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Friday: Broke EV Door and Other Mistakes

alohawild

On Friday evening, I went to charge the EV. I pressed the door to the power plug, but it would not open. I pressed unlock three times multiple times. No change. I have never, and I mean never, had to unlock this small power-plug door on my Air VW the Gray. I turned the car on and off. No change. I pulled on it. It broke. Damn.

The car had been last charged the week before. I have no idea what happened. Is it stuck? I checked, and this is a known issue with a manual workaround, and the fob should have unlocked it. I missed a fix online. That ruined my evening.

I have tape to hold the door closed until I can get it fixed. I saw online that it is about $100 in parts and $400-$750 for the dealership to fix. Hmmm.

Moving to the start of my day, I woke up at 3:30. The alarm went off, and I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out why it was going off. Yes, I have to take Mariah to the airport. I had showered the night before and just dressed and headed out.

Emma is house- and dog-sitting for Mariah. I picked her up at 4ish. We then traveled across Beaverton and Portland, talking about Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E. I loaned her my spare players and DM books.

On returning home, before sunrise, I made coffee. I started my usual day now. I did the usual checks, but US Bank would not talk to Quicken, leaving me with little to do for a Friday in Quicken (it fixed on Saturday). I checked my balances in the US Bank app, and all was good.

I spent the morning looking out my office window and writing the blog. I am still getting used to the new tooling. I miss the word-count and media-addition process of the “classic” editor, but I am getting used to the standard one now. I do save often, as this version lost my work once, and I worked with tech support to try to recover the loss years ago (no go), and the tech waved me off from the “JAVA-based editor,” as he called it then. He gave me the link I use to have direct access to the “classic” editor.

I finished the blog and decided that the few items I had to wash, and the sheets that hadn’t been used for a whole week, meant there was no reason to do laundry again. Monday will do. I headed out to get some veggies and Taco Bell for lunch.

While tacos and a Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell are not everyone’s choice, skipping fries, burgers, and other caloric disasters for a nice taco or two and the pizza (which is not a pizza and certainly not Mexican) still worked for me.

I got a pile of veggies and fruit at 185th Corner, paying the extra 3% to use my card. Somebody has to pay it, and I think it is best they pass it on directly instead of charging everyone more. I loaded up my two bags, about $35, and headed out.

Back at the house, resisting the urge to go to a bar and write and play games, even solo games, I started on a chicken soup kit I bought by defrosting some chicken thighs (they have bones and skin! Oops). I focused on the three-minute Stewardship moment Eric K asked me to do this Sunday. I worked out a basic, short message (I revised it before I started this blog).

I made fridge pickles by putting fennel leaves (I didn’t have dill), garlic, and peppercorns in a jar. I peeled the cucumbers (getting rid of the wax) and sliced carrots for the pickle. I mixed near-boiling water, vinegar, and salt with the veggies in the jars. Let them cool, then put them in the fridge.

I made average chicken soup. I had a few bowls. Trying to be good. I used fennel instead of onion.

I also got a note that they received my vote. I mailed mine to be more annoying, but I put a stamp on it so the county paid nothing. Yes, my ballot passed through USPS!!!!!!! They texted me from Washington County that Elections has my ballot and it was good.


I watched a PBS show while cooking about how they made the Statue of Liberty. I read more about the American Civil War (ACW). I said good night to Deborah as her day ended. I worked more on my text for Sunday, read more Dungeons & Dragons stuff, and finished with more ACW. I slept very well.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday Busy Med Stuff and Lunch

alohawild

Thursday started with me rushing a bit to make my 9:20 appointment with Doc M, my usual doc. I reheated the coffee and wrote the blog. I did not finish, headed to the shower, and soon boarded the EV. Air VW the Gray soon had me through Beaverton and to the Doc at Cedar Hills.

Despite my weight gain, he did offer weight-loss drugs; my A1C was down to 5.6, and my last bloodwork showed no issues and some improvements. And my blood pressure was excellent. Doc M was happy, and we spent more time talking about traveling than my health. We did cover the Yellow Fever shot and he got me a list of my vacinations.

My job, without discussion, was not to gain any more weight or mess up our good work on my A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers. I will be back for a physical around April next year.

Next, the EV zoomed, following Nav, to the distant Walgreens that supplies Yellow Fever shots. It is a sunny but cool fall day without rain or Oregon Mist. Thirty minutes later, I am early for my 11 appointment. I get in line, but then I see a QR Code for vaccine check-in. Feeling more like Delta than Walgreens I check-in on the internet.

A few others are there waiting too, and soon a pharmacist calls my name first and has COVID-19 and Yellow Fever (a live vax) for me. We head to a cubbyhole, and I show my passport; he fills out the yellow card (I lost my original, but I’ve never had Yellow Fever before), and he watches as I enter my passport number and other formal details that must match it.

The shots are barely noticeable. I then get back into the EV and head across Portland back to Beaverton. Insurance didn’t cover the Yellow Fever vax, but the pharmacist had a coupon that brought it down to just above $276.

Brad J and Scott W can do lunch today at McMenamins Cedar Hills and wait until 12:15, enabling me to get back, finish another task, and then have lunch with them. Nav gets me back to Beaverton via Highway 26.

I visited Powell’s @ Cedar Hills and got the book I ordered, The Italian Job, not about the movie, but about the author’s time as bureau chief for the New York Times covering Central Europe and the popes. I liked his article about the current pope, Leo XIV, and about how popes face aging and health setbacks.

I also found a book about the American West part of the American Civil War that I only have some vague information on (having played a wargame on the battles in New Mexico): The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West by Megan Kate Nelson. I will try to get to it soon-ish, as I may suggest asking the author to speak in the church’s speaker series, if in the area.

Next, I headed to McMenamins Cedar Hills, and soon we were together and talked about Scott W’s diving trip and Truk Lagoon. The lagoon is full of WWII Japanese wrecks from Operation Hailstone in 1944, mostly transports and merchantman ships. Scott W told us he stays safe by seldom touching anything and staying mostly outside the wrecks. He also does about two dives a day, never risking a buildup of nitrogen in his blood. We also talked about my purchase of the Air VW the Gray; I had leased it for two years. The choice was mostly a financial decision, as I could not get a vehicle for a lower cost; I like it, and it is only two years old. We updated each other on travel and will not meet again until December.

The beer, cup of soup, half-sandwich, and side salad made me sleepy, and I imagine the vax also had me worn out. I returned home and talked to Deborah as her day wound down. I went back to bed and did not rise again until 4ish.

At home, I made Indian-style dinner from a jar. I defrosted chicken thighs, roasted them, sliced them hot, then browned them just a bit in a pan. I added the sauce to the hot pan, turned the heat down, and let it simmer until hot and spicy. I made rice and managed not to screw it up. Just one cup, but it filled the pan. I forgot to make 1/2 cup. I had a few bowls over rice, but I put most of the rice and much of the chicken tikka masala in a container for another meal. I do like rice, but it is bad for my A1C and waistline.

I read more Dungeons & Dragons stuff and will see if I can get a game going soon. I had to rise at 3:45 to take Mariah to the PDX. I also had some itching and took a Benadryl to stop it. I fell asleep by 10:30 and woke to my alarm, wondering why I needed to get up now.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday Home and Busy

alohawild

I am again using the standard editor and working my way through the new tooling.

I am also rejecting many of Grammarly’s suggestions now. I like my own voice. And yesterday it did scramble the meaning of a couple of sentences that I corrected after posting the blog. Hmmm.

The words ‘so’ and ‘actually’ are still not used by me. I do not like ‘because’ either, but it floats into my writing when Grammarly points out in blue highlighting that the meaning would be improved if I used ‘because’ and not some other word.

I rose early on Wednesday as my breathing was tough and my tummy unhappy. I also needed to prove hydration and thus started at 6. The time changes also had me up too soon.

I started the day early. It was the deep dark of predawn. I had to turn on the lights. I started my adventure of using WordPro and Grammarly to tell the story of my travel day, Tuesday.

At one point on Wednesday, I opened the garage door, and a red-and-green hummingbird flew down and looked me over. Deciding, I assume, that I was not a source of food, it flew up. It did hover and then left. I am not sure my neighbors are not teaching the birds to land on their fingers.

The backyard had three flickers that were eating the windfall apples. I have not seen the downy woodpecker return. There are fewer crows (they often drive other larger birds away), and I am not sure whether the birds are staying or passing through for the winter.

I spent the morning writing and doing the usual tasks of checking all my transactions in Quicken. I also checked, and my weight is up to 244, so it will be back to salads and less beer soon. Email is usually just deleting them. I have also seen more official-looking phishing emails, which I delete without much more than looking at the obscure email address that sent them.

I did get an email from the Social Security Administration that was official but led to nothing more than reminding me I get a cost-of-living adjustment at the end of the year of 3.6%. I logged on and confirmed my number matched theirs. Yup.

I reviewed my United Methodist Volunteers In Mission for, printed it off, and put it with my other papers. I am using a green mailer for my Brazil trip (19Nov to 30Nov2026). I later updated a health insurance reimbursement form for the trip. UMVIM is covering the trip for health trip (and less happy events) for a few bucks each day. Dondrea and I are the official and trained UMVIM leaders for the trip.

With the blog done, I showered, and all that, and dressed. After putting around the house, I headed out to the nearby UPS store in Air VW the Gray. After a short line with folks there to drop off various packages to be scanned and accepted, I was up. A very young woman then got out her stamp and notarized all the UMVIM documents she watched me sign. It was $10 a stamp (two needed), and a few bucks for a scan of the documents on the USB-A drive. Done!

Next, I was going to stop at the church, but Wendy called, and the internet access was out (a frayed cable, according to Jack C), and she was working from home, and various meetings were moved out, too. Instead, I headed to Portland.

I took the usual 26, crossed over Beaverton to Portland, and headed to the Cosmic Monkey on Sandy. There I got the newest Doomquest, #5, from Marvel. I have enjoyed this series. I also found #3 of Dungeons & Dragons: Total Party Killers and ordered #2, which was out of stock.

Ignoring the information above on my weight, I headed to Grassa and ordered a lovely salad (which would be wonderful with a little chicken for another visit for fewer calories) and a vodka pasta dish I previously enjoyed at the airport. A glass of house wine in a small juice glass went well with it. I read the comic books while eating and enjoying everything. An excellent meal and read.

This is too much food but so good; I finished it.

I also stopped at the 1960s-70s retro lighting and furniture store, Lounge Lizard, and managed to resist going retro.


Wendy’s update was a no-go for our meeting, so I headed home by the river on Highway 5; it was a lovely day, and the mountains were out. It added ten minutes, but the trip was enjoyable.

I managed to sit in my comfy chair after getting the mail, after returning home, and nod off for 5 minutes. Wendy called and was happy to meet at the church. I got up, put on my glasses and shoes, grabbed my laptop, and headed to church.

It was a short trip, and I joined Wendy, and we worked out cleaning plans for the church, mass mailing holiday info, and a few other details. We called Dondrea and talked with her too to get things moving. Busy. Busy.

After this, I headed to Ava Coffee and got a London Fog and an apple strudel, cut in half (Emma got the other half). I did more paperwork again and enjoyed my snack.

Next, Lay Days, a brewpub with good pizza, is not far away, and I walked there, got a table, and waited for Mariah and Emma, who showed up just as Trivia for Geeks started. We had pizza and drinks while trying to answer trivia questions. We managed, after an hour of coming in 6th. We had blown a few questions, and some music questions left us lost. Still, it was fun, and the Detroit square-cut, too-much-crust pizza was great (and again a bad plan for my waistline).

After trivia and closing the place at 10ish, we talked about role-playing games, and Emma and Mariah agreed to D&D on Thursday night or another gaming system. We will start with 5.5E D&D and see if we can make it work.

I found my copy of the Kickstarter rework of the AD&D adventure from the 1980s, Caverns of Thracia, to 5E (which is close enough to 5.5E for adventures). Maybe we can use this material to give me a break on writing until we see if this works. I remember the material was fun to play way back.

I got home, read more American Civil War history, set my alarm for an easy 7 since I had a 9ish visit with Doc M, and soon fell asleep.

Tuesday Yet-Another-Travel Day

alohawild

I am using the standard editor for WordPress now, as they seem to be phasing out the “classic” editor. Each paragraph is a separate block of text, and various tags are available to help search engines. I can also code the HTML if I wanted to go more high-tech. And while I could complain about change, as an IT professional, even retired, exploring quantum computing, and having taught AI Python coding, I will try to accept it and even enjoy it a bit.

I am also using Grammarly, and it keeps an eye on my spelling, missing plurals, and misplaced commas. I also pay for the extended version, and Grammarly often wants to rewrite my text. I find the voice it uses interestingly brief (it drops many of my words); I also play a game of finding which word I missed that trips Grammarly into changing my meaning. I often mix ‘what’ and ‘which,’ and I liked the change, for example (BTW, that scrambled sentence is my usual mistake). But the ‘accept’ option often carries forward voice-changing updates I do not want. I often hand key some suggestions.

Dear reader, I was practicing with the editor above, covering my thoughts on these tools and writing in the standard editor. Please let me start the narrative of my return to Oregon from Michigan now.

I rose too early at 4:45 to make my 8:50 direct flight back to Oregon’s PDX airport. I had mostly packed (I did forget a book that got mixed up with the bed sheets) and was dressed and out the door around 5:10. A sleepy desk clerk checked me out. I grabbed a coffee from the machine and saw a light on in the breakfast area. It was being made, but it would not be ready until 6. I would be at DTW by then.

I texted Deborah that I was headed out and took to the fast roads of the greater Detroit area. Unlike Portland, I am always trying to keep up with the 70s, 80s, and higher-speed vehicles. I saw a motorcycle that might have a red shift.

I arrived at the confusing signs and streets of the DTW rental car return process, with construction. It was dark, but I was familiar with the area (I’d been lost here before). I soon spotted a familiar blue sign and found the correct street. I pulled in; Hertz was not too busy, and I soon collected my belongings (remembering I forgot the book, The Heart of the Matter, a gift from the Crescent Bookstore in New Orleans, but I did not like it much). I had filled the tank the night before.

On the bus to the terminal, we were reminded of the $500 charge for taking the keys with us and warned to check that we had our phones and wallets. About twenty minutes later, the bus was about 60% full, and we got off the bus and scattered. I headed upstairs, printed my tag, left my phone, then recovered it, and saw more folks running to find theirs (it seemed like a lose-your-phone vibe on Tuesday morning). I headed into security on that floor. As a Silver Medallion Delta passenger, I can use the line upstairs. I waited in line for a few minutes before they approved me. This time I took off my suspenders, and my backpack and I were approved without extra attention.

The TSA PreCheck person asked why, if I travel so much, I do not purchase their pre-checked process. I replied that I don’t want that much attention, thank you. Dear readers, while friends have it and love it, it seems a bit 1984 to me, and I prefer to be gray with the other passengers. I also fear, yes, that is the right word, adding more of my travel information to security corporations. At the 2600 conference, I heard hackers say the only protection is to be gray and not be noticed, rather than to hide. And once you hand over information (or they just steal it, like Flock cameras), you have no way of knowing who will use it or how much you have endangered yourself.

I may change my mind someday as lines get longer and events force me to other choices. Of course, the T-shirts and hat make me less gray. But they help me look friendly and harmless. Which I am.

Breakfast was at a taphouse with an excellent pancake breakfast and bacon. Too many carbs, but still delicious. It was near my gate and was open. Breakfast was under $30 for one at DTW, not terrible this time, and, like I said, good too.

I rewatched the movie Pressure (a recommended WWII movie), and then napped for a few minutes before watching Mortal Kombat 2 wtih Karl Urban, who made the movie for me. While it is hard to recommend, I enjoyed it, especially Karl Urban’s character learning that his superpower was to ‘act,’ and then fight like a super wirefu character: “I am just an actor.”

The flight wasn’t memorable, and the seat next to me was empty. The aisle person put on a Central Michigan University, class of 1982, and we chatted for a moment. Her son had moved to Portland, and she visits now.

I soon was off the plane, found the restroom, found my bag, and then got on the TriMet MAX to Beaverton. About an hour later, and after some miscommunication that we resolved, Joan S picked me up at Beaverton TC.

I got to the house cold, with the heat still on Vacation setting; I turned it back to the usual heat and set the water heater to the usual setting, too. I went through the accumulated mail, found various notes from my health insurance, Regency, rejecting my CT scan to prove the cancer had not spread–an annual fight, with American health insurance deciding that CT scans happen too often now. I see that I have to schedule my CT in a message from OHSU MyChart, and the appeal went through, and it is now covered.

I unpack (missing the forgotten book) and decide that the house is cold, as is the water, and lunch sounds like a good idea. I head to BJ’s Brewhouse (the food at the local one is better than the ones I have tried elsewhere) for warmth and food. I take a seat at the bar. The cheap options do not appeal to me. I order a large chicken-and-bacon pizza, a calorie- and cholesterol-heavy dietary disaster. I also get a salad (with stupidly high-calorie, high-fat blue-cheese dressing).

I call Corwin, and he agrees to join me for a late lunch. He must walk the dog, Hank (still banned from the house), but arrives after I have already had too much pizza. The red ale was wonderful too. We manage to get 3/4 of the pizza inside of us. Corwin harvests the remaining for future meals. We headed out well fed.

I am surprised to not need a nap. I talked to Dondrea about church things and getting more paperwork done for the trip to Brazil in November. I called Deborah and texted her through all my transitions. It is hard to be separated again, but Christmas is coming soon.

Deborah will likely visit in February 2027. Although I thought about traveling to New Orleans in late January to enjoy the local parades (Krews), I’ll skip that since our trip is booked for April 2027. But, dear reader, NOLA is wonderful in late January before the crazy hits in February: Mardi Gras. Deborah may attend another conference in Orange County in June (back to the Mouse!). In light pencil, for a redo of our July Michigan trip for July 4th-ish timing (our plans were upset by the smoke this year). I also want to consider a new South Trip for the church now that we have done it. More to come.

A Church Council meeting and paperwork fill my early evening. Deborah sent me a goodnight text; we are back to trying to start and finish our days remotely together. I get a few to-dos from the meeting, but it goes well and but eats 90 minutes. While I guess it is good to have a meeting, I always regret the time spent.

The rest of the evening is doing laundry and watching the conclusion of a less-than-satisfying season of Slow Horses. It was more of a Jason Bourne chase than the usual slow spy stories. Still, I look forward to the next season (already planned).

With the laundry done, I read some more American Civil War and then went to sleep. Thanks for reading. I did have a bowl of jarred peaches as a snack.

Sunday Dinner By Deborah and Monday too

alohawild

WordPress has dropped the “classic” editor. I have to relearn my process. 

Dinner was excellent baked salmon made by Deborah. She complained that it was overdone, but I thought it was good. She steamed carrots in a pan with maple syrup and also made plain rice. It was good. Deborah’s aunt had stopped by earlier, and a lemon pound cake was thus available for dessert. It was excellent (but heavy as its name implies). Liam and Donovan joined us at the table (and Zelda the dog kept her nose on my leg for part of the meal, hoping for a mistake or a treat; I wasn’t intimidated).

Soon the dishwasher was running, and I was petting the two dogs, Zelda and Trixie. Deborah moved the dogs, found a spot on the couch, and we watched two episodes of Elsbeth. It was an excellent night to enjoy a meal together and then watch a show. We are usually rushing off to catch the next thing, but today it was slow and easy.

Deborah, who starts early, was tired by 9, and I headed back to the hotel. I did some church emails and checked a few things on the internet. I was in bed about 10:30 reading. I would turn off the light for about an hour and then start again. Read, roll over a few times with the light out, get up and prove hydration, and repeat. I finally got up at 2 and packed my suitcase. Sleep finally took over at 3-4. I just slid unaware into dreams and woke with a start to my alarm.

Returning to the start of Sunday, I rose late, around 8, and immediately showered and dressed. There is no coffee in the room, and meaning that on the other side of getting dressed is coffee. I am motivated to move! The time shift is only survived by coffee.

With the blog done, Deborah finds me at the hotel, and we spend some time together before heading to Dogwoods, a restaurant in Pontiac. There I have salad, and we are both dragging from the late night before.

After lunch, and the memory fades (it is now a second day) for me, I took Deborah back to her house, then petted the dogs, and I returned to my hotel for a bit. A small nap might have happened. I also reviewed some transactions in Quicken (I have gotten too sloppy, and there are many issues), and hoped my room would get cleaned (nope). The IHG is full, and most of the staff is new to me. Things are running a bit rough, I think, with lots of construction and engineers at the hotel for weeks of training. I met at least three people at breakfast or in the elevator who had been at IHG for more than a week.

And I was busy on Monday and did not have time to write the Sunday blog.

Here is Monday’s story told Tuesday at the DTW airport.

Monday finished with me dropping off Deborah at her house and saying a difficult goodbye. At the start of 2026, we were together for weeks at a time, but after July we had three months of separate travel. Even this birthday trip is only a long weekend. But I will be back on Christmas Day and into 2027. We plan a week in New Orleans in April 2027.

I rose early on Monday, Deborah’s birthday, and grabbed a banana and coffee from the hotel, then hit the road, taking 75 North and then 69 Southwest. The highways are mostly 70 or higher, and this slightly indirect route gets you to Lansing from Detroit in only 90 minutes.

Deborah texted me at 7 to see if I had time for breakfast and to be together. Oops, already on the road. I am running early, but I do not want to miss a chance to see Linda (my sister), Jesse (her husband), and Mom Wild. I also have a noon connection with Leta at Panarea Bread. The coffee helps, and I manage the drive without issue in the huge SUV, Air Durango, black with dark windows, looking like ICE or Men in Black, ready.

I am surprised when Nav has me leave 69 at the Laingsburg exit (Laingsburg being my hometown), but I head the opposite direction, and after a few right-to-right turns, I am on Grand River headed into Lansing. I find the place, Anna’s House, but I am 90 minutes early.

I tried to get back to the blog, stopped at Biggby Coffee to get another hit of wake-up juice (with cream), and Linda asked me to pick up Mom Wild (originally, I planned not to see Mom Wild as she gets confused when I call or see her, but Linda thought it was worth it), and I packed up and headed to Haslette Pointe Senior Center and surprised Mom Wild in her room.

We managed to reach the breakfast place before Linda and Jesse. We had a nice breakfast, and Mom Wild was delighted to share a meal with her children and Jesse. Linda and I stayed on neutral topics and Mom Wild stayed calm and less confused.

Parting was sad with tears. But travel means that every hello is also a goodbye.

Lansing, Leta, and Mom.

Leta and I just chatted and enjoyed our company. It seems strange sometimes, as we miss our third, Susie, when we are together, and it is just us. We both try to pretend that we are not missing Susie, but it goes without saying. Still, I had a small bowl of soup and an iced tea; we enjoyed lunch, and it is always good to see each other.

After seeing Leta, I headed to Downtown Lansing, near the capital, and noticed the area seems to be coming back. A Great Harvest has opened, suggesting that at least one corporation thinks the downtown area is worth the risk. Also, the parking now allows for hours of parking. Before, it was no more than an hour, preventing me from even having lunch there. Better.

I parked near the gaming and comic book store and found two comic books to read (they are now $5.99; they are not cheap anymore). I stopped at the Nut Shop, always remembering Dad Wild going there for peanuts, and got a small bag. I ate them while sitting on a bench and read my comic books. I passed on heading to East Lansing and hitting the Curious Bookstore; I have a pile of unread books from my last visit, plus books from New Orleans. It was warm and sunny. A man went through the trash next to me, hazarding the wasps, and I surprised him by giving him a dollar. He thanked me and said that the wasps had just started to be a problem. I saw him collect two cans to turn in for money.

I headed back. After a short stop at the hotel and gas station to top off Air Durango (I had filled it in Lansing too; it is a large SUV and expensive to drive compared to my EV), I returned to Deborah’s house. Donovan made wonderful steaks (I asked him for advice on making steaks; I will have to try his method), and I joined him, Liam, and Deborah for her birthday dinner.

I am time-boxed (my plane will be called soon). I will finish that it was a wonderful trip and quieter than our usual rushing from one side of Michigan, or Utah, or California to another. Thanks for reading!