RO and I have been sick lately. RO has had a bad cold since Vegas. I just picked up the cold and am taking the day off of work.

A couple weeks ago we attended a wine and chocolate party at Andie and Erik's. It was good to see everyone.

They have well behaved toddler who is growing like a weed.

 

Dennis died. He died in a car accident

 

Dennis ran the garage and gas station down the road from us. We trusted him with all our vehicles. His prices were always reasonable, the repairs were always good quality, and he stood by his work.

 

RO and I went to Vegas for the weekend. It

 

Saturday we walked along the strip, looking at the new casinos, shopping in them, checking out their art and eating too much.  Sunday we hung out by the pool.  It was a little cool out of the sun, but a great improvement on Seattle.

 

I saw cirque du Soleil, Mystere, for the second time. The first time was about 10 years ago. I didn't mean to see it the second time and I didn't realize that I had done so until the closing act. The closing act features a large inflatable snail, and is very unforgettable.

 

I guess I should use this blog a little more often for notes. Not that I didn't enjoy Mystere. It just that with so many different Cirque du solei shows on, it would have been nice to see something new.

 

Oh yeah, if you ever go to see Cirque Du Solei, beware the clowns. They are mean. Funny as hell, but mean. They put some members of the audience through some very humiliating, but funny stunts.

 

RO is way for the week. I find my time is going so quickly.  Having someone at home waiting for me forces me to focus and prioritize.  Having the whole day to myself lets me dawdle and get distracted.

 

We're doing a long-term planning a work.  It's very stressful this time.  Planning is a crapshoot in the best of circumstances.  This time there are partners who want to work with us but they won't know what they wanted to for months from now.

 

 

 

What do you do when you dream a great rock anthem, and really want to write down the song of your dreams, yet you have no musical ability at all?

 

I'm going to get back

Get back

Get up and go

Get on the road

 

ok, maybe its not that good.

 

I've been trying to meditate regularly.  No special meditation.  Not Buddhist or transcendental or Hindu or Christian, just me sitting still and not thinking.

 

It's surprising just how often random thoughts pop into my head. I enjoy the quiet. 

 

 I've had one moment of insight.  It's a little goofy but I'm going to record it for posterity.  I was sitting on a bench listening to the waterfalls looking at the fog and clouds while a light rain fell.  It occurred to me that the water, the rain and the fog didn't know that they were different.  The all just existed.  Their difference was in my perception of them.

 

When I meditate it's for 20 minutes.  Long enough to be a commitment but not too long.  I wonder if meditation is selfish or if it encourages me to focus. It is a good way to focus and to become aware just how often my mind runs off on a tangent.

 

I've been going to the gym 5 and six times week.  I feel good afterwards.  I hope I can keep the pace, but the reality is life will interfere.  I'm finally starting to see good results.  My biceps and chest are showing a real results.  I'm also doing cardio three times a week.  I sleep great after that.

 

I guess I have to say I'm taking more time for myself. I enjoy. I need it. I don't worry so much about my sedentary life in the health risks associated with that.  I have less stress of work.  I can focus more.

A little more on the fog... for the past week Seattle has been in a temperature inversion. A bubble of cold air is covering the Seattle area. Warm air is flowing over it. The result is that the Seattle area is experiencing near freezing temperatures, with no wind, no rain and much fog. No wind or rain means that smoke and pollutants are building up and not being blown or washed away. Outside smells like a busy highway.
 
We Pacific North westerners aren't used to this. We love our clean, rain fresh, air.
 
Rain is supposed to return tomorrow.

 

The weather lately has been fog. I'm serious. It stays calm and foggy till late in the afternoon. Clears up for a few hours, then becomes foggy again in the evening.

 

Boone and Dauv have split up. Boone still stays at Dauv's house, but is looking for somewhere else.I feel bad for Boone. He is taking it in stride. RO had hinted that he wants Boone to live with us. He's always cared for Boone. But they work together and can get on each others nerves.

 

On the health front, I'm working out regularly. Every day I either lift weights or do cardio. So far, so good. I'm sure it will be a challenge to stick to this schedule. It helps that the gym is on my way to work and that if I work out in the morning my commute is shifted so that traffic isn't so bad.

 

I feel good after I work out. That's what I'm focusing on. Sure, it would be nice if got all beefy and musculre. Better than that though, is the relaxed feeling I have as I leave the gym. I know I'm taking care of myself, so no matter what else happens. my health will be as good as it can. My back and neck pain is much reduced.

 

My parents talked to me about how they want to die. Dad has a strict DNR. Mom wants us to fight for her life a little longer, but not much more.

 

They have bought two grave plots at a small church near their farm. They say it's up a small hill with a good view. Dad's brothers also have bought plots at this church.

 

Such is life.

It's below freezing here for the first time in a long time. Two humming birds still hang around our feeders. In the morning RO retrieves the feeders and melts the food.

 

Celery seed

I have 1.5 pounds of celery seed in the spice cupboard. I don't know why I have that much celery seed. Hell, I don't know what to use celery seed for.

I'm off work for two weeks. Not traveling. Just relaxing.

Christmas was fun. We had Clem and Bates over for XMas eve. Then Clem and I hiked up to the falls on Christmas day.

I've been going to the gym every day. I feel very good about this.

I'm using a new tablet to write this entry. I started wring this using voice dictation on the tablet, but that didn't work so well.

the table was a gift. It's very nice. I hope it doesn't turn into a other tech toy.

Clem & Bate's Train Christmas party was last night. We had a great time. We caught up with many people that we haven't seen since the their last party.

The holiday party seasons has started. Saturday we went to Akos's holiday ornament party. Tonight we are going to our neighbors party.

I enjoy the parties, but the amount I drink goes way up.

A co-worker lives in the condo where Fifty Shades of Grey largely takes place. The buildings residents have developed a sense of humor about their new fame.

I've had the week off from work. Haven't been doing much. Errands around the house. Video games.

It was RO's birthday on the 20th. I made him a nice dinner-- beef wellington.

We spent Thanksgiving with ROs family at his niece's place.

Clem and Bates celebrated there 25 year anniversary. They had many old friends over. It was great to see them.

The topic of growing old, and being gay came up. Our common neighbor, who is in her mid 80's is rapidly declining in health. Her kids are over every day to spend time with her.

We don't have kids. We have each other. What is one partner to do, when the other dies? Maybe we can keep friends around who will help out. That sounds like a huge obligation.

RO & I spent a few days in Bellingham, eating oysters, drinking, relaxing.

It was a good getway, a little pricy, but I'd do it again.

The election has come and gone. Sure we elected Obama again. I think my states elections are more interesting.. marijuana was voted legal, as were same sex marriages.

Two years ago, Washington voted away state run liquor stores. Now liquor is available everywhere.

The rain has returned. We had a record stretch of sun and warmth. But, this is Seattle so there must be rain.

We've been preparing the house for winter. Unblocking the drains, clearing the gutters. And, taking it easy on this cloudy, rainy day.

On Sunday we hosted a large end-of-summer BBQ. It turned out very well. The weather was perfect-- mid 70s and sunny. Unusually pleasant for October.

I counted 24 adults, 16 kids.

We hung around on the deck until it got too cold, then we hung around by the fire pit.

This blog is 12 years old. Happy birthday.

Every year I make a birthday post, and act amazed at how much I've grown, and how much has change since 2000.

I am now meta about life's path. Perhaps the next step is awareness and acceptance.

We went to the Berliner last night, to celebrate Oktoberfest. It was pleasant, though we drank too much beer.

We met an interesting group of people there. We have tentatively decided to meet them at the same bar, on the first Saturday in November.

Stuff

For months I've been pushing RO to get ride of stuff. We have far too many things that we never use. Its difficult for me to follow my own advice. While cleaning out a room, I ran into a case full of old cassette tapes. Music I used to love.

I haven't listened to them in over a decade. I don't even have a working cassette player. Yet, they are so hard to get rid of.

Another plumbing story. This one ended well.

The garbage disposal was jammed. I know how to fix that. In the drawer beside the kitchen sink is a special crank just for fixing garbage disposer jams. I got the crank out and pulled out the stuff in the cabinet under the sink.

It was wet, everywhere. I unjammed the disposer and then went hunting for the leak.

The leak was a slow drip from the faucet valve. It took a long time to find the drip. The drip started from the cold water hose, then transferred over to the spray hose where the two hoses touched. It was a slow investigation. The hoses wer behind the sink and plumbing, where it is dark and cramped.

After hours of looking, I realzied I could spot the leak by wrapping paper towels around the hoses at various intervals to see which towels got wet.

It took me a while longer to figure out how to remove the faucet valve.  The bolt I needed to turn was in a very cramped location. I had to hold the wrench with the tips of my fingers.

After I got the faucet out, the seal around spray hose developed a second leak. I didn't know that though. We went to Home Depot, bought a replacement seal that turned out to be the wrong seal, went back to Home Depot, bought the right seal. Replaced the seal. Reinstalled the faucet valve.

Of course it still leaked.

Removed the faucet valve again. Did more investigating and saw that there was still a cold water leak.

Went back to Home Depot and bought a nice new faucet with universal plumbing connectors.

Started to install the new faucet, but found that the universal plumbing connectors didn't work for my plumbing.

Back to Home Depot to buy a converter.

While installing the converter I noticed that the old water hose attached to a converter, which attached to my plumbing. If I removed the old water hose and the old converter, then the new faucet would attach to my plumbing just fine.

I feel good about this faucet. It works well. Much better than the old faucet. Since I removed a set of water hoses and converters during the instalation, there is less that can go wrong in the future.

Last night I volunteered for Washington United For Marriage.

Same sex marriage is on the ballot this November. Clem joins their phone banks once a week. He asked me to join them for one night.

The evening started with about 30 minutes of training. While they did have a scripts for us, it takes some practice to know the material.

Ninety percent of the time I got voice mail, "Sorry I'm Busy." or "I don't talk politics on the phone."

Of the people who did want to talk, I'd say that 90% were receptive to our pitch. They support same sex marriage and plan on voting for it.

I didn't run into moderates. The remaining 10% were opposed, even hostile, to gay marriage.

One callee vented at me her disgust with same-sex marriage. She also was irritated with the use of the word 'gay' It used to be such a happy word. She had a friend whose first name was "Gay" She hated the ribbing that friend had to endure.

I apologized for taking her time and then hung up.

Finally, after months of cleaning, scrubbing, painting and decorating, our deck is ready for summer guests, parties and BBQs. Oh wait... it's mid September.

We had a big BBQ on Sunday. RO's family was over to celebrate his son's 19th birthday. It was a fun BBQ, though we probably bought twice as much  food as we needed.

C2 is in town for the long weekend. He still works in Afghanistan and is taking an R&R in D.C. Chicago, Seattle, Phoenix & San Diego.

Saturday, we hiked up to the top of Rattle Snake Ledge. Not many of my friends would be up for that hike. I missed doing this with him.

unexpected beauty

Tonight, at sunset, I saw a hawk flying. The hawk was high enough that the sun reflected off its bottom. It was beautiful.

Can you tell I've been drink in?

Housing updates...

We painted the deck last weekend.  It took two full days.

The upstairs shower is leaking into the downstairs bathroom. Shit.

Today is one of those perfect days that makes the nine months of rain worth it.

Today on my motorcycle, for the first time, I took a corner with such a lean that I scraped my side bords. Don't worry, this is fine thing. It means that I'm getting so comfortable with my bike that I'm capable of pushing it to it's limits.

Dog texting.

There is a man near me who slowly walks his dog two or three times a day. He plays with his smart phone the whole way.

My parents are gone. It was good to see them. We did lots of touristy things...

Watched paragliders
Went to the Seattle Art Museum
Watched fireworks from the top of a mountain. They weren't big and loud, but we could see every firework show accross the Puget Sound
Went to a vintage car show
Farmers Market.
Went to see the King Tut exhibit and then eat at El Gaucho.

My parents are in town for a few days. It is good to see them.

They are getting older. Mom has heart palpitations if she drinks too much coffee or doesn't sleep right. Dad's legs hurt him if he walks to long. He gets winded easily and wheezes often. I guess this is life. Is this also a hint of what could happen to me?

We went camping over the weekend. Of course it rained hard on Saturday. Thankfully the tent stayed dry.

Saturday was Stein's 40th birthday. We met up at the Third Door to celebrate. That night, blues rocker Alice Stuart was the headliner. When Alice heard that it was Stein's 40th birthday, Alice invited us back to her private rooms. We got to hang out with her band and entrourage! It was wonderful evening.

We fell a tree in our backyard today. Of course it fell at a 45 degree angle from where we wanted it to fall, so it fell on the neighbors yard where it got snagged on another tree.

We are back from our road trip. The drive was very uneventful.

This was a wondeful trip.

We are on the ride home. We made good time today and are now exhausted. It's 9:30PM and both if us are in bed.

san Francisco

Sent from my Windows Phone

San Frisco

Hwy 1

Sent from my Windows Phone

Pacific coast in CA

The hwy 1 is an awesome drive with endless beauty.

The brother and I are on a motorcycle trip to San Francisco. Today was a long day, we did 371 miles. Fortunatly, today was the longest day we will do the whole trip. It's all leasurly day trips from hear on.

Our first night we slept in Tillamook, OR. Second night, Eureka CA.

road trip...

Sent from my Windows Phone

Light house.

Road trip 2012

My brother and I are on a road trip down highway 101. first night we made it to Tillamook OR.

My birthday was over the weekend. Clem and Bates came over for steaks, wine and cake. It was a pleasant celebration.

Aside from that, the weekend was quiet. I ran errands. Cleaned the house.

Inside the truck there where house and van keys. We had to call a lock smith to rekey the house, the van and repair the truck lock.

Shitty day.

Over night I got a terrible tooth ache. When I left for the dentist in the morning, the truck had been broke into. They didn't get much, but they did make a mess of the lock.

Last night I took my bike out for the first time since I took the Motorcycle Safety course. I noticed a difference in my driving. I've become less sloppy while, cornering, breaking, starting or stopping.

I also took the bike out on the freeway for the first time. Driving at 65mph is a very different experience that driving at 30 or 40mph. The wind resistance goes way up, as does the noise.

I also noticed the power difference between the my bike, and the course bike. The course bikes were much lighter and had an engines about a 3rd the size of my engine. The small bikes are very nimble at slow speeds at stop signs and driveways. Mine requires a little more care.

Over the weekend I took and passed the Evergreen Safety Councel's Basic Motorcycle Safety course. When I took the course ten years ago, I failed. Passing was a big weight off my shoulders.

Yesterday evening was DR's memorial service. It was a very nice service. She volunteered a lot. Many of the organizations she volunteered for where there. We heard stories about her, her love of gardening, her no-nonsense attitude and her sense of humor.

It's made me think of my life. I've always planned my life by looking ahead. What do I want to do next? How do I want to grow? DRs memorial has made me ask "What do I want to leave behind when I die?" and "How do I want to die?"

At the memorial we realized we didn't know much about DRs life.  She had a nephew who didn't attend. While we heard about her volunteer work, we didn't learn anything about her family. We don't know why she moved to the city of Kent. Her businesses and home where in miles away in Seattle and Tacoma. Yet, for some reason, one day about 20 years ago she showed up in Kent and started volunteering. Everything was grateful she moved there. No one knows why.

Busy weekend. The weather has been georgous here. I most of the days outdoors, either hiking, on the motorcycle, working on the back yard.

Saturday evening we attended a Martini Party at the store. W, L & D were there. W has been writing and has published two mystery novels in the past year. L has also started writing again. She was laid off from work and now has much time on her hands. She hasn't written in years. She's a romance novelist, so she's starting again.

Sunday, the neighbors invited us over for hooka. A year ago, they visited the middle east. Bates fell in love with hooka machines. He likes the idea that a bunch of us would just hang around the table and smoke. It was nice, but I'm not in love with it. I still have the taste of hooka in my mouth.

DR died. I think she died alone. RO feels bad about this.

DR was an 80 year old woman who outlived most of her family. Se had one remaining nephew.

Five years ago she lived alone but was very active. She volunteered for many things and came to the store regularly where she helped out a little.

A couple of years back, her memory started fading. You had to watch over her because she would forget. Not long after this, her nephew moved her to an old age home.

She never really took to the home. She had few friends there and felt couped up. Even with her memory problems DR wanted to be active. The people in the home sat around all day, chatted and watched TV. When we talked to her last, she said she was just waiting around until she died.

We last saw DR over Christmas. We took her out to the men's choir for Christmas Carols. It was a pleasant evening.

Then the months slipped by and we didn't keep in regular touch with DR. At Easter RO dropped in to give her an Easter basket. But, he was too late. DR had died a month earlier.

RO feels bad about not keeping in better touch with DR. Her death has caused me to reflect on my future. I don't have kids or family to take care of me when I get old. Perhaps RO will be around, or perhaps not. Inevitably my body will decay, and I too will become a burden. I like to dream that I will be fit as a fiddle until I'm 90 when I will quickly and painlessly die in my sleep. But, that's not how it usually happens.

Today, Easter Sunday is a wonderful day. The weather is warm. The breeze is pleasant. The sun feels wonderful. I needed this. Its been cloudy and raining for too many months here in Seattle.

CJ/Rick said...I've thought for a couple of years that I would
like to have a bike. As a rider passed me on the freeway the other day, I
was wondering how long I could ride without back pain or leg cramps. Good
luck on your trip!

Cruisers can be comfortable. But yes, bikes can can cause cramps. You also get a right forearm cramp from holding the throttle.

Clem and Bates came over for dinner the other night. Of course we drank too much and had a great time.

My brother and I are planning a motor cycle trip down the coast. I'm a little nervous about this. I have never rode my bike for more than an hour at once. This trip will be 2000 miles and 10 days long.

To make work even more complicated, two guys on my team are having kids this summer.

This March is more cold than January. We've had snow twice.

At work, the strongest and most senior person on my team has told me he's leaving. I'm still digesting this news. So much counter planning has to happen.

It's been a year now since I started my health kick. I hike to Coal Creek Falls most every weekend. I stick with a slow-carb diet and eat very little sugar.

Currently, I've lost 25 lbs, 2 pant sizes and I sleep better than I ever have.

For all the snow, ice and flooding that has hit area, the last few days have been have been pleasant. There have been no power or internet outages at our home and the roads have been clean enough that we can come and go as we please. I consider myself fortunate. I have friends and co-workers who have been trapped at home for days with no power.

In the forest behind the house, every few minutes you can hear a large branch cracking and falling.

Seattle is bracing for a snow storm. Up to 8 inches in the next 24 hours. Most people have left work for home.

The last leg of my flight back home was cancelled. I'm stuck in Chicago for the night.

I am jet lagged. I slept off and on though the first half of the flight. So I can't fall asleep now. I still feel groggy. I didn't get much sleep last night. Maybe I can find some sleeping pills and knock myself out till the flight home.

Tonight was the extended family Xmas dinner. About 45 people showed up. Its difficult to remember them all.  I know all of the cousins, a quarter of their spouses and none of there kids.

It was good to catch up with everybody. Even though I share nothing in common with them, I enjoyed it very much.

At my parents, it's snowy and frozen. 10F if you'd like to know. Back home it's 55F.

Mom is in the hospital. Her heart was racing this morning. It does that from time to time. She will be OK.

She is supposed to rest more, but she's not good at that. Yesterday was the Family XMAS dinner. Rather than making Dad and I do most of the work. She pitched in and worked hard. Now she's paying for it today.

Dad said, that when her heart races, all she is supposed to do is to lay down and rest. However she is so high strung, that she can't rest. She has to go to the hospital, or the thought of it makes it worse.

Am visiting my parents now. I took a red eye into Toronto, spent the day with a few friends, and there kids, then drove up to my parents. The weather is very plesant here, though plesant for the Ottawa Valley means snow and just a little below freezing.

It's almost Christmas. The weather is very warm here. I've been taking the motorcycle out every weekend.

The fall leaves have washed away. Now the forests are green again with sword ferns and fir trees.

I've been feeling something new lately-- moments of peace or calm. Sometimes it happens on the motorcycle. Other times it happens when I'm walking along a stream, or just sitting and listening to good music. I haven't felt that for a long time.

The Uninvited...A few weeks back Sandy threw a pre-Thanksgiving party. We were invited and accepted. But then I got a call from Sandy. He Uninvited us! He was very apologetic but told me he needed the party to be very calm and RO was not a calm man.

I blew him off.

Then, weeks later, BIB and I were talking. BIB mentioned that Sandy invited him over for the pre-Thanksgiving party, but then called him up and uninvited him. An ex of BIB's would be there and Sandy needed the party to be calm, so rather than risk the drama, he un-invited BIB.

It was very weird.

We are having ä big winter rain. I had to do some last minute gutter cleaning and repairs, but that is finished now. My wet feet are being warmed up by the fire.

RO and I spent the last few days at a resort on the pacific ocean. It was windy and cloudy the whole time we were there. None this less, I had a great time. The resort had great food and a nice spa. And I discovered I can spend hours watching the waves roll in. Very peaceful.

It's RO's birthday today. We are heading to the ocean for a few days. It'll be the first time he's been away from work in a very long time.

The ocean in Washington State is not the pleasant paradise you'd hope it is. It's always cold windy rainy and cloudy. Take a look at this ad which spoofs our ocean beaches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBOorGPE-Q

So, this will be a quiet vacation. Lots of hiking. I've also booked us in at a spa.

I've decided that I want to hike all the trails on Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains. These are small mountains. If I stick to it, I should finish in less than a year. Cougar mountain is already mostly done.

Saturday, RO and I went to a wine and oyster tasting. It was a good experience. The manager said they shucked and served two dozen oysters per person.

We won the door prize-- gift cards and a good bottle of wine.

Andie and Erik are expecting a kid. They are having a baby boy, due in March.

When Andie and Erik got married RO and I wondered if it was a shotgun wedding. They were married last April. I guess March is out of the shotgun zone.

No rain this weekend. Instead it's sunny and cold. I hike up Squak Mountain on Saturday. Then on Sunday to Coal Creek falls. Afterwards I took the bike out for a ride. I got very chilled as I drove. My hands got stiff. Still, it was great.

This blog is eleven years old. I forgot all about it's anniversary. Facebook appears to be taking over from blogs. I haven't abandoned the blog for Facebook just yet, as the blog lets me write a little more.

Oh yeah, SJP, I know you read this. Say 'Hi' to me sometime!

I took the motorcycled for a ride today. Perhaps one if the last rides before winter sets in.

Its very relaxing to ride. Motorcycles are the opposite of automatic. You have to focus on its operation every second-- the manual transmission, the two breaks, the throttle. The speed of an automatic is self regulating. Hold the gas pedal steady and the velocity stays steady. Not so with a manual motorcycle. Constant adjustments are necessary for corners and hills.

Then there is the fact that a motorcycle's small profile means more drivers don't see you. So I also must focus on driving defensively and constantly plan the next ten seconds of my route to avoid the places a careless driver could stray into.

The result is that while I ride, all my day to day worries are pushed out of my brain.

At the end, when i get off the motorcycle, when I no longer need to focus or sit properly, I feel very relaxed and at peace.

Old Mail

RO and I have been cleaning out the house. We found a stash of four year old mail that we never dealt with. It was sent to this address but intended for the prevous owners.  There was a Christmas card and an anniversary card.

We tracked down the old owners, Bing makes that easy, and we had an interesting conversation.

The anniversary card-- the previous owners are now divorced. The sender of the anniversary card is dead.

The Chrismas card-- send from a couple that's now divorced.

Yo and his girlfiednd the Angel were laying in bed at the Angel's apartment in Bellevue. Outside they heard a drunk lady with an blackcent shouting at the top of her lungs.

Yo said to the Angel "What's a black woman doing in Bellevue?"

The Angel answered "Are you racist?" She was a bit offended that Yo would make such a comment.

As if prompted the black lady shouted "Am I the only black women in Bellevue Washington? Where are the other niggers! Certainly not here."

Yo kept his mouth shut.

Fall came so quickly.

A week ago, it was mid eighties and sunny. Today it is mid sixties and rainy. Typical Seattle fall weather.

RO and I have bought two rocking chairs for our front porch. Something to sit in with a nice wool blanked over your lap and enjoy a glass of wine wine while we watch the drizzle.

I am aware how old this makes me sound. I would say that I am growing happy with simplicity.

BIB and I went hiking today for the first time since early August. He was worried that he  couldn't make it up the mountain; that he lost his conditioning. He did just fine. He is dating a man. They like each other. Both of them are healthy and HIV+. I wish them the best.

My neighbor's car's windshield was getting cloudy. Not foggy on the inside. The glass was turning opaque.

He knew his insurance company paid to replace broken windshields but wasn't sure if it would do so for cloudy windshields.

So he smashed it with a baseball bat.

The weather has been wonderful here. I very much appreciate it. Last year, right after Labor Day, the rains returned. This year, it's sunny with highs in the 80s and overnight lows in the 50s. Perfect weather to be outside. Perfect weather to sleep.

Sunday, Clem and I went swimming at the local beach. There have been no life guards since Labar Day. None the less, the beach is packed with everyone having fun.

I got a nice new BBQ. An infrared one, on Tommy's advice. It makes wonderful rotisserie chicken.

Last night, RO and I went out for pizza and beer. We stopped in at the new bear bar. I many of the guys there where old acquaintances-- Behr, C4, J, L,S, people I haven't seen in a very long time.

About six months ago C6 had a heart transplant. He said he feels wonderful now. C6 carries a picture of the man whose death gave him his heart.

The problem with meditating is that half way through, I forget that I'm meditating. My mind wanders and by the end I'm thinking about dinner.

My barbershop now has a legal marijuana dispensery in the back. I know its legal-- when I asked the owner how business was doing, he told me how legal it was that his legal business could legally provide legal pot to legal customers after the customer legally presented a legal prescription that was legally checked by a legally licensed legal marijuana dispenser to treat legally approved conditions that only legal marijuana could treat.

The customers certainly looked like they needed legal marijuana. They all appear to be afflicted with that condition that causes bulging muscles in otherwise healthy young men. Until legal marijuana came along i think this condition could only be treated by regular trips to the gym.

I'm not anti-pot. I am concerned that the current laws don't do a better job of fostering personal integrity than the old.

I've read a bit more about medical marijuana in Seattle and now I understand his 'legal' response. Technically they are not allowed to sell marijuana. They can provide other medical services and they can accept donations. But, no pot for cash. Now his odd legal position makes sense.

Am home again. My parents place was wonderful-- fresh air, great weather. It just felt nice.

I'm at my parents now. It's been years since I've been here in the summer. My brothers and I are together for the first time in a very long time.

It's unbelievably pastoral here. Our dinners are made with vegetables and chicken all grown within half a mile of the kitchen. Dessert is berry pie, also grown on the farm. I can see why my parents love it here.

My parents are growing old. They act like they have accepted the fact that there bodies are breaking down, and that one day they will die. That's unsettling for me. I haven't accept that yet. I still believe they have years of healthy life ahead of them.

But maybe not. Mom has had heart trouble. Dad can't walk far without breathing heavily.

I've lost 15lbs and two pant sizes. I think it took four months to loose the weight. I never agressivly stuck with the diet. I was happy as long as my weight stayed the same or went down week over week.

This is the first time I've ever dieted to loose weight. I hope it doesn't come back.

We've kissed and made up.

RO and I have decided to end our relationship. Not much to add. We still have many details to work out.

Yo cooked dinner tonight, which I really appreciate. But, dinner was a half baked garlic & cheese potatoe with hummus and chips. He admitted that he forgot to think through the rest of the meal.

Good wine.

The weather has been great this week. I am taking my first week off in along time. Two years? I've been puttering around the house, reading in the hammock and going on hikes. A great vacation.

The weather has been perfect in Seattle. Sunny. Highs in the mid seventies. Overnight lows in the sixties. I've taken this week off work. We've spent a couple days on the peninsula on the water. I'm now home, in a hammock reading and composing my blog.

Summer is slowly eking its way to Seattle. While the rest of the country struggles with the heat, Seattle has been cloudy and cool. Most days we don't cross 70F.

I've been working on reviving a motorcycle. Its been sitting in the garage since 2006.

I've never ridden a motorcycle before. When Steven gave me his 93 cruiser, I decided to learn.

I have Yo as my guide. He worked in an engine repair shop, so he generally knows what he's talking about.

We are texting a lot. My motorcycle knowledge is small .

Me, "it has power, but it won't start."

Yo, "hold in the clutch. Its a safety interlock."

me, "duh..."

A few minutes later I managed to start the bike. But fuel was dripping out of it. I texted this to Yo.

He wrote back "hit the carburetor with a hammer."

"huh? why?"

"trust me"

it took me thirty minutes to find and get at the carberator, but after i did, and tapped it with a hammer, the dripping stopped.

yo was very impressed with himself when i told him it worked. Then he told me that carbs have a float that probably got stuck while the bike sat in the garage. Tapping the carb freed the float and closed the overflow hole.

I'm very impressed.

The yard

This summer I am putting extra special attention on the yard. Its becomming a great place to hang out. We had a campfire last night and made smores.

I've also bought a chainsaw and a leaf blower to help with the yard. We've cleared away alot of shrub trees with the chain saw and now have about a third more space.

Work is going well. I have two guys who work remote. One from Denver and one from Atlanta.  They were both in town this past week. So we did months of team building in one week.