A Day Like All Days

Headed down to CC Attle's for the Men's Chorus cast party. I drove to South Everett instead of Northgate because there was a Mariners game followed by a Sounders match so I figured Northgate garage would be full. A curly-haired, golden-brown dude in a mesh tank top, with a thick black beard and interesting ear jewelry, boarded at Roosevelt and stood directly in front of me. He reminded me of Carlos from Chile who I see on Facebook and Instagram all the time. He left with me at Capitol Hill Station but turned the opposite direction toward Cal Anderson Park.

The party got underway not long after I arrived. Alex D. ("I'm not 22 anymore, I'm 25") was there with Jonathan H. and the three of us carried on an interesting conversation about cybersecurity and IT in general. I also chatted with Michael "Bear Bait" Penhallegon about reviving the Northwest Bears' 501(c)3 status with the help of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who already have that status. I sent email to TJ introducing him to Michael. When I returned to the party I had a chat with William who I was discussing LA with at the Coffee Social and found out that while he uses his full name on Facebook, he goes by his middle name Scott in casual conversation. Late in the party the topic of marriage equality came up, and John Bullwinkel said he was not in favor of it because in his experience it's for "rich gay men who need their tax deductions" - I could have responded "Hey! I resemble that remark!" but it wasn't worth it. John is 10 years older than me.

After the party ended I went over to buy a bag of Dick's (two Deluxe burgers, fries, and a chocolate shake, washed down with Diet Coke) and eat it in the park. While I ate, a dude in a purple cape with a fake sword was standing at the fountain ranting about how he was going to marry Greta Thunberg and run for President in 2024 to save the world from climate change. He was going to assume the name "Eireann Go Bragh" (yes, he spelled it out; otherwise I would have used the anglicized spelling "Erin"). Afterwards he lowered his voice to speak with some new disciples. I stayed in the park to let dinner settle before heading home. I considered going to the Capitol Hill Block party to see Duff (who was working security), but not for $100 and change. I also considered going to Diesel to see if Matthew showed up, but one, I was also feeling like I could fall asleep before he arrived; and two, my knees were telling me not to walk any further than necessary.

As I boarded the train at Capitol Hill I noticed a hot young dude standing in front of me, wearing a white T-shirt, tight mint-green shorts, and white sneakers, and holding a bag of Dick's. I later noticed he had a three-day wristband for the Block Party. The train was standing-room-only from Capitol Hill to Brooklyn, where I managed to find a seat. At Roosevelt another dude squeezed through the door at the last second to exit, checked his pockets, squeezed back in, didn't find the missing item, and finally left. I was thinking like a cat owner: "In or out?!?" Mint shorts dude rode the train with me all the way to Northgate, where he headed for the pedestrian/bike bridge across I-5. On the bus, there were many Mariners fans and a few Pokemon Go players including a small child with a Pikachu headband. The Mariners fans were very quiet so I didn't ask how the game went: Gary texted me they'd lost 3-1. When the bus arrived at South Everett I hopped in the car, picked up dinner for Gary at Burger King, and headed home.

SATURDAY
I woke up with Gary's alarm about 7:30 and noticed I'd slept better than the previous night. I showered and dressed and we had breakfast at IHOP across the street, then caught the train one stop to Pershing Square to meet our tour guide from the LA Conservancy. David is a nice-looking young black dude who works as an attorney and has lived in several locations near the area we were touring. Besides Gary and me, there was a middle-aged lady from Oregon and a tween-age boy from Arizona (guessing he's a member of her family on a visit). We walked around several blocks for about two and a half hours, visiting the Century Building, the Public Library, the Bunker Hill Steps (luckily there is a parallel set of escalators), the Angels Flight Railway (a short funicular connecting the Grand Central Market with the top of Bunker Hill), the Market itself, the Broadway theater district, the Bradbury Building (oldest commercial building in LA), and Biddy Mason Park (a reclaimed bit of land from the parcel owned by Mason, a woman of color who was freed by court order when her owner brought her from Mississippi to California, and purchased by her from the proceeds of her skills as a midwife).

The tour ended in the park; from there, we caught the bus to the post office to buy stamps for our postcards, and then returned to the Target mall (FigAt7th). We went down two levels to the food hall, and since I at least was more thirsty than hungry, we decided on Salata, a new conception of the salad bar. I asked for lots of fruit on my salad. We washed down our salads with Diet Dr. Pepper. After lunch we went upstairs to Target for shirts and socks, and I threw in a couple of bottles of cold Coke Zero because I was still thirsty. We walked back to the hotel, stripped down, and watched the tail end of the Portland Timbers at Seattle Sounders soccer match. (Portland won, 3-0.)

After filling out postcards, we left just after five to visit Sunset Junction where the opening sequence for Where the Bears Are was recorded. I forgot my phone and Gary couldn't find the mailbox to send the cards, but we managed to meet up at the train station. A few stops into the ride, a tall skinny dude hauled all his possessions onto the train, including a bicycle, a baby carriage, and a big suitcase. He was accompanied by a petite Asian lady who changed clothes right there on the train. They were still there when we left the train at Vermont and Sunset. We walked around the corner to catch the #2 bus a few blocks down Sunset to the Junction.

When we arrived, we noticed the sign was partially obscured by flowers and foliage, so I got pictures as best I could. Gary pointed out the original video was taken in 2012 or even 2011. Next we crossed the street for dinner at the Black Cat which was the site of the first documented LGBTQ+ protest in February 1967 (stemming from a New Year's Day raid). The place was busy but not crowded, and we were taken to a fancy banquette in the back. Our server, Edward, was rather cute, with longish tousled hair. Gary had steamed mussels and I had crab tagine (with crabmeat and greens piled high on a crusty slice of bread) and a rosé cider. As we prepared to leave, I noticed a cute cub exiting the men's room as I was entering, and we saw him again as we waited for a bus right outside the restaurant. (Gary, noting his lady: Oh, hell no.) The next #4 bus that arrived showed as "on detour" on the route sign. I asked if it was still connecting to the Red Line and, when the driver said it was, we boarded. As it happened, the detour consisted of traveling up Sunset instead of Santa Monica Blvd. So when we arrived at Vermont and Sunset, it wasn't clear where we would exit until the driver signaled a left turn on Vermont and then stopped on the far side of the intersection to let us off.

Our next destination was City Hall. We took the train from Vermont/Sunset to Civic Center and walked the several blocks to the iconic building. There was a row of tents pitched on the sidewalk on each of two sides of the park across the street from City Hall. I got a bit tired of walking, and discovered that the Silver Line bus stopped across the street from City Hall and again at Flower and 7th, which is where we would emerge from the subway had we taken the train. It was a slower trip but saved much walking.

When we entered the hotel lobby, Gary asked about dropping off the postcards to be mailed and the clerk accepted them; then he asked about getting more shampoo and body wash (we'd used all those that came with the room) and the clerk was unable to find any, but said housekeeping would deliver them to our room. The rest of the evening was spent packing up, watching the news, and preparing for bed by 11:30.

THURSDAY
I woke up about 6:30 to use the bathroom and went back to bed, waking up for the day about 9:45. We left about 10:30 for breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall bakery called Nazo's. A not-unattractive youngish black dude was having breakfast at a table outside on the sidewalk; as we ate, he fell asleep in his seat and was still snoozing as we left. I had an English muffin with bacon, egg, and cheese with a Snapple lemon tea; Gary had a muffin with sausage instead of bacon and a raspberry tea. From there we walked around the corner to Walgreens for supplies and souvenirs. A lady was having difficulty paying for her purchases so the cashier had to call for backup as the queue grew longer. On the way back to the hotel we cut through the mall in front of Macy's, which has a Metro station entrance on the lower level. As we exited the mall we stopped to take photos of the hotel marquee sign. We returned to the room to drop off our purchases and changed clothes. As we approached the elevator we were greeted by a cute cub and his buxom lady companion making their exit. Gary waited for the doors to close before the usual "Oh, *hell* no." I observed, "Neither one of them."

We returned to the Metro station via the mall and took the B (Red) line to Vermont/Sunset to catch the bus to the Griffith Observatory. The bus driver was on a break, eating her lunch standing by the fare box. When break was over she opened the doors and informed us the trip was fare-free. We arrived at the Observatory and got pictures with the Hollywood sign and took more pictures of downtown LA and the area around the Observatory from the terraces on the south side. My leg was acting up so we sat on the patio below the entrance level on the west. Then we explored the lower levels of the Observatory, including an exhibit of the solar system, before exiting upstairs and catching the bus back to Vermont/Sunset via Los Feliz. The bus was unable to negotiate a right turn on its route because of a multiple-vehicle wreck with a car blocking the intersection and a fire truck and police car arriving on scene, so we ended up detouring a block east for a couple blocks. As we approached our stop we saw and heard the ambulance headed for Kaiser Permanente hospital, across Vermont from the bus stop, from the accident scene. We descended into the station and caught the train back to the mall.

As we checked out the mall directory looking for some place to eat, the security guard was nice enough to point out that particular mall didn't have many dining options besides Starbucks and bar food, and pointed us to the mall at Target around the corner on Figueroa. We had a late lunch at California Pizza Kitchen: original chicken BBQ pizza and smashed pea soup for me and a chicken sandwich and tomato soup for Gary. From there we returned to the hotel to charge phones, change clothes, and catch the first few selections in the NHL draft (Seattle selected fourth, and their selection, Shane Wright, had been expected to be snapped up in the first pick so that was a pleasant surprise).

We left for Dodger Stadium about five, first taking the train to Union Station and then heading for the taxi stand on the west end of the station to catch the Dodgers Express. The first bus hadn't arrived so the queue wrapped around itself a couple times and made it difficult to find the end. Fortunately the first bus was followed by 6 or 7 more, so the line moved quickly and we boarded the third bus shortly afterwards. We ended up standing up front, behind a dude wearing an LA Pride jersey with uniform numbers in the colors of the Progress Pride Flag. The bus dropped us off behind center field and we walked around to the first base loge level entrance. Of course my suspenders set off the magnetometer but the security guard figured it out right away. We entered the stadium and immediately stopped by the team store so Gary could pick up a Brooklyn Dodgers hat to wear. I waited outside while Gary made the purchase and noticed the cute cubby dude behind him in line.

As we made our way around the concourse to our seats just the other side of home plate, we were stopped by a tall, older black man who asked about Gary's Batavia Muckdogs T-shirt. He told us his last name is Muckinger, and arranged for us to visit the historic exhibit on the club level upstairs, including the Vin Scully Press Box (we could see the sign but could not enter, obviously). Once we viewed the exhibit we found our seats and settled in. The team was hosting Filipino Heritage Night, so among the pregame festivities was a quintet called Filharmonic. The center singer (lead/tenor) was a simply huge, cute cub. The Filipino national anthem was sung by a tall young dude to a recorded orchestral accompaniment, followed by the Star-Spangled Banner sung to the organ accompaniment by a local young lady of Filipino heritage who is a singer-songwriter, and the first pitch thrown by a celebrity with outrageously long fingernails in high heels; somehow she managed to get the ball to the plate on a bounce.

The very first pitch thrown to the Dodgers was to Mookie Betts, who nailed it into the left field bleachers for a home run. This was followed by a two-run homer to the right-field bullpen in the second inning and a solo home run in the fourth, all for the Dodgers. The Cubs made their first score with a two-run homer in the fifth. Meanwhile, I got us Dodger Dogs and Diet Cokes; a foul ball landed the next section over (fortunately, no one was hurt); and Gabriel Iglesias (aka Fluffy) appeared on the video screen to exhort the crowd to Make Some Noise. The stadium took a very long time to fill because of traffic; the last two seats in front of us were vacant until well into the third inning if not the fourth. In the top of the sixth another foul ball landed the next aisle over, a little higher this time. Mookie Betts capped off his game with another homer over the center-field wall in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, Craig Kimbrel took the mound but couldn't make the last out in three attempts, so he was replaced after Chicago scored one more run. Finally, on the fourth attempt at "two strikes, two outs," the batter struck out and the game was over.

We stopped by the restroom then hurried to catch the return bus to Union Station. I found a seat near a group of 3 girls and a dude, chatting about Wordle the whole trip; Gary stood further back. We arrived at Union Station and caught the next Red Line train to the stop near the hotel; the mall entrance was closed so we walked around the corner. After ditching clothes and journaling, we went to bed about midnight while watching the game we had just attended replaying on TV.

SATURDAY
We left Everett about ten after ten Saturday morning after I passed my COVID test. It was raining off and on the whole way, until after lunch at the usual Shari's in Lacey it became a steady downpour. We stumbled upon a live broadcast of Philip Glass' opera Akhenaten on KING-FM and listened to most of it on the way; when the signal faded out south of Centralia, we switched to The Score on Oregon Public Radio.

We arrived at Mike, Pat, and JD's home just before three PM. Oliver the cocker spaniel was ultra excited to see new people. We sat and talked until dinner was ready at six-ish: homemade wings and delivered supreme pizza, washed down with home-brewed Chai tea. After dinner we watched The Lost City which was a laugh riot. During the film Oliver climbed up behind Gary's head on the back of the couch and parked there, so Gary used him as a pillow.

At the end of the movie Pat went to bed and Mike drove us to Winco Foods so I could pick up a bottle of distilled water. As we left the store an angry young dude was being denied entrance for some reason and responded by pounding on the glass and calling the store manager a "fucking faggot". I thought for a moment how humiliated this asshole would be having his ass kicked by three "fucking faggots", and told Mike and Gary so, but engaging him was clearly not worth the trouble.

We stayed up till 11 and then went to bed. As I was preparing to turn off the lights, Oliver opened the door and sneaked in to say good night; I shooed him out and Mike got him secured upstairs.

SUNDAY
I woke up about 6:15 to use the bathroom and catch up on my journal; there was puttering around upstairs. I went back to sleep at seven and woke about ten to nine. We had breakfast around ten and watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

After the movie we showered, and left with Pat and JD for the Rose Festival around one. We took Pat's yellow truck to the Parkrose transit center and caught the train downtown, exiting at Old Town/Chinatown. We walked over to the waterfront, passing a dude who was screaming and making sure to cross the street to avoid him. It was a long walk to the entrance, past a couple of false starts. The grounds were muddy from the steady rain the previous day. We found a table under the big tent and I went in search of lunch. I was served gyros and seasoned fries by a very young girl while an older man, presumably her father, cooked. The gyros meat was cooked on a grill with onions, which did double duty as Philly cheese steaks with Cheese Whiz on top. While Gary and I ate (Pat wasn't hungry and JD had eaten a churro), a tall dude in a preposterous yellow suit and matching top hat sat with us briefly and remarked on the hats we all wore. A cute ginger bear was working the African food booth next to the Greek place. Under one big tent there was an arcade with vintage pinball games and among the newer games a 4-player version of Pac-Man; and a country band playing of all things I Will Survive.

We exited the festival at the south end and caught the train to Washington Park and the shuttle to the Rose Garden. Along the way I noticed a sign that read No Skaterboarders. As we looked over the rose bushes, most of which weren't yet in bloom, we noticed the trees have grown a lot taller since 2001. The rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom though. We caught the shuttle back to the train station. On the platform there's a natural history exhibit based on the core samples taken during construction of the station. We boarded the train and quickly found seats further back in the car because, as some folks who boarded later exclaimed, "It smells like ass in here!" (Does he speak from experience?) As we approached Skidmore Fountain I thought the lady on the recording said "Skateboard Fountain" at first. The train runs between I-84 and a main rail line, with the freeway around the same level and the railroad in a ravine just north.

We arrived home just after six and had pulled pork, collard greens, cornbread muffins and a dessert made with Jello and orange sherbet. We sat and talked and watched Futurama until I went to bed about 10:30 because my back was sore from walking. Gary followed soon after.

MONDAY
I woke up about 7:30 to use the bathroom and decided to stay up for the day. Gary got up about 8:30 as I was ready to head upstairs. We watched the tail end of Independence Day part two, then switched to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Breakfast (around ten) was grits, sausages, toast, and blueberries.

Around noon Pat, Mike, Gary, and I bundled into Pat's truck and headed for the riverfront park in Vancouver. We were going to walk under the bridge but the trail was closed for construction, so instead we crossed the Land Bridge (over the WA 14 freeway) to Fort Vancouver. After exploring the remnants of the village outside the fort, we returned to the truck and drove through downtown Vancouver and by the later buildings associated with the fort including the barracks and Officers' Row. We parked about halfway down Officers' Row near the flagpole (at half-staff for Memorial Day) and bandstand (on which a group of children were playing), then walked to the visitor center (which was closed). We returned to the truck and drove back to the house for lunch. We had bratwurst, baked beans, leftover greens, and strawberries and whipped cream for dessert, around four, and left around 4:30.

The weather was much nicer for the return trip, and the only major traffic slowdown was passing the Tacoma Dome; even JBLM wasn't bad. We stopped by the Scatter Creek rest stop south of Olympia which was where we saw all the soccer fans on the way back from camping. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to Shoreline on the current tank of gas so I stopped at the Safeway on Martin Way in Lacey across from the usual Shari's; we didn't stop there for dinner because we had lunch so late. Instead, we ate dinner at BWW in Lynnwood and arrived home about quarter to ten. Gary called Mike to let him know we arrived safely and I texted Colleen since we spoke on the car phone as we approached Seattle.

WEDNESDAY, December 29th

I woke up about 6:30 to pee and went back to sleep, and got up with my alarm at 7:30. I let Gary use the bathroom first for a change, and we went downstairs for breakfast by 8:30. Gary spotted a nice-looking dude with a thick, light brown beard in line for breakfast and I spotted a South Asian dude with thick black hair and beard at a nearby table. We watched the morning news in the lobby proper and returned to the room to pack about 9:30.

By 11:30 we were checked out of the hotel and on our way to Colleen's. Sheila was also visiting and we had a nice conversation and lunch of soup and sandwiches, while Kate, Ryan, and Brynn played games and Ryan underwent a guided at-home COVID test (which was, thankfully, negative) due to an exposure on his basketball team. Brynn played with one of her Christmas gifts, a pair of doctor baby dolls with masks, a syringe, bandages, and other accessories. At one point she brought the dolls over for Gary and I to take care of.

About quarter to four we prepared to leave for the airport. We arrived just after 4:30, dropped off the rental car and walked the length of the terminal to the Alaska Airlines baggage check. A nice young dude assisted us with baggage and printed boarding passes for us (I've had lots of trouble with wi-fi in the security line for some reason). The security lines moved fairly quickly considering the number of passengers. We took our time getting recombobulated, of course, with Gary's boot and my CPAP and suspenders. We caught the train to concourse A, made a pit stop, and proceeded to the gate, where we got window seats and recharged phones while waiting for boarding to begin. Boarding started late because the flight was oversold and they needed volunteers to take a later flight.

Our flight attendant was a big balding dude with a pleasant tenor voice, while the forward main cabin attendant was young and cute, with a mop of thick black hair but clean shaven. During the safety briefing someone in the main cabin stood up so they paused until the wayward passenger sat down and buckled up. We were airborne just after seven. One of the engines made a loud buzzing noise from the start of the takeoff roll, which abated somewhat as we gained altitude. I watched the last episode of Home Town Takeover, pausing briefly as dinner was served. Gary had a fruit and cheese plate and I had Moroccan chicken. After dinner, the video stalled with about two minutes left, so I turned off the entertainment app, journaled briefly, and turned on some music. By the time we reached Spokane I had gone through one RGMC holiday concert and was well on my way through a second, which finished just before we landed. We had to stop on the taxiway for a while because the plane parked at our assigned gate had some problem that required it get hooked back up to the jetway after it had pushed back. It turned out to be about 45 minutes before we finally parked at the gate. We also had to wait quite a while for our bags, then caught the shuttle to the train station and were on the platform by 10:15, with the train arriving within about 10 minutes. At Northgate Station, Gary told me he'd spotted a dude with no shirt and no mask on the train. We took two elevators to street level and were pleasantly surprised to find a 512 bus waiting for us. The bus was nearly full but we managed to find seats in the front. At several stops passengers needed to leave the bus via the front door because of uncleared snow on curbs.

We left the bus at Everett Station intending to catch Uber home from there, but there were no drivers available. While I was calling cab companies without success, a couple of dudes asked Gary if the terminal building was open (it wasn't) and said he thought we were twins (in our black leather jackets and with our matching builds, no doubt) which Gary found amusing. Gary downloaded the Lyft app, which found us a driver on the second attempt. Meanwhile, a lady asked if we could set up a hotspot so she could get a Lyft or a cab via the wi-fi before her phone ran out of battery power. She managed to contact Yellow Cab just as Lyft found us a driver, and while the dispatcher doubted the road conditions would allow a cab to get her to Snohomish, a cab did come by and she had a chat with the driver before climbing in. Our driver, Michael, was very nice and helped us with our luggage. I told Gary the snow looked like typical Rochester snow, and Michael asked if I meant New York or Minnesota. As it happened, he's from Minnesota. We arrived home about twenty after one and were in bed around 1:45.

MONDAY, December 27th

I got up at quarter to six to pee, and got up for the day around 7:30 and shut off my 7:45 alarm. About ten after eight I decided to defer my shower to give Gary a chance to get ready for breakfast by nine. While we were eating we both spotted a large young bear with red hair and beard, wearing a shirt with very long tails. After breakfast we watched Good Morning Cincinnati on the big screen in the lobby and returned to the room for Let's Make a Deal and The Price Is Right. About halfway through the former show, I had to use the bathroom rather urgently and decided to shower while I was in there.

We left the room about quarter to one to meet Bob at the Outback Steakhouse in Tri-County Mall for lunch. We had a lot of catching up to do. Toward the end of the meal we exchanged Facebook contacts and afterwards got selfies outside the restaurant before parting company.

I texted Colleen about 2:30 to let her know I was on my way to the condo. She and Sheila arrived shortly afterwards and we took the grand tour of the place. Gary and I were especially impressed with the cleaning job on the basement carpet. While we were there, Colleen took a call from Kate and arranged for her to meet us at Sheila's house. We took some leftover paint out to the garage and Colleen locked up, then we went to Sheila's for coffee and sweets and a good conversation. Sheila's son Scott was packing up his car to leave for home in Kent, and eventually we had to move cars to let him out of the driveway.

Around 7:30 Colleen ordered Chinese takeout and she and Kate headed home, and we left in search of distilled water and toiletries in travel size containers which we found at a nearby Kroger store. We then stopped by Skyline Chili for dinner. When we returned to the room we watched the rest of Monday Night Football (Miami beat New Orleans at home, 20-3) and late local news, then Gary went to bed shortly before midnight, and I finished my journal entry and was in bed by about quarter after.

SATURDAY, December 25th

I heard Gary's alarm go off at 7:30 and we both rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up with my alarm at eight and went through my morning routine while letting Gary sleep in. About quarter to ten I woke Gary so we could get breakfast before the hotel breakfast bar closed at ten. I wore my red shirt with the message from Toto on it, which the lady stocking up the breakfast bar found hilarious. The selection was sparse, so we both had oatmeal and an English muffin, and I added a couple of hard-boiled eggs and coffee while Gary added yogurt, milk, and apple juice. There were two TV sets showing the CBS morning shows in the lobby, with the larger TV in the lobby proper running a couple seconds ahead of the one in the breakfast room. After we finished eating, I grabbed another coffee and we sat in front of the big screen to avoid the echo. Colleen texted me to invite us to Erin's for mimosas and burgers for lunch. We figured we would arrive shortly after noon, which would give Gary a chance to grab a shower and change of clothes before we left. On the way back to the room I noticed the young dude with dreadlocks, who appeared to be single-handedly running the entire housekeeping operation, popping up in the lobby and then heading up the elevator with another cart full of linens.

Once Gary was ready, we hit the road. When we arrived, Erin's whole family were there with Colleen, Rab, Kate, and Alyssa (the younger kids were with their dad). We had burgers and potato chips (mine were pickle flavored). Aiden showed off his new guitar amplifier and his new-to-him saxophone which was his dad's. Cam showed off his Christmas toys including a Mandalorian spaceship and a quadcopter. Luke was asleep when we arrived but Cam woke him up. Cam shocked everyone when I went to the bathroom and he knocked on the door and said he had to go potty (implying he was desperate to go) so I stepped back out and let him go.

We left around 3:30, following Colleen and Rab home to watch football; Kate and Alyssa arrived home shortly afterward. Dinner was homemade chili with shredded cheese and saltines. After dinner I realized I'd forgotten to take any of my medications, so I took my morning meds then and saved the evening meds for later. Colleen was expecting Steve to stop by after the movie he was attending with his family, but he told her the kids needed all their Christmas gifts assembled so he was busy. I texted James to see if he and Shib were available to meet while we're in town, but they had just arrived in North Carolina to visit James' grandparents (my uncle Larry and aunt Loretta) and aunts and uncles, and were staying there until New Year's. Zach from Portsmouth messaged me to wish us a Merry Christmas as well. In the first game the Packers beat the Browns 24-22, and in the second the Colts won over the Cardinals 22-16.

We left right after the second game ended, around 11:30. I watched the end of the Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion game show and turned to the Mavericks at Jazz basketball game after that. I had an extended session in the bathroom, tested, and took my evening meds with a chocolate milk and some Fritos. I watched the rest of the basketball game, which Utah won 120-116. Immediately after the game I headed for bed, about 1:30.

THURSDAY, December 23

I woke up about ten to eight to use the bathroom and went back to sleep for about an hour more, when my work phone rang twice. I answered and it was a wrong number as usual. Gary slept in but was awakened by the phone ringing. He got up and showered while I did my figure-four stretches in bed, then I got my shower and dressed. About eleven we had breakfast (more like brunch) at Bob Evans two doors up the road. The fellow who followed us into the restaurant, a blocky blondish dude in a mechanic's uniform shirt, made a remark about always waiting for a woman, which I suppose was a reference to his wife. We were seated fairly quickly and ordered our meals and drinks. I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, while Gary got an omelet with biscuits. When the food arrived, there were two servings of biscuits but no gravy. Fortunately the waitress figured it out almost before I asked, and soon delivered a big bowl of sausage gravy to the table. I ate the bacon and eggs first so I could fill the plate again with biscuits and gravy.

After breakfast we drove the short distance to campus and parked in a garage on Neil Avenue at Lane, near the new business campus, St. John Arena, and Ohio Stadium. As we walked around campus we saw a couple people wearing graduation gowns and caps having pictures taken in various places. As we approached the stadium from the north, Gary noticed (and removed) the electrical tape "X" covering each of the two "M"s in the Jesse Owens Memorial Plaza sign which was carved into a metal pyramid on a stone plinth. We explored the memorial and then got some pictures of the half dome and arches on the north end of the stadium. I got a picture of the building that replaced the infamous Larkins Hall gym, and we crossed the street by the stadium, Tuttle Park Place. From there we ascended the ramp and parallel stairs (the ramp was easier on Gary's foot) up the side of the hill to Dreese Labs, the main building for the Electrical Engineering department. There was a cafe atop the hill called Oxley's by the Numbers, which was notable for having the "m" crossed off with tape, and for its location by a series of sculptures of the digits 0 through 9 ("the Numbers") on the lawn behind Dreese Labs. As we emerged from behind the building we spotted a robot labeled with Yandex and GrubHub logos, rolling at a pretty good clip down the sidewalk across the street by the Journalism Building. We saw several more as we walked around campus, and I later learned these have been making food deliveries since August. We headed south to the corner by University Hall, a replica of the original building that was the first built on campus, and followed the sidewalk to the Oval near the Thompson Library. After a brief rest stop in front, we proceeded south to Mirror Lake and spent some time scouting out photo opportunities and taking a longer break in two of a series of red Adirondack chairs on the sidewalk by the lake. From there, after a stop at the nearby amphitheater, we headed northeast toward the center of the Oval, turned west to return to the Thompson Library and get pictures of the statue in front, and sat down on a bench beside University Hall. There we were approached by a pair of Mormon missionaries, with whom we had a cordial, even friendly, conversation and declined their offer to read to us from Scripture as gracefully as could be expected. We then proceeded north past Caldwell Lab (my home away from home for the latter years of my studies), Hitchcock Hall (which prompted Gary to intone "Good evening" in an appropriately stentorian voice), Knowlton School of Architecture (which seems a particularly apt example of the craft), and Fisher College of Business (with a decal on the pavement in front reading "Hate Has No Business Here" - get it?) before reaching the garage where we'd parked.

From campus we drove south to the Arena District and parked in a garage behind the visitor center near Huntington Park (the baseball stadium). We walked the half block toward the west entrance of Nationwide Arena and stopped to take pictures at the Union Station arch, preserved from the old train station. First Gary offered to take a picture for a family gathered under the arch so they could all be in the photo, which they gratefully accepted; then I took a picture of the upper part over their heads, and after we'd crossed the street to the arena got a better shot of the entire structure from there. We decided to have an early dinner at Boston's Pizza just east of the arch after we were done shopping. The team store was by the main arena entrance on the east side of the building. Gary bought a selection of pucks with logos of teams we'd seen play in person and a woolly cap for the return trip to Seattle (which is expecting snow over Christmas weekend).

When we arrived at Boston's Pizza it was not busy at all since there wasn't going to be a game tonight. As soon as we had a table, I ducked into the bathroom as I'd been needing to pee since we left Mirror Lake two hours before. We split a 10" (small) deluxe pizza because Gary was still full from brunch. After the meal, while Gary was in the bathroom, our waitress saw the Blue Jackets bag and said "You do know the game is canceled for tonight?" with a note of alarm in her voice. I assured her we did, and requested a refill of my drink. When she returned with the drink, Gary had returned and we talked about Christmas and how she had been looking forward to working tonight for a game crowd and making enough money to pay for her children's Christmas gifts. Fingers crossed that January and February are kinder to her.

After we left the restaurant about five, the sun was still barely peeking over the horizon so we walked over to Huntington Park for some pictures. Not only is this the home of the Clippers, but it was also the venue for the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus to host their live performances safely during the pandemic when indoor venues were closed.

We then returned to the car and drove back to the hotel for Thursday Night Football. About nine as the game started, I was getting hungry, so I ordered boneless wings and fried pickles from Rooster's just up the road. Gary wasn't that hungry so he asked for a couple of grilled chicken fingers with no sauce. I picked up the order just before halftime. We ate and watched the game, but Gary was extra tired and fell asleep late in the fourth quarter. Tennessee won over San Francisco, 20-17, at home. I watched the news and an NFL 360 special about Carl Nassib, the first player in the NFL to come out as gay while still an active player, and finished my journal of the day. I prepared for bed and got to sleep about one.

Drove to Northgate Station to catch the train downtown. I had to stop for gas on Ballinger Road and it was $4.29 a gallon. Yikes! When I got to the station the park and ride lot was full, and only the bottom level of the garage had any free space. Hopefully they aren't enforcing permits yet. There were many Seahawks fans in line for the ticket machines. A couple of Asian ladies were trying to figure out how to tap their new ORCA cards so I pointed out the logo below the screen.

The plan was to take the train to Westlake Station, check out the remodeled monorail to Seattle Center, scare up some lunch, then make my way to Capitol Hill. The new station was built without regard for the exit stairs and the elevator, which meant the fare gates at that end had to be roped off so folks could enter the fare-paid zone from there. The red train was in service; it has been wrapped in advertising while the blue train has not. I headed for the Armory and after taking some pictures of the Winterfest decorations,  made a beeline for the men's room. That settled, I picked up a steak-and-Guinness pie, an order of poutine made with Tater Tots, and a sweet tea for lunch. Once I finished eating, I headed outside and called Colleen from a bench outside the Armory.  A little girl with long red hair played Christmas carols on a violin. She did well on most everything but struggled with Carol of the Bells, which isn't a surprise at her apparent age. When I finished the call I gave her a tip and walked around to take pictures. 

About ten after two I returned to the Armory for a pit stop and got back on the monorail, where I spotted a bunch of people in fur suits leaving the incoming train, and connected to the train to Capitol Hill. The farmer's market on Denny Way was just wrapping up. I watched a small crowd of dogs and their people playing on the lawn.  Just after three I stopped by Starbucks for a latte and was surprised to find they were carryout only,  so I took my coffee back to the park. A cute little redheaded otter-pup in a Cal Poly T-shirt  and shorts was walking a large dog (easily half the dude's body weight) and having to drag the dog away at intervals from the wall I was sitting on, because it smelled so *interesting*.  I finished my coffee and watched the people walking by, the dogs leaving and checking their p-mail on a nearby lamppost, and the market folks packing everything up. An older dude pushing a rolling walker stopped to tell jokes to the two young dudes behind me as well as myself.  Walker dude: "I thought you were a statue for a minute." Dude behind me: "How can you tell I'm not?!" Walker dude: "Watch out or I'll climb on you." About ten to four the sun dipped very low in the sky as I took my last pictures in the park.

Games night began with Love Letters Batman Edition with Jonathan, Dan, and Steven (Steven won), then Machi Koro 2 with Rob, Dan, and Justin (Justin won). During the latter game, the other half of the group played Mysterium: Jonathan, Steven, Joshua, Kenneth, Thomas, and Anthony. Also, the Seahawks lost to Arizona, 23-13. After Mysterium ended, we played Everdell which we had to wrap up early so people could make their dinner reservation at 8. After they left, Dan, Jonathan, Kenneth, Steven, Thomas, and I played Dark Gothic. There are so many rules that I despaired of finishing before the store closed. But we got two of the three villains dispatched by the time the store closed. The five of us - Thomas, Kenneth, Steven, Jonathan, and I - ducked around the corner to a little gyros shop in the building with Annapurna Cafe. I had a gyros plate with rice, salad, hummus, and a pita; dolmas; and a root beer to wash it all down. We had a nice chat over dinner about what we've been doing since we saw each other last.

After dinner we parted ways on the corner with hugs all around. I didn't have far to walk to reach the south entrance of Capitol Hill Station,  and sat on the platform level journaling while waiting for the next northbound train. There were a few Kraken fans on board.  At U District Station the public address system on the train apparently got cranked up to 11, and at that stop and the next the announcements came out highly distorted, in a really creepy sort of way, and the couple sitting across from me just freaked out until it was reset.

I returned to the car at Northgate and arrived home without incident.

SATURDAY
I got up for the day about 7:45 and we went downstairs for breakfast just after nine. At breakfast Gary introduced me to his aunt Jessie (uncle Reggie's widow) and we chatted with Damon, Charlene, and John. From there we shopped for flowers to give Lillie for her birthday. We didn't see anything we liked at Kroger floral department (although the "Soul Sister" mums were amusing), so we drove the short distance to Ladybug Flowers in Martinez (here pronounced with the accent on the last syllable unlike the surname). They had just gotten a shipment of lilies which hadn't quite opened yet, and they had an assortment of roses, so the lady whipped up a cute arrangement while we waited. We returned to the hotel room and cranked up the AC so the flowers would keep,  then relaxed for a while and made plans to visit the Laurel and Hardy museum in Harlem, which we hadn't gotten to do on a previous trip.

Out front, a row of motorcycles was parked. We were greeted at the door by a cute cubby dude with a trim beard. We explored the exhibit space (in the back of an old movie theater) and saw the bikers doing the same, most of them in full leathers. Gary observed they were from South Carolina. After a while I needed to sit, so I caught a few minutes of the Laurel and Hardy short "Our Wife" playing in the screening room up front. We stopped by to use the bathroom (as the bikers prepared to leave) and returned to the screening room for the tail end of a documentary and another short, "Men O' War". We purchased postcards and T-shirts from the cub at the front desk and left to get some pictures outside.

The water tower with the portrait of Oliver Hardy was a few short blocks away so we walked in that direction; after we'd taken pictures, I noticed we had passed a little pizzeria (which, as we later learned, was also a taqueria) called Monte Olivos, so we ducked in for lunch. We had meatball subs, Gary's with fries and mine with pasta salad with a nice red-wine vinaigrette dressing. After lunch we stopped to take pictures of the exterior of the theater/ museum and returned to the car.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Kroger again for a birthday balloon, pens, and stamps for the postcards. When we arrived back in the room I wrote out the postcards, one for our own use as a souvenir and one to wish Colleen a happy birthday later this week. Then we changed into our party T-shirts, kicked back for a few minutes while my phone charged, and left for the party.

What transpired over the next hour and a half is best characterized, much like a Laurel and Hardy film, as "another fine mess." First, I nearly ran over a concrete island and spilled the water from the flowers all over the back seat. Next, we arrived at the venue early to help out, only to find the party was being professionally arranged and was to be formal (the T-shirts were intended to be worn last night). I was quietly fuming, but realized the most important thing was getting there safely and looking back there's nothing to do but laugh. Gary directed me to the nearest Kohl's store for dress shirts, dressy casual slacks, and ties. We returned to the hotel to change into our new outfits, and I desperately needed a shower as well.

We finally made it to the party about 6:30, having missed much of the ceremony but just in time for dinner, which was a buffet similar to last night's. I had fresh fruit, green beans, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, salmon, mac & cheese, and a dinner roll. This time the serving was left to the professionals. We sat at the table with Charlene and the sisters, and Larry and his wife. As folks finished eating, a video presentation was projected on a screen by the DJ booth. It started with the "I Have a Dream" speech and other historical material, then segued into pictures of Lillie as a child, as mother of Kawand, with Darnell (Gary got choked up a little during that part), and in various celebrations over the years. It concluded with video from Mike (complete with a Rogers TV name super and Parliament Hill in back) and Gary (complete with spin whistle and rattle). Then we started singing Happy Birthday the traditional way, interrupted by the DJ spinning Stevie Wonder's rendition. Following that, Lillie cut the cake and posed for pictures, and Gary was finally able to present her with the flowers and balloon we bought. Then the dance began in earnest and, while the previous events of the evening were not forgotten, they certainly faded to irrelevance. We had a nice mini-Soul Train going in front of the head table and later an even bigger one formed in the main aisle.

The party wound down around ten, an hour earlier than planned (although they did say that would be last call for alcohol). Oddly, two sheriff's deputies took turns all evening sitting by the bar and watching. We stayed and watched the crew take down much of the decorations, until we were assured there was transportation back to the hotel both for Lillie and all the birthday presents. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the outdoor mailbox at the main post office in Martinez to mail our postcards. I had to use the bathroom urgently once we got to the room. When I was done, Gary went to test his blood sugar, and then we returned to the lobby to hang out. John, Sharon, and a few of the sisters were there, along with a young lady I didn't recognize. Lillie had gone upstairs to change clothes. The lady sitting next to Gary asked for the bag of sea salt potato chips on the table between the young lady and me, and she said "oh, that's that white people salt" which struck me as funny because I was totally not expecting it. Damon came down as well, wearing a T-shirt reading "I like to think I'm aging like a fine cigar". We sat, chatted, and listened to music until about 12:30, then said our farewells.