Monday is like Saturday for me. I rise slowly, drink coffee, and go slow. That was my experience in room 507 in Homewood Suites by Hilton, Lansing, Michigan. I made coffee in the Cuisant pod coffee maker, two cups (one for each pod), and soon, I was writing fast and furious.

Life’s essential moments sometimes become just a few hours here and there, and everything else is noise–though it sounds trite, it is how I find the world. I have no answers but to treasure what I have. I cannot extend those moments like the song (here); I would treasure them in a bottle and then use them with loved ones. But you cannot do that, and I will try to keep the tears back and savor my memories.

I was running late, as one would expect, as I would write 1400+ words Monday morning. I showered and dressed but skipped shaving. I also had a privacy card on my door, and the staff would not visit the room. The coffee, gasp, was not refilled (making this morning, Tuesday, harder). I got downstairs in time for breakfast.

There, I chatted with the cook about life in Oregon and how race issues are better in Oregon but nowhere as good as they should be. I told her that, as an older white guy, I thought we would be better in the USA by now. Though my coffee was industrial and tried to drift me toward corporate thinking, I still dreamed of a time when the love of Justice, Compassion, and Community ruled our passions in the USA. It often seems like a fading vision, but small strides do happen. I have hope and found Hope still in my coffee this morning. Sorry if that sounds political, but it was what we talked about.

With spicy hash (obviously, the cook wanted some excellent besides the usual hotel bland) and the rest of the typical industrial scrambled eggs, potatoes, and coffee I consume at a hotel, I sat and wrote the blog in the lobby area where breakfast is created and served (included in my stay).

Deborah and I also talked on the phone a few times when she was traveling to work, something we seldom can do in the morning when I am in a three-hour time difference. I continued to write, read emails, read some news, and update my transactions in Quicken; I ensured that banks and credit card transactions were all ones I recognized. I was done about 11. I returned to my room, read for a while, shaved, and was out to travel to my 1 o’clock lunch with Leta.

Panera Bread was the agreed-upon location and one of Leta’s favorite places. I arrived early, but soon, Leta appeared. We spent about ninety minutes catching up and just talking. It was a happy moment with many smiles. There is always a sad moment between Leta and me (and Barb and me) when we acknowledge how much we miss Susie and being together. There were no tears today, but maybe damp eyes. Still, it was good, and soon, like many good things, it was over. Leta invited me to lunch with the Lutheran Ladies on Tuesday (they adopted Leta). Maybe.

I returned to my kitchen office in room 507 and did a Zoom call after reviewing updates for the church meeting. The blog is not the place for this, but I followed the meeting with an hour swim in the pool. I needed to work off some emotions.

The pool is warm, but not hot. There is no hot tub. My swimming skills are mostly forgotten, but I was able to do some strokes looking more frog than anything useful. My legs surprised me with cramps, meaning I had used them more than maybe I realized (or I was really stressed by the meeting). I could swim out of the issues (more water-walking than swimming), and the water was not more than 5 1/4 deep, which was never over my mouth, so I was not at any risk. I was alone, and the lights kept turning off (in the water, you are at the same temperature as the water, and the motion detectors can’t ‘see’ you). I would get out of the pool, and then the lights would pop back on. Later, I found a timer.

I risked some underwater swimming (my eyes still burn some this Tuesday morning) and was relieved that I could once again hold my breath and swim the pool length (with pushing off the wall) underwater. Previous attempts a few years ago had me suddenly reaching the air and panicking. I am back to my old abilities and could improve them with more swimming. A relief.

With more underwater swimming, I noticed that my balance problem, caused by the loss of the left ear balance and hearing structures (from the impacts of a brain tumor and its removal), now manifests in the pool, but differently than one would expect. I swim in long arcs instead of straight lines. I had my eyes open under the water and saw the side of the pool appear when I was expecting the steps to start. I soon experimented and found that I was safe with my blurry underwater sight, but I would need to know if I drift to the right or left now. A new thing to share with the doctors. I will have to look and correct underwater. Something excitingly new to do and try!

I washed off at the pool and then in my room. I redressed and headed back to Lansing Mall and the Zap Zone, which has a bowling, small go-cart, and gaming area. I arrived early, and an ill-omened fire truck, paramedics, and ambulance appeared. They completed their challenges, and Linda and Mom Wild appeared. Jesse and Meg were already inside waiting.

We squeezed into a booth and had dinner of wings flavored with various levels of spiciness and fried potato products. I kept trying to slip one of the buffalo-flavored wings (meaning hot Buffalo NY-style and not the animal) into Linda’s sweat BBQ wings, but I was caught each time.

We then wandered the gaming offering, and Linda, Meg, and Jesse made various offerings for the games. Jesse won a high score in a traffic game (which is no surprise as he is a Traffic Analyst for the State of Michigan). Skee ball was popular with our small group, with Linda smoking everyone. Mom Wild even played. I watched as I was tired, had more calls about the church meeting and more emails, and was distracted. Meg played many games, and Jesse found a few favorites, too. Linda played with Jesse in a Jurassic Park game, blasting away at T-Rex and other horrors from the movie.

Tears followed as we broke up, as Mom Wild realized this was goodbye again. We will meet again next month unless events occur (weather or otherwise). Mom did not want to let me go, and I understood. Mom, tears flowing, gets in the car and heads home with Linda.

There have been so many goodbyes on this trip. On trips like this, the price of ‘hello’ is ‘goodbye.’ It never feels like a good exchange at goodbye, but it is—there is no bottle, like in the song, to save up and make it longer. But the price of ‘hello’ has always been reasonable as I get the memories of friends, lovers, and family. I can savor them until the next ‘hello.’

I write this on my last full day in Michigan.

It is dark and rainy, and I have some difficulty knowing where I am in Air Ford (Edge), but Apple Maps on ApplePlay works, and soon, I am safe in room 507. I finish the night texting, talking on the phone, and reading. As typical, I sleep and wake thinking it is a different time, see it is still f**king in the middle of the night, prove hydration, and then crawl back into the warm covers and wonder if I can sleep and do sleep before the thought is complete.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

I woke with my alarm at 7 in a huge bed in a massive hotel room in the Royal Park Hotel, wondering how the night could be over so soon. In my bare feet, I walked on the balcony one more time to enjoy the gurgling river and returned to my room before I froze. I threw on my clothing as Deborah had a complex schedule this morning and could only spend ninety minutes at breakfast with me. She lives only a few miles from the hotel.

We met and soon had coffee (our first cup was the excellent free stuff in the entranceway) and then had more that was less free in the restaurant. Our waiter was busy, and like most fancy hotels, the place was always just above total chaos. Our order was lost and sent to the wrong table, and the waiter dropped the coffee charge from the bill. Deborah and I talked and remembered friends from Eric’s service and how happy yet strange it felt to see so many people for the first time in forty-five years! We all felt young, remembered our days in high school, and wondered how such and such person could look so old, but the smiles and the light in the eyes were still the same. How could they be so old? Of course, we all are now.

Deborah had a meeting for an event, and later, I learned the event was to make perfumes. Deborah had to be in Ann Arbor at 11. We finished, and I paid using a $100 bill. My ATMs in Oregon tend to give them in place of the five twenties now, and I did not think about it then. It took our waiter extra time to break it and use it. Oops.

Deborah was on her way, and I returned to the room, showered, redressed, and packed up. I had only slightly unpacked and soon headed out. I used the express checkout (after viewing the bill) and just left the key card in the room. A couple decided to use the staff elevator as there was something wrong with the main lift (likely busy at checkout time, but one was out of service). I joined them. It did not open in the hallway on the ground floor but in the kitchen. We were first thinking of ascending and trying another lift, but then we together found the boldness to walk into the kitchen, me with luggage, cross, leave to the bar, and then out. Exciting!

With that last-minute exploration and chaos, I left the place, taking one last photo of the too-f**king-early (TFE) Christmas display in the lobby. Deborah and I also learned the night before of the Holiday Bar. A particular room offered special drinks and food for the TFE Christmas. This we learned included the cookie charcuterie board, which left Deborah, often overly precise in her thinking, thinking that cookies would have to come with little piles of frosting and sprinkles so you could assemble them yourself. There was a long line for access, and we demurred.

I boarded Air Ford (Edge), loaded the cargo area with my wraps and luggage, and used my Apple Maps app to travel. Concerned that I would take another unique trip, Deborah checked my directions before heading out. But she could not prevent me from making the wrong or missing turns altogether.

I was enjoying the tour of Bloomfield Hills, the high-end homes of Michigan, and did not take my turn, and the next one, and the next one. I enjoyed an extended tour of the area and enjoying the drive. I saw many nice-looking homes and schools.

Aside: Michiganders have for years paid for schools with local property taxes, which means more affluent and expensive areas get much more money for schools as the money was not pooled and used by need. This was changed years ago, but the impact can still be seen. In my case, my hometown had a run-down high school with asbestos dust falling from the pipes–I remember we used to play with it. The gym was built around 1946 with maple wood and was well cared for like a beloved antique, but it still showed its age when I was there. Back in the 1980s, there were seldom arguments about textbooks or what to put in the library–unlike today, as we were happy just to have something newish and not torn up. I am pleased to write that Laingsburg now has a lovely new high school known for its excellent basketball and often plays in the finals. Change takes time, but equity finally rises.

Returning to the story, I again take the wrong exit (at the time me imagining getting a tsk tsk from Deborah), I drive through some nice areas and finally arrive downtown Ann Arbor. I don’t think I have been here before. It has the usual college town fascination for charging for parking, and most of the metered parking is full and the one I could take would require me to parallel park an Air Ford (Edge) with no idea if I could manage that without lost paint. Sheepishly, I find a parking structure and put Air Ford (Edge) into a slot. I open the back gate; it is an SUV, and I miss a metal pipe holder by an inch (F**K) and grab my laptop.

I found two bookstores across from the garage, Third Mind Books and Literati, which I visited. At Literati, I found a book (translated from Greek with stories of traveling the Greek shores) and a few cards to send out. After that, I was directed to a coffee place a few blocks away. There, I got a tiny table, wrote the blog, and enjoyed the Sunday rush in a college town. Once the blog was over two days, I bought some croissants, two bags, one with four for Deborah and her son to enjoy (they stay good for about two days), and two in another bag for me. Barb, my sister-in-law, contacted me for dinner on Sunday night at 6ish, and she, being familiar with Ann Arbor as her daughter went to Michigan, recommended the Peruvian place, Culantro, just a few blocks away.

Deborah appears with her new scent, Sunrise, and parks in the same garage. We meet for a late lunch, stopping by to get some physical copies of the new issue of the newspaper Laim works for. After navigating Deborah’s dietary restrictions, we get a fine repast at Culantro. Lunch-dinner was terrific, and we enjoyed some sugary but deliciously spiced drinks from mason jars. Barb was quite right about this place.

But it is time for me to return to Lansing and Deborah to go home and prepare for the next week. She has been at a conference for a week, a service for Eric, and then spending much of her time with me. We say goodbye, and we head back. We talk as we travel on the phone, and Deborah is very amused that I finally managed to follow a sane path and miss no turns this time.

I soon arrive at the Homewood Hilton. There the rooms are enormous but full as they come with a small kitchen, full frig, and even a couch. Excellent. I am most pleased with this choice; parking is free for the first time on the trip!

I met Barb, my sister-in-law, at BJ’s Brewhouse. We sat at the bar and had a beer and an excellent appetizer: California flatbread, large enough for two. We talk about travel and plans. Barb wants to return to Europe with her husband Gordon, “Gord,” to visit Poland, Germany, Spain (Barb’s wish), or Italy. We discuss potential trips and some of my unfulfilled crazy trips to multiple countries. We will keep each other informed and may overlap to see each other in Europe. Barb, like me, has noticed that Europe is cheaper now than the USA for travel. We had a lovely snack; we both had too much for lunch, and we will reconnect soon for more trips. Barb also suggests that she and “Gord” have not reached Scotland yet, which is another potential overlap.

I returned to my room, and Barb returned to Grand Blanc. I sent out an updated travel plan. I soon was in my PJs reading and fell asleep when I put the iPhone down for a moment and stopped reading the Kindle app. I rose and completed bed tasks, and turned off the lights. It was still early for me, and I woke at 11, thinking it was morning—just jetlag. I woke twice, thinking it was morning each time, and instead, it proved hydration.

Thanks for reading.

Dear reader, I will catch up with you in two days. I was busy traveling between hotels and seeing folks and had limited writing time.

Friday

I rose at about 7 in the Graduate East Lansing Hotel room 819, wrote the blog for Thursday, showered, dressed, and all the usual things. I am still trying to get used to the changes in time. The three hours earlier impacts me, as does trying to sleep before 1AM. I am also used to the eastern USA folks being awake for hours when I rise. Now, they are just waking, and Oregon is not awake until the afternoon and texting me very late. This is a disconcerting change.

Duncan Donuts supplies coffee and a few not-as-fresh-as-they-should-be donuts. The shop is only half a block away, and I ordered everything on a touch screen. My order was quickly processed. The gal who handed me the bag of donuts and coffee liked my name, ‘WILD M,’ and asked if that was my real name. I get a smile when I say it is ‘Michael Wild.’ Fed, I need to move and work off more of the airplane air and jetlag. I spend the next hour shopping and walking in East Lansing. It is already afternoon, and I walk to the length of the shops.

I walked one block twice and then returned to the hotel, where I met Deborah. We headed to El Azteco for drinks and chips, where we kept each other company until dinner.

Deborah and I met Deborah’s son, Liam, who goes to MSU, for dinner at Beggar’s Banquet, and we had a nice meal. I had the London Broil, which was excellent, as I had yet to have that. Liam tried the stroganoff while Deborah went back to the dip sandwich. My meal was mainly meat, and I finished it. Liam got the bounty of the sandwich and leftover stroganoff. We had a nice chat and soon headed to The Graduate Roof Bar to finish the evening.

Saturday

Saturday started with partial repacking and getting ready for Eric “Elric” Anderson’s service. Later, I was headed to the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. I did not want to repack, so I just put the loose items back in the suitcase and made two trips to the car to return the shirts less wrinkled to the vehicle. If I had repacked everything, the shirts would have needed to be pressed. The car is valet-parked, and I ordered the valet to bring the vehicle by phone text, and soon, I had much in hand. 

It goes without saying that breakfast, a bagel sandwich, was acquired with coffee from downstairs before this. Deborah joined me for the fine repast. Showers and assembling into my black suit, with suspenders, tie, and vest, were included in this busy morning, with me waking early and not returning to sleep.

I headed to the service in Laingsburg for “Elric’s” service (a friend from middle school learned Dungeons and Dragons with me) and soon remembered the path. I found it amazing as I recalled childhood versions of the exact locations; now, much has changed. Soon, I found the American Legion Hall still looking the same, except the parking lot was slightly bumpy. Tyler (another elementary school friend who also learned Dungeons and Dragons with me in the 1980s) and Eric’s family greeted me, and Tyler and I chatted until others showed up.

Eric’s brother, Joe, greeted me, as did Chris and other folks who have lived in Laingsburg for forty-plus years since we graduated high school together in 1982. I had not seen most in forty years or once or twice for other family services.

The service was short, less formal, and contained many stories and laughs. It was more of a roast for Eric’s friends and family, and Eric would have loved to add a few good comments, too. The tears started strong when the 23 Psalm was read (also used as Susie’s service), and the honor guard reminded us why we were there. The fire of the salute startled many. Few were not crying when the US flag was presented to Eric’s widow, and those familiar words were said by a man in uniform, “The President of the United States…”. Eric was greatly missed.

Jeanne, Jim, Deborah, and I sat together with other members of the class of 81, 82, and 83. We shared many stories, some of which became clearer and also faded with time. Smiles, laughter and some wet eyes followed with lunch from the Ladies of the American Legion. Tyler distributed some items that “Elric” had from various gaming options. I got some Chainmail figures and a small game. Jim got the official Dungeons and Dragons cookbook. Rusty, a player with us in the 1980s along with Jim, got a few rule books.

Everyone talked and laughed, and nobody wanted to leave. This was a time to meet again and remember Eric and our youth in “the Burg.” We talked until the room was being disassembled, and then we all reluctantly left, knowing we would not meet again. Our foolish and fun young selves faded again until the upstanding elders were present. We all were waiting for Eric, though we knew it could not happen, to somehow appear and laugh with us again. It was hard to drive away.

I took a Detroit driving tour to reach the Royal Park Hotel, which is not on the way to Detroit! But seeing the area and driving again at over 70 for extended times was still lovely. When I arrived, I found it a classic hotel of the mid-1900s, built then as a throwback to previous times, now updated to current travelers’ needs. Deborah joined me in the bar for drinks and a pizza, and later, we shared a baked brie. All were good.

We called it an early night. Deborah returned to her home. Both of us were tired from travel. Deborah had done a work conference and presentation for most of the previous week, and I was still jetlagged, and the time change was still hard on me.

We planned to meet again at the hotel for breakfast and find a few things to do on Sunday.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday night, the plane boarded at 10:35. I was on the plane before 11 and discovered that seat 25F was indeed a window seat, and the center seat was empty. Also, this row adjoins the toilet, and for the whole trip, the bathroom light would light the area, and there would be traffic all trip. The guy, who fell right asleep, was all but the bathroom attendant. This row also adjoins the emergency row, and the seats cannot be declined. I am unsure if the plane had worse seats than these cheap seats, but I put in my earbuds (cheaper but working ones I have used for years) and set up the in-plane entertainment.

The plane was warm when it took off. The initial leap into the sky included the plane suddenly drifting and the pilot slamming the plane back to the runway. The aircraft bounced and swerved the whole trip, with the pilot working hard for this flight. I got a cup of ginger ale and ice, and later, coffee was offered to all of us still awake. Later, with over an hour left, I put on my sweater as it was cold; I took it off earlier. My bag was under my feet, and my heavy coat squished into the space between the chair and the wall. My hat and sweater were set in the spare seat. The flight was under five hours.

I found “A Gentleman in Moscow” as an option with the first three episodes available and had read that this was a great show. I put on CC now with my reduced hearing, as I find my earaches if I turn up the sound loud enough to hear everything and drown out the background noise. I also do this now at the house and discovered I could use CC at the movies (it is not available). I hope Google Glasses will provide this feature someday and let me follow conversations better. Like most people with reduced hearing, I miss some things, especially on my left side, and just nod and smile.

The show is a fictional story, originally a novel by Amor Towles, set in the chaos of the Russian Communist takeover in Moscow. The tale is about a fictional prince ordered to remain in a hotel or be shot. The prince is given a servant’s room (not his opulent one), but some items are moved to his room. During this time, Liam McGregor plays the count perfectly, calmly, and believableally. “His Excellency” becomes a fixture at the hotel and soon becomes a problem that the communists try to hammer down this nail that will not align. However, Liam plays a calm gentleman and seems to take each affront as a chance to show he is a gentleman again. More importantly, he will never let them feel satisfied seeing him react, a lesson he learned from his grandmother; we know this from flashbacks and the stories he tells. I enjoyed the first three episodes, and it is clearly a reason to try Paramount+ for a month or so.

I had an hour left of the flight, so I put on the start of the latest, not terrible, Marvel comic book movie, Deadpool and Wolverine. I had seen it in theaters and thought it entertaining and irreverent. It was perfect for the highly rough ride we experienced as we crossed storms to reach Detroit. I put the seat arm back down and held on a few times. This matched the action on the film playing; local special effects to go with the movie!

It was pouring rain in Detroit, and we arrived intact, “shaken and not stirred. ” Soon, I was off the plane and enjoyed walking from A77 to the luggage claim, stopping once to send some water from Oregon and the plane’s service for Michigan’s reclamation.  I walked straight through, but my luggage was no longer spinning, but sitting upside down on a belt, the indestructible luggage tag more crumpled but still surviving.

I wheeled the bag with my Nike gym bag on top and found the path to the rental car pick-up. I did transverse two escalators, one up and one down, to reach the bus stop, but I did take a sky bridge. Likely, this transit made some sense to the airport designer (though I think I could have walked outside, crossed the street, and been in the same place). I slowly became alarmed as I watched three buses pass for other car rental companies, but finally, an Avis bus showed.

I boarded it and again marveled at how far away the car rental place was and the enormous fields of cars once we arrived, at least a fifteen-minute trip once you were on the bus! It was like Michigan grew instead of rows of corn, acres of Avis, Hertz, and other brands of rental cars now. I was dropped off and took my bags, telling the driver to relax.

Now, at Avis, a kind and wide-awake gentleman took my driver’s license, scanned it, and soon, I was offered a minivan. I declined with the genuine excuse that I had never driven one and would be uncomfortable driving it. Instead, I was offered a small Ford SUV Edge. Initially, I had paid for Navigation, but I was assured that my phone would work, and soon, that was removed from my bill. The gentleman could not find a working one, anyway. With the minimum of paper, I headed out in the pouring rain, my coat and hat making us comfortable and the puddles small, so my shoes stayed dry, and I soon found my SUV. A nice-looking vehicle, a bit smaller than an Air Volvo, say, six inches narrower. I christened it Air Ford because my luggage was loaded in the cargo hold and boarded. With some adjustments, the black leather seats were comfortable, and my Apple iPhone was soon connected to ApplePlay. My friend Deborah, a former Apple employee, told me it all would work, and it did. I did not know how to start a directed trip, but I got directions and headed out.

I missed my turn, but as I got used to the ApplePlay screens, I found my way to 94W and headed out. It was dark, raining hard, and I had no sleep—not perfect for driving, and I had not done this drive in thirty years. Soon, the red on the map, I learned, met traffic, and I crawled and missed the connection to the usual way to Lansing, I being oblivious of this at the time. I realized I was headed directly west, and NW should be my direction. I was headed across the state to Jackson, Michigan. I stopped in Ann Arbor, not usually on the way to Lansing, Michigan.

I called my sister instead of texting, still learning The Way of ApplePlay, and she told me I was right that Ann Arbor and I was right to stop at Nick’s Original Pancake House for coffee and food. The sun has risen, meaning the black was replaced with wet grey. Linda texted me a trip link on my iPhone that automatically connected to ApplePlay, which was my best option. I was proud that I had figured it out, too.

I had some strange mix of hash browns and corned beef hash, toast, poached eggs (cold, but still excellent), and coffee. I could tell from the attitude and frankness that this is a low-wage state for waiters (the internet shows Michigan has a $3.93 an-hour rate plus tip as opposed to $12.50 for non-tipped workers). I paid a 25% tip to help and thank them for their friendliness to a lost stranger.

With my ApplyPlay now following a script and directed to East Lansing and my hotel, I strived with confidence and was powered by good coffee. I followed the roads and tried to get used to 70+ driving in Michigan in the pouring rain. My footwork was not the best, even for the automatic, but I tried to be a one-foot driver.

Michigan drivers are fast and talented, certainly more so than folks from Oregon, and I was making a slow transition back to crazy-fast driving. I also remembered changing lanes and letting other folks have the whole lane to merge, a Michigan law and one not seen in use for Oregon (everyone in Oregon is going so slow and letting people in as we are overly polite in Oregon). This allows folks to enter traffic at 70+ mph without requiring braking and other disruptive actions from too slow driving.

I arrived in East Lansing in just over an hour and found my hotel following my memory and the ApplePlay navigation. I parked in the mess of cars by the hotel, and a valet soon took my keys, name, and SUV. I went to the desk with low expectations, as it was not noon. I was thrilled to learn that my room was ready and that I could head there. Soon, I was unpacked and out of my clothing for the trip, showered, lying down, and luxuriated in my room.

Sleep did not find me, so I dressed in a T-shirt, sweater, LL Bean pants, and so on, with a sweater over my shirt. The benches on the sidewalks were gone, but Curious Books was still there and open. The same shopkeeper (name forgotten, sorry) as last time I was there (in May 2024), and soon, I found two books (a first-hand account of whaling in the nautical section and an omnibus of three small novels with Victorian villain stories) I had not seen before. Instead of schlepping them in my luggage, I had them posted to my home address. I found two more exciting books in the basement but decided that a 1964 book on Confederate Currency was unneeded and the 1924 story magazine could be passed on. I am trying to economize now that I am on a no-income except for interest and investments.

With my purchase inbound to Oregon, I headed to my next book-related visit. The MSU bookstore’s mathematics and computer textbooks always interest me, and often, I find something unique that I want. I resisted the $19 used book of computational mathematics filled with basic estimating formulas and practices. I also nodded to the graduate/doctorate-level books on ellipse calculations, which I know are a big topic in high mathematics. Many elliptical calculations can be mapped to AI and computer issues, including the traveling salesman problem. In another lifetime, I would be a mathematician/computer researcher. But I resist acquiring either book and head out (I still have an excellent book on codes from my last trip that needs more attention). I walk around the area and finally stop for a beer and a snack at Harper’s. This is a college bar I have never been to. On entry, I discover it is just that, and I will not likely return. My half-hearted waiter (name forgotten, sorry) gets me a beer in a plastic cup and a plate of good battered and fried cheese sticks. I read and enjoy my food and beer. I have a stout thinking of Tyler and Eric (who we will say goodbye to on Saturday). Slightly stumbling from the beer and near exhaustion, I reach my hotel and my room and manage a few hours of napping.

I sent out an update on my visit schedule (if you want one, send me a note and your email).

I rise, assemble myself, head to the nearby Beggar’s Banquet, and meet my waiter, Parker. Soon, Linda, my sister, Jesse (Linda’s husband), and Barb, my mom, arrive. We have a nice dinner together, and with the nap, I am able to function. I do have two Old Fashions and am soon quite happy and relaxed. I have the chicken piccata, which is better than passable but could have used some extra pounding. Jesse has the salmon, and Mom and Linda match me. Mom and I finished with chocolate mousse. Linda had the Crème brûlée. I treated to dinner, and Parker got a 22% tip on a high ticket.

We had an excellent time, but as often happens with good meals and friendly company, it seemed over before it started, and soon, we were headed out. I returned to the hotel, a block away, and soon rested and talked on the phone with a friend.

I called into the Zoom meeting in Oregon, Theology Pub, and followed along as I started to fade from lack of sleep, food, and drinks, and trying to connect to the topic of nature and Christian theology. The group was at a pub in Oregon, and the discussion was often slowed by orders for food and more beer in Oregon. My kind of Christian theology!

According to many Christian beliefs, the fundamental question was whether people held dominance over nature and that nature was separate from humankind. Was this in conflict with caring for nature and other religions and beliefs that considered humankind to be part of nature? The words from Chef Redcloud were remembered, and I found some of them (see here). We also considered the statement: God created humankind in God’s image, and then humanity created God in their image. The words bounced around with many opinions, and even Z joined tonight’s group with her grandmother. It looked like an excellent party.

I left at 11, as I was going to sleep either on Zoom or in a more comfortable position. I selected comfort. As I had showered in the late morning, I opted for just bed and soon was asleep, rising only once at 4ish to prove hydration (I had three glasses of water during the time on Zoom, and they undoubtedly helped me avoid leg cramps that night).

Thanks for reading.

Dear readers, especially my daily readers, I may combine Friday and Saturday into a single story on Sunday due to my complex schedule and the fact that some personal information is not included in the blog.

 

I rose after my alarm was set for reasons I could not remember in the morning so early. I rose leisurely and was making coffee when my phone rang at 8:45, a bad omen and a harbinger that I had forgotten something. “Michael, you have an 8:30 cleaning appointment,” I am reminded by a friendly voice, and I agree, saying, “Yes, I will be there in a few minutes.” I dressed without shaving and was happy that I brushed my teeth before sleeping. I skipped everything, put on socks and shoes, and was soon at the dentist, only a few minutes away.

The cleaning was fast, and I had only one time when I could not breathe and caught my breath with a break. This is new, but I had no chance this morning to take my usual allergy and asthma meds (next time, I will include them even when rushed). The process had the dentist, Dr. Packam, discover my other filling was failing on the same tooth but on the other side. We will fix them in a few weeks. All good.

My hygienist shared with me she is retiring soon. I shook her hand; it is unlikely I will have her again. She hopes to travel. I wish her well and hope her plans and retirement will be fun. Mine are.

With that task done, I returned via Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. I started the laundry. I wash the sheets, make the bed, clean the floors, and wash all the dishes so the house is nice when I return. I can then crash, wash all the clothing I brought back, and rest and quiet for a day. Next, the mail will be delivered (including everything I put on hold), and I have sorted that. I use Quicken to track everything while I travel for banking, credit cards, etc. There is nothing to catch up on about money when I return. I now watch, over the following days after the trip, the last credit card transactions finally hit from the trip. I try to invest in cleaning now before the trip so the return is easier.

I read in the Costco information that I needed to present my Costco card for my rental in Detroit. I boarded Air Volvo and traveled to Costco near Hillsboro Airport for a new card. I asked the agent to make me look younger and thinner in the picture. He stood in for me (funny), but I relented and let him use me instead for the official photo.

With my updated Costco card, I am granted access and will soon have a cart walking through the wonders that is Costco in 2024. I want to walk a few extra steps today, and this works. I grab just a few frozen products and some separately packaged snacks. It will still just fit in my already packed freezer and frig.

I met Jenny there, and we were happy to see each other (we worked together for years). Jenny and I shared numbers, and she asked to join Scott and me for the weekly Thursday lunch. I sent out a text, and that is now the plan.

I spun around Costco and returned Air Volvo with items to the Volvo Cave. I unloaded the goodies and moved all the board games out of Air Volvo. I don’t like to park Air Volvo loaded with games for an extended time. I am unsure how I would claim the loss if something happened to them. The Scythe Game is an original with hand-painted figures, upgrade meeples, and other extras. I cannot begin to imagine the price of replacing it. I removed the game and loaded my luggage in one piece.

Previously, I packed and, at one point, sat on the luggage to get it to close. I have different shirts for each day and a few spares. I have a suit (black), black shoes, a tie, and other items for Eric’s Celebration of life. I have my laptop, cables, pills, paper copies of plans, and my boarding pass on my phone. I am ready.

I will not recount the vacuuming, mopping, laundry, and cleaning I did. I was a sweaty mess by 2ish. I took a shower, shaved, and caught up on my usual routines. I finished packing and got my cables, laptop, and other items in my carry-on.

I read for a while, boarded Air Volvo, and crawled through traffic, finally arriving near PDX at 6ish. IKEA was not serving, so I returned to Famous Dave’s and had the fried chicken platter. Too much food!

I then wrote the blog.

And that takes me to 8ish and to now. My flight leaves at 11. I will either update this or include that in the next blog (more likely).

Thanks for reading.