Raincharm’s Weblog

The family gathered together at Steve’s house on Sunday to be with Bob as he left our current realm. It was very peaceful. We sat, held his hands, and the brothers shared family stories.

The formalities started yesterday, and will likely continue for a while. We are planning to move the remainder of his things out of the assisted living facility on Wednesday.

And because this trip was not planned well in advance, I am trying to keep up with a bit of work. There is actually a fairly important and pivotal meeting next Monday, and I am not yet prepared.

And we are also trying to locate a place in a memory care facility for my SIL. Full time eyes are now required, and for her safety and the health of those who have been caring for her, this is a necessary step. We are trying to help with phone calls, gathering information and… paperwork.

And now this

This is Colorado, so it’s not too out of character, but really!?! It is wet, so it has been melting on the roads. It is just more bothersome visually when driving. Yesterday, thankfully, we did our driving while it was light out, so it was easier to spot the turns on our way hither and yon. We are out in the rural area, streetlights are not common, and driveways are here and there.

We were fortunate to have found an Airbnb about 15 minutes from Steve’s house. It is a cute, compact and comfortable place. Lots of light.

Time to squeeze in a little work before shifting gears back to family.

We embarked on a barely planned trip today, and tonight we are feeling the effects of travel.

We flew, although discussed driving as a viable alternative. Carpooler came through again and dropped us at the airport. Since the tickets were obtained less than 24 hours before flight time, we were at the mercy of the air gods for seats. They winked in our direction and we scored seats together. Back of the plane, but together.

Relatively short flight, with only normal turbulence landing in Denver. The next travel form was a shuttle bus to get to Fort Collins. Again, due to the late booking, we were put on the 3:50 shuttle, even though we were in time for the 2:50. But hoping for an empty seat on the earlier bus, we hung out at the stop. And scored two seats.

Again because of the late booking we were not able to get the mini shuttle to the hotel. So, arriving at the Harmony Transit Center, the next vehicle to find was an Uber.

Honda Odyssey to the rescue! Finally at the hotel we contacted Carl’s brother Steve for the ride to his house. And finally able to see Carl’s Dad!

It’s been a long day, and we are happy to be here.

Sort of a guest blog, taken from Carl’s texts

And you still are.

Can’t wait to see you again. Have a great day.

Yes! Second Moderna is on board.

We’re hoping for a good tomorrow, and based on friend’s anecdotal tales, we have a 50/50 chance. To prepare for the potential day in bed we got some deli chicken soup. It’s good soup, so even if we’re not feeling poorly, we have a good meal. And, because we were at the deli, pastrami sandwiches for dinner tonight.

So it is 2 weeks until we are considered fully vaccinated, and will allow ourselves grace to be more out there. We have tickets to our Mariners Opening Day on May 14th.

After that who knows.

In other goings on, work continues to be continuous. There is no end in sight, just mileposts along the way.

We are also involved, but from afar, in the latest travails of Carl’s father, Bob. He’s been having various ailments that pile on top of each other. Carl’s brother is doing a yeoman’s job of trying to manage the situation. Not helping is the Covid spike that stretches medical resources to the limit. This impacts others that don’t have Covid, but could benefit greatly from resources being siphoned to deal with the pandemic. And a bit of ageism may be in play. It seems that being older is not a positive mark in your column.

On to tomorrow.

I am sharing pictures of the sisters yard/gardens from today. A little different from the tour we had just days ago. Separated by 500 miles (8 hours by car), the weather is similar.

Ours, on the other hand, has not changed.

Not much else to report. We walked for takeout from a Vietnamese restaurant about 10 blocks away. The short blocks. This particular restaurant opened a few years ago when we were in the middle of a remodel, living in an apartment across the street from the restaurant. We remember the grand opening, complete with costumed dancers.Grand opening blog

We held a sisterly zoom yesterday and the youngest gave us a tour of her garden. In bloom through just testing the weather.

So, here is my somewhat abbreviated version of the current garden.

Now, back to work!

Carl has been out and about. I have been working.

That is the essence of our lives, and especially mine right now. We are managing, and I am not sure if the weather is helping or hurting. It is gorgeous. A bit windy at times, but I am sure it is in the 60s this afternoon. I am on a work break, and plan to go back to try and complete the final 4 draft slides for a presentation on Monday. That may sound like I am ahead of the game, but it needs to be reviewed by my boss…..

I noticed this nice red area a few nights ago, just in time to read an article about such occurrences. The article suggested it was a good sign, showing the body at work. But wow, what wrinkles. I hadn’t had time to apply the spackle yet.

There have been a few walks along the way, but not enough given the weather. Signs of spring in Seattle.

We ordered tamales from Frelard Tamales and they were delivered today. Most are in the freezer, but I intend to steam a few to enjoy tonight. And they delivered flowers along with the food!

Speaking of which, it is time to start dinner. Carl does the bulk of the food prep, but I am up tonight.

Carl has been working in the backyard. I have been working.

So we are taking a break on the deck. 52 degrees (feels like 58). Nary a breeze, and lovely.

This few hour interlude will be my weekend. Work is far too demanding now for much more. The weekend provides time to catch up on the, “not the primary focus, tier one”, work. This is more individual customer centric, rather than policy based. Ah yes, customers.

I am actually okay with this. I know what moratoriums are like. Much more work than not. Been there, done that, and now experiencing PTSD.

In other news, we watched Under the Skin last night, starring Scarlett Johansson. I had not read much before, and it was a little off the beaten path. But I did find myself trying to puzzle out bits afterwards, so it did engage my brain.

Now for the mundane, yard waste and recycling to the curb. Garbage can wait.

Carl has been working in the backyard. I have been working.

So we are taking a break on the deck. 52 degrees (feels like 58). Nary a breeze, and lovely.

This few hour interlude will be my weekend. Work is far too demanding now for much more. The weekend provides time to catch up on the, “not the primary focus, tier one”, work. This is more individual customer centric, rather than policy based. Ah yes, customers.

I am actually okay with this. I know what moratoriums are like. Much more work than not. Been there, done that, and now experiencing PTSD.

In other news, we watched Under the Skin last night, starring Scarlett Johansson. I had not read much before, and it was a little off the beaten path. But I did find myself trying to puzzle out bits afterwards, so it did engage my brain.

Now for the mundane, yard waste and recycling to the curb. Garbage can wait.

Pictures of various celebrations running the gamut.

A rather tired day. Largely due to limited hours of sleep. A restless night, including the Easter Bunny delivery in the wee hours of the morning. And a long walk mid-morning. A very nice walk, and thankfully out and about before the tiredness really arrived.

Chilling now, watching soccer and generally relaxing.

And because sports, what a basketball game last night with Gonzaga pulling out the overtime win with a halfcourt bomb. We were bouncing between the Mariner and basketball games, with both being recorded. There was a huge cheer from the Mariners crowd, with no baseball play, so we bounced back to basketball to see for ourselves.

Fun game, and a hope for Gonzaga on Monday. I recall several years ago when they were a Cinderella team making a run. Maybe this year the shoe will fit.