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 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
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| 3 ธันวาคม Last day in Thailand. Stayed at Pinto Hostel in Bangkok. Flight was after midnight so I sent 6 postcards, wandered around the old Muslim silk-weaving district, chatted with guests from Moldova/Italy, France, Turkey, Brasil, Myanmar. Enjoyed my day but it was a very long one. The line for check-in for Asiana at BKK was unacceptable. 2 hours? At least they let me use Fast Track for TSA. Boarding was quick. 3 ธันวาคม Got up on time. Got to the train on time as well; train was late. long, very long trip. Safely in Pinto hostel now. 2 ธันวาคม I am planning my trip back. Not easy. 1 ธันวาคม We went to Nong Khai by train. First time Ponnya was on a train. We took tuk-tuk... first time for me. I think Ponnya was fine with the train. I didn't like the tuk-tuk (thought I would slide off the seat). I wrote letter to QPdoll Now I have to find her address! 30 พฤศจิกายน Went to Nong Khai. Saw Eugene. Difficult situation to get home. 29 พฤศจิกายน Quick check-in. Not doing much today but did finish two more postcards. 28 พฤศจิกายน I told Brandiwyn: "Excuses, excuses... I'm still in Thailand trying to cope with the reality that I'm in Thailand. No alligators but "paradise" is seldom without "surprises"." I'm at Rajabhat U. in Udon. Spoke to folks about study/teaching/volunteering... hard to explain what I want. I'm not the typical tourist/expat here for the beach (what beach?) or "party". This will not be easy if I choose to come back and stay. I need a reason to be here... more than just Pon. I can rest and write for 2 years but I want more. 6317 |
| 28 พฤศจิกายน I told Brandiwyn: "Excuses, excuses... I'm still in Thailand trying to cope with the reality that I'm in Thailand. No alligators but "paradise" is seldom without "surprises"." 27 พฤศจิกายน A slow day. I'm fading... I ate... now I need a coffee. It could just be old age. I've been following FIFA. Typical upsets, boring games, thrilling moments. Spoke to my sister. At least the phone works! 26 พฤศจิกายน Beautiful rain last night. Came down in crashing buckets. Cooler today and cool nights next week. Alack... I leave in 10 days. 25 พฤศจิกายน I'm being very careful with my back. Sat with Andre in the smokers gazebo. Cappuccino and blueberry cheesecake at Cup of You. 180 baht. But colse... and have wifi. I need to buy a red rose.  24 พฤศจิกายน I'm on my phone. Can't do what I want to. My back has gone out. Can barely move at times. Bought sim card. Sent 3 postcards. (Elephant stamp) Rained. 23 พฤศจิกายน . Today I figured out how to get to Rajabhat University taking the quiet back road. Silly to be out in the heat of the day; but, I'm nursing a cappucino. Making progress every day. Also checked out the free fitness room and swimming pool. I've never lived in a condo. So... I'll adjust. Slept fine last night but my back is still wonky. My new satchel might help a bit. And not sitting on the couch (it's far too low) might also help. Sight: grey skies and green shrubbery. Sound: muted music, soft conversation, coffee-shop sounds. Touch: Solid metal... I grab onto every railing. Smell: laundry. Taste: coffee (earthy), freshly fried chicken strips (juicy). Rick advised to get out every day. Of course he was right. Pon did a laundry load. Now that I have my own key card we both can plan our day better. 3:33... soon I will go to Koala hoping it's open. Philly cheesesteak at Koala 109 baht. I'm tempted by the butter caramel milkshake for 99 baht but I can wait. Pun will buy me soup for supper. I'm taking it easy after being sick and I don't want to gain weight either. 22 พฤศจิกายน To Stik: "I will use this (entry on "making time") as a springboard for my own entry... but... I may move to Thailand. I have to 'make time' for learning yet another language, understanding the culture, nurturing a new 'relationship' which will take time to process. I'm in a bit of shock. My plans were to travel, take pictures, write a travel-log. Now? Life happens and my schedule, priorities, and situation have been turned upside down. To your point: as a child I never quite learned how to carve out time from my daydreams to actually accomplish something worthy in the eyes of others." Welllllll..... My back is a tad better. Pon massaged it. As Anni Pon noted, it's nice to have someone take care of me. In this case ... *Blush* I'm not complaining, just thankful and not used to the personal attention. It reminds me of all those who have been kind and attentive to me in the past. Oh. so. many. times. Kevin and Bryan immediately come to mind, but I vaguely remember how Jeanne got me through a rough spot. I should make a list... a very long list, starting with my father making milk-toast for me and my sister when we were ill as children; we were always sick for two years.  It's hard to share personal tidbits. Some folks don't want to know. It's TMI. But... my life has always been TMI for some folks. Many don't want to see me or hear me... forget about knowing me. Today's goal: find a satchel with a zipper, preferably waterproof with a long strap. I may have to compromise. Also: SIM card. I can't use my phone until I do. Plus, I really want to find coffee beans as a gift to a friend... and cheap instant for myself! It's a breezy sunny morning. 86 degrees right now. Perhaps not as oppressive as it has been. We may get some rain for a few days. Update: I did find a satchel with a zipper and an adjustable strap ... kinda ... I'll look for a better one. My back cannot handle any weight at all. Very painful to change positions. Bought two ceramic bowls and two ceramic cups for hot foods. Also Nescafe coffee. Big spender: about 186 baht or $5. Spoke to Gay about my situation. Some good news. Weigh 81 kilos. Closer to my goal. Right direction!  21 พฤศจิกายน I escaped to a coffee shop. Still no appetite. I'm trying to catch up. No internet at home. 6270 |
| 20 พฤศจิกายน Sick all day. Pon fed me medicine one capful at a time. 19 พฤศจิกายน Everyone sees a beautiful young man. Tall, very nice body, good skin, dresses nice, classy. I see a young man, half-awake, eyes barely open, mussed up hair. He smiles at me. I'm falling in love. ทุกคนเห็นชายหนุ่มรูปงาม สูง หุ่นดี ผิวดี แต่งตัวดี มีระดับ ฉันเห็นชายหนุ่มครึ่งหลับครึ่งตื่น ลืมตาแทบไม่ขึ้น ผมยุ่งเหยิง เขายิ้มให้ฉัน ฉันตกหลุมรัก. When he puts his leg across me while we sleep, I feel safe. เวลาเขาเอาขามาคร่อมฉันตอนเราหลับ ฉันรู้สึกปลอดภัย 18 พฤศจิกายน I told AL: At my age some things don't matter. My mother lived to 99. My father 82. Me? I'm in Thailand. Maybe I'll move here. Better than just waiting to die! Fear can kill... long before the body dies. I just rented a place in Udon Thani. I did not foresee that. But I didn't foresee many things in my life. This could be a new stage in my life. And, yes, there is more to this story... 17 พฤศจิกายน Today I met Hannah from Pennsylvania (Colorado State) and we talked about expanding our horizons. Found out that Gay lived in Bahrain. And Markus from Germany wasn't feeling well. Neenee wanted me to pet her. I ate chicken and rice with soup. Soon I will go for a walk. My trip is half over... or just beginning. 16 พฤศจิกายน Not all plans work out. 15 พฤศจิกายน Coffee and big slice of German cheesecake. 110 baht. Laap with greens. 80 baht. Making decisions.  14 พฤศจิกายน Sat with Michael from Surinam/Canada. He's wandering around looking for a place to settle... someday. A place with lots of wildlife, cheap, laid-back vibe. His search will continue to Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Malaysia. Singapore is too expensive. Bought cookies. 7-11... bought pepsi, pastel de nata. I had laap (pork, spicy) and som tam (green papaya salad - fine but hard to eat). Didn't do much, but that is what some days are like. Advice from Australian Lay Hoe: take it slow, don't worry. |
| 14 พฤศจิกายน Sat with Michael from Surinam/Canada. He's wandering around looking for a place to settle... someday. A place with lots of wildlife, cheap, laid-back vibe. His search will continue to Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Malaysia. Singapore is too expensive. 13 พฤศจิกายน ຂ້ອຍຢູ່ໜອງຄາຍ ฉันอยู่ที่หนองคาย Very relaxed here. Nong Khai sleeps along the MeKong like a satiated serpent (naga).  Great walk along the promenade. Clouds were perfect. Room is okay even if it only has a fan. Bed is comfortable. Met owner Pao. Nice chat with Eugene. Ate pork satay. 10 = 60 baht. 80 baht in Krungthep. Earlier: easy to catch a van to NK from bus terminal in UD. But... van goes to border first... then town. I got off by Wat Hai Sok. Spoke to German (20) from Frankfort before leaving La Malila hostel. Saw Nico... returning. Adam going home to teach children in Sakon Nakhon. Only had coffee and a piece of bread before leaving... a mistake... nothing free at Mut Mee in NK. 12 พฤศจิกายน Awake before 8 a.m. Now 9:30 and I'm wilted. Sweets and toast for breakfast, my second cup of coffee. I could lie back down... but... Nico (Bruxelles) leaves. Adam (London) arrives. Last day in Udon Thani. Returned to place by Chinese temple. Cute guys only spoke a little English. But Pun remembered me. We agreed to go out to eat. I went back to hostel to shower and change clothes.  Hot pot with ปัญญา ปัน ศิลาชัย tonight. 856 baht for the two of us. Pleasant evening. It felt odd to be holding hands but Pun seemed to be fearless and 'proud'. 11 พฤศจิกายน I got to pet นีนี (Neenee). She's very kittenish, gimpy, wears a green Grab jacket.  I'm spending another night or two. It's "only" 87 degrees... but the heat drains me. After Udon Thani I'll go to Nong Khai on the MeKong. I'll look across the river to Laos. A bed is costing me 300 baht ($8.33). I can live with that. I had crab-balls (like takoyaki) and fish yesterday but I'm walking a lot. I'll lose weight. I booked 3 nights in Nong Khai, 13-16. I'm enjoying doing nothing. But... dehydration is a real danger, as is any attempt to cross the streets. My lack of Thai/Lao is quite frustrating. Wish I had a guide. I'm following the News. 21 degrees in Missoula. Prop. 131 was defeated... a big relief for those who believe in a woman's right to her body. I'll need to write about that. Election '22 was frightening but not the disaster it could have been. To Kyle at YCC: "Islam kept much of the learning alive in the West though universities when Europeans were mostly ignorant barbarians. Not all Muslim sects/countries deny women's rights... maybe you are conflating the Wahhabi Saudis with others. In the USA, proponents of Christian Nationalism oft-times deny women's rights. The criminalization of pregnancy and women is a current example. Florida is one of the leaders of denial of human rights." As a solo traveler I don't do the typical groupie tourist route. I choose to cherish small moments. Got my hair cut by a barber (Porn sp?) for the first time since November, 2019  ! She cut it quite short. I ate a philly-steak with thin crispy onion at Koala. Told Pear that it was the best ever (it was). She mentioned that covid had been difficult... closed hostel? This was mentioned at Bees Boy Bar as well. Terry kept paying his employees (no help from government). Coke cost me 35 baht there (20 is street price) but well worth the pleasant chat. His clientele tend to be wealthy Thai women. The ex-pat red-light district "buy me a drink, massage?" is a street away. I chatted with two men, one from Eastern Montana, the other from Danmark. The walking street (Friday and Saturday) night market is overwhelming. May skip tonight. The mall, however, was a pleasant surprise. Ate duck with jade noodles. Found novels of two of the Thai TV series I've watched (Vice Versa and Eclipse). 10 พฤศจิกายน I just told Norma: Fun... ...this may be my last trip alone. I need to be very very careful. I lose things... important things. I don't mind getting lost if I have a map. I've learned only a little Thai/Lao. I don't sit and sip pinha coladas at a resort. I like seeing how locals live and eat what they eat. So that's wonderful.  However, it's getting harder, on my body and my mind, to travel.Today is an orange day. I will go to a couple/three parks, walk through the red light district. Hopefully be amused by "massage"... I'm looking out at trees (lots here... big ones too that remind me of the trees in Guanacaste) but this region is 'dry' and I don't see epiphytes like orchids and bromeliads. Lots of fragrant flowers though. I found Thai donuts (not sweet, more like fried dough) last night; today, I had 2 donuts for breakfast... and too much coffee. Now 1 pm. Time to shower, put on my orange shirt, go out. 9 พฤศจิกายน Green day. Also need to do a wash. Woke up just before dawn. There was a red glow in the room. Sometimes hard to notice what's missing. Fear. Fear is missing. No razor wire on the roofs and fences, no iron bars. Yes, there's security cameras and sure... there are pickpockets. But... there isn't a pervasive fear in the background like in Costa Rica and the United States. People here don't hate each other. I've done the numbers. I should consider staying an extra day here, if only to get my head screwed on tight. I overstayed Krunngthep by two days. I only booked two nights here; but, I like this hostel. Very quiet, close to street market, railway. Bad air though... there's a haze. AQI = 135. Not good.  Breakfast of champions: fish and donuts. Coffee... of course. Decided to stay extra day in Udon Thani at La Melila. Lovely place with lovely people. Calm here... no elections. So... must do wash. Must see the Yellow Duckie, symbol of Udon Thani. 8 พฤศจิกายน Do I give up traveling? Long day on train... over 8 hours on a lumpy seat. Met people from England and France as well as Thailand. Then I left my bag with donuts (186 baht/dozen) and my Samsung tablet on the train... got it back... but... now so tired that I barely got to see the moon. And I have no energy to see loi kratung. It may be time to stop traveling alone or... just quit. 7 พฤศจิกายน |
| 6 พฤศจิกายน 5 พฤศจิกายน Up early but nothing planned yet. 4 พฤศจิกายน To fathertymme: I'm struggling with the change of time zone, the mugginess, my body shutting down. My travel days may be coming to an end unless I can adjust and rationalize doing little or nothing in another country. I'm in Thailand. Got lost... took boat down klong, took MRT, went through SiLom, visited Wat Po, saw Wat Arun, walked, walked, walked. Spoke Spanish, Portuguese, French. Met couple from Boise, Idaho (she's Taiwanese from Taichung), a man from Sydney, Australia, another from Nottingham, England, Dutch, Swiss. In hostel: Argentina (Patagonia), Germany (Dresden), Azerbaijan, Israel. Wrote in journal. Took photos. Old age seeped into my bones, my flesh, my foggy brain. I don't remember welcoming it to enter. 3 พฤศจิกายน Heavy humidity hugs like an old auntie with bad breath that won't let go. Welcome to Krungthep. I took the skytrain for 35฿ (Ban Thap Chang to Phaya Thai. Very easy, smooth, busy but not overly crowded around noon. At Pinto (think a stack of tin bento boxes) I tried to stay vertical. Still adjusting. Relaxed, got coins I was missing: 2฿, 25 and 50 satang. Nice chat with Kris. Wandered out and came across a night market of sorts. Saw kittens, barbershops, assorted food, had pork satay. Pork on skewers: 80 baht for 10 with peanut sauce, cucumber, purple onion and chilies (that I didn't touch). I watched a couple eat to learn how-to. An old woman sat at a nearby table. She fell when she got up... flat on her face. Non-plussed, she got up, motioned that she had a bad leg/knee. I was startled. Crossing streets is challenging. I try to cross in a group hoping others know what they are doing. Traffic fatalities are a major problem in Thailand, one of the worst in the world. Beds are curtained. Place is quiet. Stairs are quirky and steep. Price was very reasonable, about 300฿ per night. Less than $10. Apparently just reopened post covid. Pinto has a 70" screen. I watched a Thai BL series I've seen parts of... I'm used to my 11" chromebook  .I have little energy. Tried to stay up till a reasonable hour to adjust. 2 พฤศจิกายน In Bangkok at Nang Ta Yon hostel. When I get the chance... lost my debit card. Went back to airport and retrieved it. Met Gift (age 37) and we had great chat. After breakfast (chicken basil rice) I dressed up like a teacher (Gift's observation) and took train to airport. No problem. Got to K bank koisk but it wasn't the right one. However, teller made phone call and then went to look when another teller showed up. A man my age from Saskatchewan had also lost a card and we chatted as we waited. Lucky us! Teller found both cards. Celebrated with an ice cream (30฿) at 7-11. Brunch was crab-rice (47฿). At airport spoke to men from Iran, Turkey, MahaSarakham. Stray dogs by Ban Thap Chang station. Fragrant... very much like Costa Rica, everything smells. Thailand seems dirty. But train was spotless. Muggy, but room has a/c set at 21. I took a long nap. Rachel arrived after midnight, so I don't have room to myself. Trying to catch up. Now 3 a.m. and I need to be up by 8 for breakfast. Wrote in journal; catching up. My trip really begins 'tomorrow'. 1 พฤศจิกายน 2565 Arriving ICN-BKK Do you really want to know? Incheon transfer was a nightmare. No problems with my legs. Asiana has 33" legroom. Food on flights? 1. Beef steak was good but difficult for me to eat. 2. Seafood and rice was a delight. 3. Korean rice bowl. I didn't like. On long flight to ICN sat next to Alaskan from VietNam going back to Saigon for a visit. I barely rested. Watched Secrets of Dumbledore and the finale of Downtown Abbey. Entry into Thailand was painless. 31 ตุลาคม 2565 Leaving MSO-SEA-ICN Must be up early, leave at 08:30, flight at 11:20 to Seattle, 1 1/2 hour layover to transfer (A to S). 12 hour flight to ICN (Korea) where it'll be November 1st already. I doubt that I'll have wifi or the time to update this till later, tbh. 6208 |
A word to you who would rape the world, that only care about babies that look like you. I could oblige... if I wanted to. But... do not make my womb a warzone. Weapons are not welcome in this sacred spot. in "Tawny" 1 พฤศจิกายน 2565 Arriving ICN-BKK 31 ตุลาคม 2565 Leaving MSO-SEA-ICN 30 ตุลาคม 2565 Calm but not very bright ______. Morning? Me? It's "Let's Lose Our Lugnuts" type of day. I've managed to mismanage my time so all isn't going quite as well as hoped. That said, if I tackle this and that for the next 12 hours I'll be fine. My first flight leaves tomorrow at 11:20. I need to be prepared to make a mad-dash when I arrive in Bangkok 🇹🇭. My hostel is on the Skyline 10 minutes (two stops) from the BKK (Suvarnabhumi) airport... but flight scheduled to arrive at 22:50 and line shuts down at midnight? But that's when I arrive. For now... breathe, focus, drink coffee. BP at 10:50: 147/83. Finished transcribing entries into my journal. Relieved. I only take the new notebook with me. Saw Jay, John, Alishka. I know there's a someone/somewhere out there. But packing is next. BP: 161/90 pulse 73 at 10:30 after Julian cut my hair (their first haircut!). Good job. Van Wickman down the hall approved of it too. Scott will take me in the morning at 8:30... time to find some copper-fit socks, nose-pads for my glasses, a camera... We'll see. It's on the way to the airport. Even if I waste an hour at a store I'll still be there an hour before my flight. Time to finish packing. My clothes are laid out in proper order. But first... take a shower. 29 ตุลาคม 2565 Cherry pastry, chocolate-hazelnut milkshake. No mail. Saw Charles, Cathy Mae, Lundy. Ballot mailed. There was frost on the bridge this morning, but no deep freeze until after I'm gone. Last farmers market. Said goodbye. Transcibed up to September 4th... felt tired. Crossed the bridge and saw Barbara... my quizzical look received the reply, "it's not purple". She was wearing a navy jacket... she's worn purple for years but couldn't find a replacement. Folks are confused... not just me. BP 116/69 ... I wanted it to come down but that's drastic, plus pulse is up to 85 from 65. Should I be worried? *sigh* No time for drama. Cooking pumpkin... power surge strip died... fortunately I have another. I'm leaving Monday morning? Egg-drop pumpkin cream-of-chicken soup. Visited with Scott and then did my wash. All hung up by 9:30. Half will be dry in the morning. Gonna watch "Big Dragon" ... because I can. 28 ตุลาคม 2565 36 and  this morning. Calmer than the turbulence I feel before my trip. Seat 14A awaits me Monday morning; any bad weather arrives later that day. My place looks trashed but it's mostly empty boxes and picking up. On my list: Pay November and December rent. Reserve first three nights in Krungthep. Resolve camera... couldn't find one yesterday. Of course... pack. It's nice when people are nice.  Last minute hysteria continues... Didna get trip stuff printed out. Still fighting with email. But... sat with Kay and Merry. Merry gave me a bag of goodies-to-go, including new compression socks. Visited with Rosmary (witches hat and srilankan broom). She's been places. Hope to see her when I return. Chatted with Jamie for awhile. Saying good-bye to everyone? Missed some. BP 140/78 pulse 74. This is okay. I may never be 'normal' again. Finishing Episode 12 of "Eclipse". I was satisfied in spite of feeling a tad rushed towards the end and 'something's missing' in Ep. 11. Could've used 14 episodes. Met with Birgit about upcoming election. I'll fill out and post tomorrow. May leave a couple blank. Two very important issues locally are obvious though. Voting yes on Prop. 131 basically criminalizes pregnancy... so NO, and Monica is a decent person... her opponent is questionable. New chromebook = new headaches. Finally have facebook; still fighting to get email... WdC isn't posting the messages sent to them. I don't recommend it for a recovery account. Tyla is helping me find a place in Bangkok. 27 ตุลาคม 2565 There's nothing spooky about a graveyard. Those of us who live here will admit that it's quite boring, and that our days of never ending drama are long past, over and done. Once planted in the soil there's only so much to bitch about; although, that never stops Quentin. He keeps wailing about choking on a kumquat. We suspect the truth to be a bit more... juicy... 3°C | 38°F at 9 in the morning. 32-30/22-18 all week in MahaSarakham. A couple degrees warmer in Bangkok. I should arrive to partially sunny. It's rainy in Bangkok today but drying out in Isaan. Didn't sleep that well. I may be a bit achy from moving boxes yesterday evening. Frustrated trying to access a certain email account that has WdC as a backup... don't know what's gone wrong. BP 137/81 pulse 79. I thought it would be soaring... I bought a new LeNovo chromebook as the one I've used for 3 years has a crack in it. $99 on sale. Bought shoes, similar to Tevas, for $11 at Target on clearance. Bought other stuff for trip. 26 ตุลาคม 2565 "A man called Otto" is a remake of the the Swedish movie "En mann som heter Ove"... so we'll see. Tom Hanks can play the part of an old cranky man; but, we'll see how much they change the story. The Saab/Volvo joke is Chevy/EV and frankly... falls flat. It's been tweaked to entertain American audiences. I'd encourage folks to watch the Swedish one first. Many of the Thai TV shows are remakes of Japanese/Korean/Chinese manga or anime. Something is gained; something is lost. ✋ \ \😒 [ ]> _/\_ Caught up to August 21st in my journal. Only one month left to transcribe. Progress on boxes but didn't finish. I renewed and decided that premium plus is best for me this year. If not... I can downsize next October. Not traveling for two years means that I can occasionally splurge. I'll be posting my trip to Thailand in "On The Write Path"  . Please make it a favorite to travel with me. 26 ตุลาคม 2565 Too cold for me to go hunting for photos this morning. 1°C on 26.oktober.2022 at 9:30-ish. Mornings are dark. Not just because the days are shorter or the sun lower in the sky or the increasing cloud cover. I live in the morning (mourning) shadow of a mountain. It takes time for the dawn's yawn to reach me. And until I have my first coffee or three...  .Today is checklist day. 25 ตุลาคม 2565 I made progress in transcribing my blog to my handwritten journal. Up to August 1st. Want to get done before Sunday. 4°C at 11 a.m. It was that temp at 11 last night. Day of the Solar Eclipse. I should've been in Battambang Cambodia like my original plan. I didn't pay proper attention. Soon the eclipse ... and all foreshadowing... lies on the other side... I'll pull the drapes... and shut it out. No one enters here — without my approval. Even the sun. Sat with Billie Jo and Angie before going out. Transfered money to my bank. Pumpkin pie at The Break. Saw Hobie. Saw Scott on the bridge; he moved back yesterday. Card from Lilli. Only 7:30 and I'm very tired. Not much progress with boxes. Decided to basically stack and neaten them up tomorrow, They will be there when I get back. I have three work days to finalize plans. I need to focus. Saturday/Sunday I can finish packing. 24 ตุลาคม 2565 Monday. Got up late. Went to God's Waiting room for chicken fajitas. Sat with friends. Merry gave me N95 masks for the trip. One thing done. I'm so far behind... what ends up getting done gets done. The rest? Anyhoo... drinking coffee. Light and sweet.  Need to send postcard to Terry O'Neal... we helped get a confused lady to the bus stop. It feels good 'to be of some use'. BP 157/89 pulse 69. Took a pill. It's early enough in the evening to not cause trouble. Just ate garlic-hummus on garlic-butter crackers. Not meeting any other vampires tonight.  At this hour the answer is tea or water. What was your question? Plane seats: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/i-was-a-flight-attendant-for-over-10-years... Can't speak Swedish? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/asian-american-speaks-out-about-racism-in-s... Ace phobia: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/love-sex/yes-christian-fascisms-anti-lgbtq-h... Atlantic: It’s a dilemma. Journalists can’t stop covering Trump, but we do him a big favor, and the public none, by magnifying his presence, analyzing the tone of his every utterance, depending on his every obscenity for sales and distraction. If Trump runs again, journalists would do better to follow the money that supports him. Report on the party that has come to embody him. Talk with the people who vote for him. Explore the conditions of their lives. Dig into the issues that move them. Trace the lies that beguile them. And when Trump says nothing new, ignore him. Atlantic: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/the-media-are-still-making-the-same-mista... The grifter: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/we-regret-to-inform-you-that-donald-trump... https://img.lalr.co/cms/2021/11/24164255/2021_Global_Law_and_Order_Report.pdf https://www.msn.com/en-us/?ocid=EMMX&cvid=2b800598a47c46f4b627c88bc0d5d119 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-most-lawless-nation-in-the-world/ar-AA1... |
It's time to get real about my upcoming trip. I've been "working on" my to-do list but this week is dedicated to actually checking items off and making decisions. 23 ตุลาคม 2565 Sunday = red. I saw snow when I looked out around midnight. The mountains are cloud-shrouded and the valley is damp and still. 1°C at 9-ish. BP: 135/87 pulse 63 ... right direction (9-ish). Will it stabilize at this level? Not... 175/88 (at 7). Took two bags of garbage/trash to the dumpster. Gleaned some lavender/marigold/fennel and portulaca. Supposed to frost tonight. When I travel I caption pictures and sketch senses (especially smell and touch) and details not captured by photos... like Matthew's gift-of-the-gab in Lisbon last May. It means less fictionalization when writing about it later. Re upcoming lunar eclipse on November 8th: "I will be in Thailand. The 8th is the sky-lantern festival in Chiang Mai (not planning on going) and Loi Khratong (floating candles) nationwide on the 9th. Hopefully the skies are clear. That's possible in November. Someone will get incredible photos. The last lunar eclipse I watched I was in Vienna. The clouds parted enough for me to see a red Moon and a red Mars. The max in Bangkok will be at 17:59 ICT. Total until 18:41." Cooked/Ate mashed potatoes. Baked/Ate buttercup squash. Making headway on finding places to stay in Thailand. Spoke with Birgit. Will meet this week. “The canary is singing,” [Lydia] Strohl concluded. “Listen, before its voice is stilled.” 22 ตุลาคม 2565 Saturday = purple. 2 degrees C and damp. Very dark morning that even coffee might not banish. Not feeling overly well. BP 147/81 pulse 64. That's closer to normal so no clue what's going on although my anxiety is high and the gloom is depressing. Also... one week of last minute stress looms. Sad weepy market today. Got a sticky bun and went to Butterfly Herbs for a Fire&Ice. Still... no energy. All I can do to not and stay vertical. Not a good day overall. 21 ตุลาคม 2565 Friday = blue. 53°F 12°C and gloomy at 9 in the morning. It may not get this 'warm' all week. Rain rolls in today to glisten the tired leaves and encourage them to seek the ground from which they sprung in spring. By Sunday morn they'll turn white as snow and frost and ice will grip the land. It may not get warm again before November. And then... I'll be in Thailand. I'm tired too. I found my lisinopril. Took one. I have 51 pills left. That should get me through my trip. A bit concerned as bp didn't come down today. Saw Jamie at God's Waiting Room. Sat with Bill, Tom (off to Pakistan), Tamara. Received gift of green tea. Jay invited me over for tea; nice chat. I have no energy at moment.  Finished ep. 11 of "Eclipse". Interesting twist I didn't see coming. Lowered window as cold damp weather settles in. Geraniums in bloom. 43 degrees at 7 pm. It may snow by morning. Took nap. Still no energy. 20 ตุลาคม 2565 Thursday = orange. Sunny 38 degrees at 9 in the morning, last nice day. QotD asks me what annoys me: "Anything insincere. Don't ask me how I am if you don't care. Don't ask me about my travels if you don't want an answer. Sincerity matters." I rushed to lunch, rushed back and up those stairs. BP: 202/102 At least, Angie showed up (she had shopping to do for Billie Jo).![Merit Badge in Shadows and Light
[Click For More Info]
Hi K,
Congratulations! You won 3rd Place in [Link To Item #shadows] with your fantastic poem, [Link To Item #2123114] .
Rachel](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Shadows_and_Light-1936078_14.gif) Shadows and Light 3rd Place for
"our low social tolerance, high economic anxiety era" GenX? BP: 170/91. Still xtremely high. 19 ตุลาคม 2565 Wednesday evening = grey. Deathly quiet at times around here. Took me a couple hours to get through one large box. Found writings, article by my friend Joyce who died in 2020. Threw out most of it. Just one box... Told Stik: "I'm triggered by loud noises (especially behind me), seeing a note/mail slid under my door (have a postal box for a reason), certain types of nosiness. But I tend not to be triggered when I travel (hardly any nightmares). Words? "Merry/Happy anything-I-don't-celebrate" comes to mind. I did smile about your car. My first car was a Pontaic. I remember doing 80 down a dirt country road in Kansas. " 19 ตุลาคม 2565 Wednesday morning = green. 34 and chill at 07:50. Don't see any frost. Woke up sneezing. My morning ramble that doesn't quite make sense: "Many older people here are wealthy or land-wealthy, cash-poor. The lack of concern about others less fortunate is astounding. My only income is SS so I'm at risk but okay for now. Deep poverty is also widespread. Many older homeless folks; many younger ones either wealthy or desperate. The lack of communication between generations and the chasm between wealth and poverty is beyond disturbing." Bought batteries and persimmon. Bread, orange juice, milk. Turkey bacon pesto sandwich at God's Waiting Room was very good. Sat with Bill, Willie, Dalton, Bob. To Cubby re poem: "I do like this. My mother lived to be 99 (1922-2022) but she was 'absent' for about three years when I was a teenager. By absent I mean... she was there and not there. And my grandmother was far-away in Florida, and my mother pushed family, friends and neighbors away. So... I don't have many wonderful memories from that time in my life. Maybe if I rummaged through my mind I could find some." Batteries good = Omron working. However... BP 174/90 is very bad Pulse 57?18 ตุลาคม 2565 Tuesday = pink. Got up late this cold morning. 38 degrees after 9:30. On the newsfeed: I have worked on the positive in my former life. There was hope... and still is. My outlook is more bittersweet (like the French and Portuguese). Perhaps grimdark is so popular because people have given up Steven, and they are trying to work on their anger and fears and writing is used as a catharthis. I think the two genres can be melded. Someone who works for the best in the grimmest reality. Kinda like Pollyanna... but not saccharine. I think hopepunk is closer to reality. We see it all the time when there are natural disasters. Grimdark makes more sense when man's inhumanity is the focus. Nordicnoir (related?) became popular because, in spite of the seemingly idyllic life in places like Scandinavia, there was always the underclass, the underbelly, the real struggles of poverty and illness, the horror stories of the common-class (Why does Dickens come to mind?). Anyway... imho, it's all been done before. The trick is making it fresh from a modern point-of-view. Lunch was okay. I like ravioli but not this type. Got on computer to catch up with transcribing. Checked on cost of haircut: $30. Bangkok would be much cheaper. Cut it myself? Travis won't be back before late December. Phone is charging... now that I found the charger.  Power-wash and generator outside my window till midnight was annoying to say the least. 17 ตุลาคม 2565 Monday = yellow in Thailand. October is pronounced: dtoo' laa khohm. (dt means an unaspirated t like in Spanish, kh is aspirated, aa means a long vowel, oo is short, as is oh, dtoo is low tone, laa khohm is middle tone) It was 36F here in Missoula this morning. 74F at 23:00 in Mahasarakham. It will be 70s/30s for the next 4 days here and 80s/60s there. Here it will get cold next week and wet. There: some rain and a tad warmer. I'm packing a mix of light-weight long and short sleeve shirts. Long sleeves protect from the sun. I've finished my first coffee, watered some plants in the hall, will now attend to putting away clothes that have hopefully dried. Lunch at home: grilled green pepper and hotdog on a bun. Later: rice with spice and orange marigold petals. 19:19 and I'm hungry again. Theocracy? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/doug-mastriano-is-the-most-frightening-fa... Nick's lawsuit: https://helenair.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lawsuit-blames-helena-lawmaker-... Anti-inclusivity: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-high-school-artist-was-chosen-to-paint-a-mur... Sambo: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/racism-never-left-us-schools-%e2%80%94-no... Drag? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/republicans-aim-to-pass-national-dont-say-gay-... Thailand fireflies https://nakaravillasandglamping.com/our-very-own-syncronus-fireflies/ Jan 6th https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/americans-indifference-about-january-6-is... Extremism: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/perspective-the-shadow-side-of-the-fight-... "Our nation stands at a crossroads. Will we choose to be loyal to our respective political parties or to ourselves? I do hope that we choose the latter; that we realize that the only ones looking out for our best interests are our family, friends and, of course, ourselves." https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/party-loyalty-will-be-our-end/ar-AA13dHkq... 6119 |
— OKTOBER — "When do we start?" "When the lengthening shadows gather and no one can distinguish between light and dark." "But some have an inner light!" "Then that light must be extinguished." KE 16  Will I make progess at home today? I leave in two weeks so the 'to-do' list becomes more urgent. This week: a new chromebook, getting rid of empty boxes, plane seats, first night accomodations, pre-packing. Anything urgent or non-urgent to just show progress and lessen the oncoming anxiety of next week. Sat with Dylan today. He leaves for NewJersey/Vermont tomorrow and won't be back before I leave for Thailand. Pre-packed some clothes. Need to find two AAA batteries. Phone cord still awol. 15  40 calm degrees at 8:04. Gentle easterlies this morning. Sun still behind the mountains. Market day. Traumas... like Groundhog Day... stuck in the past without context. Reactions to what isn't happening or what isn't there. After two pork-avocado sandwiches and a cherry pastry from Irina I'm at Butterfly Herbs with a much needed coffee. I'm 'dull' today, but so is every else? Angie thought I wanted a milkshake like usual... To Sarah: "Exactly. I was thrilled to share a few thoughts and photos about my trip to Portugal. I need to do better in Thailand. I'll make my postcards do double-duty. 😉 I should probably flesh out my song/story about the "Patthuma [flowering ginger] of Chaiyaphum [small city in Isan that tourists don't visit]" before I go and then rewrite it when I get there. I need to take my readers there... and make them care about my characters." "How little you know me, huser:buddhangela... In Blogville, circa 2010, we had a very diverse group of people, many with viewpoints opposite of mine. We're still friends, albeit most of us are at facebook. I have little in common with some of the peple I currently support here. I try to find something we can converse about, and maybe connect. I've worked on race/sexuality issues since the 1980s. It's time for the younger generation to step up as I'm worn out (not that I'll give up or shut up). WdC is not very diverse and some live small lives in tiny worlds (due to poverty, cultural upbringing, religious taboos, personal phobias, fear of damnation). If you can reach out to them, please do. I have had a lifetime of trying. 14  I crave connections as loneliness leads to depression. I crave stability around me so I can be creative. I deal better with chaos and change as long as I stay connected. Travel helps... as long as I have a quiet place to come home to. All of this has been threatened these last three years. If you won't see me, hear me, hug me ... then throwing money at me will not help. 38 degrees this morning. Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) has died. Sad day for Potterheads. DJT continues to have his tantrums. Very disturbing. Behind in transcribing blog into my journal but left Sr. Ctr. due to noise. My nerves couldn't take it. Finished Eclipse ep. 10. Very good episode. I don't keep track of every contest entry ... so ... "Only one exit" may have been entered before to Shadows and Light.13  "Minus 455 or one degree above my former boss's sense of humor? We all die... but whether we cease to exist is the question. Wanted to sleep in this morning. It's Angie-day and Meatloaf-day and January-sixth. Coffee may or may not help. Breathe? Met with Angie and Billie Jo. Skipped lunch. Made egg-salad sandwich instead. Watched January Sixth Commision. Great layout for a criminal case of sedition due to leading an insurrection. PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mhhCNqsrcI I commented at YCC: "Very good job. Focused, easy to follow, intelligent. I was amazed! I watched the Insurrection live on ABC as it was happening (wanted to watch the boring presentation and counting of results). How anyone could come to any conclusion that day, or any day since, that it was something less than an attempted coup is beyond me. Nothing stopping the DoJ from charging DJT with sedition and charging at least 30 others with collusion. A massive arrest with 10 million $ bail ... each ... would put a smile on my face. DJT? At least 100 million, house arrest, turning-in-his-passport, no social-media until trial. I know this may seem outrageous to his supporters but Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads for less." "Romney: The Last Nice Guy" 12  The entire week is supposed to be calm <10 mph wafts, sunny with a couple clouds, 70/39 with the high around 4 pm. This is not San Diego... Finished "Why Didn't They Ask About Evans?" I'd read it before but didn't remember it. I'll pass the book on. It's a classic Agatha Christie. Sara left WDC and gave me her gps... very sad. She was here about 20 years. I will ask why but she was a blogger and photographer about daily life in Greece and Italy and when Blogville died... there was no audience. She lives back home in Zimbabwe now. We see this... people come and go. They die, move on, or get pissed off at someone here. Websites go through changes. Little lasts forever. Like Life, like Life magazine, life has a season. Did some shopping. Bought wide egg noodles. I have enough in the bank for my trip... but I should transfer some money before I leave. Looking forward to "Thai Green Papaya Salad" ส้มตำไทย (som tum). Hope I like it. Too many foods to try. I commented at YCC re new NHC guidelines and messaging: "Very well put. Did the NHC (can they?) kick off sports, entertainment, 'news' and have an emergency broadcast? In the days of 3 channels it was easier to get out the word. Emergency messages on facebook? Tik-tok, Twatter? "Oh... but I'm watching the Dolphins because this game is oh-so-impoertant" sums up the average American. Did the state have local emergency vehicles going up and down the streets 24/7 making announcements? I mean... as a kid we listened for the ice-cream truck. Sirens? So loud that they cannot be ignored? Mandatory *gasp* evacuations? Some folks here at YCC would accuse the NHC of being a bunch of commies, or 'woke' or..." and "Averaging didn't work with Julia. The COC went across Nicaragua to the EPac. The convection went north to Belice and the BoC. My take? Floridians are typical Americans with a Burger King attitude of "I can have it my way" and We-Americans-are-Exceptional! (as if Mother Nature cares). Heaven help that <i>anyone</i> harsh their mellow. Between apathy, temper tantrums and a bad case of affluenza, no one should be surprised at the results. Underlying racism and poverty cannot be mentioned on social media, here included, without ruffling people's feathers." and "I think an emergency broadcast message on ALL stations, TV, radio, social media (like does anyone really think that facebook/twatter/tiktok doesn't know where they're at?) And yes, that person should be someone trained in communication. And there should be more than just one person unless they can speak multiple languages and multiple accent in ways that 10 year olds can understand... because many a 10 year old has saved their families from disasters (they pay attention). Bonus points if they can communicate directly to the family dog." and "Maybe housing codes that demand structures withstand Cat 5 winds, max surge and max flooding? Build all hospitals, nursing homes, city buildings, infrastructure (electrical, water) with even stricter codes? Allow poor people to live in neighborhoods that are safer (do away with covenants and restrictions)? Worry less about millionares who choose to live on the beach and die on the beach." 11  Up at 8 this morning, now 10. No great wisdom. Saw a comic/meme (by Jim Benton) of a dog reading a suspense/horror book: "The Master Who Left For A Minute". Karl, son of Julia, may be spinning in the Bay of Campeche. Ukraine War is heating up. In response to Wm Shatner's lament posted at YCC: "Very strong words. I see it locally as people refuse to embrace each other and live behind their barricades, scrubbing away anything and anybody that offends them. The weeds in the alleyways are the hope of the bugs, bees and birds... not the watered golf-green lawns or the non-pollen, no-seed, no-maintenance flowers that may as well be plastic. And yes, that applies to people as well." Another response re Russia: "Interesting thoughts. I don't see how Russia can be made to pay [reparations]. Limiting access to Europe only strengthens the Emperor of Beijing. Elities will still vacation in Thailand. Common people will bear the pain. IMHO, Ukraine should be given a path to join the EU. Militarily? Forfeiture of Crimea, Kaliningrad and Belarus. 100 - 200 km DMZ along the new east-west border. From Norway to Ukraine. Very disruptive for some folks. Very historic in concept and scope." To Stik:"DEI: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. Minnesota may pride itself on being 'progressive'... but I doubt it. Committee and planners need to go to the people (not just at public meetings) and ask and listen and educate. Diversity: does either committee or planning board reflect the diversity of people living in the community? Do they live in the community? If not ... *major alarms going off* Equity: Is money an issue? Many only think in terms of $$$ and costs, not liveability. And by liveability I mean affordable to impoverished people (without subsidy) and walkability (to stores, services, etc.) as cars are a major drain on income. Also... public transportation in and out and around that's affordable or even free. Inclusiveness: Put another way... gated communities are exclusive, as are many churches and organizations; wealth excludes poverty. Americans love to think of themselves as better than others; inclusivity is a four-letter-word. If certain people are NOT welcome... there are issues beyond planning boards and committees. I would want to know how much collective experience these people have... because the general public probably doesn't. If they have never visited world-class cities like Toronto (diversity), Torino (liveability), Taipei (transportation) ... than I'm more knowledgeable and competent than they are. And that's not good... If people are fundamentally fearful... then no amount of talking, listening, planning, will overcome their fears. And frankly? I suspect that's the #1 obstacle." 10 41 and foggy at 9 a.m. Last night was the Hunter's Moon. Today is Gary's Day. He turns 600 months or 618 moons old. So... have some energy this morning, but I need to go to Sr. Ctr. Found my charger for my razor so I'll shave. Found my phone but not my charger. Things will need replacement next week if I can't find them this week. Travel is three weeks from today, but I cannot wait until the last second. Found my other backpack too. I need to find a spot to put things so I don't misplace them. Also... it's time for empty boxes to go. I will still need to throw stuff out but this place needs to 'look' uncluttered for my sanity. It's been a very long and slow three months. I need to focus more on my trip. Lunch with Merry and Dalton. Merry gave me an air-purifying. I hope it helps with dust. Still feeling fine enough to actually do something! Found my camera and charger. Found my charger for my tablet. Still missing my phone charger, but a weight has been lifted. Wrote in my journal. Wrote card to Gary. It's 8 o'clock in the evening and 64 degrees. I didn't attend the new bridge dedication today but I could see/hear some of the festivities looking out the window. We live on Salish land and the bridge is named after Grizzly Bear Tracks (Sx͏ʷuytis Smx̣e) He was a sub-chief who signed both the Hellgate Treaty and Judith River Treaty in 1855. The Salish were 'removed' from this valley in 1891. Taiwan: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/6-000-year-old-skull-found-in-taiwan-may-co... Thailand: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/buddhist-funeral-rites-held-before-crematio... Coming out when Black: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-trouble-with-national-coming-out-day/ar-AA... Forbidden Love (auf deutch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KavHcCWmL4M Why? Party? Photos? https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/the-top-10-coolest-neighborhoods-in-t... Short novels: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/10/best-short-books-weekend-read/... Romney martyr theory: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/there-s-only-one-group-to-blame-for-how-r... Jan 6th dropped ball: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/on-jan-6-our-intelligence-officials-may-have-d... Uthai Sawan: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-wake-of-nursery-killings-thailand-faces-... 6101 |
9 oktober Almost 11. 50 crisp degrees. We will ease from 70s/40s to 60s/30s this week. It's all good as long as we don't have a killing freeze. Troublesome dreams last night, but I'm fine. Hiroki is in Prague. Should've gone to the Balkans this autumn. Next? I finished a sudoku... all is not lost. Ate farina with orange-cardamom; eating mashed potatoes with marigold petals and ribbons of egg (like egg-drop-soup). 66 at 3 pm, sunny and calm. Well, found my phone, found my charger for my shaver (now charging). Still missing: camera, phone-charger, tablet-charger. TS Julia successfully crossed Nicaragua and is off of El Salvador now. 8 oktober It was 43 and foggy when I got up this morning. Not as bright as yesterday. Still not a bright day. Pleasant stroll through farmers market. Got a blueberry pastry, a bacon-maple brownie, a small cooking pumpkin. Now at Butterfly Herbs where I've finished my Earl Grey-lavender milkshake. Nice chat with Allison. She shared about her travel to Thailand. When I open up... others follow... I didn't feel well and got very little done. So, I walked home across the bridge. There was nothing stopping me from going down the east side they've been working on. The light poles are up. The way was clear. It's almost finished. Dedication is Monday the 10th. At home... watching a Thai series I can't get into. Chores? I'm blocked again. 7 oktober Newsfeed at YCC is getting like FB... silly memes and hysteria over nothing because there's no storm headed towards Florida. Garlic porkburger for breakfast. Chicken and assorted other stuff for lunch. Avocado or snack. Drank chai. Trying to use up old teas. Pinochle players can be painfully loud. Will do some work here in God's Waiting Room if they don't force me out. Got a few entries transcribed from my blog to my journal. Some folks have requested postcards. Must add to my list. For Oct 7th BCoF: Social Media? 1 Facebook 2 YouTube 3 WhatsApp 4 Instagram 5 TikTok 6 Snapchat 7 Pinterest 8 Reddit 9 LinkedIn 10 Twitter I cry bull... very US/English oriented. I use facebook and youtube. I may need to add IG and Line (not listed) in Thailand. I'd love to know the numbers for WeChat. Also the article is money/market oriented as if self-promotion and $$$ is the only concern. And, of course, singing the Ameri$$$a is exceptional-and-best song. 6 oktober 46 degrees at 9-ish. Fan is on by the landing. It gets stuffy in here if folks have windows closed. I closed one window to keep out wasps and flies but the other is open. Visited with Angie and Billie Jo. Everyone seemed to be happier today as issues are being resolved. Even Meal-on-Wheels showed up! I fed them canary melon. End of the local melon season. Angie prefered the yellow watermelon, BJ the cantaloupe, me... honeydew, especially 'Sinful'. Went to market. Bread and pork, eggs and a bell pepper. I got some course ground pork. I think I can do something with pork and pepper and pasta of some ilk. I gleaned a small pear and some small maple leaves. It's 4 pm, and a sunny 73 degrees. Beautiful. Ate all the donuts.  5 oktober May the fifth... Bright morning but I didn't sleep well so I'm dragging. The devil's deep dark brew may or may not help. I'll go to market this morning. Next week it may get down to freezing = later in the day maybe. I should start gleaning what I want to glean a.s.a.p. Merry dumped off some food at GWR so I snatched the flour for myself and some other stuff I gave to Billie Jo when I saw her. So... I didn't go to market. Ate salisbury steak and mashed potatoes with thick mushroom gravy. I sat out some shirts... 16 of them... to choose for my upcoming trip. I need light to very light-weight fabric, some with long sleeves and some that do not need to be tucked it. Tight is bad. I need to consider pockets though. I prefer a zipped or buttoned pocket to guard my passport, etc. I can wear any bright and preferably pale color but black isn't the best option. Need to set out pants. Light-weight is a must. My pin-stripe grey pants are worn and old but comfortable but need a hem resown. I have chosen my pale-buff/eggshell pants that have an elastic type waist-band. They don't constrict my legs. I'm making progress on many fronts, but no resolution. I also checked on flights to Taiwan for the Year of the Rabbit that starts January 22nd. Much better article on Kevin Locke: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/kevin-locke-dies-at-68/ar-AA12DWgn?ocid=Peregr... One of my comments on YCC today: "I think solar is one of many ways forward. In some areas they plant under the panels. However, I see individual buildings being fit with solar, wind, hydro, thermal... whatever and a web set up. With proper architectural engineering geared to the local climate the reliance on fossil fuels can be radically reduced. I also see a future for public transportation, bicycles, walking... many places in Eurasia don't have the American obsession with personal vehicles and an aversion to sharing. That demands a cultural change." 4 oktober Cool early mornings, warm late afternoons. Headline (story idea) "Ill-treated cat finds a loving family and becomes the cutest version of himself" Pork burger for breakfast (dill and garlic added). Took my shower; so, off to lunch! An idea for Thailand: shower in the morning and get out. Come back around 10-12 if I'm at a hotel, if permitted in the hostel or go to a cafe with a/c. Take another shower when I go out in the evening (to eat at night markets, etc.) 5-ish maybe? Similar to Costa Rica the sun will burn between 10-2. The heat between 12-4. Once the sun sets it will stay the same temp. This week in Maha Sarakham that would be 74 degrees, with a daily high around 85. The nap or noon-day break would be a great time to write in my journal, write postcards, write a travel-log and organize photos. Got Kathy's address so I can add her to my list of Missoula fiends. Other scattergories: fb friends in the usa, fb international friends, past WdC fiends, present WdC fiends, snail-mail devotees, family, old friends, neighbors. I could send the 'same' postcard or message to Jay, Kathi, Krista, Linda, Carol, Karen, Jeton... because they don't know each other. Also... Kathi and Kathy are both at the Sr. Ctr. but belong to different groups. Small gestures, I'm sure. But someone will be happy to get a postcard. I try to take pictures of what I write as it helps me remember and I can use it in my travel logs. Will I have the energy and focus to send out 50 cards? Did eat eggroll and sweet-sour rice but passed on the pineapple. Sat with Fred and Dalton. 5 o'clock and I ain't got nobody  ... haven't got nuthing done either... so it's time to choose something on my to-do list and tackle it. 1. dumped from luggage into boxes to go through and repack. 2. went through underwear and retired 3 pair. Have 5 + 2 (one silk, one quick dry; both are super light) set aside plus socks and black thermal undershirt. 3. added names to address book. Well... posted on the newsfeed and got 7 comments. Very surprised. Brewed some lemon-ginger tea. Trying to stay away from caffeine. Trimmed my beard a bit with the old shaver. Kinda, sorta. Earlier, "baked" a pancake (added egg, orange extract, cardamom). It was edible. 3 oktober A calm sunny week is forecast. I have much to do; but, one task at a time will get me closer to my goals. I ate two hotdogs for breakfast. I will skip the kielbasa for lunch. But... I should go the God's Waiting Room regardless to see who checks in and whether anyone has checked out. Plus, I need to take garbage to the dumpster before it gangs up on me. A shower would be a good idea beforehand. Noon and I'm on my second cup of coffee. I need to cut back and put time limits. I drank tea last night, but even that should be caffeine free. In Thailand... it's important to stay hydrated. I don't like bottled water but I will give in to bottled drinks. They grow both coffee and tea. But I'll need to be flexible. Coffee, tea, soup... as long as the water is boiled. The bed is stripped and washed/wiped down. Waiting for it to completely dry.  Will drink Constant Comment used peach water. Ate a nectarine and two small pears. I scored four juice sippies so I added some applesauce and pumpkin spice to the pork burger then cooked it in apple juice, then topped it with cheese. I saw Kevin Locke perform many years ago. Well-known Lakota flute player and hoop dancer and a prominent Baha'i. He died today, age 68. This should be a clip from New Zealand. Voting: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/montana-judge-knocks-down-republicans-ti... Environment, wetlands: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jackson-tangles-with-gorsuch-in-her-firs... Thailand (not so cheap): https://www.moneywehave.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-go-to-thailand/ Thailand wat/pottery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Kret Parody: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-onion-and-the-supreme-court-not-a-pa... Trans overcoming: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trans-student-was-voted-homecoming-princess-in... Travel experiences: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/i-spent-4-years-cycling-around-the-worl... Youth representation: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-country-with-youngest-politicians-in-wo... Casamance, Senegal: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-senegal-ancient-male-rite-collides-with-... Seats 32" & 20" https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/consumer-group-pushes-faa-to-stop-airplane... Black in KSA: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-black-expat-in-saudi-arabia-i-feel-safe... Thailand rampage: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/thailand-mourns-horrific-mass-killings-at-n... UthaiSawan mourning: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/mourners-pray-at-thai-temple-filled-by-chil... Uthai: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/thai-town-struggles-with-sudden-loss-of-so-... Selfish? https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/childless-by-choice-women-are-... NDN & CRT: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/tribal-nations-demand-repeal-of-oklahoma-s-anti-crt-... UBI: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/what-happens-when-you-give-6000-american... NDN: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/a-native-american-photographer-took-powerfu... 1000th moon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahasra_purna_chandrodayam Taipei, Lisbon: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/12-of-the-world-s-friendliest-cities-... https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-swastika-a-symbol-of-love-stolen-by-the... |
| O-2 46 cool crisp degrees at 7:47. I had to use the toilet and looked out the window. Peach puffs over Jumbo. I rarely seen the dawn. I sat by the window and took notes. I'm dealing with wax in my ears again and maybe dry scalp. I wonder whether or not this is seasonal. Anyhoo... I'm up. Convo at YCC: Kåre Enga > Moonlightcowboy • Calling Julia... she says Martin is still sleeping. I don't trust either... Could we get to the dreaded M storm? Moonlightcowboy > Kåre Enga • They’re all plum dreadful. Kåre Enga > Moonlightcowboy • Karl just kalled, wants to have a word with you... K has been relatively kwiet since Katrina... is it time? Seriously though, fishy fish can be beautiful. It's when land and humans get in the way that there are problems. It's almost 10. Time to do... something? Noon: so I took a shower and boiled and ate two hot dogs (with honey and yellow mustard). "Half of what I say is meaningless But I say it just to reach you, Julia Julia, Julia Ocean child calls me So I sing the song of love Julia Julia, seashell eyes Windy smile calls me So I sing the song of love Julia" Lyrics written and sung by John lennon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_(Beatles_song) (Eclipse Ep 8.1 07:59) Ayan to Akk: "Your face is warm, like a warm cup of coffee." KE: Your face, so warm, like a warm cup of coffee, invites me to sip the elixir of the morning, to kiss the break of day. Rewatched Eclipse and ViceVersa through Reactions by Javi (who lives in Orlando). It's only 9-ish and I'm ... 56 outside. I keep the window open this time of year and a pot filled with water on the radiator.Earlier... was able to give 5 cans of food and two jars of pasta to Billie Joe. I think she still has meat. Hoping that Angie comes up with something by Thursday. Missing a nose-pad for one pair of my glasses. I looked but will need to get down on my hands and knees tomorrow. Thankfully I have two pair. Must pack masks. Laxmi has to wear one on her flight to Barcelona. O-1 It's after midnight... so...  oktober  .There are 5 farmers-market Saturdays in October... then it's over. I'll be able to go to the last one. Each day however = goodbye. 52 degrees at 10-ish. 40s in the forecast (for daily lows), no 80s. Autumn has arrived and our boilers are on (which means my window is open). I've regained weight, but I'll lose it when I travel. Cherry pastry $4. Honey pears (and a seckel) $4/lb. Got a bottle of watermelon-rhubarb kombucha. $3 Told everyone about trip to Thailand. Tootie recommends mango sticky rice. So I must. FB: Margaret recommends a massage. So I must. Scarlett's daughter-in-law is from Si Sa Ket in Isan. Slowly I get information, advice and support. Lundy wants to see me gone... but that's because he has seen how important traveling is for me. Pastry+milkshake = sugar high? Anyway, need to go home and eat. I have lots to eat. Home before the rain. Crossed the bridge. They are putting up the railings protecting pedestrians from falling into the river. They still have street lamps to install, but the progress is noticeable and welcome. Light rain and light breeze, 60 degrees (today's high?) at 5 pm. It will be a cool clear week. Lovely weather forecast. Montana defeats Idaho State 28-20 in spite of costly mistakes. ⌛ Finished ViceVersa 12 epidodes. Choose between work or love? Always choose love... in whatever universe you find yourself in, forever and ever, amen. For Steven and his contest: "Promote the contest at least every week and have fun with the prompt. You can do better than this: 1. Your seasons are mixed up and you're dressed like an egg or a bunny. You're a guest at the Penguin Palace... Down Under. Your host announces that there will be omelettes for breakfast and rabbit stew for supper. 2. Your birthday is the 24th or 25th of December and you're tired of sharing YOUR day with another, or worse it's the 26th and your name is Stefan. You're no martyr and tell everyone you're celebrating it this year at the end of October. But, alack, that weekend is booked at Beezlebub's Brew and the only date open is Monday evening, the 31st. You are warned that, like Cinderella, the party must end by midnight. 3. There was a witch sitting in the window. She looked lonely. You bought her and took her home. You were lonely too and spoke to her the whole month of October. She seemed to be a good listener, almost as if she could hear you. She was becoming more real every day. 4. Orange is not your color you remind me. Not neon, not sunset, not peach and most of all never pumpkin. It gives you nightmares. But I'm your therapist... I need to know why. 5. You love to bake and it's big-squash season. Which one will be sacrificed for supper? Will its friends hear of your plot before its too late? Do you suspect Buttercup, Butternut or Hubbard of betrayal? You haven't seen Acorn in awhile... These ideas are all available for anyone to "borrow". Really. "S30 44 degrees and cloudy this morning. It won't get warm. AQI is 11. Which is as good as it gets here. I need to rewatch Eclipse Ep. 8 1/4 as there's dialogue that would make a great prompt. I will buy groceries today. Need to recheck sales before I go. My mind isn't holding on to recent thoughts/memories. Saw Laxmi. She's going to Barcelona and will be gone this October. I'll see her in December. Sat with Jamie. Her first question, "Did you buy your tickets." She's leaving next Friday for Tennessee. I'll see her before I leave. Plaques will be up on the 10th for the bridge commemoration. Saw them today. Extra lunch. I got vegetarian. Spoke with the Indian cook. Groceries: hot dogs on sale. Got ground pork. Frozen Mists: Chill crept into my bones, fingers first, toes next, ears and nose reddened and ready to fall off. The hills were dun colored, the valley a dull gold. Everything seen as if through dirty glass, darkly. The day mirrored my thoughts. The ones that niggled at the base of my neck, reminding me that I had forgotten something... something... September was dying across the land. Oktober was grinning. Old Man. Needs to be put down... "Not till November" he whispered back. The voice in my head faded out. Like so many thoughts... just beyond my reach on the other side of a dusty mirror that reflected nothing back. Echo? Nothing that the fog hadn't heard before and refused to pass on. Ideas frozen in time, stored in a locked box, key lost, where I put it — forgotten. The Mists of Tymes... that would be the title of my next work... if I could work it out. Ebola: Hug me till we die. Eclipse: You pass in front of my window to the world leaving me in shadow, a pale reflection seeking to warm you, warn you, like moonlight sifting though the pine on a cold January night. How long do I have to die in these shadows. My embers still glow but weaken. I crave the cold fire of your embrace, the stark sunlight caressing me face. Even zombies want to live again. To Tina: "I haven't been well. Other than my blog, my writing has been sidelined. I'll be back in October, but there's little reason for me to be here at WDC. If I could export my entire portfolio I would consider leaving. I go to Thailand in November. I will take pictures, write, send postcards. Few will notice, fewer will care. K." S29 It will stay cool 60s today with some rain and wind. 56 degrees at 9. Ian may be over Florida but it ain't over till it's over, Carolina. I'm awake but nursing my first coffee. No infused wisdom yet. Sat with Angie and Billie Jo. Shared melon and a peach. I told Angie how concerned I am about BJ and myself. I'm okay at the moment. Listening to calming music. Ate a pork sandwich. Sipping another coffee. I should cut back. May be contributing to the jitters.I chose my seats on Asiana: SEA-ICN 24C Aisle. It's a very long day flight with little to see until we fly over Japan. ICN-BKK 76D Aisle. 2nd tier, long flight after dark. Middle has 4 seats... if I get lucky... BKK-ICN 82A Window. 2nd tier, long flight after midnight. ICN-SEA 34H Aisle. Long 'sunset' flight. Upper cabin is quieter... they say. We'll see. I was very nervous because I didn't want to get assigned a seat. Usually I choose the aisle on long flights. Seat pitch is 32-33 on Airbus 350-900, 33 on 380-800. 18" shoulder. Inches matter. Seats may be hard, but Asiana is a classy airline. I wanted to fly ANA! The EVA flights were better, but I had stressed enough and decided to do what I did. I now have one month to straighten out other issues. Like... find my camera.   On YCC: "I don't know Miami nor the specific situation. However, as a born and bred Bills fan, I can vouch that the region responds to tragedy. Every so often we would get buried and blown away by a blizzard (Cat 1 winds with ice) and the community always came together. Very generous people. My specific group sent money to Darlington after Hugo. It wasn't much but it was personal." YCC re 'the cone': "An analogy is election polling. People want predictions to be 100% correct and depend on black/white distinctions. People crave certainty. But life is a myriad shades of grey. And sometimes 10% wins... like 10% of the time." Thailand: Holify e-sim; Bolt; ATMs use bank (bank hours?). S28th Iansday Following Ian. I suspect Patricia in Naples will be impacted, even if she left. Beautiful day here. I feel okay... but I'm not. Details at some future time. I bought a ticket to Thailand... not happy, but I have until tomorrow evening to cancel. I didn't buy seats... and that's an issue. Fortunately Asiana has legroom. S27 MattMo at YCC: Darwin smiles... 11 am here and 59 but warming. Will get hot. Felt good this morning. Kit'z Higher Ratings Contest - Second Place - August, 2022  "Oubliette" KohlRabi: "I was a keeper, they said. A real keeper, they said, as they put me in the Crisper and then forgot me." Very stressful trying to buy tickets. Time is running out and websites won't let me buy my preferred flights. I'm mourning by eating hummus. Feeling weak... must lay down in spite of it being too warm for a nap. Forgot it was Tuesday and my last chance for peaches... so out I went. Too late. They were sold out. Next year. I bought some small hard green pears. Just frustrated. I wanted to have this trip planned... maybe later tonight if I feel better. S26 At YaleClimateConnections re Hurricane Ian: HiWay: I fear the "now" culture and "prove it" culture may be problematic with this storm and getting people out of danger. Me: "Now" and "Prove it". Spoiled and skeptic, maybe ODD. I fear you may be right. Montana 50 degrees at 9:09. Pleasant day forecast but my nerves still rattled. So I'll go to God's Waiting Room and see if I can work something out. Now? Shower and get ready for the day. I've had one cup  .Can't complete a sudoku = mental slipping. Sat with Kathy, Laxmi... Tried to work on flights... again... slippage. Fog eating = not good. 80 degrees at 5 pm. My take on Typhoon Noru: "Looks like it's a tad SW. DaNang would be on it's north and wet side. Mukdahan in Thailand is probably in its path. As is Suvannakhet, Laos. It should be in Suvannakhet early Thursday morning (Wednesday afternoon in the US). Forecast is strong south wind at 2 am. and strong NWN wind at 8 with a light breeze at 5 am." PeterTakesPictures @YCC: "Well this is all a bit too much for me, and I'm tired, so I'm off to bed. Hope I don't wake up to something super-grim and that surprise exclamations of "Dry air!" "Rapid weakening!" "Unexpected cold eddy current!" "Ian's mother-in-law's in Tampa and he's decided to head back out to sea!" greet me, or something. Still a few surprises left in this one, I'm sure." Speed Cubers: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/more-people-should-watch-this-surprisi... Leaving America: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-case-for-leaving-america-to-escape-racism/... LGBTQ: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/cuba-legalizes-same-sex-marriage-in-histori... Ukraine: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/top-diplomat-warns-russian-army-of-trojan-h... Racism: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/karens-and-beckys-put-on-the-spot-in-n... Theocracy: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/iranians-are-ready-for-a-different-approach... Inequity: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/what-i-want-brett-favre-to-know-about-poverty-... Pro Plastic?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/why-bag-bans-are-nothing-but-absurd-virt... Julia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_(Beatles_song) LGBTQ & book bans: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/christian-woman-claiming-to-speak-for-god-and-... 6077 |
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. That's good, right? Or did you just list those checked? 
