Whatever

Two Days In The Life

Monday was pretty much a washout as well, but at least I got out of the house for a coffee. I also swapped vehicle order, putting the GTI up front; it is its week to be driven. Also yesterday, I pulled the trigger on dedicated summer tires on new wheels for said GTI. They’ll be here tomorrow.

Today I got out. First was a trip to the ATM to take out some cash, then I went to Fred Meyer for a couple items I should have bought on my regular Friday trip. I know I could have gotten cash out at the grocery store, but I like to take it out in a big chunk, which exceeds what Freddy will let me take out. Plus I needed to take the GTI out for a spin. I needed the practice too; I actually stalled the car taking off from the first light I came to. On the way home I grabbed my usual latte, and even though I had ridden the exercycle for 45 minutes this morning, I walked a mile and a half while sipping on it.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 17.3%

 

How Was Your Weekend?

Thanks for asking.

Saturday was a washout, literally. I rained all day. I only stepped outside of the house onto the side porch once to verify that the loud noise I was hearing was in fact a downpour. The Miata had just its fabric cockpit cover on. But that was just fine, as the cars are covered by an awning/portico, and unlike the southern thunderstorms, the rain falls mainly straight down, not sideways.

Neither car moved today either. I did get out for my typical Sunday bike ride to breakfast at Stomping Grounds. And in spite of the promise of no rain, when I started out, it was cold, damp, and lightly misting. Instead of turning downhill to start the usual route, I turned right and went to get the muffin and latte first. I figured if it still felt like that when I was finished eating, I could just go home and get on the indoor bike. But afterwards it had started to warm up a touch, and the mist was gone, so I did my route backwards. The only downside to going in the opposite direction was it finished on an uphill instead of a downhill blast.

I am about 4 episodes from the end of season three of LOST, and it is starting to get weird, which is saying a lot for the show.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 22.0%

 

Allergies?

Sniff, sniff. The last week or so whenever I’m out walking, my nose will get all stuffy, and my eyes will get a little teary. I don’t remember this problem in the spring before, and this is my third one here in the Portland area.

After a couple seconds I realized this is actually my first spring here. In 2023 I was hardly getting out of the house much, what with taking care of Donna. Last year I was gone on the big road trip from mid-April to mid-June. All three of my usual paths are typically lined on both sides with all these springy, flowery things. Maybe pop a Benadryl before heading out and/or some tissues.

Today’s evening movie showing was Life of Crime a movie based on an Elmore Leonard book…nuff said. Oh, and I restarted watching LOST yesterday. So far I’m just watching one episode a day, not like the 2 per day clip from before.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 17.9%

 

Potpourri

  1. Today would have been my mother’s 100th birthday. Missed it by 19.
  2. Yesterday I tried a different place to walk, Powell Butte. It’s a couple more miles further away than my usual haunts.
  3. Today while walking in one of those usual haunts, a decent-sized black cloud appeared about a 1/2 mile away toward the road. Later I could see flames, but then it seemed, wherever it was, there were people putting it out. I started to hear sirens about the time the smoke stopped.
  4. Yesterday evening I finished one jigsaw puzzle, tore it apart, and started another fresh puzzle right then.
  5. Today I watched the Boston Red Sox lose their 34th game against just 25 wins.
  6. Day before yesterday I binge-watched season 2 of The Four Seasons. I don’t recall the first season being that great, but, this one felt comfortable enough. If they do a 3rd I’d like to say I won’t watch it, but I know me better.
  7. Last week I stopped watching LOST at season three, episode twelve. I’ll probably start again. Once I finish the stuff in my Netflix queue.
Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 26.8%

 

Honky Tonky

I almost didn’t blog tonight, almost.

I didn’t yesterday because, about the time I would have, I was nearly 100 miles away at a bar in Lebanon, Oregon. Four of us from the community piled in one car at about 6pm and made a beeline to Sam’s Place to listen to the folks above. The drummer and his wife used to live in Quail Hollow, but moved south of the city to help the wife’s mom on her farm. We only stuck around for the first 1-1/2 hour set so we could make it home by midnight and not turn into mice looking up at a large orange cultivated winter squash. Unlike my last foray into a bar to hear a band with my neighbor, there was no dancing. Nobody was dancing except for the birthday boy and his wife, who slow-danced one song…

Today was a typical Sunday: bike for breakfast, wash clothes, watch Red Sox, lunch, jigsaw puzzle, random YouTube vids, dinner, and now doing this.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 21.5%

 

Cottage Parking

Here is the outside of the place I’m staying at here in Mount Vernon, WA. Here is where I have been parking. There are two parking signs in the picture; one is a small, official-looking one with a big P and the word ‘parking’ underneath, and the second one is an obviously hand-painted one. That second one is in the center of the two-wide driveway.

The parking instructions from the VRBO owner say, “Park in designated Country Cottage parking stall.”

So where should I be parking? Left or right? I chose the left side for a couple of reasons; the first being that the ’70s pickup truck right in front of the GTI is there for display, and the concrete stops right in front of my car, and secondly, there is a small house next to me, and maybe that side is for them. But if that wasn’t correct, the house doesn’t really look occupied, and there hasn’t been another car there.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 19.2%

 

No Car Day

Daguerretype Miata


 
When I said “no car day,” I meant I didn’t drive a car today, not no car content day. The photo above was from yesterday morning’s walk. When I finished my loop, I noticed that I had parked in the same spot as the GTI from last Saturday morning. So I gave the Miata the same “photoshop” treatment as I did for the GTI.

Instead of driving to get my morning latte, I walked for it. I’ve done this about 3 or 4 times, and every time I get back, I swear I won’t do it again. Two-thirds of the trip is on fairly busy roads, and along most of that, there are zero sidewalks. Plus, the traffic makes it very noisy for listening to podcasts. This time when I got back, I didn’t swear I’d never do it again, so maybe this will flip the switch, and I just not do it again.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 35.5%