Driving into a construction site to get something. It’s busy, so we leave. Park and walk downtown. It’s raining and cold, and I’m underdressed. He gives me a jacket. We walk past some street people, and into a building where the guard helps people out. We go into the lobby and the guy walks away. I go out onto the plaza, and see him quickly change and walk away. I go down some alley, and Erika and Salem are parked there. I get in, a bunch of ladies pass, and we drive away.
A short hiatus, plus moving.
Please tip the writer. Whatever amount you like-every little bit helps, and I’ll do a shoutout. We are always short of cash, especially with a big mortgage. Let me know if you or someone you know needs web design/development-my rates aren’t bad, and I’m more than pretty good at it. Java/database/AWS/UI too. ThankYouVeryMuch!
So, it’s been months-3, to be exact. Gonna call this one after a recap at the end. Hopefully I won’t miss too much. It’s been a whirlwind. Lots to do, lots done.
Friday afternoon (8/5). Have the infamous container update task today. Did another late update yesterday. That, plus 2 jobs failed today. One was fixable, the other was ours, but I know nothing about it, so another guy helped me out. So, skipped workout Monday, went Weds., pulled everything down a bit, first time on my new shoes-they’re light and nice, but my calves are still sore, so I’m not looking forward to today. Salem is interested in working out, so I may help them. We also got into a huge kerfuffle with one of her former classmates over drinking and drug use. Erika called the mom, who promptly used that against their child, and told them who told her. I told Erika this was going to happen, but she didn’t believe me. It all got sorted out, but… We’re on a budget again-I need to start up the spending pages again.
Monday noon (8/8). Monday afternoon. Pretty quiet weekend-hot. Worked out Friday. Tidied up Saturday and shop. Same Sunday. Got a new to me iPod touch at the binz. Got a big rolling bin for my clothes when we move.
Thursday afternoon (8/11), time for lunch soon. Pretty quiet week-getting stuff done. Salem went to a show Tuesday, Erika drove, and they were out late. Ran outside yesterday-it was a bit too hot, but ok otherwise. Colin is spending more time at his GF’s, so I end up running him up there from time to time. Not much else-I’m getting tired of the news, we need to find a house to buy, I need to practice more, get a charger for my old fitbit, read more, and load up the iPod touch.
Tuesday noon (8/16). Trying to work through updates to this app. I think I have it now. So pretty quiet last few days-workouts, shopping, etc. Matt failed his driving test-he needs more time on the road to up his skill level, and get more confidence. The usual other than that…
Monday noon (8/22)-time to go into a meeting. Afternoon-still working. Evening-still working, need to go to the gym, watched a half-hour pursuit in South L.A…maybe I’ll get to this later and be able to recap the last week.
Tuesday the 30th, noon. Another week flew by with no updates. Big news is we bought a house! Well, not yet, but it’s a 30 day close, the title and inspection are done, financing is in the works, and I was able to qualify for the 100% program at our bank. We have to wait an indeterminate time after closing for the seller to vacate, so it’s an odd situation, as I have to give notice here and that sort of drives that part. It’s a nice place, set back from a quiet street, 1/3 acre, 4 beds, 2 baths, 2 kitchens! An apple tree and 2 plums, room on the south side for a garden. It backs up on an apartment building, but there are trees. Not much else, the apartment here across from ours got evicted and there’s a lawsuit, and they just tried to take the washer and dryer. Not much else, starting to pack. Erika fell working on the sign at church last week and we spent the evening in the ER. Other than that, work, gym, binz, shopping, ferrying Colin from work and/or to his gf. Our car is in the shop from the accident, and it’s going to be there for a while. Insurance is paying for a rental, and we got a Malibu.
Thursday noon (9/1). Lunch. Erika wants to use a moving company. End of day. Doing the infamous update task now and at 9, plus another prod of something I broke, but wasn’t my fault. Salem’s birthday yesterday-they’re 15-went to a show in Chinatown.
It’s now November 12th. Whew! That was quite a run, and none of it written down. We’re in the new house, and sort of settled in. Our stuff is still half packed, the storage is full up, and the living room is still a storage area. The kitchen is done, I’m working in kitchen 2, which is full of stuff. The kids’ rooms are ok-Salem is working on theirs, Matt and Colin are mostly set up. Salem slept in our bedroom until tonight. Our room is about half settled. My stuff is along one wall, Erika’s piled along the rest. It’s pretty nice here-quiet, peaceful. Been cold, though. I’m still living out of a suitcase, but my routine is pretty much back to normal.
Ok, here’s an attempt at a recap. Got the car back fairly quickly. Then packing. Lots of packing. Matt and I got ours done in pretty good order, Colin too. Salem and Erika, not so much. Anyways, Salem started high school, settled in pretty quickly. Still having issues with finishing assignments on time. They auditioned for the fall play and got a starring role. They did really well. Got all the closing stuff done before we left for L.A. The train ride was nice, but sleeping in the seats, not so much. Dinner was super spendy. Got a car, hung out with mom and Holly and her husband. The painting Erika wanted was still there, but it’s $5,200, so no. The boat thing and lunch afterwards was nice. Long drive to Joshua Tree. Nice hanging out there for a couple of days. Drove back, train back home. Colin picked us up. Then, endless moving. The seller moved out right away. Erika got an estimate for flooring and the guy discovered that there was a ton of water damage in the northeast corner of the living room. I spent a bunch of time digging out all the rotten wood and running fans to dry it out. It seems better now-trying to find someone to do the repair. A plumber came to fix the leak. Moved a ton of stuff by car over the next 3 weeks. Some painting. Was going to move mid-month, postponed a week because of the plumbing. Rented a truck, moved it mostly myself. Matt helped the next day. Got all the big stuff moved, mattresses and stuff to storage on Monday. Set up my office, internet-a few hassles, but all going. More moving over the next week, cleaning and out on time! A lot of work done. A hassle with the mailbox-have to place it elsewhere. Dishwasher overflowed-the lady put soap in the rinse compartment. Dryer was making funny sounds, then was back to normal. That’s pretty much it. Gamelan this past Wednesday! A very long 2 1/2 months. Haven’t worked out since mid-September. Work is fine. Did a bunch of yard work-cleared out a ton of wood, holly, blackberries, putting leaves to compost. Need to mow and kill more weeds in the lawn. So much to do.
Page 23, sentence 4: “The early years of Hitchcock’s career at Amherst spanned the period when Charles Lyell, in England, published his multivolume Principles of Geology, a radical work that challenged Scripture-based interpretations of the geological record, including Hitchcock’s own.” The Tangled Tree.
August 30th, 2022
At gamelan, late, don’t have the music. We stop, and Mindy’s mad because someone was playing the wrong notes. Leave, and someone comes up to me and asks why I’m not signed up. I say I’ve been there forever. Walk away and down the stairs and out of the building.
At some memorial thing at school. They’re talking about the kid. I’m sitting in the top row with my classmates.
Trying to get into a building. Walk through a corridor and someone comes and the girl shoots them from behind. Make out way to a car. Get in and shoot the driver. Push him out and wait for the rest.
In a school bathroom, it’s confusing-go into a few stalls trying to find the way out. Finally get out and walk fast through the halls. Get to a room, go in and kneel next to the teacher. Talk, then get closer until we’re touching.
August 26th, 2022
Watching Trump play a large recorder.
August 21st, 2022
Getting on a bus, some girl has a deadly toxin in her mouth and sprays it everywhere. A bunch of people die and I get out OK. Go to the place where they’re making the toxin and walk around. Go into a big room with a bunch of people. They’re going to spray there, but I lock the doors and get ready to kill everyone. They don’t do it, and I struggle to get the doors unlocked, as I sealed them up.
August 15th, 2022
Talking with Bob Harris about a book he’s working on. Walk over to a pit and there’s an odd orange sea creature in there. It whips out a tentacle to try to grab us. We step back and it tries again. It starts rolling itself over to get out. We back up more as it makes its way around. We walk away.
August 15th, 2022
Playing with a couple of guys. They each take a solo, pretty simple but clear. I start and it’s soft but not very clear. They come over and make adjustments but it doesn’t help. Go into a bigger room and walk around.
August 11th, 2022
Looking at a big map, trying to figure out how to go from New York to New Orleans. We decide either to the east or west of the Appalachians. It looks like there’s something going on by the Mississippi, as the route takes a big jump to the north to get across. Zoom and it looks like a bridge is out. Jump down to the street and a huge puppet monster destroys the bridge. We go running to get away. Hide in some shop and find a hidden room by twisting a spot in the floor-there’s a lot of stuff in there. Go back out and leave the store.
August 12th, 2022
In a rehearsal room with Eric Clapton. There’s a ton of gear, and I start playing. He’s trying to get the ceiling lowered- it’s really high. They get it down, and guys on ladders are trying to fix it in place.
August 10th, 2022
At work, talking to the HR and finance people about leaving and what I need to do. Look at the investment stuff and talk about what I had to do in the Cayman Islands. Talk some more about what needs to happen next.
trying to get through some street. Drive around and through a parking lot. GO up and try to get through, but it’s wet and flooded and finally impassable. Go back into the parking lot and up to a small cafe. Susan S is there with some people and we chat about stuff.
August 9th, 2022
On the outside of a starship, Star Trek style. We’re monitoring it with a thing attached to the hull. Ensign Crusher sees it, and opens a window to investigate. He goes out onto a bulkhead and removes it, we follow him in through a very narrow passage.
At work, someone comes up to me and is investigating something. they ask some questions and I tell them about managing stuff when I was in Grand Cayman. They come back with a lie detector, strap it on and start asking me more questions. They ask about whether my parents were rich and I say no.
August 6th, 2022
Walking by Harrison and Monroe on the hill, our realtor tells us there’s a house by there. Walk down the hill, and through the outside-it’s all open air. Meet the tenant, with lost of kids. Walk through the house, it’s big and very 50’s. Small back yard. Sit down with the tenant and talk to them about how I don’t want to just kick them out. Look them hard in the eyes.
Walking down Harrison, some man comes by and starts shouting all sorts of racist stuff. I tell him off and he comes up to me. I hit him then slam him to the ground until he is flat. Sit down and the cop comes up and asks me what happened. I tell him the guy was spouting racist stuff, started chasing me. He stops me and says that’s all he needs to hear.
Looking through stuff in a book store. There’s a bunch of occult stuff and I gather some up. Someone is interested and I go to give them what I gathered.
August 3rd, 2022
Standing in front of a fan. It’s blowing on my back, then the breeze starts to massage me. It reaches around to my neck and chest a little bit.
August 2nd, 2022
Driving down a street, turn onto a side road. Stop as I come to the edge of a ravine by the beach. Get out and walk back to the man street. I ass two guys and they compliment me on my hat. I say thanks and keep walking, and they follow me. I realize they’re trying to rob me. I walk up another street and see Paul Strachan. We go into a bar/restaurant.
Another hot summer
Please tip the writer. Whatever amount you like-every little bit helps, and I’ll do a shoutout. We are always short of cash, especially with a big mortgage. Let me know if you or someone you know needs web design/development-my rates aren’t bad, and I’m more than pretty good at it. Java/database/AWS/UI too. ThankYouVeryMuch!
This one took awhile. It’s been hot, and I haven’t been interested in maintaining a cadence on this. No worries-time is passing. I’m a bit tired, but I’m not young, so…
Midday Friday (4/15). All quiet, not so much work to do today. All the stuff we can test is working, the vendor deploys tomorrow, so Monday is another day of testing. Doing laundry, trying to keep the house tidy. Misplaced a sock. Played my Kronos this week-started a piece-stopped on a rhythm part, because the keyboard riff is in odd time. I love that keyboard-it can do so much-and the workflow isn’t bad, except you have to tap 4 times to clear a track. Friday afternoon.
Tuesday afternoon (4/19). Got my taxes done-underpaid because Colin moved out. No worries-will get it back with the Oregon refund. Or not-I just realized the Feds may take that too. Workout yesterday and Friday-going shorted to get more energy for the workout. Seems to work-indoors yesterday, on the road Friday. Quiet weekend-helped Erika at church Sat., church Sun. Shopping both days.
Wednesday night- time for bed. Busy day, dialed back the workout a bit- got halfway through the run and had to go to a walk, dropped the weights, sped up the t’ai chi.
Monday afternoon (4/25), very tired. Trying to get a mortgage loan pre-approved. Not much else-trying to get some work done-they pulled us into a rush thing, and the production deployment had some snags that we had to work around. Seems to be going OK except for the snags-they should be resolved tonight. Shortening and lightening the workout, shopped, lunch with the boys.
Wednesday morning (4/27). Not much going on-Erika and Salem are at an art museum with school, Matt is either working or at school, I’m sitting here working, sort of. Colin? probably sleeping or at work. That’s it-need to submit my loan docs-tonight maybe.
Monday afternoon (5/2), in a meeting. Pretty quiet weekend-shopping. Looked at a house. Got my 2nd booster. Not a great workout on Friday.
Friday morning (5/6). Trying to get stuff done, but not feeling great. Didn’t sleep well. Pretty quiet week-got to run on the street Weds., a mortgage guy didn’t call me.
Tuesday afternoon (5/10). Time for lunch. Pretty quiet-chatting with an ex-girlfriend from college, thought last night about Susan and that Oasis show and how I really should’ve kissed her, but was too baked. That would’ve changed things a bit. (edit-1/10/24: she didn’t realize I was in love with her-she just liked hanging out with me-bleh-kinda glad I didn’t kiss her…) Fine run yesterday-I hit just over 10 1/2 mins/mi. I’m way ahead of where I was last year. Also pushed the weights up one. Starting a walk thing for work soon too.
So it’s August first. Haven’t had a gap this long in quite a while. Now I have to remember what happened… It’s been very hot lately. Planning to go to SoCal late Sept. for my dad’s memorial. Via train, so it’ll be a change. Keeping up running and working out-got a new pair of shoes from the Woodburn Asics outlet for my birthday. I’m 61, don’t feel it. Got pre-approved for a mortgage. Got covid, but a mild case. Colin is moved back in, Salem had the play and their graduation and spent a week at camp. Took 2 days around the 4th. Doing the same for labor day and thanksgiving. Colin housesat for one for Erika’s friends. We did the sign at church twice. Watched most of the Tour-my man Quintana did well. One of these years he’s going to have it and win the whole thing. The women ran this year too, but meh. Had a windy day and flew at the local school-bumpy breezes. Fun, though. If I was able to get out more, might be able to improve some. went to Uwajimaya a couple of times.
Erika got in a fender bender parking at the binz-rolled into 2 parked cars. It was odd-one of the guys didn’t want to exchange info, and the other didn’t want us to leave until his “grandma” then “wife” arrived. Erika called the cops, a MPD cycle cop arrived, said we were OK to go, and we left. Filed the claim, got the estimate, and the ins paid out the same day. The car gets fixed August 24th. Erika had some soreness, but that’s it.
Page 23, sentence 5: “See the curtain call.” The Creative Habit.
May 14th, 2022
Walking up to Jim Kucera’s apartment. We called some guy to go on a date with him. He shows up, but Jim isn’t ready. Go in, his parents show up. They comment on how nicely I’m dressed, and I say I’m going to church and leave.
Go to the bathroom at someone’s big house. It’s clogged. It then starts to overflow, fast. I go to turn off the water valve, but it doesn’t stop. Flip a couple of switches and that does it. The owner comes in and we talk about it.
May 13th, 2022
At home, the kids are mad at mom about something. They’re plotting to blow them up with letting gas out. They start doing it, releasing gas, then try to lure them up to a place so they can ignite it. I walk around, turning off the vents. They finally give up, and Matt hands me a paper with preprinted grievances and stuff filled in. We’re now at a press conference, the family is all at podiums and talking about the event. I say, “if we had just been kind to each other”, and I decide to form the “Kind” party. Rule #1: Always be kind. The press conference ends, I gather up my books, and walk away to start coming up with the manifesto. We pass by a group of old ladies and one asks me to consult, and I say no, I have to go write my manifesto. Then I’ll help.
May 11th, 2022
Come up to a line. Go to the back, then sneak around. David Spade comes up to me with a clipboard and orders me to the back of the line. I go, then start climbing on top of the desk full of books.
May 10th, 2022
Watching a girl get a tennis lesson from Arthur Ashe on a tiny court. He’s tossing balls at her arms she getting better. They finish and I go up and talk to him. He starts tossing balls at me too.
May 9th, 2022
Hanging out, showing off my guitar. The finish is melting, and one of the guys runs his finger over it and it just falls off. I take it apart and scrape off as much as I can. We talk about the best stripper, and I consider just leaving it plain. Walk into the hardware store and look at what they have. Talk to a guy and he goes looking for something too.