Monthly Archives: October 2026

October 21, 2026 – My Podiatrist and Lunch

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Today was a busy one for me. First, I had to drive an hour to visit my podiatrist in Vancouver, all by myself … (I must clarify that I didn’t have to go alone) … got there early, spent 10 minutes with my doctor, then drove another hour home. Max was delighted that I wasn’t gone very long. After returning, I fiddled around the house for a bit, then took Max out for lunch. We went through the Burgerville drive-thru where I got me their new garlic fries and a garlic hamburger, and Max got a regular single cheeseburger and a cup of water. It was a surprise for him because the only thing I usually get him is an ice cream cone once in a while.

We took our lunch downtown and ate at one of the many picnic tables scattered all over the place for the weekend events. It was fun to see how surprised Max was when I pulled out his cheeseburger. He was so surprised that he wasn’t sure it was really for him because I had to coax him to take bites. I took the patty out of the bun and broke it up for him, but he was still reluctant to eat it until I just ignored him. He was sitting on the table during all of this and it was interesting for the people, lots of them, passing by. That may have been the reason he was hesitant to nibble his patty. I offered him a fry but he declined.

After eating, we made our routine trip around town with him leading the way. When I let him choose the direction, I get to see new stuff which is fun for both of us.

After I got home, Jeff dropped by to visit for a bit. He was bummed because one of his old friends, and band members, lost his life in a car accident yesterday. Losing friends is difficult for everyone.

With that thought in mind, which I didn’t intend to think about, in a few days it will be a whole year since Diane left me alone. She’s been the focus of my attention every day so, though the days seemed to drag, losing her feels like it happened yesterday. It’s a very fresh memory that I’m sure will last forever. I’ve accepted the fact that she’s gone, and the kids divert my attention sometimes, but the truth is, in my head, it’s easy to believe she’s just off browsing around in one of the many thrift stores she loved to visit.

Then there’s this evidence that she’s gone where most of us want to go at some point in time.

I’m going to end on that positive note. I appreciate all my friends who have made my transition to being wifeless much easier than most people experience.

Please be safe, and alert when you’re on the roads out there. I’ve seen proof that there are many idiots out there.

October 13th, 2026 – A spooky day

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This is the view Max and I had from the banks of the Columbia River yesterday morning. The entire river was covered with fog, a sure sign that fall was elbowing it’s way into our lives. The temperature was under 40 degrees when we left the house which explains the fog layer. Still, we marched on, unafraid here in Halloween Town where spirits flit about freely. It’s true, they are everywhere.

A couple of days ago, I had an entire narrative to share, one that made sense (so me) but now that I have the keyboard under my fingers those thoughts are gone. That means it’s a typical day in River City.

Today I drove myself to an IHOP in Beaverton where I had lunch with 9 of my old PT Cruiser friends. At one point in time there were hundreds of us who participated in activities simply because we all drove PT Cruisers. It was quite a club. In time, over the years, the PT Cruisers were replaced by newer vehicles and the interaction amongst us shifted from the car to more personal levels based on friendship. We visit often.

I sat between Nelda and Linda while we ate so I was in constant trouble because I have a hard time controlling what I say and when I say it. Things just leap out of my mouth before I have enough time to consider the consequences of what I say. Thankfully, they are all older, like me, and forget current events quickly. We always have a lot of fun when we get together.

October 10th, 2026 – Nephilim Stuff & Tracie

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Today I watched a report on the Nephilim folks mentioned briefly in the book of
Genesis in the Bible. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s OK because I don’t know what I’m talking about most of the time. However, while watching the documentary some cogs kinda clicked into place causing me to form a few cognitive thoughts that I’m compelled to share with you now.

The Nephilim, according to various historical reports, were giants who lived with the masses on Earth a long time ago, like in the early BC’s, before the flood. From what I read about them, they were exclusively males and they reportedly found earthly women fair and decided to get some of them and have children. Sounds like a plan, right?

There are many references that call the Nephilim giants, but some of those are whittled down to meaning that they were very strong and aggressive, not necessarily physical giants. That doesn’t, however, actually mean that they weren’t. Therefore, since I have free will, I choose to believe that they were certainly larger than most folks they hung out with. I lean toward the reference that the humans of the time “looked up to them” which is definitely a reference that means the Nephilim were taller than the humans. You can read the link I planted in the first paragraph and make up your own mind. You also have free will.

During my deep dive into this topic my mind paid attention and I was able to put some actual thoughts to work. The first thought that came to my mind is that the Nephilim are still with us and the vast majority of them are members of the various basketball teams around the globe. The BB players who are married, are married to human females, as far as I know, and they are all looked up to because they are all pretty tall and aggressive.

I’ll leave this topic for you all to ponder and will move on to my friend Tracie if Shear Perfection.

Tracie was Diane’s barber for most of her stay here on earth, and I tended to pay her a visit whenever Diane told me to go. She always gave me a great haircut. Sadly, after today, none of you folks will have access to her services because she told me she was retiring on October 9th. That was yesterday. Then she told me she was working today which makes me wonder when she’s really going to retire.

I wanted to get her very last appointment before she retired, so I stopped by her shop last Thursday to see about that. She had Pastor Ingrid in her chair when I got there and that was a surprise. It’s always a good day when I see Ingrid. The best she could do was 1:30 pm later that day. I immediately entered that appointment into my calendar, and I added two alarms to ensure I wouldnl’t forget,

Sadly, again, I forgot about the appointment and my phone did me no favors by not reminding me as I directed. Therefore, I owe you a large apology, Tracie. I’m sure you were looking forward to seeing me later in the day, and I’m sorry I failed you. Please forgive me.

Now I’ll stop.

First, I must report a possibly disastrous situation regarding our dishwasher. I loaded it and put the soap in the little cup like I was supposed to. What I didn’t consider was the soap I used. Turns out it was some highly concentrated stuff that I thought was the right stuff. I’m here to tell you that this stuff can make a lot of bubbles.

What a mess.

October 3rd, 2026 – Halloweentown

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This is the time of year that St. Helens, Oregon transforms into Halloweentown, reliving the fame the city gained from the Disney movie of the same name. If you have time to see the movie you can get a look at much of downtown St. Helens, but you wouldn’t recognize it. It’s better in person. Bring the kids.

The centerpiece for this event sits in courthouse square.

Yes, Max peed on the Giant Pumpkin.

There are lots of decorations in the square which is a nasal overload for Max. He spends a lot of time sniffing stuff, even the stuff he’s sniffed before. This stuff only comes out once a year so he has to test all his smells against the history of smells stored in his little dog brain. Every once in a while he’ll expel a puff of air through his nose to clear the air, I suspect, so new aromas can be readily detected. I’m guessing, of course, because I have no idea how a dog’s nose works. I just know Max puts his nose in a lot of places I would never consider, like a litter box, or a large hole in the ground that obviously harbors a giant rat who’s ready to tangle with anything. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened, yet.

The taxicab used in the movie is still here,

Yes, Max has peed on those sacred tires.

The marina was masking under a sunny day.

Max is always on guard.

That was our morning.

Just before lunchtime, Kathryn invited me to lunch. I was her second choice, which I understand, but Chuck left to go hunting. She picked me up and we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Warren Country Inn. Amanda was our waitress. She was a good sport.

After lunch I got comfortable in my recliner so I could rest up a little before supper. I’ll have to take Max around the block before that so I should be able to work up a little appetite. I’ll have to consider meal choices during our walk.

I’m taking time off for this tomorrow so maybe I’ll be back on Monday.

Stay safe.

October 1st, 2026

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Wow! It’s October already. If I’d have done this a few days ago I would have called it November 1st. That would be because I didn’t have clue about what day it was. I just knew that we were close to the end of a month. Obviously, what day it is for me isn’t important, even when I have an appointment for or something. Not having Diane around to remind me about appointments has proven to be a problem for me. I’ve missed a few things as a result. That’s just a guess because I really don’t know what I missed.

So, now I have to check my memory to see what I’ve done lately. That really isn’t important because I’m sure the majority of you are concerned about what I do. Last Monday I learned that there are people who read this thing that surprised me. I’m talking about the Bunco Babes that Diane used to pal around with. I’m sure I’ve mentioned them before but I’ll refresh your memory, just in case.

Bunco is a dice game. The Bunco Babes is a gang of 12 grown women, mostly, who gather to roll the dice at each other’s home, or chosen venue should one be needed. Each member sponsors an event throughout the year, and they have a long range plan that covers things to eat at each gathering. One thing that’s consistent is the games are played on a Monday. I’m not sure if it’s a specific Monday. like the 2nd Monday of the month maybe, or the third. It seems to change once in a while because, possibly, the host in charge might have to go shopping for one reason or another, or some other crises that can’t be averted. When it’s changed, it’s changed to another Monday.

The location changes sometimes, too. Like last month. Lydia used to play with them as an alternate but has stepped into Diane’s spot which means playing here, where we live, would seem like the logical place, right? Well, it was originally scheduled to take place at Jennifer’s home but something came up that required a different place. Jennifer, Lydia’s Mommy, asked if they could moved it to the house Lydia and I live in and I wondered why it wasn’t planned to be here in the first place because Lydia was technically the Bunco Hostess last Monday. It’s not like I’ve been displaced, in my own home, a number of times over the years but I never minded because there was always fun stuff to eat. That, and Max loves all those ladies and I really think he can read a calendar, knowing that they are playing somewhere and would eventually wind up here. He’s particularly fond of Dominique who is not afraid to get on his level so he can rearrange her makeup. They are best buds after knowing each other for the last few years.

Dominique is the lady who mentioned that she hasn’t seen any new posts recently which surprised me because I’m terribly unaware of who reads this stuff. So, having missed a few days without a post gave me motivation to ensure I won’t go for such long periods of time without publishing something. Not doing it was easy. Now I’ll have to work on something every few days that’s worth the effort. That’s the hard part.

Most of what I write is gibberish and I’m humbled that there are people who enjoy it. Going forward with this plan means I need a replacement editor. Diane was my editor for everything and not having her here is difficult and I’m tempted to just write it and publish it without reading it over. Once it’s done, it’s done. Simple. But. Lydia said she would do it so that’s good. She remembers stuff and can help me fill in the gaps. I’ll be curious to see how long she can endure this responsibility.

Downtown St. Helens is putting on it’s Halloweentown garb. You should visit us.