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The morning started without fear and loathing as I woke with my alarm and felt better. Maybe the break to watch the latest Jurassic Park movie helped, but I mostly slept better. So the morning started better, and I was soon cheerfully making coffee and eating toast while reading my emails, work emails, texts, and Slack channels message to catch up with what happened overnight. It was another rushed day as I had to be in the office at 8 to make the first meeting. So after showering and dressing, I climbed into Air Volvo and headed to the shoe company’s Clubhouse building.

I had a few hours of meetings and did some computer architect work as we began work for the next release of the software. We don’t have the current changes yet, but we are now working on the subsequent changes. Computer work is always overlapping.

Next, it was getting late in the morning, so I left Clubhouse and headed over to see my wife. Susie was waiting for me in her recliner. Again, Jennifer let me know that Susie had not slept. Susie had her confusion issues again and was unsure where she was. The nurses stayed up with her, and she was safe. Susie finally slept about 5AM. Likewise, Susie does not remember these problems, which is a blessing.

Susie spoke to her mother, Leta, on my iPhone on FaceTime. They had a friendly chat for about ten minutes. We then called Susie’s sister, Barb, and chatted, and Barb showed her new cabinets for their kitchen using FaceTime.

Soon I was out of time, and Susie was sad to see me leave. But we agreed to watch a movie on Friday. So after a kiss and a goodbye, I went back to the office without issue or loss of paint on Air Volvo.

Lunch, free until July, was a chicken rice bowl. I had the medium spicy, their recommendation, and I could just eat it!

Things started to heat up on the project; six days to go live, and I was in meetings from 5 until all after midnight (still going on at midnight while writing this blog). For dinner, I heated up some of the remaining Tagine-styled chicken for dinner and split a small can of pineapple rings with Corwin. Safeway delivered groceries that I put away while following along.

The Zoom meeting started at 9ish and is ongoing (more than midnight).

So working lots of hours again, as expected. Thank you for reading. Sorry if this blog is a bit confused as I was writing it during the meetings.

Sorry, this is a day late. I went to the movies, and I was just tired yesterday and could not work late.

Morning came to me at 6:15 with my alarm rewaking me. I had, despite how tired I was, waking to the sunrise before my alarm. I looked at the clock, screamed silently in my mind “Unfair!”, fell asleep, woke again, and saw it was five minutes to my alarm. Next,  while deciding I should get up, instead, I fell completely into a beautiful sleep with the phone still in my hand, to be startled awake by my phone’s alarm a minute later. An ugly start to fabulous weather and sun.

The switch from rain has happened, and now we have summer for three months in Western Oregon. My lungs and eyes are full of summer’s goodness: Pollen. My roses, previously watered unrelentingly by Oregon, are now basking in the hot summer sun. Unfortunately, this weather grows only some blooms but produces the largest and sharpest thorns I have ever had. So enjoy my roses with caution.

It is another rushed day, the last one of the week, where I work at the office (home on Mondays and Fridays). Thus, I have breakfast of toast and peanut butter with liberal Fair-Trade Coffee, read emails, read text messages and Slack messages, and get caught up after sleeping for a few hours. A quick shower, dressing, and off in Air Volvo to the shoe company’s Clubhouse building.

I arrived with time to spare and then joined my boss for 90 minutes of meetings with 15-minute breaks. These breaks are not long enough to do any real work, so we get coffee, free Star Bucks style from the baristas downstairs (I use the elevators as gravity, and I am not friends anymore), and do other quick but not very productive tasks.

Soon it is approaching time to see Susie. So off in Air Volvo again, running a bit late as work starts to heat up again as we approach the install date for the software, to see Susie. Susie was still finishing her breakfast. She had a rough night that she is blessed not to remember. Susie again is having nights where she wakes up and is confused about where she is and what is happening and looking for me. The staff keeps her calm and safe, but Susie is not sleeping much.

These problems have been happening for years, and Susie often would be lost in the house and fall at night. A few ER trips have followed these night excursions when Susie hits something when she falls. Susie is now safe at Hummingbird House. But, as I said, Susie does not remember these incidents–I think she is sort of sleepwalking.

Returning to my Wednesday story, I can only stay twenty minutes. Susie talks to her mother on my iPhone for a bit. Then, too soon, I have to head out. I get a kiss goodbye, and Susie returns to eat her breakfast.

Air Volvo gets me back to the office without any incident, but I did have the trolley car bell alarm once. This is the alarm for the automatic braking system when it spots a possible collision. I manage to slow without the Volvo’s help, and, more importantly, no paint is exchanged.

I return, never rolling dice with gravity on the stairs, to my desk and spend the rest of the work day in a few meetings and doing some research.

I am out at 5ish and arrive soon in Air Volvo without incident or even an alarm. I decide to make dinner and grab Chicken Cordon Blu and corn from the freezer. I also microwave some potatoes. I offer some food to Corwin, but he has eaten. I then take Air Volvo to the Regal’s Movies on TV Theater and watch the latest dino movie.

I needed a break so the movie seemed a good fit for Wednesday. I was still tired. The whole day was a fight with exhaustion, but popcorn free with my Regal Card, an overpriced drink, and “why yes I will use my free ticket award” ticket made it even a cheap movie (not breaking $6 or about the price of a gallon of gas in Oregon, ouch).

The movie is pure escapism. It is interesting to see Hollywood’s new villain model. The bad guy has moved from Nazis or British accented villains, instead, we get insane American (!) evil billionaires. This time Tim Cook and Elon Musk mixed with a heavy amount of evil–the actor actually looks like Tim Cook but does some of Elon Musk’s mannerisms. Almost too real. I would recommend the movie if you need a brain cookie and need to forget Covid-19, January 6, war, and Global Weather Change for a few hours. There were three people in the theater, including myself, and all the staff was masked. I feel safe on off-days when I can be far away from folks and just watch the show.

I was home late. I found a new Cthulhu Mythos author to try out. This one is self-published, on Amazon, and does on eBooks. I am already intrigued.

I managed to read only two sentences before sleep came for me. I did have to prove that the little soda was consumed in the early morning, but mostly I slept well. I needed sleep!

Thanks for reading and again, sorry this is late.

 

 

Morning came like an unbidden call to sell you a warranty on your car, unwelcomed. However, I managed to get going without a delay as this is Tuesday and I have to be in the office for my first meeting at 8. Meetings then continue until passed 10AM. All the meetings are on Zoom even though we are back in the office. I am still masked, having just recently completed chemotherapy, and am happy to call in.

I spend the morning on status. The go-live for our project is in two weeks, and so status is serious business now. But, mostly, the project and the installation are going according to plan.

I am taking the elevator at work now. No more stairs for me until a few more months have gone by, and I feel up to some exercising, and the fatigue stops. I just don’t realize how tired I am somedays, and resisting gravity can be unexpectedly tricky.

Once the meetings were out of the way, I boarded Air Volvo and traveled to Tigard to see Susie. I had a box full of roses I cut the night before from our garden, slightly faded in the heat in the car, that Jennifer used to fill the vase for Susie after I arrived. Unfortunately, I forgot my mask and to sign in, but I got the mask on once I noticed I had forgotten it.

Everyone loves the roses and their pleasant scent.

When I got there. Susie had already finished breakfast and was in her assigned recliner in the living room with the other residents relaxing or watching TV. Jennifer was making breakfast for the late risers–the smell of bacon reminded me that I had only a light breakfast of peanut butter toast and coffee in a rush to drive to a Zoom meeting (!?).

Susie used my iPhone to talk to her mother, Leta, and they chatted for about ten minutes. Susie was a bit animated and spoke better. All hopeful signs.

Soon, my time was up as I got only about twenty minutes, and with a kiss from Susie left and reboard Air Volvo. I soon returned to work.

Lunch was free again at Clubhouse (the name of our building at the shoe company), but there was only one food truck, and it soon ran low on food. So I had the chicken with a side of vinegar coleslaw. The chicken was cooked, but just and the slaw was not great. It was also small portions. I understand that free pizza was provided later as a worthy replacement.

I received an email that a package had moved up its delivery day to today. And it being from Ukraine would require a signature. So I took Air Volvo home and worked the rest of the day from home. I was happy to meet the mailman with the package at the door and sign for it. It was in perfect shape. Excellent!

The rest of the day was quiet, as we had few issues other than timing changes to the conversion plan. I finished with the afternoon status meeting and the all-team standup (all on Zoom).

Today Summer came to Oregon. It often comes like a switch and today we were over 80F and sunny. No rain. A near-perfect day for us. This usually starts about July 4th, but now it comes two weeks early. And, so far, no smoke or fires.

I was fatigued again, rested a bit, and finished a short novelette by Eric Stross. I have it on my kindle, and the story is set in his Laundry horror-SciFi-Lovecraft world with his main protagonist, Bob, back in a story. It was excellent, Escape from Yokai Land (Laundry Files Book 12), but the book is only 86 pages, so it ends too soon.

Later, I tried to add American Express to my Quicken stuff, but it still failed. I even got an error code and an error report to send in. Nasty. Maybe they can fix it soon. I will try again next week.

The Schwann’s guy called and then showed up. More Chicken Cordon Blu, a pork rib roast (one of their best items), and some green beans. All going in the freezer that is not as packed as when Glenda was here.

The Schwann’s guy took my cell phone number, and now Schwann’s will text me for the next delivery in two weeks, which the driver explained, how they are currently doing this. I have to then reply to the text message to have a delivery. With me back to work, Schwann’s would now have to in the evening, and with just me soon living here–not as much food will be needed. So this all works for me, and I am happy to see Schwann’s starting to use technology–it is the only way to survive now with the US returning to high gas prices and inflation. We are reliving the 1970s even with a House Committee televised like the ghost of Watergate! I imagine a Nixon-like Terminator saying, “I’ll be back and I am not a crook!”

I made dinner from leftover Tagine-styled chicken I made yesterday. I had that with a side of cottage cheese and some pineapple rings (from a can). I love small curd, large curd being an abomination as far as I am concerned, with some fruit.

I then decided to write the blog early while the sun was up. Thank you for reading.

 

 

The morning came too early for me, as has been happening too often. I could have used another couple of hours. Instead, I rise like an unwilling undead and start my day at 7ish. I resisted, and it was more like 7:15 when I finally threw off the covers like an unwanted lover. Yes, I have been reading some gothic stuff and also feel it is time to find my writing voice again. Fatigue is no reason to be boring!

Breakfast puts up no resistance, and thus I find the last yogurt and last homemade scone to go with my liberal Fair-trade coffee. The status meetings for the shoe company start, as they do every day, at 8 and 8:30 local time. Again, I am just a tourist as I have no tasks, and there are no emergencies for me to help with. I listened and commented a few times while enjoying my breakfast. The video is off.

Once the meeting is done, I ask Alexa to play the La La Land soundtrack on the Echo Dot in the bedroom. I like to shower and dress to music; it is something I started to help motivate me when I was in chemotherapy.

Aside: During my chemotherapy, I found some tasks took a long time–the clock seemed to turn faster, but after playing music, the tasks took less time. I think I was going slower than I realized, and since there was nobody besides me at the house, I am not sure how much I slowed down. The beat of the music helped me go back to my more normal speed. A lesson that, I think.

I put the towels in the dryer I washed last night and ran a light but quickly aging dishwasher run. You cannot leave dishes unwashed in the machine for too long with the door shut. Next, I charged my phone and the Bluetooth speaker while showering and dressing. So, with the basic chores done, I headed out.

Air Volvo, taking now $90 to fill, took me to Susie’s place at Hummingbird House near Tigard. The trip, more extended from the house and using Hall Street, not 217, was uneventful despite passing two speeding traps–I was not speeding.

Susie was up today, Monday, and finishing her breakfast. Jennifer was on this Monday and was surprised to see me–she did not know Nike is closed for Juneteenth. Today was another movie for Susie: The Greatest Show.

Jennifer, after we waited for Susie to finish her breakfast, including scrambled eggs–Susie’s fav, moved Susie to a recliner in the activity room. I set up the screen I keep in Susie’s closet there and connected up the Mac. Ready.

The Greatest Show is a beautiful musical with great music that sounds a bit more modern and, of course, with its name, fantastic dance and circus performances. And, here is my favorite song: The Other Side. The story, while not historical, is meaningful and about discrimination and its impacts on people. I love a musical, and this one just moves me. Recommended.

We took a break about halfway through the film and called Leta, Susie’s mother. She was available at home, and she and Susie chatted for a while on FaceTime. Susie and I then finished the movie.

Next, it being a warming day and without, despite being June, rain, I took Susie outside. I pushed her wheelchair through most of Metzger Park, only turning around when the paved path started going downhill. I don’t trust my strength to resist gravity coming or going. Thinking, If I can’t handle stairs at Nike, pushing a wheelchair up and down hills will likely prove that gravity works and that I don’t!

The park was full of folks enjoying the Juneteenth (observed) holiday. Susie enjoyed the trip and the movie but was getting tired. I got Susie back to Hummingbird House, and Jennifer put Susie to bed for a short rest before a late lunch. I kissed her goodbye, and today she was not sad as we had a lovely day and she was a bit worn out from it.

I drove Air Volvo to McMenamins Cedar Mills location. I had not been there for months and needed to do some boring stuff. I promised myself to start up Quicken to manage our finances this three-day weekend. So I sat at the bar and got a Terminator (a dark beer) and pretzel bites with cheese dip. Next, I started the process and connected to my bank account with Quicken on my Mac. This only worked after making some changes to my bank account to allow access. This downloaded all the transactions in my account for three months of them to Quicken. I then had to characterize the transactions (some were correctly guessed by the software–IRS transactions were recognized as taxes, for example), which took hours. Yes, I sipped my beer and updated transactions for hours at the bar. Ordering sliders later for dinner-lunch.

Quicken is part of my retirement plan. I need to start watching every dollar. With Susie’s medical large bills, retirement may be further in the future, but the need for precision in our finances is now critical. I need to track all the medical bills and know where every dollar goes. I have had the privilege of not needing to be careful for a few years, but it is time to return to my detailed planning.

As I said, the basics are downloading all the transactions and then assigning them. First, I did all the easy ones and repetitive ones at the bar–beer helps. I then drove home and read and rested for a bit. Next, I looked up checks, Amazon orders, and Paypal details on the significant high-value transactions that I did not recognize. Soon, I had all those done (remembering now where all my money went) and ignored a few minor unclassified items. Quicken is now usable.

I added a screen to my Apple to make this work feel less like drudgery. Sometimes Quicken can make you feel like being virtually chained to an oar and rowing. I have the Quicken items up on one screen with Amazon, the bank, or Paypal on the other screen. This lets me easily match up the transactions. This is my USB-C portable screen that uses only one cable.

I also finished my laundry and the towels. All put away while doing all of this. It is a boring task so folding laundry is a good break.

I also connected my trading account and one credit card to Quicken. Quicken then handles matching across accounts, thus avoiding doubling up transactions. I did have one transaction that did not work right; I miss classified it. I deleted the erroneous transaction and re-entered it with a correction. Everything is good now. I could not get American Express to connect to Quicken yet. I will try again later in the week.

I will now download all the transactions from the bank, trading account, and credit card(s) and have a complete picture of my cash finances. Later, I will add the 401K, deferred compensation, and the house and car value to get a complete picture. This is what I used to have years ago, back to old habits.

Next, I rested a bit more. Cut some roses for Susie for tomorrow and then wrote the blog. Thanks for reading.

The day started with me getting going at 7:30ish. I slept well, but the morning came too soon compared to when I went to sleep (1AM). I was able to make coffee and have some breakfast while I attended an hour of status meetings for the shoe company. We are on 7/24 support for the new software install. The work stuff was over soon, and I had no issues assigned to me, which is excellent.

I make the coffee and have yogurt and my last bagel. I leave the house at about 10ish wearing a tie and a white shirt under my blue sweater–That is as formal as I get. The tie is pride colored as it may be Juneteenth and Father’s Day, but it is also Pride Weekend. Yesterday, while I traveled through Portland, I saw a gal in sandals, a thong, paint, a Pride flag, and no other clothing walking a dog. Plus, others in Pride colors in various states of undress. The remains of Portland’s Pride Parade, where modesty is not required.

I went to church and attended the 10:30 service at First United Methodist Church with my Pride tie. Dondrea gave the sermon today called “A Higher Loyalty,” which focused on justice. She described the Watergate Scandal and that tomorrow, June 20th, is the anniversary of President Nixon’s resignation. She pointed out that President Nixon’s outstanding achievements, The Clean Water Act, The Endangered Species Act, and other federal programs we take for granted, were enacted by the Nixon Administration. Still, we seldom attributed these important good works to him. His crimes and unethical behavior overshadowed all the good he did, Dondrea suggests. So will be the truth, she offers, for churches and individuals who commit acts against the underserved and groups on the edge. What we do matters, the ends do not justify the results if done dishonestly and with cruelty, and folks will be remembered for their failures, not their successes. Lastly, she reminds us that the Old Testament prophet Micah 6:8 covers what we need to do (NIV):

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Dondrea added the hymn, Lift Every Voice and Sing, at the service’s end as a special request. This song is the anthem for the civil rights movement in the USA.

Aside: I record Dondrea’s message here not as a religious statement, but because the sermon stayed with me and seemed to frame the day.

I could not stay after church and chat. So I headed out and took Air Volvo towards the Hummingbird House, Susie’s place. Instead of going there directly, I stopped for some lunch. Arbee’s had a pecan chicken salad sandwich that is just wonderful. I had that with a diet coke and freshly made curly fries; I was warned they were fresh and hot.

Susie was up in the wheelchair; I had just missed Evan, who stopped by Hummingbird House for his lunch hour to see Susie. I set up the screen and my Apple laptop, an M1 13″, and played the movie La La Land. Susie was resting in a recliner for the film and slept a few times, holding my hand. She woke up and then fell asleep a few times, waking for the good parts. One of my favorite songs is the duet for “City of Stars”: here.

Susie also spoke to her mother for a bit on my iPhone. Susie’s speech can be garbled, but Susie is better at speaking now. The nurse staff at Hummingbird House constantly talks to Susie, and she replies. It helps.

I leave, Susie is sad again to see me go, but she is also falling asleep. I kiss goodbye and take Air Volvo back to the Volvo Cave.

I have a 4:30 Zoom status meeting that I make today. The meeting interrupts my making dinner. I make North African tagine-style chicken with preserved lemons and olives. I roast it in a dutch oven, but I have the spices about right. I somehow managed to undercook the potatoes but not the chicken, but it is still good, and only some of the potatoes are undercooked. Reheated for lunch will remove that issue.

Corwin has some and thinks it is good.

Corwin has signed a lease and has a new place to live. He will be emptying his current bedroom and my new office and taking his stuff with him. So soon, it will just be me here at the Volvo Cave.

Thanks for reading.