Raincharm’s Weblog

Our excellent adventure is off to a rip roaring start.
While printing boarding passes last night, we discovered our flights had been changed. Instead of flying through Memphis, and arriving at 7, we are flying through atlanta, arriving at 9:30.
So we have walked 1 block, taken a bus (missed the correct stop, ending up walking another few stops), took the light rail, and finally the flight to Atlanta.
We are cooling our heels, waiting an hour and a half, to try and get Carl a seat assignment.
Together would be nice.

Yesterday at noon I walked, and came across this baby bird, both leaving and entering the work site. My knowledgeable work-mate decided it was a redheaded sapsucker. When I collected by phone from my office, and went back out, the bird had decided to take a nap.

Sleepy bird

Until I took the picture – and woke it up. 

A little annoyed at being woken up

That was supposed to be , “just a moment.” This week has included multiple 12 hour work days, and I have not had the energy once I got home to blog. I managed to haul myself down to the bicycle this morning, and in true multi-tasking fashion, am peddling, listening to the morning news, and posting this little post on my little phone.

News right now is about the Ft. Collins fire. I think I should be hoping for rain in our upcoming visit.

Well, since the last post things have been busy.

For me – one word can describe the last few days.
WORK.

That is where I am right now as well, but I get to talk a few minutes to bring you up to date on our life.

I love the days leading up to summer.
I was driving home Thursday night between 8 and 8:30, and the sun was still over the horizon.
Yesterday (Friday) night I was driving home around 9 and the sky was still light. And just lit the clouds and sky with gorgeous colors. Not the striking lines, but a diffused glow. (Sorry, no pictures. I was driving.)

Carl missed the sunset.
He was at a Mariners game.
Oh – and it was a No-Hitter.

Second time the Mariners have been involved in a no-hitter this season.

BUT THIS TIME THEY WON.

I had been listening to the game at work, but not paying too strict attention.
I knew it was 0-0.
As I got into the car, the announcers were noting that the Mariner pitcher, Millwood, looked like he was going to leave the game – at the start of the 7th inning. Obviously some sort of injury.

While waiting for Furbush to warm up, I was sure the Dodgers were going to jump on the change.
And with a 2-base error to start the inning, I was even more sure.
Good thing I am a poor prognosticator.  

Carl called from the bullpen area in the 8th to try to get word to the seats to put on the Wilhelmsen helmets. I think they got the text, but were too superstitious to change anything, including their head-dress.

And for whatever reason – it all worked, and 6 pitchers combined for the win including:

• Millwood – the veteran, who did the bulk of the work, only allowed one base-runner – a walk to the first batter he faced.
• Furbush – started with a 2-base throwing error, but recovered for 2 strikeouts
• Pryor – got the win after only one week in the majors, was in AA at the start of the year, (played against Rey’s team). Finished the 7th, but issued 2 walks in the 8th to make it interesting.
• Luetge – Sac bunt – hey, an out is an out.
• League – Got some help from Figgins to keep the base-runners at 2nd and 3rd, followed by a key strikeout of Gwynn.
• Wilhelmsen – the former bartender and helmet (drop the horns and add a nasal) fan got the save.

OK – I wasn’t at the game, and following the re-cap will help me when folks ask me about the game. (They often assume I am aware of all things Mariner.)

Back to playing with numbers.

This evening we took an hour and went to the MOHAI (Museum of History & Industry)Farewell Montlake event.  You see the museum is moving from near University of Washington to south of Lake Union – in a historical Armory building. The museum is in kind of an out-of-the way location right now, but that is not why it is moving. The rebuilding of SR 520 (or one of its ramps) will wipe the current building off of the map. The new location is in an area that is developing with bio-tech and high-tech now. Amazon is one of the newer residents, after relocating from south Seattle.

Today we were allowed, within limits, to wander into the rooms where they prepare exhibits, and store off-exhibit items. It was kind of fun, and we got to see what a real packing operation looks like. (Our packing is strictly amateur.)

Let’s start with the building itself.

Drinking Fountain with an attitude

For the airplane builder in the family.

Boeing’s original Builder

Another pic that reminded us of the St. Louis contingent.

A true Big Wheel

You never know what you might find hanging in the basement.

For drawing really big circles

The tree belonging to this slice started growing in 1177.

700 plus year old tree slice. Born in 1177.

Close-up of the bark

A bit of the bark – really thick bark. (Can bark have growth rings?)

This is what packing should look like.

Feel like Indiana Jones? (Boat steering wheel)

This is what packing does look like.

Ok – I’m history.

I figure I have been doing mental exercises today, because I am mentally exhausted.

Without details, and you may not realize how hard that is for me, this is my day:

• Payroll processing
• Public records request
• Rate complaint
• Short notice leave request
• Board member phone message
• 5 hour meeting on the Sewer Comprehensive Plan
  • Model results
  • operational issues
  • demand projections (aaaaaaagggggghhhhhh)
• Payroll processing
• Paint color for the building outer wood (fascia, etc) from the original specification in 1996. (Yes I found it in ❤ minutes)
• Payroll processing – finally finished, so I can come to work safely on Friday
• leave request
• service request information
• lunch order for tomorrow

And I am ready to go home.
I would like to get some of my work accomplished (demands), but I think it is not to be today.
Maybe I can fit in some physical exercises.

The title is a bit misleading.
This weekend was errands/chores focused, but we did not do some heroic amount of chores.

Yesterday was focused on errands that required travel.
Today has been focused on chores closer to home.

For instance, I managed to pare 25 years of financial advice and records into 9 inches of file space. And it is more or less organized. I’ll bet I could have reduced it by a few more inches if I had the energy to really understand a few of the reports that I decided to keep.

We also reduced the house load by sending the violin to the east coast.
This lightens the load in the house only incrementally, but more importantly will mean that the sound of music may be heard again.

Carl managed to get the lawns mowed, despite the boot.
He also found a wasp nest growing in a kid’s playhouse in the back yard.
This will lead to an assault later this evening – step one in getting the house back for small human’s use.

The rhododendron files also continue.

Of course, focusing on home work meant that work work took a back seat for a few days.
Not my original plan, but plans are meant to be changed. (And I won’t feel the backlash until tomorrow.)

And our life returns to its routine normal.
More or less.
Work, for both of us.
Getting things done that need to be done. (Why do so many revolve around the computer? I seem to sit at a computer all day at work, and then when I come home I am right back in front of a computer again.)

And as we are doing, Carl announces – “There is a parade going by.”

Sure enough – part of the tribute to those killed at a neighborhood cafe.
Just about then I was getting to checking e-mail, and there was an e-mail from our neighborhood group telling of the planned Walk of Love.

[Just ate some blueberries, cabin thoughts]

Work is actually kind of exciting, but scary. I have a general path of what I need to do over the next week, the energy to attack, know there will be some obstacles that I have not foreseen, and I have foreseen one that will require some creative thinking.

That said – time to go upstairs and paw through about 100 files for 200 numbers.

And – not to ignore baseball (that is our life), two days ago (maybe 3), the Mariners scored 16 runs in the first three innings! They won 22-8(?). Against the division leading Rangers. Apparently it is easier to hit home runs at their ball park than at ours.