Mon - K and I watched the TV miniseries based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel, The Mists of Avalon. Cool stuff.



Tue - worked late.



Wed - met up with coworkers at the Portland Airport. The parking garage has the coolest system for leading you right to available parking spots. We all rode out in a cab to visit a big local partner company all afternoon. Great group of folks there. Rode back to the airport, then took one of my coworkers to Jake's Famous Crawfish for a very good dinner. Dropped him off and was tempted to drop in on my friends at It's a Beautiful Pizza for live middle Eastern music (Michael Beach and Arabesque) and dance, but deferred and got home around 10:30, really wiped out.

Friday night was wiped out and I ate Kathryn's chanterelle/local organic lamb spaghetti, and visited the neighbor. I wasn't out late, tired from the previous half a night awake, so I got a good sleep in.



Saturday I geeked, did a little raking of leaves and branches, and went out to see Kleveland with friends. Kleveland is Stephanie Smith, Portland's local version of Joan Jett crossed with Patti Smith. Morgan Grace plays smoking lead guitar and (generally) backup vocals. It's good dirty garage/independent/punk/grrl rock. Along with friends I even danced on stage to a song. I got home about 3:30.



Sunday I slept in, read a bit from my Beijing travel guide, made scrambled eggs, toast, and facon (soy 'bacon') around lunchtime. I went out and finished my raking and burned a large pile of branches. Dinner was more spaghetti, and I'm about ready to take a shower, snuggle into bed, maybe watch part of a DVD on the notebook, and go to sleep.



My heart's broken at the moment but... I'm going to be okay. Friends are the best. Hugs are the best. Long thoughtful emails are the best. It's been a good reconnection. Family's got the love. An interesting job that pays great is a big help too.

So after the weekend travel plans were canceled (long story) I am on my own bumping around Portland with friends and family through Tuesday. It started out well with meeting a friend for some excellent Thai Curry at Thai Noon on NE Alberta. After that I went to Powell's Books on Burnside Avenue to pick up a couple books I am interested in. One is a travel guide for Beijing (work travel is coming!). Another was a Cognitive Psychology book a friend had recommended.



Uncharacteristically, I had no set schedule for the weekend so was taking my time reading sections out of various interesting books. Other folks came and went from my aisle. Another shadow approached from my right and I turned and looked over my shoulder. A fresh 40-year old woman's face famed in dark hair looked back at me. My eyes darted away for a second thinking 'that's funny... so familiar' and then looked back. We looked at each other in great surprise. "I know you!" I exclaimed. Warm hugs are the very best. "But I lost your name it is ..." and then I recalled it just before she spoke it.



She is a close friend of about ten years that I had not talked to in years on the phone, nor seen in five years, and had lost all contact with, through no bad intent -- things have just been complicated. I have spent days hanging out to talk with this friend in the past. There was so much to catch up on and both our lives have been roller coasters. Oddly enough, we both had no set schedule for the day. True to the old form, chatting over coffee turned to sitting on her couch, to dinner, to more talking, I crashed on her futon, and then we went for brunch and more talking. It is so fulfilling to have reconnected with my friend, and I am delighted she is making Portland her thoughtful, reverent, peaceful home for at least the next year or two. For at least that time, we can keep talking.



I am so grateful.



Plans for today are to catch up on my Visa processing documentation and a few minor things for work, then off to see my Mom and/or Brother.

The cell phone that went in the clothes washer last night is still nonreactive, despite spending the evening in ICU warming atop my Netscreen VPN (the warmest network appliance in my office). I'm still holding out some hope but that's fading.

Hung out with friends on Buy Nothing Day (Friday) although I admit K and I went to the grocery store for a few 'normal' sundries. The point being we did not buy gifts for people who don't need them. It was nice to make some new friends, see some old friends, eat interesting snackluck items, and share my home brew with a few who enjoy it. After a few hours I was ready to come back home though.



Speaking of beer, much of Saturday was devoted to brewing a Chocolate/Espresso Stout. It's going to be interesting. I'm brewing it because a beer-loving friend whose nickname is javaqueen loves beer. She had a baby this year, so it's called Java Baby Brew. I'm not sure that my London Ale Yeast is viable - it didn't inflate the smack pack, so K's going to pick up some new yeast for me Monday when she's in town. I also took the opportunity to move the Saison into glass carboy - it is still perking - and finally cleaned most of the burned residue off the bottom of the 7.5 gallon stainless steel pot that serves as my kettle.



K summoned the energy today to help sort medical and drug receipts for reimbursement, but that's about all she's had energy for since Friday's outing. :-( It was a gorgeous Fall Day so I went out and picked up branches that I'd swept into piles on Thanksgiving Day most of the way down our road. The pile is ready to burn and is taller than I am and about six feet wide.



The contractors doing the under deck roofing system ran out of materials Friday so they'll be back tomorrow. Fortunately they are working on the other side of the house from me so the noise will be less than it was last week.



I need a massage, my back is sore. Maybe next weekend? It's been nice to mostly be away from the computer the last four days.