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I finally fell asleep in my hotel in NY by 9. But the noise, hotels are full of new sounds, that take a while to accept, woke me, and the time difference made sleep difficult. But I did finally get some sleep, and 6:30 seemed to arrive early and unbidden.

(looking a bit tired)

Dinner was at the local Applebee’s because it was easy to find and didn’t require much energy. I was too tired to try out something new. My waiter, Lilly, was from the area, living with her parents, and seemed too young to be serving me. I had a chicken and cheese offering that I have had better versions of, but it has been years since I last ate at an Applebee’s. But the salsa was wicked and wonderful, and the cheese was sharp and fresh. Maybe it was good, actually, as I think back. The gin and tonic was perfect.

The Fairfield Inn is expensive, as are all hotels in this area, and it seems to have added another $500 to the price I was quoted for the week I am here. Something to check at checkout. Hmmm. The room was not bad, though smaller than my last recent hotel, which charged less. But again, we are an hour from Manhattan.

I arrived at the hotel after walking for five minutes, rolling my bags past bird feed for pigeons, a dive bar (recommended by the hacker community for late drinks), and getting used to large urban areas again. I took the Q30 bus for forty-five minutes with my bags next to me after the friendly driver helped me. I did not have auto-accept on my phone for scanning the equipment here (fixed now). The bus was clean and quiet. The usual don’t-make-eye-contact NY ride.

(Sorry, got my finger in photo; yes, those steps)

To reach the bus, I had to walk around and find the bus station off the Jamaica AirTrain stop. I had to get down from the platform before that. The escalator and elevators were not working, and thus I carried my bags down the stairs. It was a lot of stairs. I just thought, welcome to the NYC area, where stairs are everywhere. I got help with the payment because the phone was not in the correct settings, as I mentioned earlier.

I found the train on my second pass, thinking it was different from the airport train, but it turned out to be the same. To find the train, I first had to find my bags. I got my steps as my arrival gate at JFK was at the extreme end, and the baggage claim was at the other end. Also, it took my plane forty minutes to reach the gate, open the door, and unload to my point, seat 31A, so I could deplane. Thus, I reached the Q30 bus at 5 local time and at the hotel around 6 local time.

I had decided not to take a taxi and instead use public transit. I am early retired and have no income other than my investments. Time to be more frugal! It is also fun, new adventures and things to learn.

Before all of this, I would usually wake up at 4AM at my hotel in PDX, get dressed, and head out. I had done some swimming and showered again before bed. My skin was all itchy, and I had trouble sleeping. It was a hard start when the alarm rang.

On my shuttle was a forest fire-fighting crew from northern Michigan, and apparently, there is an annual meeting here in Oregon for them. I wished them well, thanked them for their help, and hoped they would return for the next meeting. Fire season is starting in Oregon.

(PDX carpet shot, a thing for us)

The plane, an Airbus, was the usual one, and I watched a movie, nodding off a few times. I brought my own noise-reducing plug-in earbuds. I can only hear from one ear, and I put all the movies on CC. To hear all the words I have to turn up the volume too load so I would rather hear/read. I do this at home now too. Part of the cost of being alive.

(The uptown, I think)

I had breakfast at my usual place, Grassa, and they had a JFK sandwich, and an egg with bacon sandwich, which was terrific. Lunch was a cookie and coffee on the plane, which was fine.

(yes, very Portland, there are more cocktail options than food)

One awful moment on the Airbus, two folks took very long in two of the three bathrooms on the plane. I was in a line six deep, and there was another line at the other bathroom. Yikes! I waited ten minutes or more until the line started to move. Finally, everything returned to normal.

And that is what I remember for Tuesday, thanks for reading!

 

 

I ended Monday alone in my hotel, Holiday Inn Express, at PDX, off the MAX line that ends one stop later at PDX. Corwin had dropped off in Air VW the Gray after a long hour+ trip in Monday’s Rush hour, starting at 3 for us. I checked in, and then we did a meat festival at Famous Dave’s, which did not mind charging me a premium for the meal. I think that was the last visit there.

Before sleeping, I tried out the pool (and was stiff this morning from that) and water walked and discovered I can, with a push off from the wall, swim the length of the pool underwater, something new for me. I met Sue and Rich from LA (Orange County) at the pool. Their son, visiting from Japan, wanted to visit Portland, and they had covered the coast, too. Canon Beach was packed, and they could not even park for an hour, meaning they only got to see the beach for a few minutes. Still, they seemed to have enjoyed their visit. Rich does financials for a military supplier using SAP, which got a smile from me.

The rest of the day, this will be a very short blog, was a blur of packing, laundry, and collecting items. I forgot to add more biz cards to my wallet. I could have used a USB A to C cable, but I managed with my single plug to get my laptop, phone, and spare battery all fully charged.

I did two loads of laundry, stripping and remaking the bed (clean and new sheets for my late return on next Tuesday), and ran the dishwasher for a 1/2 load. Even with temperatures reaching 100°F (38°C), I got out and watered the roses, the newly planted pomegranate tree, and other bushes. I fertilized the orchids in the house and filled their evaporation trays to keep them happy. I ran some water through them (they cannot stand in water) to get them even happier. Corwin will check on the house. I closed up my suitcase and loaded up my carry-on Nike Gym bag. I remembered to get razors, toothpaste, and cookies (I always carry some).

I also forgot to print out my ticket for Hope_16, but did that at the hotel.

I woke up around 7, found the coffee was done, and wrote the blog. I then popped out in Air VW the Gray and got stamps, supplies for the trip, and breakfast at McDonald’s. Later, I would pop out again and have lunch at Happy Panda. There was too much food on Monday. I will have to be more careful.

I connected with Corwin around 2, and he came by and showered (it was a hot day and the AC failed at the place he works), and then we headed to PDX with my stuff in the cargo hold. Corwin drove. The EV is a dream to drive (except for its strange starting and gearshift, where the windshield wiper control is usually at).

Thanks for reading.

Sunday disappeared in a rush of things. I rose at 8, and the coffee was waiting for me. This is a local roast I picked up at the veggie stand at the 185th and TV Highway corner. I have to grind it myself. It is bitter and reminds me of all the things we liberals have yet to finish. Justice with compassion is not something you always find in the USA or the world.

I started the blog, but today was church, and I spent time with Deborah. I did not finish the blog before I had to dress and leave for church. There I ushered and had a run-in with a homeless guy who nearly tripped without his cane, he blamed me for that (he left in a pew), and accused me of trying to kill him to anyone who would listen. I stayed back; he is harmless. My presence was causing him to react, and so I left after the service to calm him down.

Pastor Ken delivered the sermon, covering more of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I consider the text to be splattered with blood as it has been used to justify denying science, philosophy, history, and even to force convert people; I don’t teach it. Ken explains that he sees the connection to such horrors as the Destruction of the Great Alexander Library, but he thinks it is wrong and that the Letter to Colossians should not be used to justify such horrors. Paul, in his studies, is not anti-intellectual but is defending the Faith from the Greek Philosophers at the time who denied any divine influence over the world. In Ken’s understanding, Paul is not anti-intellectual or denying history, but saying that we need to remember that the divine is part of our world.

Ken also reminded us that Methodists were more laity-driven in the past and that the focus on program and preachers is new and may not be serving us well. Before, the focus was on learning, serving, and well, the method. Now it is a polished music program, excellent sermons, and a feeling of well-being, not service. Ken suggests we have lost something and should return to service, focusing less on programs and polished services.

I found lunch at the Lake Oswego Grill in Beaverton and had a Monte Cristo that was excellent; this was part of their Sunday brunch menu. I finished the blog there and stuck to iced tea. I do not need the extra calories or the nap from a beer. Air VW the Gray got me home, and I spent some time reading, organizing the house, and starting to pack.

It was over 95°F (35°C) and I watered the roses and cut some for M@’s wife, Niki. I try to bring some roses from my collection when we play Dungeons & Dragons. The roses faded somewhat after being cut, but still were good when I got them there in the early evening.

The gaming was excellent, and the whole group was there. We surprised the DM, M@, by quickly sliding through a few parts of his planned adventures. We are an untraditional mix of character types, and we have followed a more hit-and-run tactic seen in the original version of Dungeons & Dragons. Get the loot and run.

We finished at 9, and I was soon home. I read for a while, did some more packing, and went to bed. I had trouble sleeping. Waking for proof of hydration and leg cramps. I drank some water with one of the packets in it, and that stopped most of the issues.

Thanks for reading.

Yesterday, Saturday, was a day full of tasks, and many are still undone. I am headed to Queens, NY, for the HOPE_16 hacker’s convention, my first, next weekend. I fly on Tuesday, and plan to have dinner with Cat in Manhattan on Thursday. I have Wednesday to find my way. Early registration starts on Thursday, too, which means I still haven’t decided what to do that day.

I have reviewed the speaker and workshop list, but I haven’t planned out my days yet. I will try to find some time when I start traveling. Among the items to resolve was how to get to my early, stupid early, flight at 7ish. I ordered an expensive room, for what it is, at PDX off the MAX line. I will do another adventure on buses and MAX on Monday (though I might order an Über to avoid the bus with luggage). At least the hotel is done.

Other tasks, besides finishing the blog, were to order a hotel for the first part of my visit in New Orleans for the Civil Rights trip the church is taking in November. I initially ordered, but then missed a day at the hotel and canceled it. The Andrew Jackson Hotel will not have me as a visitor. I canceled it all.

I re-examined the trip information and downloaded the brochure, which outlined the daily activities. I then added those to my TripIt plan, an event for each day with a copy of the notes on the brochure, and now I had a clearer view of what I needed. Also, my flight has changed, and now my connection is easy in Salt Lake. I looked at the trip hotel, Hyatt Central French Quarter, but it cost more than the price for Le Richelieu Hotel. I ordered a room with a balcony (though it only looks at their parking lot), but resisted getting my previous suite room. I added that to my TripIt plans.

I looked at Enterprise for a location in Alabama where the tour ends, and the price for a van from there to Atlanta airport is about $500 — if there are only three of us, a car will do. A drive to Columbia, where the Civil War Naval Museum resides, is only 87 miles. The trip to Atlanta is less than two hours by car. It looks like Saturday will be the Museum in Columbia, then a drive to Atlanta. Sunday in Atlanta. Monday for the Carter Center (closed on Sunday). A trip back to PDX in the evening, as there is an 8PM direct flight that will arrive late, but not too late. I will propose that to the few of us headed to Atlanta.

I also helped with a SPR/C document. For those unfamiliar with Methodist terminology, this is the HR committee. We had some happy work to do, but, as with all things HR, it must be precise.

I did the usual liberal coffee and my last banana with toast with marmalade. I did the dishes and folded the laundry that had been in a pile for a week. I drove to Barnes and Noble and paid too much for cards, but at least I had some and made one out to Mom Wild, stamped it, and dropped it off at the post office. I had brought a pen, stamps, and address stickers.

With all these tasks done, I headed to McMenamins Imbrie Hall for lunch and a beer. I had a Captain Neon burger, my favorite, which is a blue cheese and bacon burger with all the veggies. I had that with a salad, as I am tired of fries. There, I did some of the travel work. It was warm, and there were happy overdressed people everywhere. Lots of weddings are happening there today. That made me smile; this was the same weekend I was married — an excellent choice, I thought.

Air VW the Gray, fully charged before I left, took me home. The warm air, the food, the beer, and the peace of getting some things done sent me into a nap. I rose in the heat of the day, the AC keeping the house actually cold, and I decided I would head to Wildwood and play a solo game of Nemo’s War there.

(You can see that the top line, Nemo, is in red, meaning Nemo was lost).

Every roll and test I failed in the game takes some time to set up. I managed to get to the end before repeated bad rolls had the crew, Nemo, and the Nautilus in bad shape. I failed another test, and the damage was enough to end Nemo and the crew. Ugh! The solo game is challenging to win, but it’s even more frustrating not to finish. Next time!

I had one beer. I headed home, and Corwin was visiting (he has permission to enter the house at any time), and we watched (Corwin playing computer games at the same time) the new season of Wednesday Addams. It was a less complex story, I thought, but the jokes were fun. I watched just one episode.

Corwin headed out, and I was soon in bed trying to read, but instead just slept.

Thanks for reading!

 

I was home late on Friday, around 11, and in bed before midnight. I read some rules for an 18XX game and soon turned off the light, closed my eyes, rolled over twice, and then found myself in forgotten dreams, likely having found my dream silver key and entered the lands of my imagination and magic. I did not wake until just before my alarm set at 7:30, and still did not rise until later on Saturday.

Kathleen had met me earlier at the Clackamas Town Center for the new movie, Naked Gun. The movie, like previous ones, continued with the jokes and silliness of the previous ones. The new crew was funny and played it straight, and kept with all the jokes and overly precise language. I laughed through it, and you had to be fast to check all the jokes. For example, the police cars were not tagged as the LAPD but “The Police.” They let jokes like this go by with no comment. Recommended, but it is not intellectual stuff.

After that, Kathleen and I headed to the Cheesecake Factory at the mall. We sat in the bar; there was a twenty-minute wait for a regular table. We closed the place, leaving at 10; we ate and talked about writing, travel, and games. We have not caught up in months.

Earlier, Kathleen found me at a table in the food court, still writing. I read her a few words and showed her Scribner. We later agreed to meet in Portland on a few Fridays for a writing session. Kathleen wants to get back to writing.

Before this, I was at the Lucky Labadore with a beer and peanuts on their outdoor porch. The shade and a cool breeze made it quite pleasant (the sun baked you if you left the shade). I added more to my novel and finished the basic story for chapter 3, but I would revise the story to hint at later moments in the text. I wanted to have two themes, one hidden, running through this third chapter.

I am using Grammarly to help edit, but I am meticulous about just fixing mistakes or replacing better words. The AI tool still wants to simplify and remove content that it does not understand. I find I have to re-read everything if I expose my text to its changes. It always seems to replace a word I thought I had kept.

I received a memo from the church committe SPR/C. I will edit that on Saturday. This is more homework from our meeting on Thursday. I read it, thought about it, and then returned to my beer and story. I want to have some uninterrupted time for that — I am time-boxed this Friday.

Before reaching Portland, the traffic was near rush-hour level at 3ish, from US Bank. I met Sam, my banker, at a bank branch, and we discussed various financial topics, including money and investments. I brought a check for the residual earnings from my 401K to be added to my IRA managed by Sam and the Wealth Management team at the bank, just under $550. We reviewed the finances of selling the house and investing the profits to cover my rent, which would likely be a break-even point. Hmmm.

I have no plans to sell soon. Deborah also pointed out that updates to the house, making it a “turn-key” sale, would increase the price and speed of a sale. Additionally, I would get to enjoy those updates. All good thoughts.

Sam and I also reviewed the bond market. Given that 20-year bonds are currently priced at 5% rates and Trump has promised to lower rates with Powell’s replacement, it’s likely that bonds purchased now will be at the top rate. That makes them valued at a premium once Trump dumps the rates (an easy sale). A no-risk investment that makes 5% (that is not taxed by the state) and can be sold at a profit; yes, good times! Bonds may beat equities!

Being a liberal and making a killing from Trump’s strange monetary policies seems the best revenge. It is a pleasure to work with the professionals at US Bank. The bank manager even loaned us her office for our discussion. Here is my usual comment on cash (it is a repeat, but still true): here. I am currently at an annualized return of 16%.

Go ahead, Trump, make my day (and return)!

Before this money love-fest, I was at the house writing the blog, drinking liberal coffee, and having a light breakfast. I had a banana and peanut butter toast. I rose early and talked to Deborah for part of the morning. We spoke often during the day as I traveled here and there.

I was not sad for most of the day. Talking about selling the house made me very sad. I will avoid that topic for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading.