I've been up to a mish mash of things.

Babysitting-- I babysat Baby O for a few hours. I'm a 55yo man, and this is the first time I've babysat an infant in my life. Huff showed me the basics and promised me that as long as I didn't injure Baby O, then nothing would go wrong. She warned me that baby's are fussy and change what they want every ten minutes. You just have to roll with it. 

It went well. Baby O was fussy at times. Other times she slept. Other times she smiled, or cried, or giggled. 

Lasagna-- An acquainted once shared with me that she had hosted a lasagna party. She provided all the ingredients. Her friends all made lasagna's together to take home. For unknown reasons I thought it would be fun to try. We invited some of my husband's AA friends, including those on SNAP benefits. More people accepted than originally planned.

I made the noodles and sauces from scratch. That ended up being a full day's work that finished just before the guests arrived.

The Lasagnas turned out very well.

And Work-- I am bored at work. My challenge is to keep all the parts moving-- to keep all the balls in the air. Every now and then I have to arbitrate a priority issue, or navigate personality conflicts. This is all more stress than challenge. 

Last week was uneventful. My husband traveled to Alaska for aa few days of work. I held down the fort, so to speak.

Seattle has turned to its traditional fall weather. Gloomy, a bit of rain and dark by 5pm. I had C2 over for dinner on Saturday and vented about how the early dark made him feel like it was midnight, even though it was only 7pm.

Sunday morning we had coffee with the neighbors. I enjoy this. They are also corporate professionals in a similar life situation-- planning to retire in the next few years, with aging family that needs care. 

Sunday afternoon we put up the Christmas tree. It's our way of fighting back against the gloom. My husband loves this activity. I have to restrain my commentary when he decorates. For days before we put up the tree, little boxes of Christmas decor will arrive daily from Amazon. My first reaction is that we don't need more Christ junk decor. Then I remind myself that we aren't in debt and we are saving well. So why not spend a little on this. 

Sunday evening we had a nice dinner at a local restaurant. This restaurant has poor cell phone reception, so it forces us to put our devices down and actually talk to each other.

My mother-in-law is a Halloween baby, so we treated her to dinner at a fondue restaurant for her birthday. It was fun, though I'm not sure I'd rush to do it again.

Saturday marked the 70th birthday of a family friend, and we attended her party in the afternoon.

In the early evening, we had dinner with Allen and Evan. We hadn't seen them in a few weeks, and it was good to catch up.

Work-wise, I'm feeling a bit frustrated. Our organization isn't part of the company's strategic growth plan, so I find myself fighting tooth and nail just to keep our current team intact. My job can be tough even under the best circumstances, so I'm definitely not eager to stretch our headcount and budget even further.

Saturday night, my brother-in-law invited us over for dinner. He has just moved into a new place and wanted us to be his first guests. It’s a beautiful building—he’s on the 41st floor with incredible views.

He wanted to quickly walk his dog before we arrived. He entered the elevator with another resident also walking her dog.

The elevator started moving, suddenly stopped and then dropped six inches. Both of them grabbed the railings. Thankfully, aside from the brief jolt, they were unharmed. Unfortunately, the elevator was stuck.

They picked up the emergency phone, which connected them to a call center in India. The audio quality was terrible. After a frustrating conversation, they hung up and sat down to wait.

Neither of their cell phones had reception inside the elevator.

How long can you sit in an elevator with a dog who needs to pee before things go south?

Forty-five minutes later, they were freed. Instead of risking another elevator ride, they decided to take the stairs. What they didn’t realize was that the staircases in this building have one-way locking doors. Once inside the stairwell, the only way out is down—forty stories.

But, they had cell reception again. She called her husband, who came to meet them on their floor. Her dog, thrilled to see her husband, ran up and bumped into both him and the door—slamming it shut.

Now the three of them, plus two dogs, were trapped in the stairwell.

At this point, my brother-in-law’s dog couldn’t hold it any longer and peed in the stairwell.

They called several numbers before finally reaching someone who could come to the floor and carefully let them out.

Dinner was overcooked. We had a great time together.

And we are back in Seattle. 

Big AWS/Internet outage last night. I've been up since 2am quarterbacking our efforts. Our customers are not blaming us which is nice. 

Our friend and his husband have rejoined us in Pigeon Forge.

Our cabin is remote and up a mountain. Having said that, it's only 15 minute drive to Pigeon Forge. We get the best of both worlds, city entertainment with evenings the evenings in splendid nature. 

The trees are just starting to change to their fall colors. Maybe we arrived here a week to early... first world problems.

 

We are now in Pigeon Forge. It is gorgeous here. We are touring around on Sunday.

Nashville is a wonderful city. We’ve seen many, many, bridesmaids parties. One has to wonder the where abouts of the bachelor parties.

Hmmm. The editor seems to be inserting many AI selected links. I’m scrubbing them. Apologies if I can’t get rid of them completely.

The food in Nashville is fantastic. Not healthy, but delicious in that southern style. 

A little bit of travel drama. One of our party originally intended to travel with us for the full week even though his husband wouldn’t be able to join till Wednesday. He flew in Friday, but flew back Saturday morning, stating he was feeling great anxiety— his meds had recently been adjusted, perhaps that was it. He intends to join us again on Wednesday when his husband will also be here. I hope all goes well. 

Once a year, for the past few years, we've got together with some of my Husband's oldest friends. Last year it was at our home in Seattle. The year before that was Dallas. This year it's Tennessee. 

So we are in Nashville for a few days, then heading over to Pigeon Forge Tennessee..

A few of us can work remote and will do a little of that while we are hear, The rest of the time we intend to enjoy the mountains, Dollywood, the food and a little exploring.

Fall has set in. Temperatures are cooler, though nothing uncomfortable. I have switched from shorts and short-sleeved shirts, to jeans and long sleeved. We are debating when to turn on the heat in the house. Afternoon and evening temperatures are pleasant. It can be too cool in the morning. 

Allan has been falling off the wagon-- quietly, when no one is around. Most days, he is sober. His husband, Evan,  travels for work a few times a month. When Evan does so, Allan spends much of his time inebriated. Not much I can do here, other than take care of myself and encourage Evan and my Husband to do the same. 

The weather was wonderful over the weekend. Had dinner with the neighbors on Friday, old colleagues of my husband on Saturday and friends on Sunday. I'm ready for a bit of downtime. 

My husband is in Southern California for a few days on an amusement park adventure. I'm not a fan of wild roller coasters so he went with his god-daughter who lives in that area.

His phone is set such that it will automatically send out an Emergency call if it thinks it's been in an accident. It went off twice yesterday. He claimed to love those rides. 

I am very satisfied with my decision to not join.

Update-- he lost his eyeglasses on another ride. 

I was in Vegas for a few days for a conference. It was a blur of activity-- exhausting and invigorating. Our customers are enthusiastic; they love what we offer and see its future. They’re also vocal about its limitations, but the clear value keeps them committed. How do I get the rest of the organization to feel that specific, powerful energy?

Switching gears on Saturday, I helped C2 with his gardening project. He’s taking on part of a park across the street from his house. We spent a few hours pulling pails of garbage, clearing walks, and spreading mulch. He’s dealing with the neglect, one ambitious afternoon at a time.

We attended a wedding on Saturday. A lovely, well-attended affair. I spent a good while catching up with the groom's grandparents, whom we've known for years.

The conversation took a turn when the grandfather revealed he has colon cancer. He had a softball-sized tumor and a length of his colon removed. He is not going to follow up with the recommended chemotherapy. His health has been a battle for the past decade, he said, and he just doesn't have it in him anymore.

Over the course of the festivities, we had follow-up conversations with his wife and daughter. They both want him to fight, to spend more time with him. They see his choice as a kind of surrender or selfishness.

It's a complicated decision. He's been in pain for years, but he’s also always been so mentally present—a loving and engaged grandfather. I’d like to think I’d fight for more life, but I don't know who I'd become should pain take over.

Sunday morning, my husband flew out for work, so I went for a long bike ride. Afterward, I dropped by C2's place to help him with some gardening.

C2 has befriended the city employee who manages the park across the street and has volunteered to tend the gardens nearest his house. The city has been helpful, giving C2 plants and mulch. It’s a nice arrangement with a bit of controversy. The park has a rat problem. Some locals see the rats as a sort of symbol for the downtrodden, Others-- including C2-- see them as a public health issue.  C2's goal is to make his small corner of the park cleaner and less rodent-friendly.

PS.. C2 is now sending me such exciting texts as "Want to come over and help spread mulch? All the cool kids are doing it." and "I'll buy dinner if you help me spread mulch."

There is a large forest fire west of Seattle. Fortunately the wind is not blowing the smoke towards us. In this sunset picture, the large dark cloud is all smoke. 

 

And we are back in Seattle. I enjoyed myself at Disney though I indulged too much. 

I can enjoy the history, art and cheekiness of some of the rides as much as any thriller. Take Mr Toad's wild ride... the plot of this ride is that you go out for a wild night of drinking and driving. Then you die and go to hell. I kid you not. You can look it up. 

Having said that the "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" ride is a major spectacle.

We are at Disneyland for the weekend— nominally to celebrate gay days. My husband has a deep affection for Disneyland. He grew up near here and visited often when be was a kid. Disney brings back great memories for him. 

Sunday was the neighborhood potluck that I organized. It was good to get together with the neighbors and put names to faces.

Our neighborhood is generally very quiet with little gossip. One neighbor passed away a couple of months ago, and his house sits unmaintained. We're all curious about what will happen with the property.  

 Tommy wrote...

"All over the World". Mighty important person in the Company!!

Perhaps I am a capitalist taking advantage of more affordable countries. Either way, I’m grateful for it. I like my people. Plus the work is challenging and rewarding. 

Friday evening I caught up with the Australian contingent before they departed Seattle. We had dinner with my old boss who semi-retired a few months back. For the first time we could have a real conversation without the professional guard up.

He opened up about his drug use. It turns out he'd take a small THC gummy before major meetings to calm his nerves and help him be more loquacious. Everything clicked. The days when he was serious and quiet, versus the days he was charming and talkative—I get it now.

It makes you think about all the small, secret things people do to simply get through the day. I can't say I'm not curious.

Another hectic work week is over. I hosted an onsite for my org where my teams flew in from all over the world. Overall we had a fantastic time together.

I find it difficult to be surrounded by people from dawn to dusk and to stay constantly engaged. My energy and enthusiasm doesn't work that way. 

Overheard at a BBQ. A child was talking to his mother...

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, it's always about Mommy. Mommy get's to go to the grocery store. Mommy get's to go to the post office. What about me? When do I get to go somewhere?"

The mother later said she had to work very hard to not break out laughing.