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It was another dull day, but I need a few of those. I slept with a few breaks and then rose about 9, oversleeping for me. I was up at 4ish to take some painkillers, was back resting after 5, and then woke after 9. Corwin had done the dishes so I could just make liberal coffee using my French Press. I found some Greek-style yogurt in the frig, likely bought by my sister, and had that for breakfast.

The cough is still there, a bit improved, but it still harrases me. The incision in my belly is still showing red and hot, and it appears unhappy, but there is no break or drainage, so no panic. I have no fever, just a cough. The one in my head is fine and healing well. I have an appointment on Thursday.

I wrote the blog, and the morning vanished in a poof of writing and texts to Dondrea and Mariah. I am waiting for the new VW bus to be available. It seems to be what I want for a retirement vehicle, as I want something I can sleep or camp in. I want the two-motor version, which will not be released until next year. I am waiting, but I want to test drive one soon to see if I would want to drive it. So when the new bus is available, I will try to get a test drive.

I baked four chicken quarters (from Whole Foods’s meat case) with salt and pepper. I steamed some broccoli and microwaved a potato, dressing it up with butter and salsa for lunch. My potassium is still low, and doc says to eat more veggies. I also have a banana. I put the extra in the frig in a glass container (thanks, Glenda and Gene). I put away one-quarter of the leftovers for my lunch on Wednesday. Later, Corwin had two quarters and said the chicken was excellent and tasty, some of his best. Sea salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides, cook on bone-side up for thirty minutes, turn, and cook for twenty more at 350F. This was my top oven, so it was just plain baked, not convection air.

Corwin returned from his dishwashing and cooking job at the local Hawaiian-style food joint. I found the heat gun for him, which I used on the electronic. Soon, he used the heat to melt the lock-tite on the transmission plug and could now remove it. He could remove the drain, too (not without effort). Soon, what little transmission fluid remained was gone.

I boarded Air Volvo, and with Corwin monitoring me, I drove Air Volvo to the auto supply store and then to ACE Hardware to get a few washers. The plug was hard to get, but we got some help. The damaged one was replaced, but the drain plug was not found. Corwin needed, at least, to replace the damaged fill plug, and we found washers at ACE to help seal the plugs. Corwin was then able to finish the fill and sealing without difficulty.

After I decided I had driven enough, Corwin took us to dinner to celebrate. The 649 was doing trivia tonight, so we were outside. I had a red ale, and we shared lime pork nachos and a hummus plate. Corwin also had tacos. It was cold outside, and soon, it was time to return home. I got to say ‘hello’ to Natalia and Crystal. They were happy I was well enough to visit.

I flew Air Volvo home and spent the rest of the night watching some Black Sails (not Dark Sails, which was the name I thought it was). The strange and often predictable plots, the anachronistic language and culture, and the American accents make me lose interest. I also hate to burn a day away, so it may not be the show. I would rather code, write, paint, build a model, or learn something than watch a show. But it is time to slow down for a bit, so I will try to enjoy the show.

I went to bed late (having started to read and losing track of time) and was washed and in bed by midnight. The iced tea did not help me sleep. It was hard to fall asleep, and I repeatedly woke up to remove excessive iced tea.

Thanks for reading.

Monday was the second one since the surgery on Monday, 20 May. It was a dull day, and I planned to rest and do minimal things to build up some reserve. Also, a cough has started, which means taking it easy. So, I spent the day watching NetFlix’s award-winning Black Sails, which is now free. This is a rewrite of the history of Nassau and pirates with the usual naked, perfect bodies, plenty of sex, and complex relationships you see in these cable shows. In this case, the ships and battles look real and better than some movies. I can’t say I can recommend it, but for binging, it works.

HR and the leave people say they are finding the undo button for my paycheck. I should soon get paid the missing amounts, and the next checks will return to normal. I have enough cash in my checking account to handle the mishap, so I will just wait for them to fix all of this. I am hopeful this will be fixed soon.

The day was wet, and I stayed inside all day except to get the mail. I did my laundry and put it away. I was going to do the dishes this morning, but Corwin got them done last night. My new printer arrived. The old HP that was cheap years ago has finally reached a point where it can no longer be updated. I finally canceled the Instant Ink program that has me pay by use with unused going to the next month. I liked the program because of my sudden usage when printing rules, books, writing, and so on, and then I had almost nothing for months. I was never out of ink for years.

I will install the new $150 Epson EcoTank on Tuesday.

I rose at 7, me sleeping through most of the night with only one hydration event. Today was the first day without Linda (my sister), and I would even be alone for much of the day and night. I was (and am) steady on my feet, and I no longer get light-headed when I am tired. However, when my eyes close, I can feel the room turning. My brain is still trying to understand the signals, and if I sit in the comfy chair and close my eyes, I can feel the chair slowly spinning to the right. This does not happen when in bed, just when reclining. It is quite interesting and a bit fun to close your eyes and feel like you are floating and spinning. At least I got something for my hearing loss. I can fly!

Aside: In the shower, when it was rebuilt after the water leak and thinking Susie would need it, it has many handholds and a seat. I use the hand holds before closing my eyes to wash my hair and try to be sitting. I keep my eyes open now when using the towel on my head; otherwise, I will sway.

And that takes us to today’s theme music from our local China and Pink Martini: Sway.

Breakfast was my usual steel-cut oats, thinking of Dondrea, who loves these too. I found a frozen chicken bowl and frozen naan and had a delicious, easy lunch. Dinner, with the cough getting worse, was changed from something to make to an expensive Chinese-style delivery with lots of soup, East Harbor Chinese Restaurant. This soup, a version of Wonton Soup, has to be assembled so it does not ruin in the broth. Theirs is excellent. I ate lots of the soup and had some lotus root and other crunchies.

And that was my dull day. I went to bed after more sexy pirates and decorative violence using swords and flintlocks instead of guns or laser guns. The script could fit any SciFi or historical drama with just a wardrobe change and some different staging. I am still not quite ready to accept the American accent and wording for a British colony–the language makes me wince as f**k seems to be the only word used to exclaim displeasure or pleasure. I don’t care about the profanity, but I wish they could be more imaginative with the words.

I read a polite book, showered, and went to bed, pulling up extra covers. At night, I let the house drift to 66F (13C) to save money, reduce my carbon footprint (this is a natural gas-heated house), and prevent drying out with heat.

I soon began dreaming, forgetting my dreams, and sleeping. After rising at 4:30 for more Tylenol, I woke less and overslept.

Thanks for reading.

I rose about 6 and started writing the blog. We made liberal coffee, Equal Exchange, and I had a muffin and a banana. Linda rose, got cleaned up, and soon was ordering an Uber. At about 9ish, Linda was on her way home via a first-class ticket on Delta PDX to Detroit. Thank you for all the care.

I watched more Dark Sails episodes and switched to the online YouTube church service. The sound was missing (I sent a text, and it soon cleared up). The music was good, and the message was excellent. Today, Pastor Ken continued with his review of the Book of James. Many Methodist preachers I have known say it is the best letter in the New Testament. Today’s passage, one you will not see quoted on Sunday morning or in most self-focused churches, was a simple instruction that if you honor the rich instead of the poor, you are doing wrong and need to stop. It is quite clear in the second chapter of the text, today’s scripture. Pastor Ken admitted that when he was planting churches, he was guilty of this and that we needed to guard against it. To that end, he asked to serve bagels before and after the service (according to Ken, donuts cause a sugar crash, and bagels are better). He wants something that will be a good breakfast for people coming to our church. He sees this as a way to honor the folks who need breakfast (the poor, in a sense). I have always loved James and have taught the book in Sunday School, the preacher’s gospel, as a minister once called it. Strangely, the class, back in the 1990s, was called the Breakfast Club, and we served bagels. Hmmm.

I dressed and had my leftover gnocchi from dinner last night. I ran it twice through the reheat cycle, and while it was more food than I had eaten in weeks, I found I was hungry and managed to eat it all. I am still losing inches as I heal and grow stronger, and I think some good food will help.

I caught up with the YouTube channels I watch. Battleship New Jersey is in drydock, and there were many interesting discussions, including the vibration issues with American Fast Battleships like New Jersey. It was nice to have the focus back to watch these.

Joan S stopped by and dropped off a pair of grabbers as I am not to bend over for another four weeks, minimum. We talked about work possibilities for me (Joan S is a consultanting Biz Analyst) and some plans for travel coming up. It was a nice visit.

Corwin rose and asked to get to the auto parts store, but I was out of time as Matt V was coming to get me. We will do that on Monday. Corwin’s truck has a transmission fluid leak and needs more fluid to be usable. Corwin is also becoming quite enamored with older model Ford Trucks. I, owning Ford stock, told him that I agreed with him that Ford could have been great if it had fixed its long-term quality issues, but still, that has not succeeded (causing the stock price to seldom reach the $13.05 I bought it at). I do, I told him, enjoy the 5% dividend it pays.

Aside: Those investors who locked into 5% or lower on CDs and treasuries missed the chance to get some excellent dividends instead. I also have JP Morgan preferred shares paying 5%. Unlike CDs and other banking instruments, I can sell when I want. I get 4.5% in my premium US Bank savings with almost no restriction.

Matt V took me to a Dungeons and Dragons game at his house and discussed our upcoming trip to California. Matt is driving me to Natasha’s and Jason’s wedding near San Jose. We will leave on Friday morning and stop after a long drive into California and then finish the drive on Saturday for the 4PM wedding. We will then head out and either take a lazy but lovely drive back up the coast or a quick return, depending on how we both feel. Matt and I have enjoyed meeting at gaming conventions, so it will be good to travel together. Likely the beginning of many trips to come as we both are retired.

We were early, so Nikki (Matt V’s wife) was happy to chat. Matt made burgers on his grill for everyone (some actual meat and some buns of alternative Keto make-up). We ate as the other players arrived, all happy to see me having recovered enough to play today.

I play a lawful evil (often called lawful-effective as you are unbothered with niceties–the ends are justified by the means), but found myself healing and even bringing back a slain enemy–not my style. But, being evil allowed me to turn over the enemy to be magically enslaved and forced to surrender various secrets. That was more like it! The battle we fought went on for about an hour, with my evil cleric of War (not surprisingly named War) using every spell slot except for a few minor slots.

The view from my seat on the gaming table.

Scott took me home. I had some cheese and crackers to go with my pills and stayed with one Tylenol for the evening. I showered, climbed into bed, and read for a while. I was asleep soon, but I did wake often.

Linda arrived safely in Michigan.

Thanks for reading.

Sleep was interrupted by proof of hydration and the need for more painkillers. I rose about 7 and soon was writing the blog. I planned to see Z in her new musical, Mean Girls, at her middle school but waited until Dondrea rose and replied to my text. I was feeling better, except for the headache that starts every day (and requires some Tylenol to reduce or remove) and the profound loss of hearing on the left. The healing is starting to arrange itself in the left ear as I get moments of throbbing pain there. My jaw is starting to open more than 1/4 of an inch (making eating sometimes a challenge). While my weight is now dancing between 230 and 235 pounds, I am still losing inches. I drilled another two holes in my belt to stop my pants from falling off. I have smaller-sized replacement pants, but I would hate to shorten them if my waistline finally moves away from a hang-over belt to a more traditional across-the-belly use, as this would mean replacing everything again. We will see where all this is next week when I will shorten some pants.

I cleaned up and dressed. I wore my usual pants with the belt pulled stupidly tight, but at least they did not fall off. I wore a French blue button dress shirt with my blue sweater vest, and I could see more inches were gone, but the scale said, like before, ten pounds ago, that the pounds were changing their meaning. I am becoming stronger and building muscle, and that weighs more than the fat I am shedding. Frustratingly, the numbers are the same on the scale. The new goal, more moderate than before (and the possibility of death or more surgery due to increased pressure on my brain by the extra weight helped in directing my energies to lose weight), is 220.

Dondrea and I arranged for me to meet her at the musical. Linda and I then headed to Whole Foods for some items and flowers for Z. There, we got a few items and then waited at the sandwich counter, where we got some excellent sandwiches made. Linda, wanting food, decided we could eat there, and we used the tables provided.

Time was flying, and soon we were rushing in Air Volvo; Linda unloaded the cargo bay, put away the same, and then popped back into the pilot seat. We reached the school just before they let the folks in. Dondrea was at the head of the line. Dondrea and I had not seen each other in a week. Dondrea thought I looked remarkable for someone not yet two weeks out of brain surgery.

The musical had reached the point where it was working for the cast (though Z clued me in later; they had somehow skipped three minor scenes), but still, I enjoyed Mean Girls and, even with my revised hearing, could hear most of the lines. Some of the singers were amazing and could even act. A few were faltering, and a few excellent singers were supposed to be more mean but could not pull that off. Overall, the cast almost had it down, and with a few more shows (it is done on Saturday), it would have been fantastic. Excellent!

Once the cast party was over, Dondrea, Z, and I met Linda at the old-school Italian-style restaurant Nonna Emilia. This is a local favorite. The recipes are still the same, and the portion sizes are not just large, but they are designed to fill anyone up. We all took 1/2 (or more) of our dinners home! This was my thank you dinner to Dondrea and Linda for making all this possible, and we enjoyed all hanging out again, but this time at Nonna Emilia and not my hospital room!

With as much dinner as we could fit inside us, the rest in boxes and cartons, we said goodbye, and Linda took me back in an Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. I watched a few more Black Sails episodes. Soon, I took my meds and headed to a shower and bed. I read some more and then fell asleep. I fell into a more peaceful and normal sleep and did not wake again until 6. The stygian black I would shut down into, and the rebooting cycle has faded away. The pain, while still quite pronounced without Tylenol, is starting to fade.

Thanks for reading.

A theme song for today: I Got You. It is about four years old, but it is still on my playlist and makes me smile.

Let me cover a new issue that is not health-related. Nike put me on medical leave (!?) and then underpaid me by a third. F**K! I had to call Nike HR and Sedgwick multiple times, and they are busy pointing figures at each other. I did not (and could have) intervene and cancel the leave and thus avoided this issue. To me, since I signed an agreement to pay me until 28 June at my regular rate and then to make the agreed final payments (and cover my healthcare until 2025), I thought this was covered and, as someone with a signed agreement, did not think I should act. Nike ended my employment and set the terms; I just accepted it.  Everything would follow the binding agreement, I believed.

I was told Nike HR would work this out and get me paid correctly. More to follow. Let’s hope the undo is easy.

I rose at 7 with just some pain. I find the pain comes as I try to sleep and put some pressure on my head with the pillow. I was up at 4:30 to get new painkillers and managed another couple of hours of sleep. I take Tylenol all day, never going beyond the safe amount in 24 hours.

I wrote the blog, dressed, and soon was down the road in Air Volvo with Linda piloting. We first crossed Beaverton and got Linda’s Rx. After that, we headed to The Coast. We did get burgers at the old McDonald’s across from the skating rink. The same Eastern European gal took our order, as I remembered from years ago. Susie was quite attached to the family that ran the McDonald’s as they were kind to her when she could travel on a bus to the rink to take lessons.

Navigation took us by the Pacific Highway to the Oregon Coast, and it was a slow but lovely drive. Linda was surprised when I showed her the road that headed home, as after all that driving, we were no more than twenty minutes from the Volvo Cave!

We stopped at the John Farm on the way as I had to use the facility. I am still empty/dump instead of a more usual flow. I have to use no pressure to go (so many jokes), and I can tell you the only pressure currently needed is to hold it in to reach the restroom!

While there, I got a fresh apricot for a snack, a jar of peaches, pasta sauce, and some salmon (canned), and Linda packed them in the cargo hold. I had no sudden needs after that.

The drive takes you into the Salmon River pass via the Salmon River Highway. Clearcuts are everywhere, but the remaining forests and the rolling Coastal Mountains make the view like a fairy kingdom. The drive is free of nasty curves, uneven pavement, and speeding tickets. The first lovely Pacific beach is the D River State Park. We stopped, and Linda enjoyed the huge, low-tide sands. I sit on a bench and then in the car. The state park has a public restroom and an excellent view from a parked car, and it is always my first stop going this way.

Depot Bay is our next stop. We arrived at low tide in the afternoon, so I did not see any whales today. We spent quite some time just enjoying the view (I was on multiple calls with Nike and Sedgewick). We then went to Tides and had a wonderful but expensive lunch/dinner. Linda had the spicy seafood green curry, and I had the special. Mine had good flavor (I am beginning to taste again as the thrush fades). We finished sharing a key lime pie; I got a slice to go for Corwin. We left after 4 from the coast, and I was starting to fade.

We did stop at The Vintage, which is an RV park just outside of wine country and on the way to the coast. There, they provide a collection of old-school-looking airstreams (for glamping) to rent and also places to rent a space. The place was neat and happy-looking. A week of glamping was about 1K. I checked and they all booked in the fall. I might have to try this and see if Dondrea and Z want to give it a spin next year. It looked fun.

Linda did not want to drive at night, but we made good time, and so we explored Dundee (wine country) and found a large vineyard tasting room, Dobbs Family Estate, still open, and got the last table for the night for a small, three, wine tasting. We found ourselves ignored as our waiter was missing, but soon they dived in to make sure we were properly wined. I bought the expensive one as, even with thrush (making everything taste like vinegar), I could tell it was good. I used the usual excuse for paying too much, that I get the $20 tasting charge back if I buy something. I am looking forward in a few weeks to being able to taste it and see if I actually like it. I also bought their dessert wine, which, again, I will drink in a few weeks/months.

With all our goodies, we reboarded Air Volvo and soon left Pacific Highway and crossed Cooper’s Mountain to return to the Greater Beaverton area. At the Volvo Cave I was tired but not overly, excellent! I watched the first episodes of Black Sails and then went to bed. I showered and then read for a while. I woke a few times and welcomed some forgotten dreams replacing the Lovecraftian darkness of the previous days.

Thanks for reading.