Porthole

13th week of the New Year

13

Up by 06:40. Must've slept okay.

Cool breezy day forecast but a couple rays peeking over Mt. Jumbo when I got up. 48°F.

Lupine and iris in bloom.

This is the last week of spring? It may get toasty Thursday and Friday, but otherwise cool.

When you walk through a storm keep your head up high. When you crawl through a window pray your pants don't tear (or... your ass don't show)...

Pull-pork for lunch was good. Saw Mary and her husband Ron. Later, sat with Monte and Bob.

Watched the Congressional hearings this morning. Talking to Bob (age 91, a former minister) I mentioned that Trump was amoral; he agreed. Monte added "no moral compass". I do believe that's worse than immoral.

Looked up all the tropes for "Journalistic Intentions" .

Wrote: "Not in Kansas anymore [179.30] 195 words " 

Wrote: "The moss covered mountains of Kansas" 

Predicted to be cold and rainy, possible snow in the mountains, flood threat in the valleys.

14

Snow on the mountains on a cold breezy Flag Day.

I had the fan on all night as my place gets stale and stuffy. It's oddly cool cold inside. Had to put more clothes on to keep warm.

Made 'something' by mixing ricotta, corn-flour, plum jelly, egg, oil, baking powder, water, cardamom ... and baking. A sweet corn bread? Maybe...

Finished editing "Serenade to Odin's Day"  and submitted it to Shadows and Light. Submitted an 'old' poem "After oolong tea"  to Test Your Poetry. Both contests have a 14th of the month cut-off date.

Gasoline rises to $4.98/gallon.

15

Supposed to be sunny today and warm up... 49 degrees at 8 a.m. I was up at 7!

The Yellowstone floods are due to a massive June snowfall followed by warm rain and rapid melting. It's been damp here and there's snow in the mountains; and yes, the river is rising. I look out at it every day. Flood watches have been posted.

Personally... I do need to travel a.s.a.p. Staying home isn't healthy. I've been back 4 weeks.

I don't have a crystal ball. I was thinking about a kind message sent to me by Shadow Prowler-Spreading Love. If I would've gotten an RV and a cat and a dog in March of 2020 I would've done better during the Century of Covid. But I didn't.

My houseplants did mostly okay whilst I was in residence. A couple croaked whilst I was gone for a month. The geraniums pouted but stiff upper lip as their petals would say.

I shopped today. No Brit 'food' just cheap vittles. Spent about $18.

I thought about Schnujo's Doing NaNoWriMo? and her merit-badge contest. She's trying to encourage 'heart-felt' messages. I guess I didn't fully understand what she's trying to accomplish. When I sent out a fistful of badges in November each one had a personal comment of awe and/or encouragement. So... I didn't realise that others weren't already doing that.

Sat and chatted with my neighbor Birgit. I need interaction with people on a regular basis.



"A Big Flashy Fun Rainbow Ball " 

16 🌕

Up after midnight. May reach 86 degrees today. *melt*

Sat with Angie and Billie Jo. Skipped lunch. Ate two mustard-pork-burgers at home.

Took two hour nap in the afternoon as I was chilled to the bone. Now at 6 p.m. it's 83 degrees outside. Sipping coffee. Waiting for rice to cook.

Posted these 15 pieces that only had 2 reviews, hoping to get a 3rd.

2009 "4th period composition "
2021 "Flower of the fern [98]"
2021 "Who moved my meds?"
2020 "What's for dinner, Doc? [241] (298words)"
2020 "You dreamed this path"
2021 "Delta"
2015 "Living ruins - fragment"
2019 "Time to let go (294 words)"
2021 "Our Beloved Country"
2021 "Adam's Apple "
2020 "Cleaning up the mess [270] (211 words)"
2020 "Five Simple Steps [177.11] (298 words)"
2020 "The Winter Rose [295] (253words26lines)"
2021 "There comes a softening — to cantucci "
2007 "December's bath"

I feel fine; but... I'm really not well. I'm adrift... not a good sign.

Finished and posted: "🇵🇹 Beachy, just beachy (Lagos, Portugal)" 

🏵️ 17

85°F = 29°C at 2 pm. It may go up a couple degrees but lovely summer day. Tomorrow it goes back to cool and rainy.

Beef stroganoff for lunch. The meat was a tad tough.

Nice chat with Dalton, Fred, Phil, Don, Maureen and Bill.

I got up after 11... very late.

🟠 Orioles won 1-0. Trying to get to .500.

Finished "🇵🇹 Didya see my butt sticking out da window?" 

18

Someone was moving furniture at 4 a.m. ... or so I thought until I saw flashes before my eyes.

Email notice reminded me to renew my books. There is that...

Coffee = the breakfast of wannabe champions.

Too much sugar ... and now it rains. A real downpour! Rare in Missoula.

I told Gary Lundy that he was drinking the evil brew. He said it was an Americano. Ah... a cup full of conspiracy.

Nap. Now coffee and a burger. Saw that the futon is gone. I'm relieved. Hope it found a good home.



Catching up with photos.

Having to close tabs:
Thai: Cupid's last wish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyVjRrhzbUE
Lao: Thieves rob: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa5HgA1o07g
Lao: ໂຮງຮຽນ ປະຖົມ-ມັດທະຍົມ ຮາກແກ້ວ filmed at school in Vientiane.
Thai: https://mydramalist.com/52575-love-poison
Thai/Isaan: https://mydramalist.com/699719-siew-sum-noi
         https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2002770380
Thai/Lao: 7 หนุ่ม 7 วัน / 7 ຫນຸ່ມ 7 ວັນ (7 boys/7 days)
"15 Best Murder Mystery Books That Are Total Page Turners"
Japan: https://mydramalist.com/13642-seven-days-monday-thursday
https://theconversation.com/why-so-many-americans-think-buddhism-is-just-a-philo...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/mind-and-soul/biology-with-tibetan-buddhist-...
Elfdalian, Gutnish, Meänkieli, Kven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Sweden
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/07/7-facts-about-southern-baptists...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9lrxKzADTA (71 views)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/entertainment-celebrity/gay-man-wishes-h...
https://gayandciha.com/tribute/details/4422/Maxine-Carlson/obituary.html?fbclid=...
Sleeping in airports
Love Victor S2ep4: https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2009178881?bstar_from=bstar-web.search-result.0...
Steampunk: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rdRnI2nWaMAnQKs1mGltNnWr1yq41T5m2Sh1QfjIlHc/...
Bubblegum Jones: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwqZTXh4GhjQmDMw3Xcmu2A/featured
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/what-is-christian-nationalism-and-how-is-...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/amanda-gorman-writes-poem-school-shooting-uv...
Very annoying: https://www.journeyranger.com/tips-tricks/things-american-tourists-do/?utm_sourc...
Cabot bacon cheddar: https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/we-tried-7-mac-cheese-brands-and...
สลัดปลาหมึก = squid salad
TOP INN โรงแรมท็อปอินน์... ถนนริมคลองสมถวิล ตำบลตลาด อำเภอเมืองมหาสารคาม, 44000 Maha Sarakham 3400B/week
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa_Hin_Ngam_National_Park

19

Up by 9 a.m.

Feeling somehow diminished today. I just need to work my mind around that.

Before-trip/during-trip/after-trip/now:

Anxiety: 8 / 6 / 4 / 4 but up and down
Depression: 8 / 5 / 4 / 5 on the rise
Mental: 4 / 5 / 5 / 5 steady
Physical: 2 / 5 / 6 / 4 slipping again
Emotion: 2 / 5 / 6 / 5 mostly apathetic

Just ate a peanut-butter & plum jelly sandwich without tasting it. Not a good start to the day.

Damp, dreary day. 57 degrees at noon.

Important: https://www.thethailandlife.com/whats-behind-a-thai-smile

Saw Drew. Did wash. Forgot to hang it up when I got home. Hung and drying now.

Finished: "Once on Lois Lane [33] (300 words)"  and incorporated it into "And I'm the Prince of Poetry and Prose." 

5840