Raincharm’s Weblog

Service – I heard a definition this morning = Helping with no expectation of being thanked.

I had never thought about the difference. Helping and being of service had been more of a spontaneous vs planned. But the addition of this bit feels right.

I walked to and from today.
To and from a dentist appointment (all of us to and from) – about 5 blocks each way.
To and from a meeting – just under 5 miles each way.

I noticed that older folk (lets define old as over 30 years) are much more likely to acknowledge you and return a pleasantry between walkers. This includes individuals, couples, groups, homeless individuals and buskers. The younger are not as likely to even visibly note your presence. In the hustle and bustler or quiet morning, this noticing of others keeps us human.

Busy day in the city today.  Soccer Match at one stadium at noon. Baseball game at the adjacent stadium at one. Torchlight parade tonight. Many years ago (about 16) Ashlan and I were in the Torchlight parade, Ashlan as the Potty Princess, riding her throne with a plunger scepter. I only mention this because it is worth remembering. Princess Ashlan!

I usually don’t shop.
I don’t like to shop.
I don’t enjoy the shopping experience.

I have been to Costco 3 times this week.

I can’t quite recall what was so important that I had to go the first time.
Oh yeah – Toilet Paper.
And while I was there – Kleenex (yes the brand – I think), ground turkey, and some other assorted items.
And I looked at a suitcase, and being an over-analyzing green – did not buy it.

So – trip number 2 because $40 is really cheap for a suitcase and maybe it will hold up for a few years, and Ashlan really wants one with wheels.

And – Ashlan really likes it and doesn’t want to have to share it with me.
And – the bungee cord things on the outside really don’t look correct.

So – trip number 3 to get a few assorted items and suitcase #2, check out the display bungees to see whether suitcase #1 is a dud, (and it is). So after purchase of suitcase #2, deposit new purchases in the car, grab suitcase #1 from said car, take it to returns, get cash, stuff cash in right pocket, back into store for suitcase #3 (#1b?), purchase with said cash from the right pocket, and back out to the car.

Not too bad, and both suitcase #2 and #3(1b) appear to have good bungees.
I think I will have Ashlan test the zippers when she gets home from work.

A2 3-Day walk update.

Got up relatively early, and managed to get myself out of bed.
Up and Out do not necessarily occur at the same time.
Lunch made by faithful partner.
Recycled and composted (not the lunch – yet)
Primary carpooler on vacation, so head off solo
EAGLE sighting on the bridge.
There was something on the opposite sculpture, but I could not safely check them both out.
Work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work.

Oops – forgot lunch. We had a barbecue today. Yummy burgers and dogs, salads, pickles and chips.
My only problem had been one of the works intruding into my lunchtime.
Took a call at 11:50, which ended around 12:20. Hmmmm. At least there was plenty of food.

Finally decided that everybody else had the correct idea and left work.
Had so much fun at the big store Monday that I went back to get an item I had fretted over last time.
Not fretted so much as couldn’t decide.
This time I found one more item I thought would be good, but only had cash, and only so much cash.
Maybe a third trip to the big store this week.

Big purchase was a suitcase. Trip coming up later and our group of suitcases has been dwindling as younger members leave the roost.

Finally home and … well I’m home.

One of my chores today was to go to CostCo.
I was planning to go after work, which was to end with a short meeting.
Like many plans …. they are nice, but they are just plans.

The short meeting went long, and I had a letter to finish afterward as well.
So about 7 it was finally time to leave.
CostCo? When do they close anyway?
Turns out it is late enough that I can still go – whoo-hoo.

Costco at night is a different animal than my normal weekend jaunts.
First impression is not as crowded.
Second impression is several parents trying to squeeze in one more chore (like me) with their toddlers on the last bit of energy they have – and that energy is being discharged all at once.
Third impression – it is not so bad to check-out.
I would do it again rather than a Saturday run.

But – I was a little tired and could not find my list.
I do think I got everything on my list (that I could find)
I think know I got several things that were not on my list – at least not the list for today. I like to think I was just taking care of several chores that had been scheduled for other days and never accomplished.

Right now am watching a Video Tribute to Apollo 11.
Fun. I think it was about 8 years from President Kennedy’s challenge to the landing.
I hesitate to think what I can accomplish in 8 years. It seems so puny.

I have. I am leaving shortly to walk over to the walk.
Since I am walking 1 month before most people out here the “training schedules” are different.
The training schedules are not the only way to prepare, but they give a good idea of where you might want to be to be ready for the big walk. This is the big back-to-back weekend for Michigan. 18-15. I did a 17 yesterday, so pretty close. Today there are a bunch of 13 miles walks planned. I plan to walk to and from one of these to get my 15. 

Ashlan got to see the Chelsea v Seattle Sounders game yesterday with 60,000 plus other fans. It sounded like a great game. Sounders lost 0-2, but they were playing Chelsea, after all and they apparently put on a good show. It was also the openning day of Seattle’s light-rail line, which has a station by the stadiums. So the front page of today’s paper can feature both events without discrimination. I would like to have checked out the train yesterday, but it is only from downtown to the south so far, and we are north, and I was otherwise occupied anyway. In a few years it should be finished closer to our neck of the woods, and in a few more years – into our neighborhood. Patience, patience. I envision the day I can walk a few blocks and take the train all the way to the airport.

I just can’t seem to get my head straight and focused.

This morning started early (for me). About the same time it does every work day.
I had to be 30 minutes away at 6:45. Except I didn’t.
It was really 7:45. So instead of being 5 minutes late I was 55 minutes early.
But that provided the opportunity to call home and wake up everybody to confirm my mistake.

17 miles. Probably in the 80’s. Beautiful sights and some good hills. Everett was the venue, which was fun for me because I really don’t know Everett – so it was all new.

After I got home it is a bit fuzzy. There was food eaten, and then I flopped on the couch. And then there was some more food. And I really need a shower, but I haven’t managed to drag myself upstairs yet.

And tomorrow is going to be a repeat of today – except I hope to get my times straight, and not be such a basket case after the walk (planning on 15 miles).

If I reasonably survive this weekend I will think I am on the right path to getting the 60 miles done.

I have way more work to do than I can.
Today I am having a harder time focusing on the way more.
My mind keeps wanting to step outside the window.
I bring it back in and say – do this thing! And I do that thing.
But the things have been short in scope and generally focusing on cleaning the way for the bigger thing.

Perhaps a walk outside will satisfy the need. And let the thinking turn inside for the afternoon.

Oh – and I am wearing Pooh socks. Maybe they are infected with an outside virus.

Carl’s in the back yard, making room for his trip to Portland by working the morning shift removing turf* from the back yard.
Ashlan is still in bed, making room for more Z’s before getting up at the last possible moment to get to work**
Jay is biding time, waiting for a ride to get to work at the last possible moment before the never ending series of meetings and way behind projects begin for the day***

* Calling the stuff in our backyard turf is stretching the imagination. There were more moss layers and weeds than blades of grass. That is the reason for ripping it up.
** Ashlan is resting up for the drive to work in the OLD car, since Carl wants the NEW car for the drive to Portland. If she were to try and help Carl she would have had to have been up hours ago – due to the need to shower after spending any time at all working in the back yard (dust-dirt-sweat) [OLD & NEW are of course relative terms. The oldest family owned car (not included in this discussion) is actually the newest owned family car.]
*** Jay is not out helping Carl due to the same reasons noted above for Ashlan, although some at work might like the visual verification that Jay actually knows how to do “real” work.

Well St. Louis seems to have done a fine job as host of the All-Star game.
The PRESIDENT throwing out the first pitch! Seattle didn’t get that done.

What St. Louis couldn’t do was bring home field advantage to the National League.
And, great as he is, Albert lost focus ever so briefly and it cost them.
[Our family holds a special spot for Pujhols in our baseball heart. Carl and the kids saw him in the minor leagues and recognized then that he was a man amoung boys.]

So here’s to the minor leagues. Fun parks, players going places, as Rey’s team says, “A nine inning vacation.”

OK – who has tickets already to the new Harry Potter movie? (Not the All-Star game I know, but some are making the choice to see Harry Potter instead of the All-Star game.)

We do not. I am kind of hoping it will have made it to the UP when we will be there so we can have a night out on the town. On the other hand, I don’t see Ashlan waiting that long.

We went out to a bar/restaurant to watch the Home Run derby tonight. It was on ESPN, a cable station. Since we do not have cable or DirectTV or Satellite or anything other than antenna
Tomorrow is the All-Star game. Since Pooh & Mark didn’t call us to say they had tickets the best we can do is try to watch it on TV.
I hear it is on FOX, a “regular” station.
Our FOX station was never all that great reception, but we could get it. But, with the new digital TV it is all or nothing. In our case FOX is nothing.

I plan to work on a better antenna than we currently have, but not before tomorrow.
We haven’t really missed Channel 13 yet, but it has more sports than most of our other stations.