'tis the season

November 28, 2016, 10:41 am

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Yesterday during my walk I realized I still hadn't heard back about potential plans with an old friend who was supposed to be in Seattle over the weekend. He said over a month ago to pencil him in for a visit, and I followed up on Wednesday and still hadn't heard back. Suspecting I wouldn't hear back at all, I sent a message at 7:30am saying I was canceling if I didn't hear back by 9:00. A day later, I still haven't heard back, and Facebook Messenger shows my last message as still unread. Of course it's possible that something bad has happened, but I'm assuming it's general flakiness since it's so common. Especially from him. In fact, I worded my last message to be reminiscent of the voice mails I used to leave when he was late meeting me. Ha.

Garrett was busy with volunteer work stuff yesterday and went straight from that to putting up the upstairs tree, so I grabbed the downstairs tree and it up at the same time.



This morning at the pool was nice, as usual, and I had a little shopping to do because I wanted some options for dinner that are nothing at all like the Thanksgiving food we've had so much of over the past few days. As is often the case, I ended up going to both neighborhood grocery stores. They didn't have the fish or the salad I needed at the first one, and their lottery machine wasn't working. I still managed to forget a couple of things, but that's fine. I have some winning lotto tickets to cash in and the customer service desk is never open yet when I'm there, so I'll have to make a special trip at some point soon anyway.

This week I'm watching Psycho, the original first, then the remake. I wish there was an option on the disc to watch them both at the same time on the same screen. People never really warmed up to Gus van Sant's shot-for-shot remake, but I always loved it. And I wish more people would try it with other movies. There's something to be said for remakes that do new things with the story, but I think it would be even harder to try to match it perfectly.

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A burst of productivity

November 29, 2016, 5:06 pm

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I made salmon and Greek salads last night and it tasted so good after so many days of Thanksgiving food.



It definitely awakened a craving in me that'll likely take several days to get over.



Before bed last night, I messaged Melissa to see if she wanted to join me for a walk this morning, and she said yes, so I met her by her gate at the marina and then we parked nearby. And we matched today, because my new safety harness came in a 2-pack, and I gave her the second one. They've put up more lights around the marina and it looks pretty great.



We walked really fast and didn't see much else, but the glow over Boeing was quite something this morning.



But of course I have to stop for a photo of the daily special.




6.75 miles in 1:56, 13,551

Like I said, we went really fast. Three miles an hour is a satisfying pace for me, so going nearly seven in under two hours is awesome.

I thought about trying a Mexican place I've had my eye on today, but my salad and vegetables craving won. I went to the buffet instead, but focused on the salad bar instead of the usual stuff. The nice thing about a salad at a buffet is that you can put interesting stuff on it like kimchi and stuffed mushrooms. This is the first time I ever went there without getting sushi, but I just couldn't face the rice.

I got quite a bit done after that. Picked up some things I needed at the drug store, got my flu shot, got groceries, went through my dresser and closet and filled up a garbage bag of clothes to donate, and folded a load of towels. Mainly because I have other stuff that has to be done the rest of the week and I was tired of it all piling up. And I'm getting my hair cut in the morning, so that's a perfect time to drop off the clothes.

The new Jan Brady

November 30, 2016, 3:51 pm

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Shortly after my morning swim, it was time for my haircut. I texted my barber Monday asking if I could make an appointment for today at 9am, and she said it was all mine. I'm going to start making appointments from now on because last time, I had to sit through a couple of haircuts before mine, and one of those included a very loud, long, and obnoxious political rant. I still happened to be the first one there today, but another guy walked in just a couple of minutes after I sat in the chair.



I found the setting a while back to make the front-facing camera show a correct image instead of the mirror image, and that setting carries through into Snapchat, but I decided I prefer the mirror image. It's the way I'm used to seeing myself in the mirror, so it should also be how I set up photos and videos. I'm telling my own story, after all. I've overthought it, I know. Most people just have it in the mirror setting when they get the phone and leave it that way forever.

Not much else going on today. I got the garbage and recycling ready to take to the curb tomorrow. We don't have a sidewalk, is the side of the road still called a curb? It's still curbside recycling even if there's no sidewalk. Again, overthinking. I thought about doing dishes, but decided that what's dirty now plus dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow will be a perfect amount to fill the dishwasher. I think. I'm trying to catch up on the backlog of Valerie Bertinelli's cooking show and making good progress. She's making me very hungry, though.

Crisis averted

December 1, 2016, 4:59 pm

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I went to my normal Thursday spot for loops around the tank farm and found that the gate I normally go through there was locked. That was a bummer because a lap around it is almost a perfect mile, so it's really easy to go as far as you like. Without being able to go through, you'd have to go around and come back, two miles each time.





I felt bad for anyone who walks down that way to catch their train, thinking they'd find the closed gate, have to go an extra mile, and miss their train. But then I discovered the wall doesn't go all the way to the fence at the train station, and there's even a special little gravel walkway wrapping around. So, no big deal. Makes me wonder why they bother locking the gate, then, if you can just go around the other side of the wall.

I'd gotten an early start because the cats woke me up at 3am getting into a minor argument at the foot of my bed. I stayed in bed a while longer, but got up about 25 minutes early. So it was really dark when I got down there, but there was finally some light when I got to the beach on the other side of the ferry terminal.



And there was just a touch of color in the clouds right before I got to the car.





7.16 miles in 2:19, 15,436 steps

I don't think I've ever gone so far down at the tank farm. I should go early more often.



Here's Steve being silly.



I also came to terms today with the fact that I can't frown.

SchadenFriday

December 2, 2016, 4:22 am

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The perfect month

December 2, 2016, 10:31 am

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I probably should have gone swimming this morning since I have a tattoo appointment this afternoon and won't be in the pool again for two weeks. But I was up and ready to go much earlier than the local pool's open, and wasn't in the mood for the other pool, so I just walked. Really early, at my normal Sunday spot since it's a good place to walk in the dark. Plus I've been thinking about going somewhere else this Sunday anyway since that's the only day the Facebook crowd gets to see. After the first section, I planned to see if any hunters were parked at the lot, and if they weren't, I wanted to walk the hunting trail for the first time in a while. But almost as if it could happen specifically because I had that thought, a truck full of them came roaring past just as I approached the lot. So, that plan was scrapped.


6.62 miles in 1:56, 13,445 steps

I also thought about going up past my car to add another two miles, but 6.6 felt like plenty and I also wanted to go to the grocery store after showering. Today's walk was the last I needed to fill in my first "perfect month" in a while.



It's not that I feel bad or disappointed if I miss a day, I just really like walking, swimming, and hiking, and my day doesn't feel complete without them. Saturdays are my day off, and it can be a little boring in the morning. Anyway, I love looking at a calendar all nice and full like that.

I didn't even do too much Snapchat this morning because of the wind, rain, and cold. You can tell I kept moving by how far I got in under two hours.

CATURDAY

December 3, 2016, 6:08 am

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≪ Previous: The perfect month

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BONUS Saturdogs















Many thanks to:
Animals Being Dicks
Señor Gif
k00l 4 k@+z
Almost Famous Cats
Cats, Beavers & Ducks
Derpy Cats
FAT CATS
FUCKYEAHFELINES!
CHEEZburger
Every Day is Caturday
Cats and Dogs
And everyone else who happened to put a cat or dog where I ended up seeing it this week!

The dangers of marijuana

December 3, 2016, 6:24 am

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≪ Previous: CATURDAY

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In one part of a very long dream I had this morning, Garrett walked in during a large gathering of family and friends with no beard left because he messed up with the clippers. He hadn't shaved off all the stubble yet, and looked pretty good! He left for a bit and that's when I noticed Gary Johnson was there, vaping. I figured if I had to be stuck at a gathering with Gary Johnson, I may as well get stoned, too, so I did. Garrett came back, and gower_power sneaked up behind him to do a lewd doggy-style gesture. I said they looked very sexy and Gary Johnson kept staring at me, disapprovingly. Only the one hit of dreamland weed I'd done was making me see two Gary Johnsons, and it wasn't even double vision, they weren't in sync or anything. Imagine the horror of being stared at by two Gary Johnsons.

boomstick was also there, hanging out with a cousin I don't really like who was being a brat.

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Tattoo update

December 3, 2016, 12:07 pm

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Another awesome session with Jimmy. He went for almost 2.5 hours but rounded down to two when it came time to pay. Obviously this is going to take a while, and it'll be even longer because I decided to financially responsible and skip January so I can catch up on my bills.




Jimmy's empire is expanding! He lives up in Marysville and is teaming up with another tattoo shop owner whose shop is there to open one geared more toward walk-in business. Good idea, since it's hard to work walk-ins into a busy shop sometimes. May as well have another one down the road ready for them. He also wants to buy the bar next door. And he's been remodeling the shop here in Everett and will have a piercing room there soon. Maybe I should finally do my other nipple. I had them both done at the same time and one of them migrated, forcing me to take it out. That was nine years ago or so and I never did anything about it.

Something different

December 4, 2016, 6:21 pm

≫ Next: Darkness and lamplight

≪ Previous: Tattoo update

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I decided after many weeks of Sundays at Langus Riverfront Park and Spencer Island that I'd go somewhere else, just on the off chance I could share some different scenery with the Sunday FB crowd. Of course I hadn't thought about the fact that it'd be dark when I got there and all the trees would be bare when the sun came up. Oh well. Normally I don't make a video on my way out, but since I was driving on the main drag today, I thought it would be cool to see all the signs and stuff. I nearly stopped the video when I got on the Boeing freeway, but I'm glad I didn't, because it's always cool to see the Boeing plant and how long it takes to drive past it, even at 16x speed.





I parked up at the top in a nearby business park thinking I might end up leaving via the Western side, but I slipped in mud just a few feet from the car and realized it'd be stupid to do anything but the center trail and the access road, same as I have been lately. It was dark enough that coming in on the roadside was pretty tough, but it wasn't so bad by the time I got in.



It was such a goofy morning. First, I thought I spotted someone with a light in the woods across the way, and wondered why they were just standing still. But as I got closer to where I thought it was, I realized the light wasn't getting any closer. Turns out, when the trees have no leaves, you can see right through the woods for a glimpse at the streetlights below, even from half a mile away or so. After that, it was finally bright enough that I decided to put my earbuds in, and just after that, three guys jogged past me from behind and scared the hell out of me. It was plenty bright as I headed back up.



There wasn't tons to take pictures of, but I always love this thing.



I love this shade of green on these things, it's perfect.



There were quite a few of these things laying on the roadside. Anyone know what they are? They're made of foam padding.



There was some good cloud action on the way out.






5.08 miles in 1:57, 12,112 steps, 443 ft gain

I headed back the way I came because I saw that the new Popeye's restaurant is almost ready to open, and was hoping there would be a date on one of the banners. No such luck, but it can't be much longer.



We went for a hangover cure breakfast at Strawberry Patch Cafe after I got home and had a shower. Garrett had the Polish omelette, and I had the chicken fried steak. Everything was great, and our friends Kristen and Matt came in while we were eating, and sat in the booth behind ours. We got to have a nice chat between when we finished our food and when theirs arrived.



After we got home, we put new carpet on this cat perch, which was a really annoying chore. But it's nice to have it back inside for them. I took it out of the house before Thanksgiving because the old, shredded carpet on it was making a mess, and I wanted the room to stay nice after the cleaning crew we hired finished.

Darkness and lamplight

December 5, 2016, 4:03 pm

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The weather services warned we might get four inches of snow overnight. That didn't come to pass, but it was pretty cold. I finally added a long-sleeved shirt under my hoodie today, and headed over to Lowell figuring it'd be a bit warmer there than on the waterfront. With my hat, gloves, and extra layer, everything was fine. They've made tons of progress over at the new housing development, with several model homes finished, staged, and even decorated with Christmas lights around the front door.





Over at the other end of the trail, I thought I was seeing pathway lighting between the two parking areas. Turns out it was just parking lot lights for the Eastern lot, and I could see them through the trees. I've never noticed them before, and decided to go have a look at that parking lot. It was empty, so I walked two laps around it to add a bit to my distance total.



By the time there was any light, I was almost done, so I never bothered putting my earbuds in.



It's never as bad as I think it will be if I don't have any music for my walk, but it's a little annoying when I can't get a song out of my head. This was today's:




5.1 miles in 1:35, 10,724 steps

There was a bit of snow after I got home, but not much, and it wasn't around for long. I had a few missions to accomplish today, and am proud to say everything was done! First, I went out for lunch at a Chinese restaurant I've been wanting to try in Lynnwood, the next city South of us. Then I hit two nearby thrift stores to find a new lamp.



I already had that shade and was using it on a huge wine bottle with a cork lamp kit, but after bumping it yet again yesterday with the carpet we used to cover the cat perch, the remaining broken piece of cork just wouldn't stay in the bottle any more. It's a nice idea, but a cork isn't strong enough to hold a big lampshade without breaking. I like this new lamp, though, and it's got a bigger base and is much more stable than what I was using. Plus, it's not made of glass, so it won't shatter.

Once I got home, I spent about 90 minutes fixing our doorbell. I got an email from Ring.com yesterday saying it was offline, and I tried several times to get it working again. The doorbell was connected, but alerts just weren't coming through. I know enough about troubleshooting to know the kinds of things they'll ask you to do if you call for support, so I went ahead and removed it from the account and added it back. That worked, thank goodness.

Currently, I'm watching an '80s Twilight Zone episode with a plot I recognized immediately. Richard Kelly eventually made it into The Box, which I only saw the first time last summer.

Partial success

December 6, 2016, 3:53 pm

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When I learned last night that temperatures would drop below freezing overnight, I decided not to walk today. It's not necessarily so bad once I get moving, but roads can be slick when it's freezing out, and so can sidewalks and trails. So I stayed in and did the Yoga for Your Back video, which was probably long overdue. Truth be told, I should really do it twice a week, but I haven't been. When it started getting brighter out, I could see how cold it really was.







This is the lawn, such as it is. The moss seems to support ice crystals really well.



My favorite time of day is sunrise, of course, but on a very cold day, my second favorite is when the sun starts hitting frosty stuff.



I originally planned to see my friend Kristen for lunch because I mentioned that after receiving this shipment of air plants yesterday, I had too many junceas, which are the long, spiky ones. She said she could take a couple off my hands.



I had three already, and worried because they weren't looking so great, but I have an item in the shop that features them. My favorite supplier happened to have a good deal on a five-pack, which was perfect. But the current deal for friends of the shop was also a free one, and the large plant variety pack I ordered had that kind as well. Oops!

Kristen was up late with her kitten at the emergency vet, and canceled lunch. So my afternoon was free for another project, which was getting as many of my walking shoes as possible, because I noticed in a banner ad that they were on sale. Unfortunately, I got the last one available in my size online, so I had to call all the physical stores in the region to see how many I could get. Everett had two, Marysville had zero, Lynnwood had zero, and Bothell had one. I got the two from Everett and decided against driving to Bothell, but I might go tomorrow if lunch doesn't happen. And I didn't even call the Monroe store yet. But I've got two more pair here at the house now, and one on the way, and I've only recently started using my current pair, so I'm probably set until well after the next time they go on sale.

The kitten's doing well, by the way.

The rest of the day was a success, shopping-wise. Got a few dollars off those shoes plus a nice amount off a handmade jockstrap on Etsy using coupon codes found via the Honey browser extension. I'm excited about the latter because if their work is good, it's someone I can use in the future for custom orders. Like with swimsuits, I still haven't found the perfect one yet. There are good parts with all of them, but the perfect one hasn't presented itself yet. Custom may be the way to go.

The sporting goods store is right by Ross, and I found some nice pans and pint glasses there, cheap. Dealing with the line to check out was a pain, but it was worth it. I also stopped by the grocery store on the way home and was a bit bummed because the cashier I always have the same exchange with changed things up a bit. He always asks how I'm doing, I say, "Good! And you?" and he always replies, "Fine." And I just love the way he says it. But today he said he was "good" and that was just weird.

The tattoo's healing well, but now it's in that itchy, tight, peeling stage. It's pretty gross because little black bits of skin flake off in the shower and move around when I put the lotion on. As much as I hate to skip a session, I'm so glad I did so that I didn't feel the need to think twice about stocking up on shoes.

A new limitation

December 8, 2016, 4:53 am

≫ Next: Thursdon't

≪ Previous: Partial success

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I've never had much use for the weather report, because I walk in all weather except snow, and we get almost no snow here. And I noticed in TimeHop that I had a perfectly fine time last year when it was 18 degrees with freezing fog. So even though I skipped yesterday's walk and did yoga instead because it was so cold, I went out to the marina today for a walk, and learned via the Snapchat temperature filter that it was even colder. 24 degrees if that filter's to be believed.





I'm not sure if what I was seeing when I got there was freezing fog or a very light snow, but it was like the air all around me was filled with glitter. Pretty neat.



The further North I went, the more it looked like it might have snowed a bit.




The marina's getting more and more festive. I submitted collages of this stuff to the Live in Everett blog in an attempt to win a gift certificate to the Mexican restaurant I want to try next.






Today's special.




5.21 miles in 1:41, 11,199 steps

The route here has changed quite a bit due to construction. I normally like to follow the edge the whole way (except North of 10th) but right now 14th Street and a big section below it is fenced off.

I really like today's video.



As soon as I got home, my thighs were very sore, and eventually that soreness spread to my whole body. I did some research and found out that cold weather can make a workout that doesn't regularly phase you hurt a lot due to the extra energy your body uses keeping warm. What I can't explain is why it was suddenly an issue for the first time this year. A dip in the hot tub this afternoon would have been perfect, but I didn't feel like having to keep my freshly-tattooed arm out of the water. Plus I would have had to head over to the swim center at noon without having had lunch first. So instead, I sat in an epsom salt bath for a while after lunch. Our tub isn't very deep, so it was really just for my legs, but it helped.

Thursdon't

December 8, 2016, 10:36 am

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I've been doing Thursdays at the tank farm so consistently for such a long time now, it feels really weird to have skipped it today because of the cold weather. The temperature should be in the 30s tomorrow, though, so I'll just do it then. This morning I did the Yoga for Your Back video again, but with my first yoga mat because my left knee is a little sore. That mat is thick and, while the padding helped a bit, I remembered why I stopped using it. The mat stretches quite a bit, which makes planking and downward facing dogs really hard. The moment I was done, I took it out to the curb with the rest of the garbage and recycling.

I kinda want to go out to lunch today, and often do on Thursdays, but I have lunch plans tomorrow, Monday, and Wednesday. So maybe staying in's a good idea.

I'm getting used to pomade in my hair and starting to really like it. It's annoying that my hair can get messed up if I bump it against the ceiling in my car, but what's nice is that I can just push it back into place. This morning and yesterday, I was even able to come it mostly back into place after waking up, which is saying a lot since the CPAP strap pushes such a big valley sideways across my scalp all night. With gel in my hair, even wetting it was rarely enough to allow me to fix it.

The tattoo's doing well. Dry and itchy, right on schedule, but mostly healed.

We switched the cats' feeding schedule and they're not quite used to it. I used to feed them at lunch time, then Garrett fed them on our way to bed. Now he feeds them really early while I'm out walking, and I feed them right before I start making dinner. You'd think they'd like it more because it's not as long between dinner and breakfast, but you'd think we stopped feeding them altogether. Sam's also decided to start peeing on the bath mat. Jerk.

I wonder if they also hate when we have Christmas trees up. Probably.

SchadenFriday

December 9, 2016, 5:32 am

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CATURDAY

December 10, 2016, 6:01 am

≫ Next: Snow day to Sunday

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BONUS Saturdogs




















Many thanks to:
Animals Being Dicks
Señor Gif
k00l 4 k@+z
Almost Famous Cats
Cats, Beavers & Ducks
Derpy Cats
FAT CATS
FUCKYEAHFELINES!
CHEEZburger
Every Day is Caturday
Cats and Dogs
And everyone else who happened to put a cat or dog where I ended up seeing it this week!

Snow day to Sunday

December 11, 2016, 5:36 pm

≫ Next: A walk in the dark

≪ Previous: CATURDAY

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I hoped to go to the tank farm on Friday since I skipped it Thursday, but I ended up not leaving the house at all because this happened.







I don't drive in the snow and definitely don't go for walks in it. The snow started again in the morning and was still falling when it would have been time to get ready for my lunch date with frogger414, so I canceled that. It was cute to be able to see where the local cats had been.




The vertical garden always looks great, but the contrast the snowy view provided was really neat.



Thankfully the snow melted by Saturday, and we could safely go to Garrett's work holiday party. I wore a shirt with a collar, and even pants!



It was nice to finally get to the tank farm this morning. It's interesting how much quieter it is over there without the commuter trains constantly going by.
















This little scene made of trash and Halloween stuff cracks me up.




5.3 miles in 1:54, 12,149 steps

Except for a trip to the grocery store and to pick up sandwiches at Jersey Mike's, we've just been hanging around today watching TV. Currently watching the show Insecure for the first time, which I recommend highly.

A walk in the dark

December 12, 2016, 3:34 pm

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Since I'm trying to rotate through some other places on Sundays instead of always going to Langus, it made sense to go there today. It's dark there this time of year but I don't mind as long as I stay on the route I've established.







And of course, if there happens to be a good sunrise, the only way to catch it is to get there before it. No such luck today.


6.62 miles in 1:58, 13,565 steps

It was raining quite a bit by the time I left, but I didn't get very wet while walking.



Had a nice lunch at the neighborhood joint with my friend Kristen. She needed some juncea air plants, and I had way too many. I wanted three new ones, but it made sense with the deals I found at the time to get seven. Glad to be able to unload a couple of them.

They call him Flipper

December 13, 2016, 9:54 am

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≪ Previous: A walk in the dark

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Yesterday I accidentally discovered a nice way to keep my hands just warm enough without resorting to using gloves. Now that I'm wearing a long-sleeve shirt under my hoodie, I can pull the sleeves out far enough to cover my hands. With a lot of hoodies, I'd just pull my hands into the sleeves, but they aren't quite long enough to do that. But the shirt's sleeves are, and it's perfect. They look like silly little flippers, but that doesn't bother me. This help if it gets down into the 20s again, but it was 35 degrees today and it was great. The tide was high, but the water and air were very still.





The glow over Boeing was the brightest I've ever seen it. In fact, the trees around there are bare enough that I even saw some of the lights that glow comes from, though I didn't get a picture of that.




More of the boats have been decorated, which is nice.



Today's special.



When I first saw this, I thought it was the dawn sky shining through a break in the clouds.



Turns out, it was the moon, and the timing couldn't have been better. I watched it from the fishing pier for ten minutes or so.





5.46 miles in 1:48, 11,858 steps

I waited quite a while to put my earbuds in, and noticed the battery was nearly dead when I did. My mp3 player only lasted a few songs, and today's walk seemed really long. But it was a really nice morning for that to have happened.

Having lunch for the second day in a row at our neighborhood bar, but with different company. My friend Barbara's getting her hair cut at the poorly-named Angel Hair a few doors down, and I'll keep her friend Dale company while that's happening, after which we'll all have lunch. Then he's taking her to her doctor appointment. Tomorrow, it'll just be me and Barbara for lunch again, which we'll have at the bowling alley a couple blocks down the road. Three lunches out in a row!

Unfortunately, I have a conference call late this afternoon. But it's the first one in a long time so I really can't complain.

A face I've missed

December 14, 2016, 9:19 am

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It's pretty neat that my tattoo is already healed completely, 11.5 days after my last appointment. That's due mostly to Jimmy's skill as a tattoo artist, but also in part to something he does afterward that I've never had another artist do: cover the tattoo for a few minutes in a hot, wet paper towel. Also, this last appointment was shading, which seems to be easier to recover from than the original outline. Whatever it was, I'm really happy, because it was awesome to be able to go back to the pool so soon today, and it was nice to see Zoey. She was in this chair by the front door, and hung out near my corner of the pool for most of my swim.



Lip Locked 348 was today's soundtrack, and it was great. Lots of songs I know and love, a couple of unfamiliar mixes of other stuff I like, and awesome basslines in tracks I wasn't familiar with.



Here's a weird shot of the moon behind a cloud I got on my way out of the swim center. It was emerging as I drove out, but I didn't feel like stopping the car.



Yesterday was quite the shitshow after all. I was supposed to meet Dale at 11:15 while Barbara got her haircut, then we'd have lunch before her doctor appointment. They pushed that to 11:30 because Dale's ferry was late. When we ordered our lunch, the cook decided to go get the stuff he was out of instead of asking the bartender if we'd like to switch our order, and he took forever even though we were three doors down from QFC. And he got sweetened tea for her, which she can't even drink. He brought out the lunches one at a time, hers first so she got a few bites, his just in time to take to go, and mine after they left.

Fast forward a few hours, they've gone to Safeway for a ton of groceries and then got in an accident. So I picked up Barbara and transferred the groceries to my car, brought her home and put everything away, and went back for him. That took forever because his SUV was on the tow truck and we needed his cables to jump her car with my car so he'd have a way to get back to Whidbey Island. Then it took forever to figure out how to pop her hood. I had no idea some cars need the battery power to release the hood and you have to stick a screwdriver through the grill if the battery's dead. Hooboy. Thankfully they only have minor scrapes and soreness from the airbags, but the bad news is that during her appointment earlier in the day, they found a mass in Barbara that may or may not be cancer, but will have to be removed either way.

I'm really bummed for Barbara and hope she'll take more advantage of my availability for shopping and other errands. She's been in a lot of pain lately and there's no reason for her to drag herself out when I can bring her whatever she wants.