I rose at 6:30 EDT (yes, that is 3:30 in Portland time), and this time, it was a bit harder, but I was soon writing and talking to Deborah as we started to form a plan for the day. Saturday had no events, and it felt good to just let it happen. I made coffee in the Keurig machine and started on the blog. I showered, shaved, etc., and soon was in the lobby and ate Thomas’s breakfast, the hotel staffer who does breakfast on Saturday, and thanked him. He said he loves to cook and make this happen. I finished the blog in the lobby and posted it.

Next, I got in Air Hyundai Red and found my way to Deborah’s place in just a few minutes. She was ready, and soon we took the car (a red Sonata) to Detroit. We thought it would be fun to try the Eastern Market today. It was a bright, sunny morning with a cold wind blowing off the lakes. It was Saturday traffic; there were only a few challenging moments when a huge pickup truck would not make room for my hot red Hyundai, an eye-roll moment.

We found parking and walked to the market, discovering that our coats were missed when the wind hit us. But soon, we were inside, and if we walked in the sun, it was comfortable. The market was still starting up, and there were empty spots as farms and other sellers’ products were not ready. It still was terrific and recommended.

We found a Taco place, Jose’s, with deep-fried flour shells for their tacos. Wonderful. Two each was a perfect lighter lunch. We were not hungry for hours. Excellent.

We could not resist the dried mushrooms, some cheese and chocolate, and other goodies from DeVries, Germack, the local nut vendor, who supplied us with various treats. Deborah purchased a large planter stuffed full of growing lettuce. We loaded all of our items in the cargo hold of Air Hyundai Red, left Detroit, and unloaded most at Deborah’s house, with me retaining a few treat items.

We let the dogs out, and they got some food. We spent the afternoon together, finishing our day with dinner at D’Marcos in Rochester. I had spotted the place during the last visit, and Deborah had not been to the next place in this space. She was happy to see how updated the place was. We dropped in with no reservation, expecting to eat at the bar, but a reservation was a no-show, and we got a table for two in the window. Perfect.

Grace was our waiter, and she handled everything, even forgetting wine for my dinner (and then making it up by not charging us), with aplomb. We asked for her thoughts on items, and she was clear about which ones were good. She told us she had worked there for two years and had tasted everything on the menu. Excellent service!

Grace also told us that the staff was short and thus service was crazy. Deborah, when using the Women’s room, found some of the wait staff crying. A new staffer was troubled by the chaos and was trying to get her focus back and fix her makeup. Deborah gave her some encouraging words. Still, with the turmoil and Grace handling what looked like an endless line of tables, our meal was superb.

Deborah had the short ribs, and I had the meatballs and pasta. The pasta was freshly made (likely to order) and just cooked enough to be done. The sauces were not overly spiced or overwhelming. Recommended (even with chaos), but not inexpensive (but still not Long Beach prices).

We returned to Deborah’s place, and the dogs, Trixie and Zelda, were happy to be petted and made happy with food and trips outside. We stayed on the couch and watched “Matlock” (the new one) more. We were on the set last month on a Paramount Studios Tour and still recognized parts we walked through and some painted backdrops. The show is also recommended.

With it being near 11, I took the red car back to the hotel and soon was in bed reading. This time, only painkillers. I was tired and soon put away my Canada-based murder/crime book and fell asleep. I woke at 5:30 to prove hydration and then ignored my 6:30 alarm. I rose after that.

Thanks for reading!

Deborah dropped me off at my hotel around 10PM. We had been cooking (with some waiting for the beef) for hours in a kitchen at Detroit’s Eastern Market. The market was closed, but Chef Evelyn, who was in a commercial kitchen, was waiting for us. From 6 onwards, we spent time cooking and helping. Bœuf Bourguignon requires a few hours to finish. We would wait an hour for that to get near perfect. I helped with some dishes and got to try it twenty minutes out; it was still a bit fresh, and the meat was just pulling apart. Another twenty minutes and it was perfect. We skipped the pearl onions (which were not missed). This is Chef Evelyn’s reworking of a Julia Child’s recipe. She dropped the pearl onions, bringing the mix to a boil on the stove before baking, and instead put the carrots and mushrooms in after the first hour of baking to keep them fresh. It was excellent.

I tried to carry the Bœuf Bourguignon to the oven. It was so full that I spilled some of the hot liquid. We had to clean up the floor. Chef Evelyn explained that it was not a severe loss (I did change pants today; I did not want to smell like French food all day).

Back at the hotel, I found my room, 233, and soon was in my PJs. I read some more Canadian Crime/detective novels and soon fell asleep. I am using painkillers and some Benadryl to help me sleep. This makes the time change easier for me. The book and the pills help. I did rise later as I was very warm and then woke cold in the morning.

Previously, Deborah had found the classes at Evelyn’s Midtown Kitchen online, and we agreed it would be an excellent birthday present for me and something fun to do together. I looked forward to tonight.

Back to the cooking: Musrhoom Vol-au-Vent was a side for the main. Deborah used a microplane on garlic. It’s mushrooms with onions cooked in a cream sauce and served over puff pastry bowls. It was terrific; chef Evelyn added fresh thyme and some nutmeg to the sauce, adding to the flavor.

We did cut little bowls out of puff pastry for this. Deborah did some rolling and then used an interesting cutting ring set (I have to get one of those!) to make a bottom and an outer ring for the bowl by cutting another circle in the same size again with another small cutter. We would then take the middle and add that to our baking. They made terrific pastry bites. I did the brushing with egg wash.

Other than the chef, none of us handled the knife well. We had some lessons, which helped a bit. There were at least no cuts, bleeding, or worse, poorly cut veggies. I will have to get better at that. The knives were wickedly sharp.

Deborah and I got to play with the mixer and make Crème Chantilly. Another couple was with us, and they cooked the meat and cut up berries to go with the whipped cream we made (Grammarly put the zest in the whipped cream, I wrote that it was in the berries). The lemon zest really added to the flavor and cream. Some of us thought it was the best item. I would nominate the beef as best, but the other items were all good. The salad with the dressing made from some mustard that Chef Evelyn brought from Paris was fresh and good.

It was fun and worth the wait for dinner to let the beef finish. The company, Chef Evelyn, and the food were all great: Recommended EMK.

Returning to the start of our day together, Deborah picked me up in her mini for lunch. It was Friday, a work day, and she had spent the morning doing other things, like taking the dogs out, checking work-related emails, and doing other work tasks. We headed to Dogwood’s, just inside Pontiac, Michigan, and had a good lunch. Deborah had a California wrap while I had the steak and salad.

We spent the afternoon together. I needed to move a bit to shake off the time change and the impact of the Benadryl. It can leave you fuzzy-headed. We did the river walk in Rochester Hills downtown. The walk helped.

(I learned later that Rochester Hills is the nearby area and we were in Rochester. )

For dinner, we picked up three bottles of wine, deciding to pick a theme and buy all Michigan wines. One bottle, a Malbec, was from Argentina but was bottled here in Michigan. We drank the white wine while cooking and at the meal’s start. I tried the Malbec, which was good with food but not so good alone, while Deborah stuck with the white. We never got to the sparkling wine.

Deborah popped home to let the dogs out and feed them and then we headed to Eastern Market. We arrived and I walked around building 5 until I found the kitchen and met Chef Evelyn. We moved the mini to be insight of the kitchen and then started in learning from the chef.

That is the full circle.

Thanks for reading!

WordPress had an outage, and then I traveled; the blog is behind. Let me try to catch up!

Wednesday

Wednesday ended with me at home, bidding on some stamps on Hipstamps.com. Some US cut squares, which I do collect, were selling so cheaply that it was embarrassing. I managed to snag a few excellent 1880s pre-printed envelopes and wrapper postage. I saw the ongoing auction and connected to get a few nice items. I am ready to head to bed, but I need to write the blog tonight and then was distracted by the auction. Earlier today, I also purchased a proof of US Scott 164, which was great as the only known to exist in one stamp. My proof reportedly was in FDR’s collection (broken up and sold after his death) and is the only version of the stamp available. I did not expect to ever see one for auction. It was just under $70. Auction prices are often low (and also insanely high). There was lots of proof from FDR’s collection, and I do not think the 164 was noticed.

I tried to write this blog, but WordPress went offline, and I could not. I wanted to write Wednesday’s story before my travels started, but that was impossible. Instead, I took my pills, put on my PJs, and read for a while. I was soon falling asleep. I would wake at 1ish with a headache and need to prove hydration. I think I was dehydrated. After some painkillers and water, the headache stopped, and I slept until my alarm went off.

Before this, I was at First United Methodist Church (it’s best not to abbreviate that as FUMC on our signage) in Beaverton. It was choir practice, and the church sign was also being updated for Easter services for our church and the church that rents from us. There were many abbreviations, as we used plastic letters for that sign. Thus, the comment above.

I come to play board games with Z while the choir practices. Today, Andrew joined us for another game of Scythe while his wife, Ashley, practiced with the praise band. Z and Andrew were tied, and then Z, playing red (Russia), defeated Andrew playing black (Saxony) in battle (I filled in for him as he was singing in the choir), completing the enlistment goal and ending the game for a win of 8 or more. I was playing green (Albion) and was ten points behind as I was playing a problematic faction (it and purple–Japan can be difficult to play), and I did not quite get my strategy (hold the Factory) and my board values aligned. I will have to try it again.

Scythe is an efficiency race and 4X game. Z was very efficient and repeated the double star earning I did last time we played to win. Z learned and watched. It is a favorite game, and we may play it on a gaming night and try the campaign.

Before this, the day was just a blur of chores to get ready to travel. I mopped the floors, cleaned the toilets, did more laundry, and got the dishes done. A letter to stop the mail and re-deliver on my first full day back, Good Friday, was in the mailbox. I like the house clean when I get back (often I collapse for a few when back). I dusted the house. Where does that come from?

Breakfast was the last of the muffins I made a few days ago, with coffee from the new coffee machine (assembled the night before) and a banana. I would end up with two in my carry-on. I ate one in Salt Lake City, and one made it, beat up, to Michigan. I brought no snacks and swimming trunks (both a mistake). I closed my suitcase and added most of the needed items to my carry-on (cables, spare clothing, and some paper for the trip).

I deposited the check from the City of Portland. I forgot one of the checks yesterday when I went to the bank. I also stopped by Safeway and got more distilled vinegar and cleaning supplies (Swiffer mop things as I Swiffer for mopping). I stopped by King Bento and tried their special for lunch. There, by chance, I met a retired Nike IT person, Regina, whom I had not seen for years. She retired a few years before me and is doing well. The food was good but familiar.

I made more fridge pickles from the last cucumber. Three jars now. They should be great when I get back.

I slept well, I think–it is hard to remember now–and rose at 7ish with my alarm. I also connected with Deborah all day as I progressed through the steps to be ready to travel.

Thursday

I had two alarms in place for 5:30. With my loss of hearing on the left side from the brain tumor (MRI to check my status soon), I may not hear the alarm. I scheduled an Über to take me from home to the nearby MAX station at 6:45. Air VW the Gray was safe in the garage with 90+% charge. I would leave the keys at the house. I popped in the shower, shaved, etc., and was soon ready. I started this blog, but soon, it was time to go.

The Über was early; next, I waited for a train for 11 minutes. I used the Hop app to pay and track my fare; it was just a few dollars and an hour and a quarter trip to PDX. I arrived with 90 minutes to board my first flight to Salt Lake City. I got nervous as I am usually two or more hours early, but it was fine.

I could not get the terminal to print a tag for my bag. I went to the drop-off, and they fixed it and gave me a free bag for my trouble (usually $35). By then, I had booked two bags, and they cleared all of that. I have never had this kind of problem before. I did leave my phone on the machine. It is so easy to forget it as you have so much to do with screens, boarding passes, and bag tags (which failed for me). You place the phone on the screen. Hmmm. I retrieved my phone without issue.

Breakfast and coffee would be welcome. Security was the usual take things off and pass through here. There were no surprises this time. I stopped at Grassa, a few steps from security, and had breakfast there. The food is reasonably priced (all food at PDX must charge the ‘street’ price and not the usual 2x of airports) and excellent. I saw the same folks, and the manager remembered me from Christmas. They also made morning drinks, and I saw some vodka and coffee liqueurs made for breakfast. I just had coffee.

My gate was just a few minutes’ walk away. I found a charging station and plugged in my phone to charge it; it was already half-used. The plane, as usual from Portland, was full, and they were looking for 11 people to volunteer to take another flight. I was soon on the plane and watched an old movie for 3/4 of its length, China Town. We arrived in Salt Lake City without issue.

I had enough time to stop by Panera Bread for soup and a half-sandwich for a quick lunch. I ate only half of the sandwich because it was huge. Another passenger I saw on the MAX was headed to Indiana by many flights and missed food as the take-off times on apps, but boarding is 30 minutes earlier. Something I noticed and thus was rushing.

My seatmate was a young, huge man who was headed to MSU for a football tryout (American version). He was squished into the middle chair, and I was thus squished against the window. I watched the newish movie Conclave again, my first movie, China Town, was unavailable on this plane, and then watched a few episodes of Bobby Flay’s “Beat Bobby Flay ” on the Food Channel. The movie was terrific a second time (I had forgotten some parts), and the food show caused many laughs. Both are recommended (though it is best to stay away from the food channel unless I am ready for more hours in the kitchen).

The rest of the night was a blur as I trained and walked to baggage claim, searched and found nothing, and then the bags arrived. I took a bus to Hertz with my bags and found a hot red car in the gold section. I checked out with the gate (Gold means pick a car, get in, and drive to the gate) and supplied a new credit card (I need to update my online profile with a working card), and then I went, Air Hyundai Red, to the hotel without issue. I got CarPlay working without issue.

When I checked in, Deborah drove the short trip from her house to the hotel to welcome me and then returned home. Despite the time change, the hotel’s strange bed, and the sounds, I managed to sleep.

Thanks for reading the blog for two days.

I am still trying to get used to my Tuesdays. These were busy days at the shoe company. It was the first day back in the office after the pandemic (starting with three-day in-office weeks) and the day nobody took off. All the status meetings were more intense on Tuesdays (I felt). I noticed that deadlines were usually missed on Tuesdays, and emergency moves of software fixes always hit on this day (the testing of the fixes, installed on Thursday, took the weekend and Monday). Traffic was always heavier.

Thus, rising at 6:30, I will soon return to Easter Time. I got some coffee after starting the new coffee maker. Deborah was right; having it set up and running automatically is a great boon to wake to. I load it with liberal coffee every night and spill water to fill it. I clean the counter every evening now. It is becoming a ritual.

With coffee at hand, I started the blog, grabbing banana and lemon poppy muffins I made a few nights ago to munch as I wrote. I managed to pound out 3/4 of the day and resist much of the nonsense that Grammarly tried to insert. I then jumped into the shower, shaved, dressed, and was soon aboard Air VW the Gray. And that is when I hit Tuesday traffic.

Beaverton was crawling, and traffic lights were often two sets of lights to pass. Though the traffic suddenly lightened, I hit Highway 217, which was fast. But then Highway 26 (also known as the Sunset Highway as it points directly at the sunset) was more parking lot than highway. It took me 45 minutes to reach Richard’s place from there. I was thirty minutes late. Richard and James waited, and we soon returned to the board game Mansion of Maddess 2nd edition, playing a mostly cooperative game. ‘Mostly,’ as when you go insane, you get a card that may have you take action to ‘win,’ which includes sacrificing another player’s character!

This was a new, recently purchased scenario. Though the game is older, it is still being supported, and an excellent app runs it for you. I had the original manual version and junked it, keeping the figures and rooms for use in playing the role-playing game (RPG) Call of Cthulhu. While still clunky, and I like the RPG better, Richard and James make this fun. Also, the newer scenarios are better assembled and more immersive. This was a haunted house and Mythos combined, which is a favorite story of mine. I found it quite immersive. I went insane but did not become a crazed killer. When James took the sacrificial dagger from me, Richard (his character still sane) and I (my character was insane but collecting six items to win) ran from James, and soon the Mythos creatures took out James. Richard and I finished in time and won (James technically lost as he did not sacrifice my character). It was fun, and I was out by noon.

The rest of my day was spent with my colon. I had a lot of visits to the restroom as it emptied, and I was amazed by how much could be stuffed in there. Sorry to be graphic, but I would be surprised each time when I returned for another round. Yikes! This finally stopped in the early evening.

The colon cancer surgery removed 25 cm of my colon, the section that connected to the rectum, so most of the hints that I have to go are gone as my deeper colon is now the end-of-the-line. It is best to pick times and keep things regular. But I forget as I get busy, and now that I am retired, I have a less regular schedule. One CT scan got a lot of comments as I was fully loaded (constipated). I’m not sure they get to see that often. It is an educational shot I try not to repeat!

On returning home (the trip was easy in the EV with no traffic), I talked to Deborah and made a taco salad out of the leftovers of my tacos. I had acquired more lettuce at the veggie place at 185th and TV Highway. I cleaned the kitchen, sprayed the shower with cleaner, got more packing done, powered up my Kindle, and started another mystery. I like to have a story to read on planes and in airports. I find it best to start the day before so you are ready to start back in. Kindles use electronic ink and thus do not emit light into your eyes like laptops and phones. This is better for me when travelling and resting. I also ordered an Uber car to take me to the MAX station at 6:45 on Thursday. I will take the MAX to my 10AM flight.

Deborah texted me about the blog. I forgot to finish it! I returned to the laptop, finished it, and got it published late. I have also done more packing and laundry. Deborah calls, and she talks until she starts to fall asleep. It is good to start and end our days together.

I head out, thinking my colon is finished with me, to the local sushi place only five minutes away in Air VW the Gray. I sit there in a space at the track. It is after 7, and the evening rush is over (and the track is sparse), but still, I find my favorites (except for smoked eel). I read on my Kindle and slowly eat and drink hot tea. I have miso soup and then grab my dinner from the track.

I am a regular, and the waiter/cashier remembers me. I tell her about my upcoming trips. She seemed to want to hear about them (I hate to be that guy) and was interested in the California trips and Iceland. I am brief in my descriptions and head out.

I return home, charge the EV, vacuum the carpet, and collect more items to pack. I am tired, put on my PJs, climb into bed, and read more of A Better Man: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 15). I cannot recommend these books more.

I soon am sleepy, and I turn off the light and sleep. I only remember one waking dream when I rose at 1 to prove hydration and again at 4. It was about the EV being stolen and the typical oh-my-God-what-will-I-do dreams I get. I apparently drove to Michigan in this dream. If the rental is stolen, I call and get another one. Not an issue. 

The stock market is back up a bit, but individual stocks (Ford, for example) are still down. It still feels like a trip to see Niagara Falls by barrel!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

I had little sleep the night before, so Monday was unusually challenging; most weeks, it is more like a Saturday, with sleeping in and chores. I rose at 6 and manually started the coffee I had assembled the day before. It is loaded with liberal coffee.

The first apple blossom.

I began to write, but I was time boxed with a medical appointment at 9:45 in Portland. The blog is always a set of competing goals of telling stories using formulas to make transitions effortless, stream of conscious capture, trying to remember what happened the day before, and editing (deleting) unneeded items (other people’s stories, political statements, and repeated items).  I sit in my chair, the same place I sat through the pandemic and worked and wrote. I have worn out two chairs and broken the tile in this space. More than five years now of writing here.

I rush and get 3/4 done when I see that I am at my stopping point. I hop into the shower, shave, etc., and soon board Air VW the Gray. The traffic through Beaverton creeps, but the Monday morning rush hour is light in Portland, and I arrive at the Good Samaritan Campus in Portland, park, and head to the Knight Cancer folks.

Aside: Knight, as in the family that controls Nike. For example, they gave over $100 million for cancer work at OHSU in 2008. The family has given away more than a billion dollars to programs in Oregon.

I park on C level near the place where I once took an ambulance from a reaction from chemo. I remember how hard it was to get help; I had to lie down on the cement to get attention while I could not breathe. The reaction is strange as it feels like you are dying, but you can breathe. I knew this, but I could not stop the reaction, and I had no way to tell if it was real or not. I could not speak. I was trying to get back to the chemo people but could not make it. Eventually, I was taken across the street in the shortest ambulance ride of my life, treated, and released. We skipped the drug next time.

With that memory, I put on my mask and headed to the appointment. They took blood, and I was reading the results before the doctor showed up. He also brought the same doctor-in-training. Everything was normal. I have a slightly enlarged spleen, as shown on my CT scan, but there are no signs of an issue. It’s something to monitor. I covered my travel since we last spoke and that I was headed to Iceland in July. With that, another CT scan and a visit are planned in six months. It is all boring, and that is what you want in oncology: to be a boring patient.

I stopped on my way home from Portland at Elephants Delicatessen, which was nearby. They were between breakfast and lunch; I had a bowl of their freshly made clam chowder (with Pacific Northwest clams) and a breadstick. I sat in their Garden Room with a blazing fire. I wrote more of the blog but did not finish it. I headed home as I had only three days to pack and prepare for a week in Michigan.

I arrived at home in the EV without issue. The traffic inbound to Portland looked messy. I started to pack but felt very tired. I had not gotten much sleep the night before. Soon, I was snuggled up on the bed with the pillows and fell into a deep slumber.

I dreamed pleasant dreams, but I cannot recall the details. I woke a few times but did not rise until after 3. Soon I shook off the sleep and returned to the kitchen. I reheated some coffee.

Somewhere in here, I finished and published the blog.

I drove to US Bank. I received two checks from the City of Portland, including tax refunds. I have found these checks do not easily deposit electronically and carried the checks to the bank office. But I discovered I had only one. F**k. I waited in line and soon deposited the check. I return home by way of the veggie place at the corner of TV Highway and 185th.

I got just a few items as I am traveling soon: lettuce, a small bunch of green beans, asparagus, and some garlic. It was only $12 there. The folks there remember me and ask about my next trip. Michigan on Thursday. I return home, find the missed check, and put away the veggies.

Next, I ate the last of my homemade pickles. I emptied and washed out the jar. I found another jar. I found another cucumber, peeled (waxed skin), cut into spears, added garlic and dill to the jar, and got the cucumber bits to fill the jar. I heated dried garlic from New Orleans, salt, pepper, more dill, salt, and vinegar with some water in a pan to a boil. I poured that into the jar. I had much left. I quickly cut some asparagus to fit in the smaller jar and fill it. I am short, so I had some cider vinegar (all I have left) and hot water to fill the extra jar. Both jars cool and then the lids are replaced and set in the frig. I will get more distilled (clear) vinegar on Tuesday and do the last cucumber.

I read more about the Battle of Jutland 1916 from a book by an American Naval officer in the 1930s. It is frustrating as the author did not footnote the text, even when quoting other sources. Today, I finally hit his analysis of the fleet strengths, war plans, and distribution of forces and the impact of geography. All of this is interesting to me, and I have not read a matching analysis in the ten or more books I have read on the battle, nor have I read this in the various wargame versions of the fight, except in the oldest game, Jutland 2nd Edition(1972) by Avalon Hill. The author states that the Germans are outgunned 2-1, hampered by geography, and will lose an all-out fight. The British fleet is large and split into multiple forces and locations. This could allow the Germans to cut off and damage/destroy a part of the British fleet. Interesting as the Battle of Jutland 1916 provides a version of all these options simultaneously.

Next, I made dinner. I had set out a pork chop to defrost, and it was mostly defrosted when I fried it in a pan on high heat to get it brown. I also heated the contents of a jar of couscous sauce, a North African flavor. I made couscous with spices, almond slices, and raisins. I had a few servings of the couscous with the spicy and lemony sauce. Excellent.

I start packing and organizing for a trip. I talk to Deborah for a while until she rings off sleepy. I head next to Wildwood and have a few beers. It is quiet there and I manage to write more of my story (book) and reach 5,400 words and start to assemble a direction for the story. I had only a vague idea but it is now forming up in my mind.

I close the place at 10PM and take the EV home. There, I assemble the coffee for the next day, decide to leave the dishes for Tuesday, and soon am in bed reading. I am tired and soon sleep. Thanks for reading.