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My taxes were done in February, and I enjoyed the Oregon Kickers for about $3,000, which covered another month of the usual expenses (I always think of Gomez played by Julia Rulia in the First Addams Family movie, handing over piles of gold coins to his lawyer, Tully Alford, for “the monthly expenses,” and later this scene here). I am writing this on my birthday and cannot find the focus.

I started Wednesday early with a torondo that, according to reports, was on the ground and headed to the hotel, but I missed it or did something like that. I woke to a much booming and flashing, but rolled over to cover my hearing ear and slept through the threat. I did observe that the window is not near the bed before I returned to sleep, so if it blew out I would be unaffected.

I woke to my alarm at 6:30, ignored it for a while, and rose after 7. I dressed, shaved, and joined the excellent breakfast in the lobby. Hilton’s version is a step above IHG with more fresh items and taco options (and a choice of shredded pork or chicken in a slightly spicy broth). I returned to my room and showered. I had finished the blog and published it during breakfast.

I agreed to meet Leta again for Lunch at Panera Bread near the Lansing Mall. I drove the Hyundai to East Lansing and parked it in the parking structure behind the MSU student book exchange. I walked to Curious Books and found two books, and saw others I was tempted by. I managed to not buy anything that needed to be shipped this time. This Sunday is the big paper-and-book show in Lansing, sponsored by the owner of Curious Books, but I will miss it this year (I will be in St. Louis).

It is the end of the term, and all the textbooks were locked up. I like to check out the Computer Science and Mathematics texts. But there was a sale of the other books (mostly supporting books for classes) for 99 cents, and I found three excellent books (I skipped a few large textbooks). When checking out, my parking was validated, and I soon was on my way.

Next, I stopped at the Summit Comics by the Capitol Building, but found nothing there that I could not find in Oregon. Also, my suspenders had disconnected, and I needed to reassemble my wardrobe. I was distracted holding my pants on, but as this is a geeky crowd, nobody noticed (“You do you” crowd). Which I did fix when meeting Leta for lunch. We had another nice lunch and chatted. With all our combined health issues, we both thought it was nice that we were still here!

I tried Preuss Pets, which I had not visited since I moved to Maryland in 1987, where I bought my last marine aquarium fish and other animals.  Instead of pointing that out to the owner (we are both gray and older), I enjoyed looking at the saltwater and freshwater displays and once again decided I was not returning to that hobby. I am now surprised by how much we can do now in a single tank; in the 1980s, a saltwater system could handle a few fish, and reef tanks were a permanent experiment.

(I am being stalked by a Drow)

I then tried a few gaming stores. One, despite being on the Internet, was gone, but I found another, the Gaming Cantina, and there I found something I had not seen before: patches for Hells Bells. After that, I headed to Mom Wild’s Haslette Pointe Senior Care and picked her up.

We managed to get into the Hyundai and drove around a bit. Mom Wild and I then went to Olive Garden near her facility and had dinner together. I had salad and a smaller item. Mom enjoyed the shrimp from our appetizer, some pasta, and a bit of steak. We then chatted, went back to her facility, where we discovered all her vapes were gone (lost or used up), and I got her more. We sat on the porch for a while and relaxed.

Linda and Jesse (her husband) later met me for dinner (number two) at Cooper and Vinyard. We shared a bottle of wine, and the food was excellent. I had my birthday dessert wtih no singing.

(Linda is holding extra candles, and I kept not blowing them out, just a little short on air, I guess. They got a bit warm I undersand).

And with too much food in my stomach, I returned to my room and soon fell asleep.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

No sleep on the plane, well, maybe an hour or two, I cannot account for. I watched much of the First Harry Potter movie and nodded off in it here and there. That is only two hours of the four, meaning I must have slept through some of it.

Delta arrived 15 minutes early; our plane was full of people making connections, and some of them were trying to make short connections. I let others go before walking off the plane. Despite being told the plane was full, I saw open seats when I checked my seat location. The middle seat was unused, and a young guy headed to Florida, and I spread out. I put my bag overhead as I wanted room for my feet.

Our plane’s arrival gate was a short walk to baggage claim, and maybe six bags were unloaded; indeed, our plane was full of folks making connections. I managed to balance my large bag on the escalator to reach the other side, then took another escalator down to reach the buses and car rentals. I found a driver, alone, for Enterprise who helped me with my bags and then explained why customer service is important while driving. I was sleepy and found a coffee and a donut at the Duncan Donuts at baggage claim (Portland should get one, but maybe VooDoo Donuts with the pink box for that), and politely agreed to words that did not stay with me.

A gentleman was waiting for me at the desk with a handheld computer screen (no paper here) who had one SUV available for me. I initially took it, but then saw it had only USB-A plugs. Yikes! My watch was already on low power, and I bought an overpriced USB-C cable at the airport to charge it (I should have used the one in my red bag). A small car was available (after that, I had my choice of five minivans), and it had some USB-C connections. I took that one. I signed the computer screen a few times, and I was off.

(Yes, the stick will hit you; my view while I waited)

Well, maybe not, and then the gal at the gate to check me out, usually a profunctory look at my driver’s license, looked at me and said, “You changed cars,” and then walked off to connect with others who knew how to handle this event. I was left at the gate, down, and alone for five minutes. She returned, and again offered a better car (hmmm, maybe the Hyandia was not that nice), and let me leave with my funny little car.

My usual route is 75-Flint-69-Lansing. I was tired. CarPlay was not working (I would need to buy a USB-A-to-C cable at the Apple Store later to get it working), and I was using the built-in Nav. I took 94 West forever and then finally went North on 127 to Lansing from the direct south. I was now, really tired. But I learned the new Nav and how to drive the little white Hyundai car.

The screen shows circular-analog devices for speed and RPM. But when one puts on the blinker, the circle is replaced with a live camera view of that side of the Hyundai. Quite startling the first time. The suspension is low and swift, and acceleration reminds me of the EV; there seems to be no gear shifting; it just flies. I was flying at 80+ for much of the drive. It also sips that gas, not drinks it.

It is too low, and I am proud that I performed the Hyundai entrance yoga with only one failure (slipping, hitting my head, and jamming my knee at the same time). If I wanted a getaway car, this one would be my choice; I wonder if there is a manual version. When you back it up. It creates a sky view (drone-like) of the car, having captured a view of the nearby area with the cameras, while also giving you a backup view. Wow, I even drifted around a turn once (oops).

I did miss a turn or two on the Nav and had to cut in, and got lots of Michigan people honking to remind me this is not how we do things in Michigan. But I arrived intact at my hotel in Lansing to be told that no, the rooms are not ready at 9, but they did call me at noon to let me know I could check in.

I found a bagel place, Big Apple Bagels, nearby and had more coffee and food. I called Leta and arranged a lunch meeting. I finished the blog and soon headed across Lansing. I was early, found a parking spot, and napped in the car.

Leta was late, her church meeting ran over, and she bought me a bowl of mac and cheese for lunch. That was all I wanted as I was sleepy and did not want to eat too much. I could not afford more sleepiness from food! We had a lovely lunch together.

Next, I called Mom Wild and arranged to see her in thirty minutes (I called my sister, who is fighting a respiratory issue, and could not see Mom for a while). I had stopped at a tobacco shop next to the bagel place earlier and got Mom Wild a vape product.

Mom Wild was happy to see me and even met me at the door. We talked for about thirty minutes (I was fading), gave her the vape, and let her know we are planning to meet for dinner on Wednesday.

I left, drove to the hotel, dragged up my stuff, checked in, and then left my phone at the front desk. I unpacked, got ready to shower, then re-dressed, returned to the desk, saw all the smiles, and took my phone. I then showered, put on my PJs (found in my luggage, which required to be lifted, opened, and searched. Tasks that were usually easy, but not now). Two hours of lovely sleep followed.

I climbed out of bed, dressed, and headed to Smoky Bones, a corporate version of a BBQ place. It is only mintues away and I selected a bar. An older large women coverd in tatoos (even parts of her face) was my bartender and made me an old fashion (they had only crushed ice) with no cherry and 1/4 skin of an orange (but still not bad) and served me pulled pork and smoked wings (good wings, but not that smoked) while I watched the Women’s Soccer South American friendly game. Argentina scored early, and Venezuela was struggling to get the equalizer. I stayed until the game started again. The food was OK, with the pulled Pork excellent. Deborah warned me that Slo’s (a possibility for my Birthday) would be better, the corporate version of BBQ; she was right (I would say Slo’s eclipsed them).

It was just 8:30 local time and 5:30 my usual time, and I was not ready to sleep yet. The Hilton Suites at Eastwood has an excellent pool — warm to almost hot. I water-walked the pool (a comfortable 5′ at one end) for thirty minutes. Now tired out, I returned to my PJs and tried to read. I found that the book on mosses had taken a strange turn and realized I was asleep, holding the book and dreaming a story for it. I closed the book, turned off the light, and slept. I woke to a loud thunderstorm at 2 and then returned to sleep.

Aside: The toilet seat falls in my room. A man must hold the seat while the other hand does its work; otherwise, there will be an unfortunate and likely unforeseen connection. I will leave the rest for your, dear readers’, imagination.

Somewhere in the evening, I also wrote a long note on D&D for the players. I had meant to get out a summary of the last play, but it too got missed. Done, though with many typos. Grammarly is MIA of late.

 

I am at Big Apple Bagels in Lansing, Michigan, on Tuesday when I write this about Monday. Monday was a travel day, and I flew all night to be in Michigan and still have Tuesday available to me. When flying to the East, it is the travel time and the time change, thus a total of 7 hours for Portland to Detroit (if you take the fast direct flight). If you leave in the morning, you still get there in the evening. Today, I chose to be tired rather than be late.

On Monday, I rose with the sunrise, but I had been ill the night before, and it was hard going. I made one cup of instant coffee and had that with a banana and a yogurt. I wrote the blog and kept track of the time. I had some medical appointments and insurance issues to look into, but I will get to those now on my return. I am too tired and out of focus to deal with it. And grumpy.

I get the COVID-19 and Flu A&B tests out and perform that ritual (one most of us know from the Pandemic), and am greatly relieved when the various checks all come back negative. Just a bad reaction to the Nachos and coffee from the night before. Emily from Skyrizi calls, and I mention that I had leg cramps only in the leg I injected. I share the lot number with her (I retained the boxes that the injection pens came in for these kinds of questions). She will report it.

With the blog done, I head out to finish some tasks and find a reasonable lunch. Panaera serves up kind soup, half a chicken salad sandwich, and chips. I read more Strategy & Tactics Quarterly on Dark Ages Armies while slowly enjoying my lunch. All is good.

I stop in Powell’s and escape with no purchases. No St. Louis travel books. I also found no Cahokia Mounds books at the store. I did learn that a family member (on the Hamlin side; Grandma Wild’s mother’s family) did their dissertation on the Cahokia Mounds. Hmmm.

I returned to the house, rested while the laundry finished, and then put away the clean dishes and laundry. I finished packing (though I forgot my charger for my watch and phone).

I shaved (cutting myself as I was chatting with Deborah; I was obviously tired), dressed in a dress shirt and sweater vest. Corwin stopped by, and we did a take-out order from Gyro House. Corwin will clean and vacuum while I am out, and often check on the house. I talked to my neighbors, and they are aware I am out for a week or so.

Joan S picked me up at 7:30, drove to PDX, and dropped me off at Delta. Thanks, Joan S.

I managed to check in my large bag and discovered TSA had no lines. My inhalers trigger a check of my bag. The coffee was in my large bag this time. That took no time to resolve.

Next, I found a beer at Deschutes Brewery next to my gate. I enjoyed one beer and then read more email and news. I saw that President Trump’s self-published image of himself as Christ was having a considerable impact. He later claimed the image was him as a doctor, not a prophet, and deleted it. This all started when he got into it with the Pope. Hmmm.

I was hoping for a meme of Trump’s cabinet that resembles The Last Supper, with the central figure, Trump, saying, “You are fired!” and the others saying, “Is it me?” I heard that Iran was supporting the Pope. Hmmm.

The flight was the usual four hours and change to Detroit, and I watched movies when I could not sleep. A thunderstorm surrounded the plane, and it was amazing to watch. I asked the pilots later, and they said it was a 180-degree view upfront and wonderful.

And that takes me to the morning.

 

 

 

I rose around sunrise and started on the blog. I spent the morning pounding out the blog (Grammarly missed spelling mistakes), and finished it around 10. Dondrea texted me that she and Z had already printed and added my letter to the bulletin while I was writing. I had hoped to get there soon enough to help, but, as usual, the writing takes longer than I hoped. Still, I was dressed, took Air VW the Gray to the church, and arrived before 10:30. This is when our church, the First United Methodist Church of Beaverton, takes over the now-shared worship space. We now rent space to other churches.

I reach the church as Emmaus Church has finished, and they are outside drinking coffee while we start our processes. Matt, their leader, and I say ‘hello,’ and then I head in and check in. I am ushering today, as usual.

Ashley gives the sermon, the fourth woman to preach for Easter. Ken stepped back and thought it best to let the Easter message come from women at the church. Ashley, who was nervous at first but then took off, told a wonderful story of the importance of empathy. She pointed out that empathy is being blamed in our country and in the Christian community for weakening. Ashley points out that Jesus was God’s example of empathy and sacrifice, and that the gospel teaches us this and not to dismiss empathy. Easter is about God’s choice to endure being human unto death, a test of empathy and resolve, not conquest.

Later in the service, Ken covered the plans for a trip to Brazil to see Teca and Gordon Greathouse. I said my goodbyes (I will be traveling for the next two Sundays) and headed out. I had lunch at the new Japanese-style Steakhouse, Ajisai.

My meal was just short of $50 with tip. I was shocked by the size of the place and the prices. There are at least three tables with built-in grills for the Benehana-style Teppanyaki shows. A huge bar with a sushi chef and a regular separate dining area. I had one of those and ordered Hibachi (it comes cooked and on a plate with soup and a salad). It was good and in line with prices for a Sunday dinner special in Beaverton, but still, it seemed extreme to me. I must be getting cheap.

I headed home after that, drinking only tea, and started to pack and order the house for my exit for ten days. I started packing and using my smaller suitcase for the short trip (I switched to the larger one because I hate sitting on it to close it).

Mariah decided that we could meet, and I joined her for a few hours at Hopworks off of Powell in Portland. There, I made the mistake of eating the nachos, and I was ill all night. Something in them did not work for me. When I returned home, I managed not to throw up, but it was a miserable night. I finally found a break around 3ish.

Yogurt and banana with coffee worked this morning. Packing is finishing. I am feeling better, but tired. Testing for Flu A&B and COVID-19. It is important to be diligent.

Results were negative.

 

Today was full of unexpected happenings.

I woke, and it was dark, but still it was 5. I tried to roll over, but then I had to prove hydration. I returned to bed, and sleep would not come. I was about to give up, and then it was after 7. I must have slept, but it felt more like the clock had advanced. I climbed out of bed, put on my slippers and robe (with slight numbness in my feet from the combination of diabetes and chemotherapy, I always wear protection on my feet). My weight is 225 +/- three pounds (mostly plus). More exercise, less good food (quantity, not quality), and a focus on veggies and protein would be better (but potatoes, in any form, are soooo gooood). Deborah is suggesting less beer and fewer naps, and she is right. I will try to do the iced tea thing. Also, beer is less interesting (I have been mostly an Old Fashioned guy now).

Instead of starting the blog, I turned to Pastor Ken’s write-up on the possible Thanksgiving-timed trip to Brazil for the church. I hate the timing, but our friends in Brazil, Teca and Gordon Greathouse, tell us this is a good time to visit from a weather perspective. I made an effort to revise Ken’s text, but instead wrote a supporting letter after being inspired by my notes from the 2025 Southern Trip.

With a draft done, I returned to the blog and invested the morning in recalling Friday’s events and trying to record them in some order. Later, Deborah asked me about the blog; it was not broken by weird Grammarly stuff. Well, Grammarly has been calmer, and also I am not pressing the ‘Accept’ button very much. Yikes! I have returned to my process of viewing what is being suggested and next revising the sentence to better fit, and then Grammarly goes away (usually). I go with that if the AI is wrong, I am missing a word or need a different order, not that I should let it make my text different.

(That looks like ChatGPT has taken over fortune cookies; that is not a fortune; there was an ad and a scan QR code on the back)

I headed out for lunch and picked Happy Panda and their lunch special of “Fresh Mushroom Chicken (white meat)” for lunch. There, I read the Cahokia Mound Tour Guide I downloaded (for $1) and printed. I did not know that the large pyramid is over 100 feet tall, and from the top, there is a lovely view of St. Louis. I added a leg to St. Louis to my upcoming trip to see the Cahokia Mounds. I am staying at the 1C Museum Hotel (here), a new chain for me to try. Sadly, parking and breakfast are NOT included. I may decide on seafood paella for one night at the hotel. Hmmm.

I received a request from Dondrea to revise my supporting letter (revised while Happy Panda), and later Ken suggested putting the letter in the bulletins on Sunday (removing the more detailed write-up and giving that to those who ask for it); this was quite unexpected.

Next, I headed to Barnes & Noble Bookstore and looked for my usual magazines. I found that Strategy & Tactics had a new quarterly out (I let my subscription run out) on Dark Age Armies, a subject I am not that strong on, but these armies often serve as the model for Fantasy Armies. I put away my books and Kindle to enjoy the usual insane level of detail. And it also covers the First Crusade, yay!

I passed, for the moment, on a newish biography of General Robert E. Lee, by a favorite author, Allen C. Guelzo, who, I think, is an excellent chronicler of the American Civil War (ACW). I read the first chapter while getting a cookie. I will be back for it someday.

Note: Guelzo’s Gettysburg book is the best I have ever read (having read four or five plus it being included in overview histories of the ACW), and I am always shocked when I read other versions (e.g., the wonderful storytelling of Shelby Foote in Stars in Their Courses) that miss the start of the battle and the Union’s early losses. The first Union general at the battle does not survive the first day, but manages to salvage the forces to Cemetery Hill. 

I returned home with just the magazine and another cookie (buy one, get the second for 1/2; “Why yes, I will take another cookie”). The rains had halted, which allowed me to fix a downspout that my lawn folks had knocked apart (who did not notice) and to review the roses and other plants. The pomegrante tree, planted late summer, has tiny buds and is not a $60 dead stick. Yay!

The apple tree is now in full bloom, and I am happy to be here to see it. Some of my neighbors’ trees are so heavy in bloom that they are leaning. Many trees are nearly in leaf. I have noticed that the birds and squirrels are now in pairs. The squirrels are still extracting from their vault, my backyard, their treasures, as Spring still had not provided enough.

I headed to Portland in the moment of no rain, and I was surprised by the low traffic and the decent speeds traffic was going, but just as I got to the tunnel, brakes slammed, Air VW the Gray exploded in red lights and alarms, and I braked and steered for the shoulder. The car behind me managed to stop in time not to hit the car in front of me. Yes, I had pulled completely out of the lane, nearly parking, and then pulled back in. Not bothered in the least, I headed back and was happy it was near the tunnel, since there is no shoulder there!

BTW: There was no cause for the braking. No road hazard or accident. More like muscle memory. Hmmm.

I arrived, parked at the Lucky Labrador, and had a Czech-style pilsner and a bowl of peanuts. There, I continued to read about St. Louis. Somewhere in the day, I had finished my first re-reading of The Book of Revelation (no plural, please). I am still trying to arrange a class of four 45-minute sessions to cover the book and its impact on Hollywood, social media, and modern Christianity. I often stop, sip my beer, eat a peanut, and try to assemble my thoughts for the class.

I ordered the BLT after asking what was good, and it is wonderful and simple. I eat only 2/3 of the potato chips (see the previous statement on potatoes). The bread was fresh, toasted, and flavored with some mayo; the tomatoes were fresh; the lettuce had large leaves; and the bacon was crunchy but not burned. Perfect.

With my bill paid, and folks ready to take my parking spot, the gamers are arriving in mass at Lucky’s. I saw a group of six playing a block game, Alliance by Columbia Games (a local gaming company). I would love to learn and play that, but I have not tried to connect with another gaming group because I am busy and traveling (I am already committed to games three times a week and to Dungeons & Dragons every other week or so). Still….

I arrived at Richard’s a few minutes early, and my left knee started to not work well, and the pain was considerable. I continue to ignore it. I managed down the steps and removed my shoes, as is de rigueur at Richard’s (the carpet is white), and soon learned the Lovecraft Mythos game Cthulhu: Dark Providence. It is not an expensive game (and a re-working and reskinning of another game, I was told), but new. We had four players, Laura and James (this is New Orleans James, not the retired doctor James I play on Tuesday). 

This is not a cooperative game and uses parts of various game systems, but only partially. You build your deck, but you cannot thin it. You can attack other players’ characters or their minions (attempting to kill a player character may end the game). There are hidden alliances. It is a crazy, possibly insane mix of systems (even a pull bag for sanity checks, allowing for press-your-luck), but it seems to flow well, and I liked it. I was surprised to win the first play by one point as a cultist. I was shocked to win the second game (we reset and played again) when Richard made his usual last-minute points under obscure rules, but then he lost. The rules say that the lowest-scoring player also eliminates the score of anyone in the same alliance (James, who made it four players, scored just one point under Laura and was also a cultist like Richard). Richard’s win was erased by James’s last place, and I, the only Investigator for that play, won.

I said good night after that and soon was home without any events. I read more about Dark Ages armies and soon fell asleep. I had more of the cookie, but was shocked by the amount of crumbs I saw in the morning; I washed the sheets.

Thanks for reading.

Note: The spell check is only sort of working now…I fixed the ones that Deborah pointed out…Panada instead of Panda got me especially laughed at (A new type of Canadian Panda)…