We had a big windstorm today. A huge branch fell out of a tree and broker an arbor-- the 4x4 post supporting the arbor snapped in two

Mom got her results back. She has a non-malignant tumor. It's not growing. It's very possible that she's had it for years. Right now the doctors don't want to operate. They want to MRI her every six months to ensure it stays under control.

Ran the three falls in 95 minutes.

Mom had an MRI last week. She is meeting with doctors on Tuesday to discuss the results. Her sprits are up. Whatever the spot is, it was spotted early.

My aunt, a retried nurse, is helping my move through much of this. She has a good grasp is the process and the risks. This has greatly helped mom.

My aunt's husband, my uncle, died years ago from cancer. Mom was with my aunt through much of this experience. So my aunt is now graciously returning the favor.

I have not yet told RO about the growth in mom's head, at least not until we know more about it. It  could be something simple that can be lasered out. It could be worse to, but we don't know yet.

Doctors found a growth in mom's head. They are doing more scans in the next day or two.

Memory #2

My first memories are when I was 4, or maybe 3. I don't know. This experience isn't uncommon. Who really remembers being a toddler?

We think that we start remember things after we are 4, but really how true is this? My 30's consisted of over 3650 days. I commuted to work over 2000 times. Ate over 10000 meals. Yet if I remembered 100 of those days, my memory would be considered excellent. That means the vast majority of those days are lost even to someone with an excellent memory.

Is it because I remember a day here and their while I was in my 30's that I think I remember my 30's. It's seems to be true that my 30's are as lost as my toddler years.  It's a mental quirk that makes me think otherwise. I remember a day here and there throughout my 30's, so I conclude that I remember my 30's. What's really happened is that I've forgotton that I've forgot. With no details to make me confront this absence, I conveniently don't realize it exists.  

When I was young, I knew I didn't know much. That was OK since I was learning. Eventually I would learn every thing.

Then, in high school, and university, I knew I could learn the things I studied. I accepted that I Would be ignorant of the things I didn't study. There just wasn't enough time.

But, as time went on, I saw that even on the subjects I study, there were deep mysteries. Hard work and deep research reveals that there is so much more to learn than you can ever be exposed to.

Then I started to realize  that so much of what I knew, so much of what I had put so much effort into learning wasn't aging well. So many facts were outdated. Some of what I learnt was wrong. Much was misremembered, and lots was forgotten.

I could read some books and have a vague feeling that I've read that book before, yet not know how the book ended. Sure enough, if I looked over my reading history, I had read that book before and forgot it completely.

But the more I think about this, the less I feel that I am becoming frail, weak and forgetful with old age. This ignorance maybe the way of life for everyone, and I'm only now realizing it.

When you are young and you forget to do an assignment, or bring chips to the party it's not a big deal and you brush it off. When you are middle aged and you forget, then doubt creeps in and you think you are loosing your mind. This scares many people. I can't go there. Doubt and anxiety do not make things better. I have to face the world as it is, with the strengths that I have. Weather or not my mind is getting weaker, or stronger.

Sent from Windows Mail

I've run the three falls twice now. Its a good run, but really tires me out when I'm done. Its an out four miles round trip, and takes me about one hundred minutes to run.

This week I have a cold, so I'm resting. Hopefully ill shave a few minutes off my time next week.

Sent from Windows Mail

Coal creek falls.

I think I'm going to use Facebook less, and blog more. My blog has no readers, except me, so its ok to write about lots of stuff that only I want to read.

I've run the three falls on cougar mountain twice now. Its a great rr

Logging.

A tree fell in the back yard. I sawed it up, slit the logs, then stacked the wood. I haven't done that since I was in high school. It hasn't gotten anymore easier since then.

I ran the three falls today. Well, I mostly ran. I walked the steep up hill parts. Ran the more gentle slopes and down hill.

I took me 100 minutes. My legs are sore now, especially the tendon that ends along side my groin. Aside from that, I feel good. No blisters on my feet.

Running

I'm dreaming of running the three falls at Cougar Mountain park. This is not a goal, just something I want to start doing.

Running by the three falls will be the longest and steepest run I've done. But, it's not that much longer or more steep than the runs I'm doing now.

Today I ran the DeLeo wall trail which took about 60 minutes. Usually I run the Coal Creek falls loop. That takes about 40 minutes.

I think that running a loop by the three falls, Coal Creek, Doughty and Far Country Falls, will take anywhere from and hour and fifteen, to an hour and a half. Long, but I can do it. 

What am I doing...

We finished painting the deck, rushing before the rain hits Seattle.

This summer has been lovely. It's still warm out. But rain is now forecasted more often than not. I'm happy with that. I feel obligated to be out and enjoying every minute of the the sun when the weather is pleasant. When it's cloudy and rainy, I get to choose how to spend my time.

I'm trying to get RO to focus and finish his projects. Sometimes it appears that when he hits a speed bump in the middle of a project, he starts two more. Our house is littered with stuff, half started ideas that will be one day finished off. To me it's just too much stuff.

9/11

I didn't realize that today was 9/11 until late in the day. There we no specials on TV. No invitations to attend commemorative services. I see a few online articles about terrorism, but nothing out of the ordinary, especially since Syria is in the news. Has America moved beyond 9/11?

Trail running

I've started trail running. I didn't plan on trail running. I've never really wanted to trail run. I just started doing it.

For hears I've gone for a weekly hike on cougar mountain. Cougar mountain has many trail runners on it, many of whom are in far better condition than I. One time when I was walking up a steep hill, panting, four women ran by me. They were talking to each other! Not panting. Talking like the hill was nothing.

Last year work started paying for a gym membership. I started going regularly. I started doing cardio two or three times a week.

Then, last weekend, while I was finishing off on a tread mill, it occurred to me that a tread mill was boring and that I could probably trail run without walking too much.

So I tried it out. It went well. I got good trail running shoes. I've been pushing my self a bit more each time.

Woodpecker

I watch nervously every time a woodpecker lands on a tree in the backyard.

 

Back to work...

I'm back to work. After Washington DC, C2 spent a few days with us in Seattle.

C2 is sometimes an odd bird. He's a loud house guest. I think that he's lived alone in Afghanistan and Iraq  for so long that he doesn't think about how he carries himself when he's alone, but others are nearby. His footsteps are heavy. He closes doors loudly. He regularly moans, groans and makes load sighing sounds.

It was good to spend time with him though.

DC

I'm in Washington DC for a week. It's a wonderful city. So much to see. I will come back.

 

I'm reminded how new the places I've lived are. Here the history is real and thick. Many buildings are very old. The museums have much art from centuries gone by. Of course the National Archive has the original U.S. Constitution.

 

I've been to the Lincoln memorial three times. It's always crowded, late at night, early in the morning. Hundreds of people climb the steps.

 

Green paint was sprayed on Lincoln while I was here. News says the vandal was a mentally ill homeless woman.

 

Lincoln's great speeches are on the side of the memorial.  People walk right up to the statue of Lincoln and take many photos of him.  But people stay away from the speeches and take fewer photos.  We joked that this is because Americans are ignorant of lincoln's words.  I think the reality is that pictures of the words just aren't that photographic.  Especially when compared to the statue of Lincoln.

 

I wanted to meditate at the memorial.  I've read so much about its profound effects on people.  But the memorial is crowded and loud.  Not the place where one can sit and think.

 

At the national gallery of art there are many wonderful paintings.  I want to gush here.

 

C2 is here.  He is back from Afghanistan and now working in Washington.  He may be dating someone.  If it doesn't work out he said he will head off to Syria.

 

 

 

 

Outside...

RO and I have slept outside in a tent in our back yard for the past 4 days. Its very dark, cool and quiet outside. Perfect for sleeping.

summer weather

has been perfect. RO and I have started sleeping outside in a tent. RO suffers from insomnia. It goes away when he sleeps outside. Confidentially, I think it's because when he wakes up, he can't get up and watch TV or play with the computer. The bedroom has half a dozen blinking LED'S

 

The 4th

For the 4th C&J invited us to Everett for dinner and to watch the fireworks.

C&J's house is incredibly well decorated and very clean. I haven't had a chance to talk to RO about it, but I'm sure he'll bring it up. I don't know how they have the time.

home...

I went home for a family reunion. It was great to see everyone. Uncles, Aunts, cousins and their kids came from all over the place.

Some of the first generation is getting very old and falling into decline. I can't help but wonder if what they are going through is a sneak preview of what I will go through.

I have a cousin, a woman, who is proudly single. She has woman friends and she travels around. She also seems to be fairly liberal. I always wonder if she's a lesbian, but I never bother bringing it up. She works for a very conservative school. Her parents, are even more conservative than mine. It's easier if we don't know.

The brothers seem to be doing well. The middle brother is on his fourth marriage. This time, she's a good, normal person. The four of their kids result in a *very* blended family.

The younger brother is... I think he's doing well. Not sure. He hasn't yet discovered the difference between being right, and making things better. He says he listens to forty hours of podcasts a week. His wife says that as a result, facts are always popping out of him. I almost think his love of facts is away for him to declare his space, his value, in what is a very weird home life.

Weird home life... He and his wife are fine. But they live in "The Compound" A huge house with the wife's mother, the wife's mother's other children, their spouses, and those children. It's crazy. Right now one of the other couples are going through marital problems. It's stressful for everyone.

The weather has been perfect lately. A little too warm in the sun. A little too cool in the shade. With a wonderful breeze blowing from the forest, making the temperature perfect and the air so fresh.

 

It's annual review time at work. I heard through the grapevine that my review went well. I don't know what that means. if I get my hopes up, I'm sure they will be crushed.

 

My brother was in town for a few days. It was good to see him. We did the touristy Seattle things that I haven't gone to in years-- the Space Needle, the Aquarium, the Museum of Flight and a dinner cruise of the Sound.

We did this trip in lieu of a week long motorcycle trip. We originally planned to do a longer trip, but then he lost his job.

He has since found a new job.

C&M got married today. Not only does this state now recognize gay marriage, but their church just sanctioned it as well. So, they had a traditional wedding in the church. Good for them.

 

They've already been together for 25 years, so there were many Shotgun and "This wedding was so hasty jokes."

 

 

 

 

MS passed away last night.

 

MS built my house back in the 1950s. She raised her family here. When she was in her 70's, this house become too much for her to take care of, so she sold it and bought a small home half a block away. She often looked over this place to make sure it was well taken care of.

 

Her health had been declining for some time. We haven't seen her as often since she rarely left her home for the last year.

 

Rest in peace.

 

One of the reasons I write this blog is to record things I want to remember.  Maybe I should write more about work, to double check that I am learning, and making progress.

 

Last night RO and I went out dancing with a few other couples. We had a great time. The clubs were fun. I was surprised how packed the streets of Capital Hill were. With the warm weather, the city has come alive.

 

We closed the clubs. One of the men with us was pulled over for a sobriety test. Fortunately, he passed. Still, it ended the evening on a sour note.

 

I got to bed at about 4am and woke up at 8am. I feel draggy today. Now I remember why I don't do this more often. It's a fun lesson to relearn every now and then.

 

 

RO and I went east of the mountains for a few days. The weather was wonderful. Sunny and warm.

 

We drank some good and some bad wine. We met the guy who runs the oldest family run winery and who signed the AVA paperwork for the Columbia wine region.

 

The waiting is over. Our cat has passed away.

 

RO wanted to bring her to the vet one last time. Maybe put her on another course of antibiotics. Maybe a 3rd vet could find something new. After this visit he wanted to give the cat one more week to see if she'd improve.

 

This vet did find something new. Tumors around her liver. After that everything went so quickly. RO asked about putting her down at home. The vet said it was possible, but would take a few days to schedule the appointment.

 

RO suggested we should put her down there. The speed of this decision caught me by surprise.

 

We stayed with our cat as the vet first injected her with a narcotic to put her to sleep, and then another drug to stop her heart. Both of us cried. Even the vet sobbed a little.

 

We brought her home and buried her in our back yard.

 

We went to see Anne and Nancy Wilson, Heart, last night. They are joining the rock and roll hall of fame next week, so they had a show in their home town to celebrate.

They played many songs that they wrote in recent years, not the songs that made them famous. I wanted to be irritated at them for this, for not playing my favorite Heart songs, but damn there new songs are good and they are awesome singers and musicians. These are not musicians who are resting on their laurels and milking their past fame.

My father is farmer. When I told him about our sick cat, of course he had a very simple solution-- a shovel. He is strongly against spending hundreds of dollars on an animal that will die in a few years anyways. Let the end of her life come quick and painlessly. Don't drag it out.

 

The cat isn't getting better or worse. She just sits there. She tolerates the force feedings. Then she stares out to the road. Sometimes she responds when we pet here. But mostly she ignores us.

All day the cat just sits on the front porch. A week ago her head was always down and she slept most of the time. Today she keeps her head up. She will also walk away if you harass her enough. She wants to be left alone.

We took her to the vet twice. They are out of options, unless we want to pay the big bucks for a radiologist to investigate. That's a tough decision, but I can't justify spending a thousand bucks treating a cat.

Recently my parents talked to me about how they want to die. Dad has a strong do-not-resuscitate request. Mom asked us to fight a little for her, but still didn't want to be a vegetable.  We didn't cover that grey area where they slowly get more and more sick over time. What then? If you were awake but always very drowsy and if you had to be tube fed for a long time, would you want to live?

The can't still won't eat or drink. Maybe a nibble or lick here and there, but never a meal, and never enough. We've taken to tube feeding her regularly. We also feed her some meds-- antibiotic and some appetite stimulants.

But still, she just sits there. I can't tell if she's suffering. I can't tell if she will recover. This waiting sucks.

FW:

 Vet says the cat is anemic and probably has either kidney failure, cancer or a virus. We'll get the results of the blood test in a day or two. Till then, she's on an apatite increaser, antibiotics and I'm syringe feeding her a special cat food.

 

 

The cat is very sick. She hasn't ate or drank in days. She just lays and sleeps on the front porch. The vet couldn't find anything obvious wring with her.

Get well soon.

 

why can I play a simple mindless game for hours, but when I have to fill out a form, I keep putting the task off for weeks. Is a catchy tune and achievements all that we need to unleash the next wave of human productivity?  

For the first time in weeks, I am healthy. No cold. No sore muscles.

 

The cold was very contagious. Many people at work caught it.

 

 

 

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

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San Frisco

Hwy 1

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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...

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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.