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I rose slowly on Monday, as Monday is my weekend day. I seldom have plans for Monday, so I do laundry, take it slow, and enjoy the quiet as the world returns to work. I often imagine Saturday mornings in my youth: watching cartoons all morning, then switching to PBS for Doctor Who with Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor on Saturday afternoon. Not a lot got done on those Saturdays.

Now, I write the blog with reheated coffee and peanut-butter toast this weekend-like Monday. I strip the bed and run that through the Costco-purchased laundry. Somehow, I missed a spin cycle on my second load, underwear and clothing, and I manually ran the rinse-spin but removed the rinse. That solved the soaking-wet laundry issue, and the problem hasn’t returned. I must have bumped the controls and removed the spin. I check the setting each load.

Monday is dinner at lunch day. Not knowing I would join Mariah and Corwin for dinner later in Portland, I made a pork chop, hash browns, and green beans on the stovetop. When done, it looks like a short-order cook exploded in the kitchen. Somehow, four pans are dirty; I add multiple plates, knives, and silverware to the dishwasher or hand-wash them. I am happy, since everything was from my food stock. No additional cost!

I watched season 5 of For All Mankind and forgot the date the Soviet Union collapsed in civil war. The story still captures my imagination, and I enjoy it. I also broke the 200-page count in The Demon of Unrest about the beginnings of the American Civil War. The author, Erik Larson, tries to answer what drove Americans to civil war. His answer is that the South could not cotton to (yes, I could not resist that) being cast as the villain, and the North would not allow the expansion of an obviously evil and corrupt practice.

I got out my luggage and placed the first items there, Deborah’s birthday gifts. I am going to try out a backpack on this trip instead of the red bag. It would fit better in Brazil in November. I will check REI and AAA to find a good match for my needs.

I work on some year-end items. I sent a note to my bankers to give a substantial gift to my church. This one is done before taxes. And while paying taxes uses less cash than giving away a matching amount, it is more rewarding. I would also like to spend my money while I am well. I also sent out a note to the Brazil team suggesting that the Yellow Fever vaccine is a good idea in the current chaotic environment of instant policy changes.

I am working through an internal list of church items, but I am starting to think I need to make it more formal. Many things are not getting done and turn into emergencies or are delayed. There is also some free or cheap status and ticket management software I could use. More to come.

Mariah, Corwin, and I have dinner in Portland at a Toma Ramen after a short drive in the Air VW the Gray to Portland. The food is good, but the bill is Portland, $100+ for three. Mariah and I sent back our hot drinks when they were filled with insects, which is not part of the usual drink. They were replaced with excellent substitutes.

We chatted for a while, complained that it was cold (61°F), and headed lower in the evening. It was dark too. Fall nights are here. My heavy coat is in the EV’s cargo hold. The drive back was fine, though the food and drinks made me relaxed. Meaning I was likely driving more like a local, slowly. Corwin and I returned to the house without incident or an expensive selfie for the local courts.

I also had some text from Richard. We are not playing ISS Vanguard because James is out. I suggested some of the heavier board games. There will be three of us once we add Robin, our newest Tuesday-morning gamer.

I finished the laundry but did not fold it or put it away. Much of it will be headed to my luggage and not a closet or drawer. I soon was in bed and reading. I slept most of the night with one proof of hydration.

Thanks for reading about my quiet Saturday-like Monday.

I started the morning later than I expected, as I did not set an alarm and I rose around 8! Not my usual too-early waking and rolling over, but I was back from Seattle by train, and my legs are still stiff from all the stairs and hills, and I must have needed some rest. I had made coffee and started the blog. I had to pick up Bill S early for church. He makes the coffee and sets up the goodies for before and after church. I managed to get the blog started, shower, and all that, call him, and was in the Air VW the Gray, now purchased for an extra $150 a month, and taking Nav to his house.

I crossed Cooper’s Mountain to get to the other side of Beaverton using the back roads, missing most of the photo camera; no need for expensive driving-selfies today!  I drove right past Bill S, turned around, and then he and I headed to First United Methodist Church in Beaverton. I arrived an hour before Emmus Church was done. After letting Bill S out, I parked in the lot (most spaces next to the church were full). I then walked to Ava Coffee with my laptop, ordered a London Fog with an apple strudel, and enjoyed it while I recalled and recorded Saturday’s events.

The line for coffee and goodies was always long, and one church person showed up but abandoned his quest when he saw it. I wrote until 10:40, then packed up, the tea and strudel now comfortably inside me, and marched to the church. It was more of a march with my stiff legs and my leather “preacher shoes”, what a friend from India, Rev. Dr. Yesu, once called them when I replaced his footwear here in the USA.

I ushered at the church service while Dondrea ran the service and even preached. I was drafted to help with the AV that wasn’t working this morning. Calls were made. Pictures taken. I removed and plugged in cables in various orders. No change. After the service started, I even pushed some mic buttons, and Z discovered the HDMI was unplugged from the box that routes out to the projectors. I found the place for it and plugged it in, which made a difference. Soon, Z made other changes, and the projections came back. All was good.

I counted 35 people, and there were 5 online. Not a busy day for church, but not empty either. We also found that there are online views all week. Likely 50 or so watch or attend weekly.

Philippians 4:1-9 is about Paul in jail writing to the faithful. Dondrea picked up this story from last week and reminded us of the Apollo 13 story, when their oxygen tank exploded. Like Paul, and as often happens to us, the future we plan sometimes disappears, and we must learn to accept a harder future, she explained. Dondrea covered that Apollo 13 never reached the moon, and the mission became getting the three men back to Earth alive. Not the future they wanted. She told us that NASA and the astronauts had to live in the moment, accept their new present, and work with their different future. Dondrea then returned to Philippians and got a laugh when she said, “And we return to Paul, who is still in jail.”

Dondrea said that she was not happy with “rejoice…[d]o not be anxious in anything” and said it makes her want to slap Paul. But what it means, she told us, is that while we cannot enjoy suffering and sudden, awful changes that remake our future, we can, with faith, accept them and maybe even rejoice.

Brian, our organist, blew us away with his performance of Vincent Lübeck’s Prelude and Fugue on the church organ. I had coffee and then stayed while Bill S did his serving and clean-up. I finished the blog while waiting and posted it. I then returned Bill S home after adjusting the seat in the EV. They pushed it back when they serviced the VW last week.

I stopped by Taco Bell and had their Mexican Pizza (which is really neither) with some tacos and a drink (number 5 on their menu). I ate it in the shade in the parking lot. I talked to Deborah while I sat in the shade and ate. It was another sunny day, but the nights are cold now, 44°F (7°C).

I rested for a bit, finished my Sherlock Holmes book, watched the end of Season 4 of For All Mankind, and got ready for the evening game. I called Deborah while driving, and we said good night.

I tried not to be too early and was there at 5:15. I also gave away the leftover physical indulgences I made for another game. I played in a group game at Rune & Bone and made some as gifts for the other players. They were well received.

Jack was filling in for Scott, but he and Karyn were a bit late. I was going to recap the adventure, but I cannot cover this material. No spoilers. I will say I talked down a raging knight and got thrown into another player by a huge tentacle. In other words, an excellent time playing D&D at M@’s. He has the best toys!

I returned home and watched some of the next season of For All Mankind. I returned to Erik Larson’s excellent book on the start of the American Civil War, The Demon of Unrest. Again, I like the short chapter structure; this lets me stop at a natural place, instead of marking the page where I nodded off.

I slept through the night. It was 66°F in the house (my usual night setting), but it was the first time I could remember the house reaching this low since the Spring.

Thanks for reading!

I tipped the ice cream seller who had found my lost phone and held it until I could pick it up. I was ecstatic that I had the phone back and had already run through in my mind the consequences of losing it mid-trip at Pike Street Market in Seattle. I realized I didn’t have it when I went to take a picture of the ferry at the dock. The dock is about an hour’s slow walk and three flights of stairs from the Market to the water level in Seattle. Ugh!

I made it back in less than thirty minutes, stopping only when I had no choice. As fast as I could go without running. I checked the men’s room, then the first store, and was elated to recover it. I then went up the hill and walked down Post Alley to Kell’s (the whiskey place opens later). I usually visit the one by the Saturday Market in Portland. I had lots of water and a gin and tonic (my hands were still shaking a bit from the exertion; it is a lot of hills and stairs). I finished with ginger ale. No food, since after that workout I was glad my lunch had stayed down. Feeling better, I walked to my hotel, grabbed my bag, and took an Uber (which I could order since I had my iPhone). For $18, including tip and tax, I reached the train station an hour before boarding. I watched them board the Empire Builder. I rode it all the way and didn’t enjoy the mini-room or full room on the way back on the southern train.

But my chair was comfortable, and a young person sat with me, taking the train only halfway to Olympia. We both watched shows on our devices, my laptop and the young person’s iPhone. I walked to the Cafe car and got a Diet Coke, a bag of chips, and a cheese-and-cracker kit. It was two cars away, and I was jealous of the folks who snagged a table in the car for the trip. But the lack of cigarette smoke, drinks, and 1940s dress style spoiled it a bit (and it should have been in black & white). For just under $12, I picked up a few goodies to take back to my seat. I looked for my red bag to find my way back, since all the young people seemed to be dressed in black, and I wasn’t sure which person I was sitting with. Hmmm.

My WiFi failed about halfway back to Portland, and I will have to remember to download some movies for the next trip. I was bored for about an hour, but I could have read and then returned to my find at the map store in Pike Street Market, on Brazilian customs and manners. It covers Brazil’s social history by region as an introduction and as a way to explain customs and manners. I am about 1/2 through the book. I read it at Kell’s and during other breaks on Saturday.

The train arrived, and I grabbed my bag and headed into the dark streets of Portland to catch the MAX, which is only a few blocks away. I wanted Southbound but got on the Northbound tracks, had to backtrack, and finally, after about ten blocks (it felt good to move), I was outside the arcade, Ground Kontrol, and caught a MAX there.

My iHop card recharge failed, meaning I could not board and pay. AMEX is being rejected. After some fiddling, I got the Visa to work. Ugh! Not a place to be getting out your wallet and flashing a platinum card.

That one dropped me off two blocks from Pioneer Square, and I soon spent 15 minutes waiting for a Red MAX to Beaverton. Joan S picked me up in Beaverton and drove me home. Thanks again, Joan S. Everything was in order at the house, and I was soon in bed reading Sherlock Holmes and nodding off.

The morning started with me ignoring my 6 alarm and rising around 7. After showering and all that, I grabbed my laptop. Three Gals is a food joint in the Pike Street Market that has been there since 1912, and I had lox and an everything bagel. Sadly, I saw they use a bagel-like bread product, not their own, but the salmon, veggies, and so on were excellent. I finished the blog at their table, then walked around the market, marveling at the Saturday tourist-filled crowd and the number of tour guides leading people through the sights.

I headed to Seattle Art Museum and enjoyed the art and French Impressionist. They also had a printing workshop on the foruth floor and I did “Go Wild Seattle” for their wall. It was a nice couple of hours (and 1/2 off when showing my State Hotel room key).

On Saturday, I saw salmon being thrown in one of my passes through the market, and the crowd was very pleased, with iPhones raised. It seems to be a Saturday event. Or maybe there was a sudden fish sale, but it was still nice to see again.

As I mentioned, I stopped by the map store, found a book on Brazil, and picked up a few other items. I wandered the other places I missed, and soon looked for lunch. The usual places were mobbed, but Pike Street Grill let me in without a wait, since they have single- or two-person tables. There, I enjoyed fish and chips, but with salmon (it could have been a bit crisper, but it was still excellent). Big slabs of salmon with the usual generic fries and good coleslaw.

I then used the men’s room and lost my iPhone. I walked all the way around the market, then took the new cement and plant park path that leads to the piers. They are lovely and recommended. I saw that all the tour boats were out (imagine discovering your phone missing on a boat trip; I shudder at the thought) and wouldn’t return in time for me to avoid rushing. I enjoyed a long walk. Food was everywhere, and I was glad I had already eaten!

And here, at the end of this story’s circle, I discovered my phone was missing.

Thank you for reading.

 

I was disappointed to learn, after boarding, that you have to get train 503 or 508 to get a new train, and I instead had an old train (500 there and 509 back), and thus, in some view, the trip was a failure. But Seattle is always excellent to visit, and the Pike Place Market never disappoints. It rained the whole day, the usual Pacific Northwest Misting. My hat and coat kept me comfortable, but I did get damp; I often left my coat open, didn’t wear gloves, and my wrist got wet. Still, it was a comfortable day, and Seattle (and Portland) always feel more real when they are damp and misty. I did about 10K steps on Friday.

I rose with my alarm at 4:15 and wondered after a while why not 4:30, as I was showered and dressed by 5-ish. Joan S was there at 5:30 for a short trip to Portland Amtrak Station. Thanks, Joan!. We passed through all the lights with care on TV Highway in the morning, knowing that, after I made my payment, they are booby-trapped with cameras for both missing the light and speeding through it. It is easy, in the early morning and on empty roads, to forget and just dash. No selfies were taken on this trip!

Joan S dropped me off and found her way back without incident, and I was there just before 6 for my 6:45 train, but they do not open until 6. I found the men’s room, sat, and wrote part of the blog using my iPhone for connection. I soon looked up, and there was a line. I joined the line. Minutes later, we boarded. It was train 500, and it was not a new train or cars. But it wasn’t dated (though some duct tape on the ceiling didn’t impress me), and the seats were comfortable and spacious. It would be good to bring your own water, but it was on about three hours, and I managed to skip the Cafe car.

Michael, yes, the same as my name, sat next to me; he puts together traffic plans for events like oversized loads for a living. He told me Washington State seems never to finish its road expansions. It is often difficult to move heavy items to neighborhoods there, even newer ones. After a few stops, the train paused a minute or two at each to pick up new passengers, and we both read or watched something on our devices. The train was completely full; nobody got an empty seat next to them.

The WiFi, while provided, was of no value to me. My iPhone, on the moving train, could not keep a clear connection. I put away my laptop. I also found the swinging and vibration made it difficult to read. I was getting a bit of motion sickness when I read. This had not happened before and might be a result of losing 1/2 my balance “hardware” to the brain tumor. Instead, I nodded off.

It was a nice, comfortable trip, even with the motion issue. I will see if I have that again on the trip back. The conductor reminded me that phone calls cannot be made in seats and must be made in the car’s vestibule. Oops.

I took a $32 taxi ride (with tip and tax) to the Pike Street Market (mistaking it for Portland’s name, Saturday Market, and corrected that). I walked through the market with my bag, which grew heavy as I went on (I will be switching to a backpack for the next trip). Now, fish are only thrown when someone buys a whole salmon, and the crowd mills around and often leaves disappointed. I walked the first two levels of Pike Street Market before deciding that bouncing around with my red bag was likely to cause an issue.

I stopped at the Crumpet place, finished the blog there, and enjoyed a London Fog and a crumpet buried in Lemon curd. It was nice to be back.

I walked up the hill to my hotel, The State Hotel, and learned that for $50 I could have my room now; the staff and I agreed the $50 would be better spent at a bar. I did leave my bag.

I returned to the market and walked all the levels, found a book, and enjoyed being there again. I decided that lunch was a good idea. The usual places were packed, and I had been there before. I tried a new place, Copa, which was on a second level, and it served South American food. It wasn’t high enough to see much beyond the roofs. There I had an average paella for too much money, which I will admit was the last item the server suggested. I would bet their stews and other items were better (and cheaper). Next time!

Stuffed, I needed to move. I took the stairs down to the piers and paid $50 to visit the Seattle Aquarium, which had recently grown to include a whole tropical building. I hadn’t been here in thirty years, but I remember liking it. The first two buildings (Pier 59 and 60) focus on local sea life (and some river life, including some very cute river otters).

The new building, not a pier, was magnificent, and the water was filled with colorful fish; the invertebrates were kept in small, separate tanks. As a former aquarium keeper, I know that mixing fish and invertebrates eliminates many treatments for the fish. Also, the invertebrates are often food for the fish. On the pier, the Pacific huge walk-in tank did have them, and that impressed me. Of course, it is easy to get more, since they are all local. Keeping the water cold, not warm as in tropical tanks, is the only challenge (only an issue for a few warm months, if any). For personal tanks, chiller systems are now available. If I lived on the coast, I would be tempted to collect a few locals for a tank and often return them.

I returned to the hotel, stopped at the bar, and got a Spanish Coffee to warm up. I went up to my room and took a few hours off. I let my coat dry. I switched soaks.

I chatted with Deborah. I will see her next weekend! I was feeling a bit off. Lonely. I walked, and that went away, and then I met some self-declared foodies at the bar when I went to the hotel restaurant, Ben Paris. We talked about travel and food. They are retired Americans who, of some means I could detect, now travel the world as foodies. Seattle is one of their favorite American cities. They now reside in Turkey (I assume they have a Golden Visa) and retain a small home in Colorado near family. The duck and dessert (I left them to try my Opera Cake before they ordered one) were declared near-perfect. We shared some experiences, and I advised them to visit the museums in Amsterdam and skip the Red Light District (except to peek at it; it’s impressive from a distance).

I went to bed early, skipping the local music shows, which was good as I was tired from the early start. I read. As often happens in new hotels, I had a few wake-ups, but I managed to sleep. I did not get up at 6 with my alarm but I did start at 7.

Thanks for reading!

I rose closer to 8 than 7 and had lunch with Scott W and Brad J, but there was no rush. I made coffee and opened a packet of tuna fish kept cold in the fridge, with some slices of cheese for breakfast. I wanted more protein and fewer carbs. I ate this while I wrote and did my usual morning tasks: checking in with Quicken, reading (mostly deleting) email, and reading the news (The President has been making extreme statements to fill the news coverage; I do wonder what he is trying to cover up this time).  Nothing holds my attention for long.

I invested most of the morning in writing the blog. I also started to pack a small bag for my Seattle trip on Friday, returning on Saturday. This is mostly to avoid forgetting something important. I leave the duplicate cables, toothbrushes, and so on in my travel bag. This usually prevents me from missing anything. I buy a new travel-sized tube of toothpaste for each trip; often, I have a spare.

I managed to finish the blog before I needed to start rushing. I showered and all of that, then headed to Cedar Hills McMenamans in Air VW the Gray, now a purchased car with a bank loan, and was soon the last to join, with Brad and Scott running early. We had a table outside, as it was another July-in-October day.

It has been some time since all three of us were together. Scott W and Brad J had done an ad hoc hike the day before; they had talked about connecting for a hike the last time we were together. We talked about Deborah and me and our planned or recent travels. Scott W updated us on some more changes at Nike. We were all well, and we talked about good health news for some others. All great.

I then stopped at Walgreens to get some travel supplies and a few items for the house. I then returned home, took a very long nap, rose, folded the laundry, did the dishes, and watched the newest Slow Horses episode while I did all these tasks.

I finished packing my bag for Friday’s Seattle visit. I reboarded Air VW the Gray and headed back to Cedar Hills McMenamans, getting there at 6:30 to find Jack and Dondrea already there. I seemed to be running a bit slow all day. Dondrea also had them move us to a room, though a group was doing karaoke nearby. We all even sang along to one of the songs. It did not bother us.

We talked about people working themselves to death and trying to find peace or a place of refuge. We asked whether the church, besides all it does, needs to provide peace or refuge from the noise of our social media-drowning world. One answer was that the food pantry and the work we do are a source of peace for the workers. While it would be nice to have peaceful walks or moments, much of Methodist peace is serving food, providing it for those who need it, and being here at the Heart of Beaverton as a place of help. An answer I did not expect, though I might still schedule a “walk with the trees” at the nearby arboretum.

I had two Old Fashioneds, a calzone, and plain coffee. I was safe to drive and relaxed. Just meeting and thinking about how to help brought me peace.

Peace to you, dear reader.

I then drove home, read, and then nodded off. I set my alarm for too early to catch my 6:45 Train on Friday.

Thanks for reading,