Blog

Wednesday started just before 6AM, with me having slept the evening and did not wake to take my night meds. I thought about skipping the bike ride, but I got going, filled the electric kettle, and climbed into the Immoble Schwinn. I also got Bloomberg to play at the same time. I rode for a 1/2 trip of fifteen minutes and 3.4 miles not traveled. The Bloomberg folks debated whether the news was good or bad on the state of the economy. There was no conclusion, but later, I learned the market did fall just a bit.

I made an NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) with a small cup of yogurt and fruit for breakfast. I read emails, Slack channel updates, and the news online. I was trying to be prepared for the day. Next, I showered, dressed, and boarded Air Volvo. I arrived without issue at the Nike WHQ Swift building, our new place, before my first meeting at 8:05. Most of the meetings in our project start at +5 minutes to allow for a break between meetings for all the obvious reasons.

The day was the usual collection of Zoom meetings, mostly status meetings, with a few alignment meetings. I headed out after 11AM to see Susie and arrived, also without incident (but with plenty of construction), at Susie’s place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Susie was wearing the new Detroit Lions shirt I brought her yesterday. We headed out to the park next door, Metzger Park, and I zipped up Susie’s light coat worn over the new shirt. It was cool in the shade. The sun came out, and it was soon hot and actually humid from the recent Oregon Mist. I was coughing from my allergies–Fall is here (cough, cough).

In the sun, we reached Leta, Susie’s mother, who was delighted to see me doing OK after so much travel. We had a friendly, quick chat. I had to return to work and find lunch, so today was a short visit. I returned Susie to the hummingbird house from the park, kissed Susie goodbye, and promised to return on Thursday.

Lunch was a salad from Chipotle’s with chips–more like nachos. I returned to WHQ by way of the old building–I did not even notice I had returned to the old building and had to turn around.

Work was just a few more meetings and some discussions. After 4:15, I was getting tired, so I headed out. I stopped at Shake Shack to get a burger, fries, and a Diet Coke. The food helped me wake up; I had the bacon and avocado burger, but I would order a cheeseburger with a slice of avocado–the bacon did not work for me. I also reviewed the rules for the board game Istanbul.

I reached First United Methodist and waited a bit for Z and Dondrea. After they arrived, Z and I played two games of Istanbul (it is easy to reset for another game). The game is an economic game where efficiency wins. You manage resources and move through the cards that represent the game board. You have many options and your turn is simple. The planning is hard. Andrew joined us for a third game, with him learning the game as we went on. We all seemed to enjoy this friendly and easy-to-play game.

Z and I also played some Azul, the tile game. We were out of practice and used our alternative scoring method. Z tried to sneak in a win, but we managed to score slightly better. She scored last, but everyone was within five points–anyone’s game.

It was a great time playing games while the choir and band practiced.

On the drive home, a train blocked the road, and then a confused driver was going the wrong way on a one-way street. All the drivers saw the mess, and we drove slowly to allow the lost car to turn out of the way and get legal. Ugh!

I am tired and forgot to take pictures. Sorry! I also had a 10PM Zoom meeting with India tonight. So it has been a rushed day.

Thanks for reading!

The day started at 6AM with my allergies waking me, and I panicking and taking a COVID-19 test (negative). So, I only had three or four hours of sleep last night–I was dragging all day. I tried to return to bed, but I mostly rolled over a few times and started my day at 7:30ish. I made an NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) for breakfast and yogurt. I started the laundry, got an error code, and canceled the wash–I had forgotten to re-open the water to the clothing washing machine. Oops. I closed the water when I left for Michigan on Thursday.

I unpack some more, locate the T-shirt, Detriot Lions, and put that in Air Volvo. Before heading out, after restarting the laundry machine, I made a cold ham and cheese sandwich. I had to toast the bread as I froze the loaf when I left for Michigan (I did not want to return to fuzzy bread). While I ate my sandwich, I watched YouTube videos on Tolkien (Nerd of the Rings) and on how the bow metal corrodes in an Iowa-class battleship (Battleship New Jersey). After enjoying some new updates (I also saw a video on fixes to RMS Queen Mary in California), I finally collected my suit, suit pants, and shirt.

Air Volvo reached the Dry Cleaners in Beaverton without incident. My suit will be cleaned and ready for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. I just need a period hat–working on that. I also added the suspender button to the pants for my black suit. They forgot them, and that makes the suit unusable. I want both suits for the festival.

After that, I crossed Beaverton to see Susie at her place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. I arrived with only witnessing some extra-legal driving when a car was trying to make a left turn, and cars drove around the car instead of waiting.

Susie was delighted to see me. She loved the new T-shirt. She was ready to see the Park again now that I was back.

We traveled to Metzger Park next door, and Susie wanted a sunny, warm location. Our first attempt had us driven off by yellow jackets, which seemed to swarm that area. We found another sunny bench without the pests and soon could talk to Leta, Susie’s mother, and Barb, Susie’s sister, on my iPhone using FaceTime to create a three-way call. Everyone was happy to have me safe and back in Oregon, and we had a pleasant chat. Once that was completed, I took Susie for a short tour and turned around as we were chased by wasps las time when outside the park near the street. The wasps are angered by the black spinning spokes of the wheel. Certain motions and colors draw aggression from some insects and even birds.

We still got chased as some wasps were affected by the black wheel spokes and became very aggressive. Before that, we saw that the park was ripping out the plantings near the event building, and I was saddened to see an old rose bush being pulled out. I was tempted to save it or a cutting, but I really had enough. I promised to carefully pick any new roses as there are so few spots left around my house that a rose could use (unless I start cutting up the lawn). I let it go.

We returned to the hummingbird house with Louis filling in for his wife, Jennifer, the usual nursing aide during the week. We watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building, season 3. Susie and I love this show. After that, I had to leave and rest and finish my laundry at the house. I went with a kiss–Susie was sad to have me leave but understood I was tired.

I reached the house without issues and found the mail had been delivered. I had written a letter to put the mail on hold while I was away and to deliver all the mail today. A friendly letter works better than trying to fill out their official card. Now I had bills for Susie’s medical stuff and Mom Wild’s lawn. I pay both manually by check to have a clear record. I also record all of this in Quicken. I received my membership card to Portland Art Museum (PAM) with a letter saying all $80 was a donation–so I updated my Quicken entry to treat it as a donation–excellent!

I finally turned on the water, and the laundry started to work. I rested (napped) and read A Fatal Grace: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 2) on my Kindle. Falling asleep while reading. I would only know this as the Kindle would fall out of my hand and hit me while sleeping. I am enjoying the second book–Recommended murder detective series set in modern Quebec, Canada.

After a few failed solicitations, I was alone at BJ’s Brewhouse for dinner. Eric, my usual waiter, was on, but Mo said “hi,” also a familiar face. The manager who left is back as a server, “It did not work out,” he told me. We were both happy that he burned no bridges and was back. Many staff were dressed as superheroes as it was employee appreciation week. Many had supplied capes that said, “Bam” (referring to comic books and the old Batman TV show).

I had the huge porkchop and a baked potato that would impress the Hulk. Linda, my sister, and Jesse, her newly minted husband, are in Seattle and are having a great time in the Pacific Northwest. We exchanged pictures of food. So far, I am winning, but they have dinner at 8, which will likely be excellent.

I wrote this while eating and texting Linda. Thanks for reading.

 

I am starting this story as I board the flight from Detroit to Seattle on Monday. I was in 4D in First Class. The first three seats are well-treated, but the second set of two seats gets an also-ran feeling. If you are looking for the whole luxury experience on a regular USA domestic flight, you want seat 2A. So I got a drink after a while, and I waited to almost the last to get my dinner. Dinner was a chicken item that I had ordered online. The stewardess brought me a glass of red to go with it; I asked her to pick the wine for me. I could barely hear as my good ear was pointed at the window. The food could have used some salt, but it still was good and quite hot–I did not add salt as I can enjoy my food with less salt (and should with high blood pressure). I would order it in a restaurant–highest praise for airplane food.

I use my noise-canceling headphones, as this 737 is loud for me. It was a new 737 with all the cool blue lighting, and the miniature bathroom was usable. The crew closed the First Class bathroom while preparing items for the rest of the plane, so I had to walk to the far bathroom at the back of the aircraft. It was an exciting feeling to see how long this 737 was. The blue lighting was restful, but you could see everything. I tried not to bump people, but it was nearly impossible to miss everyone.

I took off the sweater and just had the T-shirt. I could see the snob rise in a few other First Class passengers when they saw me in a Nike T-shirt. We were never over AC’d, so the sweater stayed in my travel bag. By the way, the red Nike travel bag was heavier. I picked up a Lions shirt for Susie in Detroit. Books and various items that should have been packed in the luggage had been added. Susie was not with me and thus did not remind me to carry only what I needed in the travel bag.

The gentleman next to me on the Seattle-bound flight, again my hearing did not help me understand him, sold Financial software and was headed to Seattle for a demo or a sales pitch. He just had the dessert for dinner. I had two cups of coffee as I did not want to sleep on the four-hour flight as I had to get to a Portland flight in 45 minutes once we landed. He lived in New York and was in Seattle for a few days.

I tried to watch the new John Wick movie; I put in the supplied earphones and then put my noise-canceling headphones over them. This worked well enough for me to understand the movie, but then the stewardess had to reboot the screens–I try not to think about that–starting the movie over, and I just read my book on my Kindle instead.

I read and listened to music; I have the 100 Best Classical Pieces on my iPhone, and I just have it shuffle–somehow, it always picks rousing pieces for boarding and take-offs. I watched some Guy Fieri food shows near the end of the flight to have something to do after I packed everything.

The plane arrived twenty minutes early, but this bounty was lost as we waited most of the earned time to get a gate agent to connect the walkway. I had forty minutes until boarding time for my flight to Portland, and I needed the restroom. I had to walk to the train and then walk to the very end of yet-another-never-ending ‘A’ Termimal. Dante would have found materials here, too. I was breathing hard when I saw the gate, A14, and the nearby rest area. Of course, this plane was delayed. I then waited thirty minutes. And the gate does not have a sound system. So the gate agent yells over the noise to give us instructions–Less Delta but more Wright Bros., I think. On Boarding, expecting a barn, but I was surprised it was a large new Airbus jet, not something manual, and I got another First Class seat for a 25-minute flight.

On disembarking, I hit my head, for the second time, on an open overhead bin. I am not that tall. The walk is a bit long, but it is the last one. The PDX carpet welcomes me home. I retrieve my luggage and then nearly fall down the escalator with all my stuff–next time, the elevator! Again, if I was with Susie, I would not have risked the escalator!

I can’t find Air Volvo. I took a picture of the car in Long Term Parking with the sign showing 3E. There is no 3E on the third floor. I try to remember what happened on Thursday, get back on the elevator, try the second floor, and walk to the upbound parking, and there is 3E. Yes, 3E is on the second floor. Yes, Dante would have loved this stuff.

The window on the driver’s side was down the whole time–I have done this before. But it was inside and parked with thousands of vehicles, so nobody noticed. Something to check next time.

My first attempt to pay failed as the machine did not take my AMEX. I used American Express as my parking pass instead of trying to not lose a paper ticket. The next machine works, and after $120, I am free. It took me a few moments to switch to driving the smaller Air Volvo as SS Ford, the colossal SUV I rented in Michigan, was a different driving experience; more piloting than driving. I took the wrong exit and had to circle back once, but after that, everything was easy.

I had to slow down as I was driving 70+ in a 50, which would have been a 75 in Michigan. Time to slow down and get on my passive-aggressive driving back. I am passed by a motorcycle going over 100, but like most Oregonians, I ignore anyone going fast.

I arrive without incident, trying to not go 45+ in 35. I unload the luggage, open it up, and get the necessaries out. I shower as it was, including the time difference, twenty-three hours on the move. Cleaned up and refreshed, I finally slept at 2AM in the bunks in the Volvo Cave.

I wake at 6AM (again!) and cough, and allergies are bad, OR I have Covid-19. I am scared, so I crawl out of bed and take a test. Negative. I managed some fitful sleep after that.

Thanks for reading this mini-blog.

 

Traveling across the USA…

I scheduled today to allow me a slow and easy start. I woke at 6:30, again waking before my alarm (why?), and started packing and preparing to exit my hotel room. The trick is not to lose anything at this point. My suspenders flopped out of my unzipped suit bag and left parts behind. I got all of that back to where it belonged. I re-packed everything, my usual method of balling up and throwing in case of dirty clothing. Any spare clean clothing is placed in my carry-on. Susie, Mrs. Wild, would disapprove. She is very much a scientific packer. On calls during the trip, I heard her laugh when I mentioned packing.

Breakfast, after packing, shower, and so on. I wrote the blog in the lobby with breakfast and two coffee. I had to retreat to my room as my colon decided I was having too much of a good time without it. That was why I did not check out quite so soon. I would be haunted a bit by that end of my body today–details are best not shared, but I will tell you, dear reader, I have not needed a change of clothing. Soon, it was time to start the process of leaving. I checked out, saying something funny to the desk team that made them laugh. I hate it when later I can’t remember a good joke.

Off to Lansing downtown. There, I checked in, after three tries, to the parking. The kiosk took ten minutes twice to redownload the parking requirements. I am not sure if anyone ever pays for parking using these machines. I did see Parking Enforcement with dramatic flashing lights (yellow and green–very friendly colors to many Oregonians) giving out unhappy notes printed on a thermal printer in the small car.

Aside: Remember, I am liberal. WTF. The downtown was empty of people and customers. I do not understand aggressive parking enforcement when only 20% of the spaces are used on the Monday I was there. Why waste the time to collect this, and how could the expense to collect the fines and charges be financially successful! Also, I had to leave earlier than I wanted as I could only book two hours of parking (even with dozens of spaces open). I spent an hour at the capital, shopped, and then lunch–usually about three hours. The lack of shops and the aggressive panhandling suggest that people who come should get a coupon for risking a visit to the capital area. I would recommend the first three hours free with coupons.

Returning to our story, I parked at 10ish and headed to the capital. The 1872-built Capital is a beautiful example of the Imperial post-Civil War (called the War of Rebellion on the monuments around this capital) US style you don’t see anymore. All the cast iron stairs and the dome match the USA capital before the more recent renovations. It is a beautiful place to see this crazy, super patriotic style. The metal in the fixtures is mostly copper, and some brass in the gas-style lights. Michigan supplied copper in huge amounts for the war. It is a beautiful building, and I took lots of pictures–most to be changed to black and white to be used with a Call of Cthulhu story.

 

Next, I waited a few minutes for Sumit Comics to open and then acquired a mint copy of an old Dungeons and Dragons adventure and a leather notebook with a fun saying on the cover. I love this store and always find something I cannot get in Oregon. The manager was happy to help me; I suspect Monday is not busy.

After that, I tried the Cuban Joint on the corner. I was a bit basic in layout, but the food was terrific. I got a sandwich and plantains. I took 1/2 to go as my parking was running out, and there was no way to extend it. The waiter was happy that I enjoyed the food. Recommended: La Cocina Cubana.

I called Mom Wild and brought her the other 1/2 of my lunch. She was thrilled. I stopped by in SS Ford, the huge Ford I rented for the trip, and moored it next to her home. I stayed until about 1PM and then said a sad goodbye.

Next, I fueled SS Ford, and as Michigan is self-serve, I had to do all the work. I also noted how drab the gas station was. The ceiling tiles were hanging, and there was rust everywhere. I guess this is what we should expect from the oil companies in Oregon now that we are changing to more self-serve. There is no reason to maintain their stations now that they get maximum profits. I don’t know why Michigan puts up with being bossed around by oil companies–but I am liberal. It looks like crap!

Following my disappointment at the crummy station, I got coffee and a cupcake at Biggby Coffee. I needed to wake up. I ate, drank, finished the coffee, and piloted the SS Ford to the final dock at the Capital City airport. National was happy to get the boat back, fueled, and ready to use. It seems scheduled for a new cruise soon.

I found that Delta was not open for an hour and waited to check my luggage. Evan called with Susie, and Susie laughed when I told her I was stuck again in Lansing. She thinks I am nuts to get there early. She sat around with me last time.

Delta staff showed up finally, and I did the usual stuff and even survived the security check without losing my pants. Removing my belt is not a good idea in general, and then having me raise my arms for the scan is a bad idea. The security guy asked me to pull up my pants before raising my arms. Apparently, he had seen enough underwear today!

I then found a Lansing-made beer and a grilled cheese at the only food place after security at the airport. There, I started today’s blog.

I will continue this when I can.

Here in Detroit, without issue. Took the tunnel, and the next gate on the endless ‘A’ terminal, Dante’s version of air travel, was mine. Easy today. There is Illy Coffee next to the gate. I ordered a plain coffee medium-sized, but it was the Detroit Airport: “No, we don’t have any cups of that size, so you get extra. We don’t have any coffee made, so you will get an Americano,” and I agreed–all at the price of a medium coffee.

I had dinner on the plane, but I had enough food if that failed.

Going backward a bit, on the flight to Detroit, the agent moved me out of First Class and got me a row to myself just a bit back in the plane. It was a comfortable trip for me. I was reading, and I kept nodding off for the twenty minutes. I walked to the gate with another gal who let me lead the way back to ‘A’ terminal. We walked fast and got our exercise before the next long sit.

Well, it will be soon to board. I will continue that in the next blog. Thanks for reading!

It is Monday now, and I am watching the sunrise at 7:20ish in the hotel, having complimentary breakfast, and using the free WiFi. The coffee is good. I was finally in my hotel room last night at 11:30, but I woke early! I seemed to quickly adjust to this time zone, or, as this is a travel day, I could not sleep that well. I needed to pack, check in online, and find my way back to Capital City Airport (I understand it was renamed after someone, but Washington is always National to me, and this one is Capital City). So I am in the lobby eating and writing. I am mostly packed; my headphones are charged, my laptop is max charged, my phone is charged, and my Kindle is in the room charging. I am a nearly sixty-year-old Power Ranger–Power Up; I have my biz blue sweater and dark blue pants ready to play my part of geezer Power Ranger.

The evening ended at the Lakeview Banquet on Round Lake, Laingsburg. The mosquitos did feed well on exotic Oregonian food. I loaded SS Ford, the huge Ford I rented and moored in the parking lot, with various goodies from the Frankovich Wedding (Linda Rose, previously Wild, married Jesse Frankovich). A centerpiece for Mom Wild and Leta (my wife’s mother) from the tables, some treats, and a wedding cake cookie and cupcake in a container to take to Susie. Mom Wild also received a blanket, as did Leta, for the evening to keep. We used a stool for Leta and Mom Wild to board, and I loaded the walkers into the cargo space. We never reached the third set of seats (we never needed the room)–the second seats opened somehow to allow access, but we could see them in the soft brown leather glory. We took the curving Round Lake Road to Highway 127 to 69 to Park Lake to return Mom Wild to her home. Leta and I then traveled across Lansing on familiar paths (I have done them six times now) to take Leta home.

SS Ford handled it well and was comfortable. Going 75 and 70, I was still passed often–yes, Michigan. I was unfamiliar with some areas, so I was not doing the traditional Michigan 5-10 over. We saw one deer that chose not to sacrifice itself to SS Ford, another reason to not travel at top speeds. I saw at least three deer dead along the road yesterday–the carcasses are cleared within a few days, so it is a real risk here. My sister hit one a few years ago.

Returning to the narrative and moving back further in the day, I was in the wedding party, so I had some duties and many required pictures that kept me busy. I did forego giving a speech. Leta was comfortable to watch, and Mom Wild had to be in many photos, too. The food was all finger food and dainty mains for an evening wedding, avoiding the complexity of a sit-down dinner while still being elegant and delicious. Each place setting did come with a small bottle of bug spray, which was liberally applied by most as the night went on. Meg, Jesse’s 12-year-old daughter, was included in parts of the wedding ceremony to show that they were all a family together now. Leta said it was a beautiful wedding.

As it is Linda’s and Jesse’s wedding, I will not tell their story. That is for them to do. Everyone was happy and enjoyed it. Linda was delighted I was there and glad to send Susie a wedding cookie and cupcake in Oregon. And whatever thing I said to her while trying to take a picture together and made her nearly fall down in a fit of laughter will have to be a mystery.

Leta, Mom Wild, and I did contact Susie at the wedding. The Alexa connection was too slow on my phone (no WiFi), but Jennifer and Louis (the live-in nursing aides) did try to help. We switched to just a phone call and had a pleasant visit with Susie at the wedding. Rev. Anne Weld-Martin went to see Susie today. Dan and Janet Gray were there yesterday. Susie sounded good and happy.

I collected Leta first, going back to before the wedding, at her house before 4PM. I was dressed early and in SS Ford at the Lansing Mall Panera Bread and recovered my hat. I had left it there the day before when having lunch with Leta. It was later in many of the pictures for Linda’s wedding. We took Leta’s walker with us as a precaution, and once it was dark, the walker kept Leta safe. Next, we traveled to Mom Wild and added her to the collection.

After that, I then used Nav to direct us to the wedding facilities. We were directed to take roads I have not been on for years, including Center and Upton (for my current and former Laingsburg folks), but avoided Peacock (a crazy road including parts of swamp overflows you drive through–it is not paved). We arrived with nobody showing signs of motion sickness (including the driver) from the curves and switchbacks to get around the swamps/lakes that fill the lowlands that are in the greater Laingsburg area.

Moving back in time, I picked Mom Wild up for lunch and took SS Ford to the Harrison Road House. Mom Wild had a chicken salad sandwich without the bread but with fries. I had an olive burger that was a bit salty for my high blood pressure and low-salt tastes. I returned Mom Wild to her place to rest and to get ready for the wedding, with me returning at 4-4:30.

Next, I drove the scenic roads I used to drive when I worked in Bath, Michigan, at my first computer job after college. I reached Linda’s house, gave the dogs something to bark about, and picked up Mom’s walker that was outside waiting for me. I loaded that SS Ford and headed back to my hotel.

I dressed early at the hotel, realizing I needed to recover my hat. It took me a while to work out the tie and suspenders. But soon, I was looking more old school. I surrendered my Air Force Ones for Cole Haan, black, no brogue. I boarded, slipped the mooring lines, got SS Ford going, and used Nav to get to the Lansing Mall without much complexity. My hat was recovered without incident, and I found a cool Zine at Barnes and Noble. I might find time to read my purchased copy on the plane.

Moving to my start of Sunday, I overslept to 7 and was not writing the blog until 8ish. The breakfast in the lobby was busy but not packed. I spent much of the morning writing and watching people. They would come in waves and, depending on the group mix, would pick a specific table. Families would take the four-chair square tables. Older men would take the booths if the group size was over two. Pairs and more senior family members would take the small tables with a bench and one chair. Larger groups of such would drag the tables together. Solos, like me, would take a bench table and fill the table with laptops and other items, suggesting to people to let us work alone.

It took me a few hours to write the blog. I had three coffees while writing; the jet lag is a constant pressure trying to make me stop and fall to the floor and sleep. I resist that catatonic draw–Morpheus calling, offering a pillow and a blanket, not colored pills. “I will take the goose down, not the synthetic fiber pill(ow), Morpheus,” I think.

Returning to the story, while driving to Leta’s place, you can see all the destruction from the storms. The streets are lined with broken trees and branches piled up to be hauled away.

One of the old trees near the Lakeview facilities was broken and half lying on the ground. The storms of a few weeks ago were terrible.

Thanks for reading.