soap (the incomplete cycles had each drawn soap) and ensure the fix held. I could also see that the software was changed, and my options and messages from The Machine were updated. Hmmm. Deborah joked that it was an exciting phone date with me talking all the time about laundry!

With the enjoyment of laundry done, I rang off, boarded Air VW the Gray fully charged in the garage (which is larger inside now), and headed to Goodwill. Just a few more items to donate, including a glass net float we purchased years ago; it was found on a Pacific Northwest beach. Next, the Dollar Store, which was quite busy and had a line to check out. I found large padded mailing envelopes and soon joined the queue to purchase five. I also stopped at Home Depot and got the center support for the shelf I added; it was sagging.

I took the wooden boxes I had stained and finished to the bedroom and filled them with piles of Susie’s jewelry. I had four piles for younger folks—all costume jewelry—and one pile of good stuff for Barb, Susie’s sister. I also put the odds and ends (primarily single earrings) in Barb’s box. The stuff barely fit. I closed the boxes, placed each in a padded envelope, and then used packing tape to make it fit the shape. After getting more tape (I had another roll in a drawer), I printed addresses out and taped that on, too. I will mail the packages on Monday. I cleaned up the dresser where all the stuff had waited about a year for this. I feel happy, not sad, to send this on. Incoming!

Susie earrings may not work for everyone, but I included necklaces, bracelets, and watches in the various piles. I looked at everything before I put it in a pile and remembered them. Christmas was a strong theme, but there were many playful items. And the Victorian stuff I bought Susie, she would never have picked it but seemed to love it, was, I think, spread evenly in piles. Again, I am glad to give them a new home, even if the collection is soon forgotten, given/traded away, or even worn. All good.

(sagging shelf)

I fixed the shelf with the extra support without too much trouble. I put away the tools. I replaced the books and found more to put on the now full extra shelf. I have put a collection of boxes on the next shelf of 28mm figures (Dungeons and Dragon sized) and paints. My bags of gaming items are under that. It is looking less messy here, finally.

I was planning to head to Astoria on Monday (my plans have changed). I took the EV out to get some Popeyes spicy chicken and then plugged it in to charge again to 100%. My app says I can do Astoria and back without a charge, but I should start at 100%. Interesting, and I would expect to have 20% left. Hmmm. I’ve got to try this!

I had the chicken—just one piece, potatoes, and a biscuit—for dinner. The other two pieces will be for Monday’s lunch.

Aunt Kathy called me with some sad news, but I will not repeat it here so family members can be told by others.

With the packages ready, the books on shelves that were not sagging, Air VW the Gray charging, and my new soft bed ready, I showered, dressed in PJs, and read for an hour. The Candian murder mystery, written in a non-linear style, is new in a Louise Penny novel. I like her writing style and am enjoying Glass Houses.

I get sleeping, nod off, wake, read more, nod off, sleep, and wake at 3. I prove hydration, but I am dizzy and nauseated, too. I managed to get back to bed, and it stopped. Hmmm. I broke a rule: light on, then get up. I suspect it was my balance issue combined with plugged ears. I get motion sick quickly.

I sleep until just before my alarm at 7:30. I fall deeply asleep in a minute and am blasted awake. Welcome Monday!

Thanks for reading.

Yesterday was not an exciting day. I was tired, coughing, and seemed run down. Maybe I overdid it on Friday. The cold meds slowed me down, so I stopped taking them. I am now feeling better.

(Yes, I let Grammarly rewrite that paragraph. Notice the staccato-like sentence structure. The short statements are simple for the AI to get the context).

I slept into 8ish, rose, and started on the blog, reading the news (more like ‘doom scrolling’), updating my financial data via Quicken, which downloads all the transactions and consolidates them into one view, and then back to writing. I found an everything bagel from NYC (thanks, Joyce), sliced it, toasted it, and added cream cheese. I made the final IKEA coffee in the French Press (two and a half cups a morning) and a banana. I wrote while my nose ran endlessly and used many Kleenex sheets.

I wrote the blog, but the focus was hard to find; the impact of the cold meds. I did not finish until the afternoon and was not hungry for lunch. I made some poached eggs as a light lunch. I heated water with a hint of vinegar and salt. I never let it boil and just let the eggs set in the hot water for a while.

I watched some more of Babylon 5’s season 2, and the storylines are starting to develop better. I enjoyed the rescue mission and a terrible space vampire-like creature. I was still feeling off and rested. Still dizzy, I headed to Home Depot in Air VW the Gray. There, after wandering lumber for a while, I learned that shelving was a hole area near plumbing on the other side of the store. There, I bought most of what I needed. My shelf sags in the middle, and I need support for the center. I will return for more support. This is the rail and hook-like base that holds up a board. I moved books to it from the floor and bedroom despite the sag.

I was feeling better and did not take any more cold meds. I got better. I will just blow my nose. I grabbed a packet of cheese and nuts (a box I bought from Costco and put in the frig) and boarded the EV (fully charged again). I traveled to Richard’s house by crossing Beaverton and Highway 26 to Portland. With the new updates from Apple, including AI stuff, my iPhone identified that I was on 26 and then informed me of the slow traffic. This is new. It was the usual slowing and not a bad trip as the traffic kept moving.

I spoke to Deborah for a while; I was early. We like to chat when we are driving. Deborah rang off; we were both excited that her visit is this Friday!

Tonight, we are playing the board game Yokohama. Richard and Lauren are playing games alphabetically and almost through the list. This is a Kickstarter game and the deluxe version. Much like my favorite game, Concordia, it is a worker placement efficiency game, with most of the scoring done while playing. The game has various end-of-game triggers, and, like Concordia, it ends suddenly but with no reward for causing the end. The game uses areas to gain resources and capabilities that are more aligned with board games like Istanbul. There is no deck building, but there is technology to purchase that breaks the rules for you. Most points are earned by getting and fulfilling orders (more like Istanbul). I remember playing Richard’s copy before and liking the game.

I played fast and furious, filling orders, making all the goals (only three for Yokohama), and getting the first play bonus for two. Once I had filled three orders, I started on some of the other ways to gain points. I managed not to overextend and kept building points. As was his usual approach, Richard stored up resources and went from last place to first in the final rounds. Lauren was trailing about eight points or about one turn of play. I pushed back into first, and Richard tied me after tripping at the end of the game. The additional goals added a mix of points, but Richard and I were still tied at the end, and the tiebreaker was turn order, so I won.

I was concerned about exhaustion early in the day, so we ended early. The drive home was easy, and I set the EV for economy mode. I parked the EV and plugged in the charger. I reheated the leftover pork fried rice and had that as a late dinner/snack.

More church paperwork came in in the evening, and I read that and replied. Details cannot be shared here.

I showered, put on my PJs, and went to bed. I read more murder mysteries and soon nodded off. I can recall no dreams, but I woke up at 4ish and rolled over.

Thanks for reading.

I slept in and felt a bit better. I decided I needed a change, and staying home, cleaning, paying bills, writing, and arranging things was not for today. I wrote the blog and did the dishes (got them in the dishwasher and ran them). I still see ants, and more spray was applied to areas not for eating. I have seen none in the kitchen (?!).

I found and made an everything bagel from NYC with cream cheese (thanks, Joyce). I had that with more IKEA coffee and a banana. I finished the blog at about 10:30, published it, cleaned up, shaved, and dressed. I went with a dress shirt and a sweater vest. I boarded Air VW the Gray, the EV was charged to 100%, and I headed to Hood River, Oregon. I planned to head there with Deborah in a week or so and wanted to try this out.

It was a partially cloudy day, but the lack of rain or wind made it a pleasant trip. The sunlight, while fleeting, was lovely. At first, I thought I had taken the wrong spin around Portland, but I soon realized that the Columbia Gorge was like driving to the airport, PDX, and then not going there. Traffic was easy, but I did find the EV complaining that I was too close to other vehicles, and it complained about my lane following. I did one lane change at high speed with only a few feet free as merging traffic was not given any space. Yikes! I also saw someone slam their brakes behind me in slow-moving traffic. Never quite understand that; this is Portland, and we don’t suddenly go fast.

I arrived at Hood River with a 65% charge. This means I could turn around and make it home without a charge. Perfect. This is something to learn, and I soon search for a charge station. There is a fast charge at the city parking lot. I tried my iPhone and ApplePay, but the car stopped charging soon after. I waved a credit card, and now it works. Forty-five minutes and at three times the usual rate in Beaverton; wow! I walk up the hills of Hood River.

Hood River is high above the Columbia River, suggesting a good plan to avoid inundation. I-84 is between the main street, and while there are some places, including a hotel, near the river, there are no homes there. I walked up a block and found a gaming, collectible card games, and Warhammer store, where I bought a paintbrush. I try to buy something when just looking. I did not see anything I would not find in Beaverton other than a nice $4 paintbrush not from Warpaints or Warhammer.

Next, I learned that Trillium Cafe was closed for a remodel. This sent me to Hood River Brewing Co. near the parking lot where the EV was charging. I could track the progress on the VW app. There, I paid separately for a beer, a pint of their ale, and a sandwich. Each is pay-as-you-go. Makes sense for a tourist town. The bartender was friendly, did IT, and currently works in AI. We talked a bit about Python, and the bartender was pleased to have a picture taken (pronouns were not discussed). I forgot the name I was given, and I hope the bartender will check out the blog and send me a note to update this. I gave the bartender one of my cards.

With the EV charged, my beer and an excellent sandwich consumed, and a friend of the bartender meeting me, I headed out. I pointed the EV West and returned the way I came. It was an excellent visit to Hood River.

I stopped at Multnomah Falls, using the left exit on I-84. I parked in the usual place, walked under the highway, and under the railroad bridge that would give any model railroad builder or train enthusiast a happy moment. It looks perfect, and the plaque says 1909. I approached the falls and bought a mint mocha to lighten the cold. I just looked at the falls from a hard bench and did not offer to take anyone’s pictures. I often walk the trail to the bridge, but with my balance issues and cough, testing my climbing skills on Friday seemed unwise. I soon returned to Portland and then Beaverton. The charge was 65% when I arrived, showing a reassuring consistency.

I cleaned the toilets. Next week, I will spend a day cleaning and finishing a few things I started. I organized some of my figure painting but didn’t pick up a paintbrush. I put away the dishes. Boring, I know.

I charged the car again during the day to learn the process. I set the car to 100%. I was tired from the drive and walking, but I felt good. I decided to read and relax today. Later, I decided on Wonton Soup and fried rice for dinner. I was hungry. I took Air VW the Gray to the local Stir Crazy and picked up dinner. I ate all the soup on returning and charging the EV again (I later unplugged it with 100% charge) while watching more Babylon 5. Season 2 has been a mixed bag as we focus too much on the new commander, but the Techno-mages storyline was good and sounds like many of us now: “We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers.”

I head to bed early and, after a shower, read. I am back to reading Canadian-based murder/crime mysteries. I manage to nod off, but the door to the backyard is banging in the light winds. I grab a flashlight and, in slippers, robe, and PJs, find and close the gate in the Oregon mist around midnight. I returned to bed with damp PJ cuffs as the grass was wet, but soon, the new bed and I found peace and I slept. No dreams are remembered.

 

I slept in on Thursday, and the day was colored all day by sadness. I am affected by the terrible news for liberals now called ‘doom scrolling.’ I have also been working on organizing and cleaning the house, not traveling (even locally), and not playing that many games, painting figures, or any fun stuff. I have also finished my plan to get the EV charging and a new mattress. I always find it a bit of a letdown when things finish. I am not making a call for help but just recording my day. The blog is about my experiences and what the day brought. I was sad but not troubled. Dear reader, please don’t panic!

I found coffee (leftover IKEA coffee made in my French Press) and made an NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) with cream cheese. I also had my morning banana, which I both like and need for the potassium. Even without the walking and just housework, my weight is stable at 230 pounds. Just on the edge of 220, my goal. My doctor and I agree to keep all the prescriptions unchanged and enjoy better sugar levels and lower blood pressure; it is good for me.

The cough is still bothering me. My nose runs nonstop, and I place tissue boxes throughout the house. But the coughing is less, and despite the high use of Kleenix products, I believe the issue is slowly getting better. I have no action to take but to keep at it.

I wrote for part of the morning but did not return to the blog until after 4. Deborah and I spoke on the phone for a while, but my lack of focus prevented me from finishing. I learned that the mattress people would be here at about 1:30. Also, the parts for The Machine were delivered—one huge box and a small part.

Lunch was at McMenamins Cedar Mills with Scott, two Hammerhead beers, and a tuna fish sandwich for me. We meet weekly and discuss life, what we are doing, and what the other person needs to know. For example, my CD has one month to go, but if I don’t do anything, it will reset and lock for another six months at 0.5%. It is almost criminal behavior from US Bank, but I have read that banks are everywhere trying to avoid paying higher rates by locking in customers automatically to lower rates. Scott has also seen this behavior; we will both be ready to move cash. We also discussed travel and Scott’s plans to travel to Europe; he is retired, but his wife works for a Europe-based company, and Scott may be her +1. I later sent Scott the link to IMPAX, my IRA account, and likely my target for a transfer from Fidelity. I want to be boring, socially responsible, and able to withdraw my earnings. I think IMPAX will work.

Air VW the Gray, with a full charge performed at the house, gets me home before 1:30. The mattress delivery happens before 2 and is done quickly. The new 5″ foundation is dark and disappears into the bed frame, which is perfect. The new mattress is plush and hugs you. If you sit on the edge of the new one it is not stiff. I think it will be great. They haul away the old mattress and foundation, which were over twenty years old.

Next was the Zoom meeting S/PRC for the church—effectively, the HR committee for a Methodist Church. Nothing from that meeting can be repeated here; it is confidential. But I will share that I quoted my last Fortune Cookie at the end of the meeting: You will soon become more passionate and determined about your vision. That’s a good message, I think.

I made the beds and was tired. I purchased the next set of books from Lousie Penny, a brain cookie, and started to read more Inspector Gamache stories (number 14 from 2017, Glass Houses). I find these a good answer to being sad and could feel the darkness lifting as I return to Canadian Crime and Penny’s fantastic storytelling. When I read some mysteries, I believe I could do better or want to write one like it, but for Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, and Louise Penny, I am just enjoying them.

I shower, dress in my PJs, and read early. I soon fall asleep with Amazon Music back on for the cheaper rate for one person and the new Amazon device playing. I have an Echo Show that lets me read the time and plays ‘Music to Sleep by.’

(We are back to gray skies. A little color in the house always helps, and tulips are my favorite)

Thanks for reading!