"ChatGPT, on Sunday I bought a jigsaw puzzle board as a birthday gift to my self. Monday, I worked half a day. With the rest of my time I played hooky and worked on a jigsaw puzzle.

Please rewrite that as a personal blog entry."

Sunday was a special day for me - it was my birthday! I decided to treat myself to something I've been wanting for a while: a jigsaw puzzle board. The next day, I only worked half a day and decided to play hooky for the rest of the day. I spent my free time indulging in my new puzzle and it was the perfect way to unwind and celebrate my birthday.

Some corrections. First, my birthday was Saturday even though I bought the puzzle board on Sunday. Second, I worked on an old puzzle, not a new puzzle.

Thank you for the corrections. Here’s the revised version:

Saturday was a special day for me - it was my birthday! The next day, I decided to treat myself to something I’ve been wanting for a while: a jigsaw puzzle board. On Monday, I only worked half a day and decided to play hooky for the rest of the day. I spent my free time indulging in an old puzzle and it was the perfect way to unwind and celebrate my birthday.

Saturday was my birthday. We took it easy. I wasn't up for a big celebration after all our traveling.

So we had a quiet celebration. Friday night we ate at the Calcutta Grill, which has fantastic views. Saturday, we went on a good walk, ran errands, got the house ready for summer, and napped.

Saturday evening, I chatted on Zoom with friends. We usually play games with each other. This time we never got around to it. Our parents are all aging. Two of my friends are dealing with their parents' health crisis. It's good to let them talk, even if we can't offer much in return but emotional support. I know that I've depended on them for just this.

"ChatGPT, please rewrite my blog post in the tone of Margaret Atwood."

On Saturday, I celebrated my birthday in a low-key manner, opting for a more relaxed day after recent travels. The festivities consisted of a quiet gathering without any grand celebrations. On Friday evening, we dined at the Calcutta Grill, a restaurant renowned for its breathtaking views. The following day, we embarked on a pleasant walk, took care of errands, prepared the house for the upcoming summer season, and indulged in a refreshing nap.

...

"Please rewrite my blog in the tone of Stephen King."

Saturday was my damn birthday. We took it easy, not in the mood for any extravagant celebration after all the damn traveling we'd been through.

So we had a quiet shindig. Friday night we grabbed a bite at the Calcutta Grill, a joint with killer views. Saturday, we went for a solid walk, ran some errands, got the house all prepped for the impending summer madness, and crashed for a well-deserved nap.

...

My husband and I have started using AI. Yesterday, OpenAI dropped an app for the iPhone. We both installed it and are experimenting.

My husband spent some time quizzing ChatGpt about cancer treatments. This is his area of expertise. He was very impressed by the answers. Next, he tested it by discussing travel itineraries for our past few trips. He wanted to see what ChatGpt would propose versus his actual experience. Again, he was impressed by the proposed itinerary for Paris.

Our next trip is in June. He now trusts ChatGpt for travel suggestions, so he and ChatGpt are fleshing out the trip.

I’m using ChatGpt as an editor. I popped this blog post into it and asked for help. It works surprisingly well. I’m tempted to start using it for some work communications, but that is full of legal and disclosure issues, so I’ll stay away from that.

I see that it's replaced "The husband" (My nickname for my husband) with something grammatically correct.

 
It also provided the following suggestions...

Some suggestions for improving your blog post could be to add more details about your experiences with the AI app and how it has helped you or your husband in different areas. You could also consider adding some personal reflections on the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI in daily life.

Then I asked "Please rewrite my blogpost in a less conversational and more formal tone." I got...

Recently, my spouse and I have begun utilizing an artificial intelligence application developed by OpenAI on our iPhones. We have been experimenting with its capabilities and have been impressed with the results thus far.

For instance, my spouse queried ChatGpt regarding cancer treatments, an area in which he possesses expertise. The responses he received were impressive. Additionally, he tested ChatGpt by discussing travel itineraries for our previous trips. He compared ChatGpt’s proposed itinerary for Paris with his actual experience and found it to be satisfactory.

Our next trip is scheduled for June, and my spouse now trusts ChatGpt to provide travel suggestions. They are currently collaborating to plan the trip.

I have also utilized ChatGpt as an editor for my writing. I input this blog post and requested assistance, and the results were surprisingly effective. I am tempted to use it for work communications, but there are legal and disclosure issues to consider.

I purged my wardrobe last weekend. Later, I checked out my clothing shopping history and discovered that I buy almost all my clothes online.

I really haven’t bought new clothes since before the pandemic, with a few exceptions-- new shoes, new socks, and a few t-shirts. The rest has been around for years.

My husband’s clothing purchase habits are very different. He enjoys shopping and buying new clothes. He likes it when I wear nice new clothes and would love to help me.

Part of my problem is that I am very tall and on the thin side. It’s hard to find clothes that fit me well. Big & Tall stores usually don’t help because they are for those who are big and tall, while I am only tall.

There are a few manufacturers who make clothing in my size, and I have accounts with them all. However, their catalogs never change. I could buy a new version of the same shirt that I just threw out, which I originally bought in 2018.

I’ll just tell myself that my style is timeless, not trendy.

This week at work has been a firehose of stuff. I'm reflecting back over my past management and leadership training-- Is it important, or just urgent? Prioritize! Pareto's Principle! The Solution is Collaboration. None of that seems to matter when your boss needs help and has a a long list of urgent and important commitments.

Sunday, we woke up at 4:30am-- jet lag

In the past two weeks, Seattle has changed from spring to summer. We used our extra jet lag hours to clean up the yard and get the deck ready for summer. It's looking nice.

Sunday evening, we had dinner with C3. He is considering moving to So Cal. His lease is running out, he doesn't like his job, and he is struggling to find real dates around here. And so, he plans to leave. A bit of a bummer for me. 

We are about to board our flight from Paris to Seattle.

We traveled to Paris with Allan & Evan. We are good friends, though a week of travel stresses everyone. The husband and I would love to come back again, but without travel partners. 

Not all of us are good at directions or leading. Allen worries us. He would offer to look up directions and do so on his phone. Then he would take off and we would follow. Things would get confusIng. As near as we can figure, Allen would ignore the actual directions and just walk, with great certainty, in the direction of the crowd.  After a few sudden changes, the rest of us would realize we were not heading in the right direction. We'd gently need to take over-- Allen does not take correction easily.

By day two, we stopped listening to Allen's offers of direction. 

We have been in Paris for the week. It is lovely here, the art the history the endless fantastic number of street cafe's filled with customers drinking, eating and chatting the day away. We spent a lot of time just walking the streets and exploring. 

This is our last full day in Ireland. In the morning we biked and kayaked-- wonderful and scenic. The husband is out saying goodbye to his coworkers. I've started my regular work for the evening.

Ireland is wonderful. The husband is here for a work trip. Of course I couldn't say no to joining him. Still, I have not taken vacation to be here. I am working in the evenings.

During the day, we do some exploring, some excursions and some napping-- just enjoying the local sights-- the food, the castles, and the falconry. 

And we have our luggage back. My skin was starting to crawl after wearing the same cloths, socks and underwear for three days.

We are now in Kildare County, Ireland. Its gorgeous here. This afternoon we took a leisurely bike trip around town and soaked up the scenery. 

We are now in Dublin. The trip from Vegas to Dublin was exhausting. Our luggage didn't arrive. The airline promised it will arrive by tomorrow. 

This morning we showered, walked around the town and napped. 

I am working while we are in Ireland. I'm keeping my Seattle hours, so my Ireland hours are from 5pm to 1am. 

Our Vegas trip is coming to a close.

My brother's wedding was very sweet. It was in Fire Valley state park about an hour outside of Vegas.  The location is otherworldly and beautiful. 

For the rest of the time we hung out, ate and saw a few shows.

We all got along well. My brother and I have been arguing since we could talk, so this was nice.

We are about to embark on two and a half weeks of travel-- three days in Vegas for my brother's wedding, then a week in Ireland for the husband's job, then a week in Paris for vacation.

While in Ireland, I'll be working. This is the farthest I've pushed the "remote work from anywhere" provision that my job has.

T&J were in town for the weekend. T is one of the husband's oldest friends. They have known each other since they were five.

T&J are making the leap to retirement. They are selling their home, and buying a smaller, but nice place in some tiny town in Oklahoma. They think this will reduce their expenses enough that it will fund their retirement. 

J has prostate cancer. I think it's under control. They intend to use Medicare to pay for any additional treatment.

Their plan is too risky for me. 

We've been discussing the retirement more seriously. J, a friend of mine, decided she wants to retire around age 55. As lucrative as her job is, she hates it. 

That got the husband and I talking. We are doing our jobs, more for the money than because it's our calling.

The husband's said that he doesn't want to retire until after his mother dies. That's a clear qualifier. Sometimes his mother does need emergency cash. Us having jobs is a nice safety net.

Last night we had dinner with her. She is constantly on oxygen for COPD. Her travel oxygen machine is breaking down so she has to stay close to power at all times. This is fine while she is at her retirement home. It's more complicated when she wants to go out. We spent a good amount of time discussing the type of machine she needed, and the complexities of Medicare.

We spent the weekend in Seaside Oregon with QJ & C6.

Driving back from Seaside-- it was raining hard. The roads were slippery. Just ahead of us two cars collided. Everyone in the traffic around us stomped on their breaks. As we braked, the car infront of us got awfully close, awfully fast. On the right side of our vehicle, we saw a Fedex truck spin around-- a complete 180. 

And then it all stopped. The people in the accident ahead of us were OK. No additional cars were damaged. We breathed deeply and then carried on our way.

Back to Seaside--

We were there for an annual AA convention-- The North Coast Roundup. While I'm not in AA, I regularly attend. I have so many friends in AA that it is a nice weekend away. The speakers are always interesting. I may not have their problems, but it helps me sympathize.

The convention is large. While I don't know the numbers, well over 1000 people attended the Saturday evening speaker.

Seattle is very dog friendly. I know of at least four dog friendly bars and restaurants. I frequently bring my dog along to my weekly dinners with C2.

I think my dog is appreciative of the outing. Of course her nose regularly pops out from under the tables that we eat at. But she never begs or barks and she loves sniffing. This is different than her life in the Suburbs. At home she doesn't hesitate to bark at strange dogs. Or aggressively beg when we are eating.

For years we've attempted tp train our dog to play fetch properly. When you thow a ball, she'll chase it. However, after she retrieves the ball, she will runs off and lay someplace where she can chew on it undisturbed.

I've used treats to encourage her to return the ball to me. Unfortunately, once she knows I have treats, she focuses on the treat and ignores the ball. She is very food focused.

"Neither a borrower, nor a lender be. For loan oft loses both itself and friend. And borrower dulls the edge of husbandry."

A few weeks ago, I loaned C2 our iron. That was my mistake. C2 doesn't want to buy more stuff. He borrows when he can.

Of course, last Saturday the husband needed the iron. I reminded him that C2 borrowed it. The husband was miffed.

"He has a good income. He can go buy his own iron." The Husband worked off his frustration by heading out and buying a new iron.

A few days later when we shared these events with our room mate, she said "Irons are cheap. Why didn't he buy one?"

I texted C2 about the loaned iron. He responded "What does it really mean to 'loan' anyway?"

My bad. I have learnt my lesson.

Tuesday night the dog was sick. I am not sure what brought that on.

The dog is very good at warning us when she has to go outside. She will paces near us and barks. Should I walk towards her, she will respond by heading to the front door.

She did that at least half a dozen times during the night. Towards the end I slept on the sofa nearest the front door.

Then it was over. By 8am she was acting hungry so I fed her. Nothing went wrong. 

That evening I needed to catch up on sleep, so I pushed my regular Tuesday dinner with C2 to Wednesday.

-------

C2 occasionally sees the homeless man who now owns his blanket and has gives me updates on its whereabouts. C2 wants to take pictures of the blanket and the man. He holds back because the man looks unstable.

Speaking of purging... C2 is also also getting rid of old stuff. 

He owned a nice blanket that he hasn't used in years. Decades maybe. He acquired the blanket before his tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, before years of working in D.C. and Colorado. It was too nice to throw out. He never needed it, so he kept it in storage or the closet.

Reality finally set in. C2 was never going to use the blanket. It was just taking space. It was time to get rid of it.

C2 gave the blanket to a thrift shop near him hoping it would find a new home. A few days later C2 saw the blanket in the garbage by the thrift shop. He felt a little bummed when he realized his blanket wasn't good enough for the thrift shop.

A few days after that, while C2 was out for a walk, he saw that someone homeless had claimed his blanket. 

The husband got rid of some of his old belongings. The experience made him a little blue. He had pictures of many of his old coworkers, grade and high school memorabilia, files, books. So many things. He could look at each thing and almost convince himself that it may be meaningful one day. Then he tempered that with the reality-- he hasn't looked in the boxes in years-- he hasn't kept touch with many of the people in decades. 

I struggle with that as well. While I'm pretty good with keeping my physical property in check, I may be a digital hoarder. I have so many files that just maybe useful one day. 

The husband is better. Yesterday he worked a full day. Today he is frisky.

Spring is in the air. Tomorrow the temperature should crack 60F. Of course, one should always view the weather forecast with some suspicion.

  

The husband is sick today. Perhaps a stomach flue. It's not COVID. I'm taking care of him as best I can. Mostly he needs rest fluids.

 

As a teenager, I listened in aww to CD's. They were so clear. So perfect. Such an improvement over tapes and records.

Now streaming is here. I can call up most any song, at any time. It will be played with perfect clarity.

My mother-in-law gifted the husband her record collection. The husband bought a record player.

I resisted at first, but there is something goofy and fun about listening to vinyl. 

There should be no reason for vinyl. I live in a world where I can just say "Hey Siri, play "Come Fly With Me." and instantly listen to the best possible recording of that song.

Vinyl is work. You have to have that album, get the album out, blow the dust off, take the old record off the player, put on the new and let down the needle. Only then you get to listen. 

Vinyl is also a commitment. With streaming you can stop or skip any song at any time. With a record player, you must get up, go to the machine and lift the needle.

And yet vinyl is charming. The extra work involved encourages us to be more thoughtful and a little more committed to listening.

We took a short ski-vacation in Park City with Bayley. This is the 3rd time we've traveled there with her.

Friday, I ended up working all day due to a work emergency. This carried over a little bit into Saturday & Sunday.

We have skiied/boarded at Park City three times. I enjoy snowboarding there. It has great hills. It's also easy for both Bayley and us to get there. 

Now Park City is *very* expensive. I think Bayle loves that. Shopping at the boutiques. Eating at great restaurants. The high cost of living high.

The husband suggested we book next years trip somewhere else and then invite Bayley along. 

And so I am looking.

 

C2 and I had good conversation over dinner.

We discussed a recent Saturday night of his. A friend of his was gooning, had taken drugs but then developed a priapism. I had to ask what goonging was. Apparently I am behind the times on current gay sex lingo.

The friend managed to get a prescription to treat the priapism, but didn't want to drive to pick it up because, well, he was on drugs. 

Rather than being upfront with C2, the friend invited C2 over to hang out. C2 has a crush on this man, so he said yes. 

After C2 arrived, the friend told him about his predicament and asked for a drive to a late night pharmacy. C2, being the softie that he is, went along with this. The first two pharmacies did not have the proper medication. They ended up driving to the other side of the city before they found one. All of this took hours.

Lately, I've been examining my life, trying to figure out what want, what the next phase will be. To inspire this, I've been contemplating the life goals of those around me. This story was my second reminder that many gay men are into partying, sex and drugs. It's an easy life

We've had a few days of snow here. It's melted away now. I'm hoping this is winter's last hurrah. It's March now, and March is the start of spring, Right? 

At work, the new org is settling in. I'm getting to know everyone. I'm trying to understand their goals and how they intend to achieve them. We are taking baby steps towards working together.

Sunday, Clem and Bates hosted a small Carnival party. We had a good time. I know Clem and Bates because I used to be their neighbors. Most of the guests were-- how do I say this-- Clem and Bates are very sex positive. Most of their guests were former, or current, fuck buddies. 

One of the couples discussed their glory hole and the websites they advertise on. It's a seasonal glory hole. It's outside and not insulated so they shut it down in the winter. 

All but one of the guests was over 50. A few were retired. One of the discussions was about the complications of being an aging slut. When you are over 60, everyone wants you to be the daddy. When one of you is 60, and the other 55, do you really want to role play daddy-boy? 

Afterwards the husband and I confirmed that we are happy with our closed relationship.

I'm having dinner with C2 tonight. I worry about him. He wants a boyfriend so bad, yet he seems to be going about that in all the wrong ways. I refrain from giving him advice-- he will ignore that. He enjoys discussing technical and scientific things. I enjoy his company. 

It's been sunny and cold here in the Pacific North West. A coworker who moved to Seattle for the mild winters joked that he feels ripped off.

JM has passed away. I met JM when I first moved to Seattle. We had both moved to Seattle from the same area of Canada and ended up on the same hockey team.

We kept in touch even after I stopped playing hockey.

The husband met JM in the rooms of AA and briefly sponsored him. JM eventually decided that AA was not for him. 

That brief story tells so much about JM. 

JM died of some sort of respiratory failure, though we don't now the specifics. An autopsy is forthcoming. I'm not going to speculate until I learn back about that.

We've had a long weekend here. I've been using the time to clean up, catchup and chill. The weather here in the PNW is cool and rainy. Not conducive to hiking.

The husband and I have much travel scheduled over the next few months. Between now and July, I'll be away from home for five weeks-- working remote for some of it. Actual vacation for others. 

Work is busy. I have finished my part in our annual promotions and bonus process. It's always frustrating. There is never enough money to give everyone what they deserve. 

Perhaps my travel diarrhea is gone. Sometime this afternoon I noticed that I felt lighter and a little more energetic. The burn in my belly is gone. We shall see if I have any sudden compulsions to run to the bathroom.

I often claim that I need more down time. I'm trying to apply a little more discipline to what little downtime I have. It's easy to get sucked into social media, to play games or to watch some crap TV. I want to use my down time a little more intentionally. A little more journaling, reading and writing. A little more pondering, reflection and meditation.

I seem to have developed a bad habit of glancing at my phone when I experience five seconds of silence. 

So tonight I've turned on the music. A pad and pen are next to me. Let's see what happens. 

Damn it's hard to stay away from my phone.

We are back home. I am on the mend. A little tired, but I don't have the runs like the past few days. Our other sick travel companion is also recovering. 

There are a few good conversations the husband and I must have as a result of our trip.

First-- how do we do big group trips without all the organizing. It's easy to fall into a "the group does everything altogether" trap. Then one person has to drive the planning... "What time do we want lunch? Where?" That one person is usually my husband. He can be organized to a fault. And it exhausts him after a while.

Second-- I need to schedule more downtime for myself. As fun as PV, I was feeling overloaded towards the end. And that was before I got travel diarrhea. I don't want to go on nice trips, then return home overloaded and tired. I must master the art of saying no to group activities without sounding like I'm going to snub the group. 

Our friend who became sick, spent the night in the hospital. She is out now. On antibiotics and electrolytes.

I am also under the weather. I've slept all day. That helped. 

Everyone else is good. They went whale watching this morning and got some good pictures. 

It's Thursday already. The week is going well. I nice combination of activities and relaxing. 

One of our friends has Montezuma's revenge. The husband may take her to a doctor. She is up and around but must stay close to a toilet.

I wonder how she got her bug. We all have been eating the same things and she is the only one affected. It may just be one of those quirks of individual biology.

The wedding was wonderful. Evan and Allen held it on a terrace at the bottom of our villa. At the pronunciation of "I now pronounce you..." strangers all around us cheered... condos and a hotel are behind the terrace, offering many people a view. 

The husband did a great job officiating. The ceremony was very sentimental. 

We are in Puerto Vallarta for the week. Evan and Allen are getting married here The husband is officiating. 

Most of the guests are sober. They imbibe with coffee, good food & ice cream. 

One other guest drinks. We shall have fun together. 

We've decided that PV is "a sensible shoes city" The streets are cobblestone. The sidewalks have all sorts of trippers and odd steps. 

Having said that, I enjoy it here. The weather is pleasant. The people are friendly. The city is bustling. 

I recall a Dilbert cartoon... "Employees really are our most valuable asset. Our stock jumps every time we lay you off. It's like printing cash!"

We announced layoffs today. Our stock did jump. 

My teams were not affected. Everyone is more concerned for those that are gone. 

The husband is had a great week. He won two awards for work performance. The prizes are trips to Ireland and Switzerland. 

It was also his birthday on Sunday. Happy birthday sweetheart! Sunday, we had a few friends over to celebrate.

Pinched nerve news-- this morning was the first time I haven't felt pain since December. The tingle and numbness is still there. Overall, things are headed in the right direction.

80% of my therapy is proper posture. 20% are exercises to help muscles weakened after decades of slouching. Good posture is tiring, especially at the end of the day. I just want to chill and watch a little TV. No laying back or slouching for me. I sit like an alert student.

Work is going through a reorg, but in a good way. My org is growing. In addition to my existing teams I will pick up a team in Toronto as well as the team in Sydney Australia.

I am looking forward to visiting my Australia team.

In all honesty, one of my strengths is in dealing with geographically diverse teams. It helped that I travel to Toronto regularly for family. 

I'm more optimistic about my pinched nerve. The physiotherapist has also given me a few good exercises. I'm only prescribed to do them once a day. One of them feels so good  that I'm doing it four or five times.

The THC infused ointment helps. It's relief lasts five or six hours.

When I told the husband that I was taking the topical THC painkiller he made a joke about rubbing it all over his body.

With this I am back to a state where I can get mostly decent sleep.

Tommy writes.. 

usually the the block last 6 to 12 months sometimes longer depending on the person and the nerve. its an injection that some of my friends have had.

I hope it doesn't last that long. I have started with physiotherapy and go back to my regular doctor for more scans in about a month.

I have also bought a THC and CBD infused, topical pain relief ointment. It smells like menthol. I haven't told the husband that it's THC infused, but I don't think he would be concerned given that it's only topical. 

I am flashing back to all the times I've smelt menthol and eucalyptus on old people. I don't want this yet here I am.

The should pain, the pinched nerve, stays with me non-stop. Sometimes if I contort my body a certain way, then it will let up. However, one can only contort their body for so long. So far I've been to my regular doctor, a massage therapist and a chiropractor. No relief. Acetaminophen works ok.  A take a dose before I go to bed.

At work we are having a reorg. Oddly this is an easy time for me. We are not laying people off, though that comes to everyone's mind. It's my job to answer questions and to assure them of their future. 

Palm Springs was a pleasant weekend get-away. The weather was sunny and 65ish while we were there. The husband and I had a chat about moving to Palm Springs. We know many people who spend part of the year there.  It's a popular place for gay retirement. I can see why. The weather is pleasant in the winter and the homes are more affordable than Seattle.

It's also insanely hot in the summer. One couple said they spend over $1000.00 per month on AC during the hot times of the year. Neither the husband enjoy extreme heat.  

We are down in Palm Springs for a few days. It's Allen's birthday. He wanted to celebrate there and he invited us along.

I have a pinched nerve somewhere in my back or shoulder. I've had it for a two or three weeks. I'm not in great pain. just a constant ache with intermittent finger and arm tigles. I've gone to the doctor about it. In the short run there is not much that can be done--improve my posture, stretch regularly, exercise. While I have a pinched nerve, I don't have a loss of strength or coordination, so this may be something my body just has to work out. If the pain continues for a few more months, then we can start scans. 

And back to work today. 

Aside from my Uncle's death, the holidays were festive. We had friends and family over for dinner on Christmas and New Years eve. We attended the brother-in-law's birthday party. We ate too much, especially cookies and cake. 

I'm not going to weigh my self till ext week. Let's see what the damage is after a week of normal eating.

My Uncle has passed way. This is a blessing. He was in rapid decline from his cancer. 

He was 87.

Prechristmas (Advent?) is quiet. The weather, a mixture of snow and freeing rain, has been keeping many people at home. 

To keep the hummingbird feeder from freezing, I've been brining in at night. The birds are grateful when I return it in the morning. 

Wednesday and Thursday I did go to work. My VP had some use-it-or-lose-it money that he needed to spend before the end of year, so we had an impromptu holiday get-together at work.

 And, of course, somebody at our party had COVID. The husband and I are feeling fine. 

Saturday, we hosted a holiday open house for our AA friends. Maybe 30 people showed up. It was good. 

We have way too many leftovers now. Ham, crackers and cookies in particular. I've been impulsively snacking on the cookies.

Christmas, we are hosting a smaller party for family. Whatever is left will be served then.

We've been busy. Nothing much here to pontificate on. I'm just writing it all down so that I remember.

Two weekends ago we saw "Pink Martini."

Last weekend we saw "Jingle all the gay" on Friday. This is an annual holiday drag show. The two friends we saw it with said it's basically the same script every year, freshened up a bit to poke fun at whatever politics are current. 

Saturday was the Seattle Symphony Christmas Pops. Sunday--dinner with Evan and Allen.

The husband has flown to CA for a few days for work.

We've had a gentle snow off and on over the past three days. We've finished with the Christmas decorations. Merry Christmas everyone. Happy Holidays.

The husband has a grade school friend in from out of town. She had a day long layover in Seattle, so they decided to get together. It's a pleasant day with her. She is decidedly more introverted than most of the husband's other friends, but she is enjoying the conversation. 

There is one thing I can do... when I am over 75, and should I start showing dementia, then I could move into a retirement home with memory care. The husband would have to catch up. I don't want to burden him with caring for me. 

While that's not a particularly deep thought, it does give me a little comfort. 

Bathwater writes....
> Both my parents died within a year of becoming ill. I hope that is the way I go.

I hope that for myself as well. It's not something I have control over. I have seen people who have died quickly after their decline started. I've also seen the process take years. This is all complicated if the person isn't in constant pain. 

I'm not sure how death-with-dignity, assisted suicide, would work. My mother has had Alzheimers for years. I have an aunt who is basically a vegetable and has been so for months. They are not suffering. They don't, (can't!) realize they are burden to others.

For me to decide on a death-with-dignity, I'd have to be 75+ years old and still mentally fit, but seeing the first signs of dementia. I'm not sure I could make that choice.

After a whirlwind trip through Toronto, we are back in Seattle.

In Toronto, we hung out with my friends, saw "Mean Girls," toured museums and ate too much.

Of course my friends have their own life challenges. We all have aging parents, some of whom also have dementia. One couple has an autistic child who can be a handful. 

These eastern Ontario farmers can be fiercely independent and frugal. Often to a fault. I've seen them bring their own cookies to a coffee shop.

To be this frugal, they learn to be a jack of all trades. Sometimes they must be a vet. Sometimes a mechanic or welder. Sometimes a builder, a carpenter or plumber. As a kid I remember being in awe of the breadth of their knowledge. 

At my parents home there is a sink in the laundry room. The drain has developed a small leak. This is not an emergency, but it must be dealt with. This morning, Dad and I took a look at it.

Dad pulled back the sink so we see the drain better. What I saw made me ill. Generations of farmers have been too frugal, have been hacking at that drain connection. It was a Frankenstein of different pipes, fittings and flanges. 

We discussed how to fix the leak. I suggested we remove and replace a few more of the pipes so that we could start with something new and predictable. There are so many joints under that sink that if we don't get it just right, then another leak would open up nearby. Dad pointed out that if we started down that path, then there would be no end in site. He called it Mickey-Mouse plumbing. The house is full of it. He found it best to leave it alone as much as possible.

And so we are building yet another pipe-flange-fitting combo. We will add it on to the rest of the beast that is this house's plumbing. 

As it turns out, dad has a closet dedicated to plumbing odds and ends-- little bits of pipes each of a slightly different diameter, different kinds of seals and sealants and the tools needed to adapt all this to fix the leak-du-jour. 

Fiercely independent and frugal. Often to a fault.

The uncles and aunts are getting old. My parents are on the younger side-- 78. My oldest uncle is 91.

Another uncle has cancer. It has spread through his system. This uncle is 87. Independent of his diagnosis, he had just been accepted to a retirement home. He must still shut down and sell his current home.

My mother-- what about my mother. She has memory issues. She has Alzheimer's. She had cancer. Perhaps she is over the the cancer. The last scan was good.

And she has energy and is so very cheerful. She can't be left alone. She likes to talk, reciting the same stories over and over-- repeatedly asking the same question.  And she is so very cheerful. 

When I am at their home, I will spend time with mom while dad does errands around their property. If mom is not around dad for long, then she will wonder where he is, and eventually will decide to go out and look for him. I can gently talk to her, reminder her that dad will be back in a few minutes. She doesn't need to go out to find him.

And dad-- he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the local map.  Who owns what property. Who owned it it before. How well each property is taken care of.

The GPS and map on my phone work well here. Still when I'm going someplace, dad insists on giving me the directions with color commentary.

I am visiting my parents, deep in the farm country of eastern Ontario. It's the 70th anniversary of our church. A few extra people are in town to celebrate. 

After church, at coffee, we were sharing stories of old members. WJ reminded us of NV.

NV was a simple farmer. "He talked like a lawyer but dressed like Tom Sawyer" I had to google that line. It sounds too pithy to be original, but it perhaps it is. 

NV lived in a house without power. Or water. He would take his baths outside. Mostly so he didn't have to clean inside. 

Even in the bath, he would keep a gun by his side. You never know when you will need a gun. 

For an alarm, NV had two loud and angry geese named Pontious and Pilot. 

NV didn't like the neighbor's dog. When Pontious or Pilot warned him of the dog's approach, he would scare the dog off by shooting at it. 

One day a bullet hit the dog's snout!  The dog was otherwise fine. 

The next winter, when the dog was running through NV's yard, NV could see the dog's breath. But he could also see some of the breath going up! Through the bullet hole!

The table had a good laugh when we heard that story. Now, when I write it down, I feel something more. Perhaps concern. Perhaps disconnection. 

The elder people here live very simple,  independent, self-reliant lives. They love that. It's very different than how I live. Sometimes it's difficult for me to relate. Around here, they believe they need guns. 

Now if I took pot shots at the neighbor's dog...

I was at the dentists office yesterday for a regular checkup. While I was in the chair, I noticed that they were playing 80s Heavy Metal office wide as the background music. One example-- AC DC's Highway To Hell. It wasn't a Muzak instrumental version. It was the original version.

How did that happen? When did we decide that old Heavy Metal is now safe office music. Or maybe it's always been that way. In 25 years today's risqué music will be heard, unedited, in elevators everywhere.

The husband is taking a hard look at his career. His company has just gone through a large reorg with many job cuts. He is very uncertain about his new job and his new manager. He is pretty sure that he could  earn another $30K or $40K at a different company. 

He has traveled to Dallas this week for internal meetings. He is having good talks with his new manager.

C2 and I had dinner last night. Over dinner he mentioned that he had to "be on" when we have dinner together-- be a nicer person-- be a little more talkative. Sometimes he just wants to hang out with someone and not talk about things, or be nice.

Late on, I told the husband this. He laughed a little.

From that point of view, the husband is the opposite of C2. The husband is uncomfortable when he's around people and they aren't talking to each other. 

Good for you! I have to admit I still have Instagram and TikTok, but I try to minimize the amount of time I spend on them.

I could never get into TikTok. It makes me feel like I'm watching someone else channel surf.

I've tried minimizing the amount of time I spend on social media. That doesn't work for me. I keep finding reasons to stay on a little longer.

I have uninstalled Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Reddit. 

I have started using Mastodon. I'm not sure I'm going to stick with it. It's a bit chaotic. 

Getting off of social media is as much about me trying to reclaim some time in my day than it is a political statement about Musk or Zuckerberg. Thought that did help. Their recent flare ups have caused me to ask "Where am I spending my time? How can I better do so?"

I am blogging a bit more. Though those have been very matter-of-fact. I am also reading more. 

Pulling up Facebook or Twitter is a very strong habit. Even a week after removing their apps, I regularly take out my phone and go to the spot where their icons once sat. Now I stare at the blank space and contemplate what to do next.

We've put up our indoor Christmas decorations-- our Christmas tree, wreaths and a nativity scene. We are traveling a bit in the next few weeks, so this weekend was as good as any. 

Saturday we attended a sober, Drag Queen Bingo fundraiser. It was good. I won a gift card.

We also saw the Planter's NUTMOBILE.  Somehow they got word of the fundraiser and so they showed up. We talked to the drivers for a while. It's an interesting job. They are friends with the folks who run Oscar Mayer's Weinermobile.

Sunday evening was cut short. The husband was originally going to travel for work on Monday. His flight was canceled. He ended up leaving late Sunday.

The cousins are off. They have flown back to England. Our home is back to its usual self. 

The weather is thoroughly fall now. Rain. Cool. In small talk, people are commenting how rapidly it changed. One day we had summer weather. The next day it was fall. 

We are discussing putting up Christmas this weekend. We are traveling to Ontario for the last two weeks of November. So next weekend will be the last weekend we can do it, unless we want to put it up late.

Christmas decorations please the husband.

 

40 kids for Halloween trick or treats.

I was doing very well not eating any of our candy. Then a neighbor showed up and gave me a thank-you bag of cookies and chocolates for helping on the weekend. I scarfed that down. They were *my* sweets. 

Mom is out of the hospital now

>That must be scary for her.

Actually. No. She also has short term memory problems. She doesn't remember that she was in the hospital. The short term memory issues are a blessing and a curse. Dad must always be near her in case something goes wrong. After the wrong is dealt with, mom doesn't remember what happened and goes back to being her cheerful self.

Saturday our neighborhood association held a Halloween event for the local kids. We didn't keep an official count. Judging from the photos about about 40 people attended plus 8 organizers.

I helped build our "Haunted Trail" and did the crosswalk duty-- the event was at a park that crosses a street. The husband took registrations and watched over the Haunted Trail.

Sunday we held a brunch for the mother-in-law. Monday is her 85th birthday. It was a costume brunch. Everyone showed up dressed in their Halloween best.

I invited C2. He backed out when he discovered that we were wearing costumes.

Quote from him from our chat... "Is this a big event where your husband bought special napkins and a little dog will be running all over the place and group pics will be taken and I have to pretend that I like people?"

Of course good news can't go unchallenged. Mom is in the hospital. She will be OK.

For sometime now, years, Mom has been prone to seizures and groggy episodes. When she has a groggy episode, she becomes quiet. She can't safely stand. It's like she's half asleep. When an episode comes on, dad will put her to bed or lay her on the sofa. Five or ten minutes later she will snap out of it, return to normal and not remember anything wrong.

This morning she had an extended groggy episode. My parents had breakfast. Everything was fine. Then she started to fade out. Dad put her to bed. That was two hour ago. She wasn't snapping out of it so dad brought her to the hospital.

Good news from my mother. The results from her latest scan look good. There is no sign of cancer in her right now.

Our fall schedule is full. The husband and I are visiting my parents for two weeks in November. Add some work travel and a few holiday parties to that, and all of a sudden it's Christmas before we have a free weekend. 

The husband and I have been discussing our perennially full schedule. We'd like to have a few smaller fun events where it's just he and I. Maybe we'll take a cooking class, or glass blowing. Maybe Spanish lessons together. 

I had a two day work trip to San Francisco. This time the days were packed. With the prior trip, I had one very busy day, followed by an empty day. Perhaps the company is becoming a little more open to working in person.

While I was away, Seattle had terrible air quality. For two days in a row, Seattle had the worst air quality of any place on earth. Even Pakistan had better air quality.

The husband's cousins are back at our place. For the past few weeks they have been touring the west coast. They had a good time. They were camping often. The camp grounds are shutting down, so they returned early.

Banking story... the cousins are from England. They discovered they can't pay their credit card bill while they are traveling because their bank needs to send them a text to check they haven't been hacked. Of course, they can't receive the text because they are in the U.S.

Their bank has a branch nearby. The tellers at the bank couldn't fix the problem.

However, they discovered that if they are on the bank's wifi, then they can use their banking app without the extra check. All good, sort of. The cousins now go to the bank once a week. Hang out in the lobby to do their banking. Explain to security what they are doing, and then get on with their lives.

Wednesday, my CEO was in town. We had a large all-hands meeting at the office. Afterwards about twenty randomly chosen people, including me, went out for dinner with him. It was an interesting experience. 

My first takeaway is that I would hate to be a CEO. It would be exhausting. Half the crowd was angling to talk to him-- share their ideas, ask him difficult questions, complain. The other half went out of the way to keep their distance. Thought out it all, the CEO kept a smile on his face and had pleasant conversation with everyone. He drew the quiet out. He listened to the same trivial complaint half a dozen times and took it calmly and seriously.

Thursday, the Husband and I had a date night. Dinner at "The Fog Room." It has nice views of the Puget Sound. The weather is warm and we sat outside. Air quality is still low. Smoke is pervasive. Everywhere smells like a campfire. None-the-less, we enjoyed our dinner on the patio.

Towards the end of dinner, the Husband suggested we meet up with his brother for dessert. The brother-in-law lives nearby. So we switched restaurants and spent an hour chatting with him. It was good to catch up. He seems to be doing well. 

Saturday we attended Salmon Day's with Allen & Even. Salmon Day's are is the local, annual street fair. We celebrate the return of the salmon to the city. We eat street fair food-- corn dogs, deep fried spiral cut potatoes, mini-donuts. We check out the artists.

This was the first Salmon Day's since the pandemic.

The fried food stands had huge lines. The husband and I joked that if we ever wanted to quit our jobs and become street fair vendors, then mini-donuts and elephant ears are the way to go.

Sunday we walked up the stairs of the Space Needle. This was a charity fundraiser. The Space Needle has 832 steps. 

We did it in 17 minutes and 58 seconds.

The fastest stair climbers did it in five minutes. In an interview the fastest man said he does stair climbing all the time. Friday he did the Columbia Center for practice. Today he is flying off to Tampa for another climb.

Late September to early October is my favorite time of the year in Seattle. The weather cools a little but the rains have not returned. I can take my laptop and work in the back yard.

The mother-in-law's radiation treatment has gone well. It will be a while before her next scan and if her cancer was killed.

Mother-in-law has started her radiation treatment this week. The whole process is short but intense. Every day, for four days, she will receive targeted radiation. That's it. '

Monday's shot went well, though she said she was tired afterward.

Things are quiet this week. The husband is away for leadership training (at Westpoint!) our roommate is dog sitting. No-one at home but me and my dog.

I try to play fetch with the dog. It's good exercise for her. She has her own rules to fetch. She has trained us as much as we have trained her.

1. The dog decides where the ball is thrown and returned. If I throw the ball from an unacceptable spot, she will return the ball to the correct spot. It's then my obligation to walk to that spot and start throwing from there.

2. The dog decides the direction and the distance for the ball to be thrown. As I start to throw the ball, she'll start running. If I don't throw the ball a bit ahead of her, she'll give up on chasing the ball, then turn around and glare.

3. The dog decides how often the ball is to be thrown. At some point, she'll stop returning the ball. She'll just lay down and chew on the ball. She will show no interest if I walk over and take the ball away from her.

I understand what happened with the cousin's plan. In England, they purchased a U.S. package for their cell phone. Once in America, they discovered that their phone won't actually work on a U.S. network. The cell company can't fix this.

To get full access to their bank account, they need to receive a code from the bank by text message... and that phone can't work here.

The cousins traveled to the US with a very limited credit card and a very flakey cell phone. They do have tablets that can connect to wifi. 

Their bank has a branch near us. They are traveling to it this afternoon to see what they can do about accessing more of their money.

Yesterday they took the mother-in-law on a nice roadtrip to Leavenworth, WA. A little tourist destination that's about two hours away from us.

-

The mother-in-law has started her radiation treatment. She should be done with it within a month. 

The cousins are still here. The husband and I have been discussing their rather open ended travel plans. They will probably stay till Monday. They think they will come back at the end of October for a week, or maybe two.

Now, the cousins are clean and quiet people. It's easy to have interesting conversation with them. They are still strangers in our house. They bring small impositions. Who buys the food? Do we cook for them each night?  Who gets to choose what we watch on TV? When we have company over, do we invite the cousins as well? Do we shoo them away? Small impositions, none the less, they are impositions. 

Of course, we want to spend time at their place when we travel to England. And of course, they are good people, so we still want to have a strong relationship with them. 

The husband is going to talk to them about their travel plans. Maybe if they bought food and cooked it would be better. We shall see.

It's been a busy labour day weekend for us. 

The husband's cousins are here. They are a wonderful retired couple who do a lot of traveling. This is their first trip to the U.S. since before the pandemic. 

They arrived a few days ago and are staying for the next week. After that they will head off on a roadtrip and visit their friends and see the sights up and down the coast.

Friday I helped move C2 to his new apartment. He moved down one floor and to the other side of the building. The new apartment should be a bit more quiet. The move was straightforward. He moved all the small stuff the previous day. All we had to do was to move a sofa, mattress and table.

Saturday, we drove the cousins to visit the mother-in-law. The cousins and the brother-in-law went to a Husky's football game.

Sunday we had a BBQ for the husband's family.

Monday, the brother-in-law hosted a small party for a friends at his rowing club.

We had a great time in Whistler BC. We spent the time with our friends G&J, and their kids. We hiked. We did the touristy things-- zip lining, bob sledding, ATVing, after dark light shows. 

And we ate too much ice cream

We are off to Vancouver and Whistler for a few days. 

Part of this is to recelebrate our 5th year anniversary. Officially our 5th anniversary was back in July, however we were quarantining from each other at that time so it didn't happen.

We also bought new wedding rings for each other. A bit about that-- we always buy cheap wedding rings and then change them up every couple of years. 

The first rings were tungsten rings that got for about $15 each on Amazon. After a couple of years, I accidentally dropped mine and it shattered. 

So we bought a couple of stainless steel wedding bands for maybe $10 each.

A few weeks ago the husband suggested that we upgrade our wedding bands. Titanium bands are nice. We just spent $14 each for our titanium bands, and maybe ten times that for a celebratory dinner.

> I had to look that up. Thought that I hadn't heard of something. Then I realized there was a typo. Hopefully, all your symptoms disappear, and you are not straddled with long covid.

Sigh. Typos. Spelling has never been by strong suit.

I don't think this is long COVID. I have my taste. I have my regular energy. No brain fog. I'm just congested. And thinking positive.

Today we home tested. The husband tested negative. I have a very faint band indicating I am still positive.

...and I just learned that the mother-in-law has fast growing cancer. We will get more details in the next few days.

Quiet weekend for us recovering from COVIDs lingering effects. We were originally going to go to a Mens Addiction Recovery Retreat, however we are still both congested. My energy has returned and my throat is no longer sore. The husband is still low energy and having coughing fits.

> It is hard to take covid seriously when it has never affected me. I cannot believe I have not been exposed to it by now.

Covid seems to be a very random disease, which makes it hard for the lucky or fortunate to take it seriously.

With the flu-- you know what you are in for. You may have a lite flu, or a tough flu, but the symptoms are never too different. So everyone understands the flu. You don't gamble with the flu. 

Covid is all over the map. Some are nigh immune to it. Some have a scratchy throat for forty eight hours. Others are flat on their backs for a week. *And* it changes. The first time you have covid, you may have it easy. The second time hard. It's much more of a gamblers disease and that means the gamblers amongst us will treat it way different than the risk adverse. 

Right now the husband is very sick with his COVID. He needs morning and afternoon naps. He has coughing fits.

My recovery is a few days ahead of his. I am a bit tired and I still have a scratchy throat. I'm not having coughing fits and don't need naps.

>That sucks getting Covid on the cruise. I hope it passes quickly for you.

On the plus side, this was my first cruise where I have lost weight.
I'm attending work today, but what is work for me but sitting in a comfy chair all day, and chatting with people on a zoom screen.

By and large, we enjoyed our time in Alaska. 

I hesitate to say how my covid is. The symptoms seem to change every hour. This hour I don't have a fever. I'm a little tired and sometimes have coughing fits.

The husband also has covid and is the thick of it. He has a fever, coughing and is achy.

As if on queue, I develop a headache.

And I have COVID. No one to blame for that but myself.

I seem to be going through it quickly. Yesterday I had chills, was tired and slept a lot. Today my energy has returned though I am a little congested. I am spending most of my time in the cabin. 

We are on an Alaskan cruise with a few of the husbands old friends. I'm enjoying myself. So far the weather has been great. 

I'm trying to use the opportunity to reset my internet habits. The internet is slow here. Txt works. Email works. Pictures and videos, not so much. I'm using the time to read, to write and to just stair at the ocean and contemplate the passing of time. 

We are having our house painted. The instructions to the painter were to paint it with exactly the same colours as it was. Of course the paint isn't turning out that way. It's a little darker. A little less saturated. Or maybe not. When its not in bright sun it looks a bit warmer. The painter can point to the pain cans and show us its the same spec as what we gave him.

This is stressing the husband out a bit. I want to support the husband, but I'm not that emotionally in tune with subtle shades of colour. As long as its not garish, then I'll be fine. 

I don't want to put all of this on the husband though. He does have better taste than me. 

Tuesday, I had dinner with C3. Tacos at a local gay bar. I try to have dinner with him regularly. He lives in a trendy area of Seattle. It's fun for me to get out of the suburbs-- to see the hip & cool kids. 

C3 is waging war on the pigeons that visit his balcony. He has a bird feeder there and enjoys watching the small birds eat at it. On the other hand the pigeons chase off the small birds and make a mess.

His solution has been to build a Rube Goldberg of a cage around the bird feeder. The cage is made of odds and ends found around the house-- plastic tubs, bits of metal, duct tape. The holes in the cage are big enough to let the small birds through, but small enough to keep the pigeons out. 

The pigeons constantly pry at the cage to pull it part and gain access to the food. He responds by rebuilding the cage with more duct tape and stronger odds-and-ends.

I asked him why he doesn't buy a pigeon proof bird feeder. They are not that expensive. He responded that he's moving soon and he doesn't want to buy anything more to move.

C3's lease expires soon and he's looking for a new aparment. His apartment overlooks a loud and busy park-- there are always people there playing basketball, skate boarding, baseball, sometimes cricket. He wants an apartment that is more quiet.

-

At work, my manager has been promoted. My manager asked me if I wanted to apply for his job. He is looking for a replacement. In the past I've said I'm not interested in that job. It's more administration, more stress and less direct engagement with our business problems.

I talked this over with C3. His blunt response was "Why wouldn't you apply?"

This morning I threw my hat into that ring. We'll see. I'm trying to not be emotionally attached to this. There are good reasons to hire a fresh outside candidate. There are also good reasons to hire me.

Yesterday, for the first time in weeks, the husband and I had sex. It was good. The husband cried a little afterwards. I think he was relieved-- that our relationship is headed in the right direction.

My mother has had her latest call with the oncologist. Positive news. Her last scan shows some swelling in the area around the tumor, but that's not uncommon. She'll have another scan in three months.

The husband is keeping busy during his travels-- hanging out with friends. Buying cheap tickets to musicals. I'm happy for him.

For the past few days, I have been in San Francisco for work. It's largely a moral and team building event with dinners, parties and and a harbor cruise. 

Hundreds of people flew in for Tuesday and Wednesday. The offices were busy. Most people have returned home. I'm staying for an extra day. Of course the office is quiet again. I have the 24th floor of our building all to myself. 

This floor as an expensive espresso machine. Allegedly $15,000.00. I want to make some coffee with it, but the buttons are all obscure icons. I'll youtube some training videos later.

Over the weekend, our HOA hosted it's first neighborhood get-together since before the pandemic. It was nice to meet many of our neighbors for the first time.

Today is my second last day in Ontario. My brother and his wife left yesterday. Baring any disaster at the airports, I should be home Saturday night.

The husband picked up an STD during his relapse. It's all treatable. He and I must have much deep conversation about our relationship. He is humiliated about the relapse and is punishing himself. He is also being very open and honest with me. 

I have no urge to have a revenge trick. Between the husband's bad experience, and C2's stories about his hookups, I have no desire to go down that path.

So, what does it look like to repair my relationship with the husband? 

I now have access to mom's medical file and can see the details. She has Alzheimers and lung cancer. The cancer is slow and hasn't spread. It will be a few weeks before we meet with the oncologist to discuss next steps. That last part is frustrating. Her previous oncologist has left that hospital.

The husband is taking his relapse seriously. He is working closely with his sponsor and keeping himself busy-- meetings every day-- proper self care.  I have to let him do his thing. There is nothing I can do to help him stay sober.

My family and I are reflecting on mom and discreetly discussing how to manage her care. She looks healthy despite the radiation treatment. I hope she beats the cancer. We can only manage her Alzheimer's. What does the rest of her life look like?

I am also catching up with hold high school acquaintances. Some of them are talking about stepping back from work. Not retiring, but working less aggressively. 

One, a real-estate agent, said she her work is dawn-to-dusk, seven-days-a-week. The is affecting her relationships and her health. She is stepping back from real-estate to find something new.

Another couple, who has always run multiple small businesses, saw some of their business go-away at the start of the pandemic. Their other businesses grew and could largely be run remotely. 

This fall they will try RVing for few months to see if they enjoy it. The husband is looking forward to it, but uncertain. He's not good at sitting still or driving for hours-- at the start of the pandemic he stress-built a new wing on their house because he needed something to do.

Saturday, I tracked down another high school acquaintance. We are both children of farmers and sat at the same table during home-room.

Recently BH has had some medical issues. A blood vessel kept leaking in his brain. The surgery to address that appears to have been successful. He is now recovering at home.

While BH is recovering a cousin of mine is helping around BH's farm. My cousin suggested I talk to BH-- BH has nothing to do during the day and would appreciate the company.

It was good to catch up with him. We are *very* different people. Very different life experiences. BH mentioned that I seem to be good at talking to people, something he's always struggled with. BH runs a very successful farm-- a life I intentionally moved far far away from decades ago.