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 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
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| Twelfth of Never week of the Nu Year? Is that the year after Mu? Is next year Xi or do we skip it and go straight to Omicron? Or are we already in the Year of Omicron?  6/6  Nightmares last night. Not a good sign. 11 and time to shower and leave and go to lunch. Today is Meatloaf Monday. Had my sliced of loaf-of-meat and mashed potatoes for $5 at the Senior Center. Bought a sourdough baguette for $4 at Le Petit. A couple of downpours... I mean... real rain! This is a rare event here in the Land of Drizzle. Remaining cool. Except inside on the 3rd floor with south facing windows. Any other snews? 🐙 🇺🇦  🇷🇺 To Kathlene Kelly re Native American trauma: For me... obviously not this generational trauma... it's I can't heal from past traumas while you're bashing and bruising me in the present. "Don't Say Gay" reminds me of how unworthy I am to some people (especially those in control with power and guns). To Linda E re Heard v Depp: Just think of how much time and money was wasted in this pissing contest. Like... they couldn't just sit down at the kitchen table with their lawyers and work it out? It also belittles the court system." Maybe I'm ambivert. As I told QotD: "Both. I'm feline. I want to be petted... thank-you... now leave me alone. I crave connections and covid disconnected me. Bad, bad, bad. I NEED socialization (needed it yesterday) but too much = too much. I write from random thoughts and observations. Quiet is helpful after the storm (no matter how lovely and invigorating). J7  Beautiful warm day. James Eugene "Jim" Seals (October 17, 1941 – June 6, 2022) I do wish I were accomplishing more. Washing the dishes and taking out the garbage counts for something... I'm wearing a light-dusty-orange shirt today with light-grey vest and medium grey pants. I try to mix it up. It's time to raid the closet and wear all my short sleeve shirts at least once this summer. That way they will also get washed at least once! $4.79/gal for gasoline. J8 Dark. Overslept until after 10. Now I yawn and wait for the water to heat up for coffee. Today is grocery day. 14°C here. Will reach 41°C in Evora later this week. Over-bought perishables.  Bought two types of mustard (honey, sweet-spicy) to put on the shelf. Only bought 6 eggs are eggs are expensive. Spent $20... which is about right.Sat with Laxmi. Played bridge with Dalton, Lane, Bob. https://www.thethailandlife.com/whats-behind-a-thai-smile J9 Up at 9. Coffee. Banana with peanut butter.  Rep. Ted Lieu (CA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pYQXewUxNU Sat with Billie Jo and Angie. Ate mustard-pork sandwiches. Chilling before tonight's presentation on the White Christian Nationalist Insurrection of 2020. Woozy and fuzzy = not a good combination. Watched "Trump's Insurrection", part 1 on ABC. 10  Signed up for Bard's Hall.   Up 8ish... dark and wet. All day... Gonna flood next week. Stew for lunch. Sat with Monte, Bill, Bob. Chat with Laxmi before she goes on her trip. "Before you decide if the former president is responsible for the Capitol riots, remember that in America you're innocent until proven guilty, then proven guilty again, then proven guilty again and they hold a hearing in primetime to show everyone how you're really, really guilty." --Stephen Colbert 11 Still trying to figure out a trip to Thailand. To bed at 2 a.m. Up at 09:30. Off to market soon. I'll wear green. I'll get wet. Bought a Middle-East pastry and bread. Both had coconut. Went to post office. No lottery winnings, but my bank account is in great condition. My only complaint? How to spend it wisely and get out of town a.s.a.p. Not getting much done at Butterfly Herbs. Time to head home while there's some sunshine. $4.89/gallon of gasoline. Very quiet. Too quiet. Nap... then nothing. I'm not doing well. 12 I really don't think I've ever seen Montana this green. Very wet and cool spring makes it so. I found another Thai BL that will punch me in the gut. "The Miracle of Teddy Bear" is a 'lakorn' = 'TV soap opera' of 16 parts, each 90 minutes long. That's 24 hours of viewing... like watching a movie every week for 16 weeks. Ouch. It does NOT have a "happy sappy" ending. But... https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2040051612 Also, a how-to-Thai: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=uiZOVZs2v74&list=RDCMUCVEgdOtNrzgI7Tv-dyPdjRw Up around 08:30. It's now 10 and although no rain it will start up again this afternoon. There's an 'atmospheric river' passing overhead. Lethargic. Forgot it was Sunday. Didn't do wash. But finished Bard#1: "🇵🇹 Vomiting in Brazilian (Évora, Portugal)"  |
| 30 Wet and green. A very cool damp spring. Hurricane Agatha gonna hit Oaxaca... so it could be worse here... just saying. Up before 9 in spite of the drear. Jay Van Bavel, a professor of psychology and neural science at New York University and director of the Social Identity & Morality Lab, said it's easier to mobilize anger and hope. But anger dissipates and hope wanes. Grief is paralyzing. The USA seems to be in deep trouble. Can't tackle violence when we glorify it, defend it and make money off of it. 5 minutes to 1. Well... took a shower. Most of my wash from yesterday has dried. I hang it up all over my two rooms. Caught up with Portugal trip in my journal. Now to catch up with the last two weeks. Prices at The Break have gone up $1. But... they were open. 31 Very green, bit of a breeze. Got queen-size mattress and boxspring out to the dumpster... with help. Lunch with friends. Got bbq chicken breast because I always eat thighs. Yesterday cooked thighs in orange juice, lemon pepper, pepper, paprika. Then used the 'juices' to cook a cut-up red potato. Very tasty. Nap. I should prolly not nap. I get all nappy. I have 2 south facing windows. I gets hot in my room from now until September. The fan helps at night. Not being here would help more. The dust sucks out my moisture. I'm watching "Meow Ears Up" น้องเหมียวในห้องผม. Silly but kinda cute. A cat/human changeling.  YA in many ways. J1  June started out damp and dreary (not exactly according to the forecast). Up by 07:30? Hmm... but it's now approaching 10 and I've accomplished a couple things. Visited QOTD and posted on the Newsfeed. Thinking of Darleen QoD: "welcome to my world that oozes green, a land of ichor and sickly things..." "wastelands of fire and eyes that burn, where maggots midst the bones now churn..." Lunch w/ friends was a turkey-pesto sandwich. I ditched the canned pineapple. Groceries done. Mattress/boxspring gone. 70 views and 7 comments in one month. Whoopee. I used to get that in one day... back in the day. J2  Purposely slept in. Got up at 9:14. Showered, ate yoghurt... where's my coffee... A dog in Uvalde He will wait at the door until you come home. He will wait there forever. Time does not matter. The scent of you will fade. Your voice will be no more. But he'll sit by the door and always remember. © Copyright 2022 Kåre Enga [179.xx] (2.juni.2022) Note to self: could be #24+ "Don't say I'm dead; go look for me, picking pathumma1 among the stone pillars of Chaiyaphum2." KE Short stroll to Caras Park. Met Nate and Rose (and Rachel-of-the-swallows and Cole). J3 Up at 08:30. Dreary. It will shower for the next three days. Gasoline $4.64/gallon. I suspect interest rates will need to rise to 10% to curb inflation. That and a return to taxing the wealthy. Plus, overturning Citizens United v FEC. Since the #1 sin in America is poverty I don't expect any change of heart. I see none on the horizon. I took a shower before going to bed. This is relevant because our facilities are cleaned at 10 on Fridays and therefore temporarily unavailable (one floor at a time). It's 09:55. Pride weekend starts today.   It may rain on the parade. Played cribbage with Laxmi. Fish for lunch.  Someone wakes me up from my nap by moving furniture?  Ah... petrichor perfumes the cobwebs of this old dusty place... Julian's boyfriend is going to a wedding so we're going to the parade together tomorrow. My Muse seems to be back in town, by-the-way. J4 Drear, drear, drear. There will be dust and drought, and scorching sun, but not today. Nice chat with Dylan's Aunt Donna yestereve. Her Brooklyn accent was soothing. Up at 08:30. Will coffee wake me up? Pride parade. There was a great turnout in the rain. One thousand? More? Not feeling peppy today. I didn't join in and in spite of a cherry pastry and a milkshake I may need to go home. Saw Julian, Birgit, Cathy Mae... Glad I got out but the outing exhausted me. Tonight... think I'll enter Bard Contest (travel) and Journalistic Intentions (tropes). I'll also try posting a poem/day at Express it in Eight... but not necessarily following the prompt. As for travel plans... It's expensive to travel out of small airports like MSO. Can't even reasonably take train (there is none) or bus (10+ hours to SEA; 24+ to MSP). May have to get creative. J5 08:48. Sipping coffee. I usually check the news and weather. Will we have an interesting hurricane season? Will the January 6th commision provide lightning? Will I need to take a nap this afternoon? Ah... TS Alex headed towards Bermuda. Someday we'll have a TS Eliot. Rain forecast on-and-off all day today and possibly tomorrow. 54 degrees at 9. Won't get warm. |
 23 39 calm degrees at 7 a.m. Should be a nice day. Chicken on the menu. I fell asleep early last night. Been doing that since I got back last week. Odd to be up so early. Cinnamon bread and coffee for breakfast. My window is mostly open now. Need to find better way to deal with the dryness though. Lunch with Merry. Chat with Laxmi and Dalton. I needed the social interaction today.  24 Minor nightmare, spare sleep, up at 7:30. 44 degrees. Warming. Realities #1: What does your reflection in the mirror tell you? I'm old. And not in the way I imagined it would be. I always thought I'd have my teeth. Recently I'm also losing weight. Posted on fb: "They (African tribe) are a civilized people, just not barbaric Judeo-Christians intent on killing anyone who disagrees with them. Read the OT, consider the Crusades, know that Russia-Ukraine is also religious warfare." Sat with Laxmi and Maureen. Primaries... should I care? I'll look at trends and what pulls people in.  25 Up a tad late at 8:00. Goofed with Wordle but got it in 6. I've done 66 without missing (6/6 only once before). Realities: You have decided to emigrate, where are you going to live? I've thought about it. Portugal would be an obvious choice. Europe in general is better connected to everywhere. Easier to age in a place that has a better social network. Plus, laid back and fairly tolerant. Travel advice: If you prepare for the worst, hope for the best and expect something in between, you’ll likely wind up all right. Get excited at the prospect of spreading your wings once again. Clouds peed on me, but no harm done. Bought butter at $6/lb. Chicken thighs are $1/lb. Splurged and bought a big can of maple-bacon beans.  26 Gonna get toasty! For one day... they say... Up at 07:00. Sun blazing over Mt. Jumbo. Realities: "What smell brings about good memories?" Pachouli! It's the 70s and I was young and stupid. I'm still stupid at times. Patchouli is nauseating to some but it's soothing to me. Chat with Angie and Billie Jo. Shrimp for lunch. Beans and toast for 'tea'. 80 degrees at 4 o'clock. Rain will come in over night. Gasoline is $4.49/gal.  27 60 degrees at 9 a.m. Up late. But I rewatched ATOTS ep. 9 last night. Now finished ep. 10, the fimale. Sprinkled overnight. Thoughts of Thailand. I've been working on memorializing my trip to Portugal. Need to work on that today. Realities: "What were you doing this time last year?" Struck at home stressing over cleaning. Very depressed and not doing well. Felt trapped. Thought: I'm not your gangster or an ATM. I could be your lover or your very best friend. Windy evening. Storm blowing in. Watching Thai TV series again... not bad news... as long as I remember to do chores and other real-life obligations.  28 Up late, dark morning... but took shower by 9. Coffee... Market: Greek pastry from Athina, 3 baking potatoes, 6 duck eggs. Butterfly Herbs. Saw folks including Lundy. Fire&Ice milkshake and coffee. 29 Up before 8, showered, now semi-caffeinated on this dismal morning. Computer is acting up. Interesting how we become addicted to technology. Are we all into *speed*? Realities: Did you find it easy to get along with your peers when you were growing up? No. I was raised differently and as a child who was small, weak and couldn't see I didn't join in with their 'reindeer' games. In high school I did better with those younger and older. I told Jeff: "I don't watch television and seldom go to movies. I watch on youtube! I watched all episodes of "Siew Sum Noi" (Thai TV BL, no title in English). It takes place in Isaan (Northeast Thailand) which is an area I intend to visit this year. The premise is cliche in many ways but the acting isn't too bad and I find the music/poetic genre 'mo lam' interesting (think country x rap). Good portrayal of the local culture. I'm painfully watching "7 หนุ่ม 7 วัน" (It's title in Thai). It isn't quite so well done. It's from Laos and they just don't have the resources (it's a much poorer and less populated country). Other than the Pepsi ads (which I find funny) I'm not learning much. One thing I like about Thai productions is that Thais use facial and body expressions, unlike Korean or British. There's quite an industry of very talented young actors. There's enough money and expertise that the directing and camera work is superb (at times as good as Bollywood/Hollywood imho). Subtitles are helpful, but by now I know what's going on just by watching the actors interact. Original scores and use of music is top-notch." Chat with Billie Jo and Birgit and then Drew as I did a wash on a rainy evening. 5813 |
 16 May 16th. one crazy day to go. Cool in Lisbon. Covid test at 13:30... if negative I'm good to go. I feel fine at the moment. Matthew went with me to show me where the pharamcist was. 20 minutes and I have a spanky-new permission slip to return to my native land.  It was easy; but, it's frustrating to travel to a country that treats everyone visiting there like a diseased non-human. Especially when their own good-old-boys refuse to wear masks or get vaccinated. Diseased-my-ass. So... I've calmed down as I was very nervous. I need to arrange a pick up at 03:00.  And repack, pray that my underwear dries in time (it would be a cool cloudy day...  ). Write a post card or 5? Said good-bye to Marco and Daniel from Danmarka. Said hello to Jeremy from South Korea and Juan Pablo from Bogota, Colombia. 17 Good-bye, 🇵🇹 Long day. No sleep. Jeremy helped pass the time. He was ill (stomach). Taxi at 02:45. Cost 8,80 euros. No major problems with flights but what-a-pain. Avoid flying through SLC (Salt Lake City) until they get the new airport finished (2026?). One hour to get through Customs/Security. Major fail. One of the most miserable airports I've ever been in. The old one was okay. Paid extra for premium seat on 10 hour flight AMS-SLC. The seat was worth it. The food? Shitty. Worse ever, Delta! I watched "Love, Victor' and slept. Movie choice wasn't much better than typical White-America = piss-poor. Birgit picked me up. Saw Billie Jo, Dylan, Jay. Made my day.  18 Up at 06:00. Long sleep. I need to write the poem "Ice Cap" about the 'lift' as the weight-of-ice melts. Saw Laxmi, Kathy, Don, Dalton, Monte... others. Yes, I've lost weight. Meal was so-so. Price of gasoline is $4.39/gal; but, my values aren't dependent on price of a material product. I'm trying to process the slaughter in Buffalo. I lived in that neighborhood, a short walk from the store. I didn't recognize the names of the dead but the carnage affects thousands. Went off on someone blaming 'illegals'. Have little patience. Napped. Damp day. Room is bone dry. Put a pot of water on the radiator. Opened window. Need humidifier and/or air filter. Watered some plants. The neglect shows. But the geraniums bloom regardless. 19 Up at 06:30. Now a damp chilly 39 degrees. Breakfast = coffee and a fish sandwich. Wrote a response to the shooting in Buffalo. "Build a Bridge" Sat with Billie Jo and Angie. They got my postcards. 20  Up at 06:45. 38 degrees. Snow on Mt. Dean Stone. Very cold May. Apples barely blooming. River rising, raging. Making mushroom rice for breakfast. Gasoline is $4.44/gal. We don't talk about butter or eggs. Chicken parmesan for lunch. Sat with Laxmi.  21  Sleeping too much. Up at 06:45. 39 degrees. Market Day. I made my rounds: market, bank, post office, cafe... saw folks. Froze. Now after 2 and time to head home. At least it has warmed up somewhat. I could do without the wind. Shannon ran into me! She lived below me 8 years ago. She's visiting with her partner Michele. Nice to chat with them both. We all froze. Can't stay awake. So... knocked on Birgit's door and we had a pleasant chat. Trying to stay up later and adjust to this time zone.  22  Snowmist shrouding the mountains to the north but 43 degrees at 7 a.m. and it will warm up today. Nice badge/awardicon for my old p-log. HM Quill. I was supposed to come home tomorrow. Just as well that I cut my trip short. Weather has been miserable. Too cold windy outside and too dry inside. My health isn't great but at least I'm not sick and a nervous wreck. 22 is my favorite number and May is my favorite month. 22 May 22. |
| M9 Hmm... my cousin's birthday. She's now 1 year older than me.  Figuring out train/bus schedules... not as easy as it seems. Bad/old info on-line makes it a land-mine. I intend to go to Castro Verde today... if I make all my connections. It's only 1 hour from here. If all goes right it'll take me 5 hours. It doesn't help that I was up till 3 changing my plane ticket. 4 hours of snoozing. Not quite enough. I'm very tense. I had trouble getting into the bus. The driver put my roll-on underneath; then... my pants wouldn't stay up.  But I managed. I had hours to wait in Albufeira. Hard to stay awake. A boy, 5-ish, kept me amused. He had toy figures and then played kick-ball with a crumbled piece of paper. The bus to Castro Verde... didn't stop! Passed it by (new driver?). We turned around in Entradas, arriving late. When I got to the hostel, no one answered! Doorbell, pounding. Nada. Finally... In a room all by myself. One older couple (ignored me... British?) and later two youngish workmen (Portuguese?). 10 Breakfast... typical Portuguese... ham, cheese, croissant, jam (blackberry, strawberry, pumpkin), coffee and orange juice. Walked around town. Both churches and the windmill were closed. Found post office. Nice chat at tourist info place. Ate a bifana at the bus station. It was very good! A pleasant surprise. Got back and couldn't get into my room. I had left the window open so I climbed in... finally got door open with help of a spoon. I told the owner when she got back late. I told her to laugh. What more can we do? I think I've successfully booked the next six nights... Evora then Lisboa... then I leave. 11 Stupidity? I should've gone to the Multibank last night... but reasons... Anyhoo... got money. Got to bus station on time but bus was late; then I realized I needed to buy a ticket? Anyhoo... rush to Tangarina gas station across the street. 14 euros. An old woman from Brasil was a godsend. Arrived very tired. Mafalda got me to my bed though. Nice and comfy. Ate a mil folhos and a strawberry juice. Bought cheap orange juice and pomegranate-chamomile. Last night "Saudade, saudade" advanced in Eurovision. Portugal seldom does well but this is a strong contender. 12 Working men got up early. Gone long before 8. Adelina in the kitchen setting out ham/cheese/bread. Yes, I'm still in Portugal. Wordle wasn't hard for me. 4/6. 53 tries. I've never lost. Key today was my choice of third word: dumps. That gave me 4 of the 5 letters. My friends have a different approach, trying to guess from correct letters... they get mired with too many choices and sometimes lose. I never lose. Went to the temple. Wandered around. Ended up in the garden with the peacocks. Tired. Very tired. 13 Odd. No one in my room until midnight. Entered very quiet and left early. Nice chat with Neno. He's amused by my brazilian accent. Not feeling well... a bad sign. Almost 3. Still a mild case of diarrhea. Ate gelado: lemon-basil and pumpkin-cheesecake with nuts. Much worse. Drank orange juice, vomited. I think the oj went bad. 14 Some coughing in the early morning, but much better. Did get to hear fado.  Said goodbye to Mafalda and gave her tea. 15 Sick again! But... only a bit. I can take the bus at 1 p.m. No rush. Ate breakfast slowly and carefully. Nice chat with Victor from Sao Paulo, Brasil. Caught bus. Senior rate again. 11,30. Decided to take metro. No prob. But... no money? I kept thinking I should have an extra 50 euros... finally found it in a back pocket. Time to eat? I'm feeling weak. Met Alec Good from Edmonton. What a bright shiny northern star.  Nice chat with Matthew from Ireland. 5778 |
| M2 Restless sleep. Very dry mouth and coughing. Uncomfortable all night and then I got up late. At least room was quiet and dark. Must make decisions today. Met 77 year old woman from Wales. She's been to over 200 countries. Decided to stay in Faro 2 extra nights. Too tired and worn out for a trip. Found out I can change my flight back. Should do that a.s.a.p. Tried to work out an itinerary for Norway, but that's a nightmare that I can't figure out. Ate a great bifana. Bought chocolate soy milk and chicken. M3  Didn't sleep well as I was coughing all night. Phlegm and snot. Finally opened the window a crack. The strong fragrance coming from a deodorizer was overwhelming so I unplugged it. If I could've slept on the terrace... Now drinking tea. It's 10 a.m. 11:04 ... check-in at Tilia isn't until 3 but I'll go early and leave my luggage. Success. Thunder and lightning in the evening. However, sick all night. I rested on the couch in the common area between coughing up phlegm and blowing my nose. The night person, Raquel, looked after me. Kindness matters. M4 Feeling a tad better but doing nothing to upset my body. Did take a shower. Wordle in 2 tries. Got lucky. Finished watching Thai TV rom-com: "Siew Sum Noi". A bit silly but much of it took place in Isaan which is the area I want to visit. I now have a better idea what the musical genre "mo lam": ໝໍ ລຳ (Lao), หมอลำ (Thai) is all about. Got money, walked a bit, took some photos, exhausted. Trying to not cough. M5 Off to Silves, an old city with a castle and a Roman bridge. $70/4 nights in a 6 bed room I may have to myself... It's not high season yet. 7 a.m. and the demolition crew is outside the main door banging away. Although I did better last night I could've used a peaceful morning. Got to Silves. Train left late; they don't announce stops. Tiresome 1.6 km walk to hostel. They have a Lidl here so I'll drown my sorrows with German cheesecake. I have entire room to myself. M6 Dark and quiet. Now light and quiet. Up by 7? I slept okay. I'm still struggling with snot and greenish phlegm. Breakfast: banana, flan, cold coffee. Lunch: fish sticks and cheesecake (German-style). A very warm 27°C at noon. Mailed a letter to Angie in Missoula. Walked up to the castle and the church. Too lateso I'll go tomorrow. Nice chat with Andreas from Zurich, Schweiz. Wish I could say I'm feeling good. I'm not. M7 Warm. Pressure and pain in my chest. Green phlegm. Too much snot. I'm calm at the moment. It's 10:22. It was a difficult night. My mother's 100 birthday. She died March 15th. Very little response to my fb/wdc posts yesterday. I should've expected that. High drama sells. Anything less is a yawn. I went into the old church. I did sit in the entry to the castle but didn't go in. Ate a fried dough at the market. M8 Clothes dry while I lie in bed. I feel okay. The medication I took last night at sunset calmed down the symptons and I slept better. A bit of a shock on-line today. It derailed my change-of-flight plans. That said... I made a list and must decide because where I go tomorrow may be affected. A bit better today. Also a bit cooler. I went to the Silves castle and took pictures. High walls without rails unnerve me though. Red sandstone built by the Moors on an ancient site. I think there are only two of us here tonight. Changed my flight. I return from Lisbon on the 17th instead of Oslo on the 23rd. I also will fly Delta Premium Select. I'll report on how that goes. 5757 |
 25 I survived my first week in Portugal. The day dawns sunny and chilly. Today is the commemoration of the Carnation Revolution, April 25, 1974. Big celebrations in Lisboa and Porto but here? This is a tourist town. It's Eight-O-Eight and the denizens of the dorm slowly wake. Carmen's in her kitchen opening up the day; breakfast starts at half past the sunny hour. Soon. Talked to Yannick (Holland) about 'governance'. Lay down for awhile. Never a great idea. Now late. Cooling. Saw Andrea who I met in Lisboa. She's staying here. 26 Some rain, some sun. Went to Praia Batata close-by. Sat on the beach, took notes. Good-bye to Raphaela, now Andrea. Lunch with Evelyn. We split a pastel. Bought a bifana downstairs. 2,50 euros. More energy today but now I want to nap. 27 Beautiful morning. Evelen is going to Cabo Sagres. I don't have the energy. Olga leaves for Faro. People come and go. I'm sitting at the round white table looking out at ships. The pink plastic tulips are waving in the breeze. Walked to Praia Meia. No sunscreen but I didn't burn. Long sunny walk to a wide sandy swimming beach. 28 My nerves are going. Computer is acting up. Must makes plans and/or change flights back. I'm glad I booked the first 12 days so I didn't have to think. To all the Dutch: Shimmer of water, white wake of a passing boat, white wings of gulls, white canopies shining in the sun's glare. The palms offer spare shadows at noon, their fronds caressing the breeze and me ... seated behind the window all day, reluctant to leave. Oh where, oh where are the red geraniums hidden, begging me to stay? Lagos, Portugal. Finally got my salada de polvo.  Impossible to chat with Evelyn this evening due to very loud South American men. Portuguese men can be very loud as well. It's as if they only know how to shout. 29 Day of Beauty... tomorrow. Sunny. Sat with Real (Netherlands). We sorted things out. Booked 3 nights in Faro in Faroway. Still taking it slooow. Why I worry about the US: "The result was an ethnic nationalism sanctified by religion as it established a new "holy trinity" of "freedom, order and violence," meted out variously to in-groups and out." Exhausted by walk to/fro to get groceries at Pingo Doce. Lay down. Skipped dinner. Folks drank... a lot. 30 Off to Faro. Staying at Faroway. Caught the train in time at Evelyn's urging. We had pulled pork (dry imho) when we arrived. No problem walking directly to hostel. No upper beds here. We shall see about noise. It's after 3 p.m. so I should take a walk. Ran into Evelyn. Bought fresh squeezed orange juice and ham. Ran into Joao, the owner, too. Watched a bit of a detective movie subtitled in Portuguese. Now I need coffee. M1 Room was very dark and quiet. A surprise. Ate my pasteis de feijao... and coffee. Always coffee. Met a group of Italians that live in Lisboa, two Danes. Watched the swallows swooping. Room tonight: Portuguese, Italian (Brescia), German (East), Norwegian (Oslo). 5 of us. Some folks only stay in Faro for a night to catch the plane back home. Found Hostel Madalena. Nice chat with Adrian. Evelyn invited me out to dinner. She had robalo. I ate cod and shrimp. She leaves tomorrow. 5737 |
 18 Awarm wind. I'm sleepy since i've had almost no sleep in over two days. Safely in Lisbon, Portugal. I'll need to blog over what transpired this past week and what my plans now are. Great talk with Andrea from Sighisoara, Romania. Exhausted. Too a nap at 6-ish, up at 11, back in bed after midnight. Slept okay. 19 Nice surprise call from Brian in Costa Rica. Sharon finished her youtube of my poem.
Great time with Tyla and Zak from New Zealand. Great morning chat with Guido from Groningen. Ate sushi for supper. 20 Did nothing yesterday. May do something today. Slept okay but after breakfast I'm a bit fatigued. We shall see. I'm not really here to DO anything. Breakfast is typical: ham, cheese, croissant or bread, coffee with hot milk, sumo de laranja. But I added cocoa flakes with honey and hot milk. Lay down for 3 hours. Still fuzzy-headed with no energy. Bought postcards. Short walk. 21 Hot milk to warm the honey drippled on cocoa corn flakes, a banana from Costa Rica, a pear (from who knows where), the smile of Lourdes greeting everyone, her soft Brazilian voice sweetly singing "Killing me softly". I've met many young people from around the world. Today: Zoia from Russia, Hermione from Yorkshire. Guido from Groningen, Tyla and Zak from Hawkes Bay (NewZealand), Felix, a happy Swede from Goteborg, Andrea from Sighisoara; her friend from Sofia, Bulgaria. This is my element. I told Rosemary re open the gasline, close the borders: "Nope. I'm a globalist. I'm in Portugal in a hostel with folks from Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Sweden, NewZealand... I am not afraid of refugees nor migrants. My ancesters lived elsewhere 200 years ago. Solar, wind, water, thermal power is the future. At 70 years old I do not live in the past. (I visit the Past, but I don't live there.)" Met a Manx man from Isle of Man.  22 Met interesting young people from Turku, Finland. I asked them about NATO and Ukraine. Morning thunder. Heavy rain. Storm warnings due to waves on the coast and snow in the mountains. I have NO energy. Ate a bifana and a pastel de bacalhau e queijo. Walk back was long and arduous. Have a bus ticket. Eva-mundial. 15 euros Lisboa-Lagos. I leave noonish so I don't have to stress in the morning.  23 Goodbye breakfast. Spoke briefly with Felix Lissaker. A bit hectic getting to the bus station as information was incorrect. Woman helped me. Half empty, seat by widows and toilet. Pleasant ride. One stop to eat-n-pee. Bought a 500ml coke for 3 euros. Expensive. Timo (Dortmund) was working reception. And Ana (Toronto) whose roots are Serbian. They were forewarned that I was coming.  Bed... same as previous trip (the first one I believe). No octopus or squid salad; so, I got grilled sardines (7), potato, salad. 10 euros. Didn't feel well so I lay down. Disturbed by people with flashlights... in my eyes. Up 3, 4 times during 'rest'.  24 No shutting me up. Wonderful chats with Evelyn(a) from Germany/Poland and Shefali from New Delhi. Talked w/ Evelyn about strict families and how bosses can kill (she quit hers); she worked in cosmetics. Shefali is multilingual and works with cultural issues; we chatted about Thai movies, Bollywood. Went to Pingo Doce and bought bread, pork 'ravioli', chocolate-cream roll. Worn out just walking there. Set down on way back. It's not far. Family dinner tonight. I'm not up for it. Saw Ourso. He's 14 years old. He's abig black bear-rug. Bearnese? I lay down in the evening but got up at 9:30 or so to jion them. Evelyn put a blanket aroud me like a red cape. She also gave me chocolate as a birthday present. Bed after midnight. 5727 |
 11  I finally got new glasses. Wire-rim. One's brown, the other gunmetal. See better without them up close though. My eyes in general are in good health. Cataracts forming but not an issue. Was given eyelid wipes for eye-gunk. Only complaint was having to be up so early to catch the #8. Very cold morning. Blustery, snowy day. Caught the #6 back and visited with friends. Phil gifted me a chocolate cherry desert. ![Merit Badge in Micro Fiction Challenge
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Congratulations on successfully completing at 10 weeks of [Link To Item #2265907] ! You stuck to it and rocked it! *^*Heartv*^* Kindest Regards, Lilli](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Micro_Fiction_Challenge-2149524_14.gif) Micro Fiction Challenge "Micro 100 #20 "Howl and Yowl" [20]" "Micro 100 #19 "Drama Class" [179.14]" "Micro 100 #18 Boostered [179.3] 100 words" "Micro 100 #17 Chance encounter [178.379]" "Dere wuz a ring in 'er coffee cup, dere wuz, dere wuz! [378]" "Micro 100 #16 My Familiar [376]" Totally listless.  List: - ties for glasses  - wash before leaving - finalization of first week - ride - phone set up - pre pack (tends to make clear what's 'missing') - clean out fridges - butter to Julian  - haircut  - enga@ymail.com email restored - mothballs and plastic bags 12 Pale pall. Weak sun. 29 degrees. May not get above freezing. Not too windy at the moment. Lingering cold = not good. Found ties for my glasses. Suede, cost me $5 each but at this point I don't care. Nursing a sourdough baguette. Skype issues, phone issues, email issues... all intertwined... it never ends. Stress wears me out. Submitted "By the heat of a radiator" to Shadows&Light. No way I can remember where/when I've submitted it n the past.Waiting, waiting, waiting... absolutely stressed by waiting when I need answers a.s.a.p. Yes, I realize other people actually have a life. ? 13 ? I don't remember much. Cold. Very cold. Did speak with Hunter at Butterfly. He's moving to Nashville! I managed to speak to my cousin Carol before I lost wifi. No wifi connection at home after 8 p.m. Not as if I have anything to do... I took a nap to de-stress and then go up 12 a.m. till 4 a.m. and went through items for pre-packing.  14 Have PCR appointment at Walgreens. 11:45 a.m. Hope it goes well. I have so little time for drama. Sam and Jean both suggested Walgreens. Ate lunch: Swedish meatballs. Saw Angie and got a hug. Cold walk to Rockin' Rudy's. They didna have what I needed .I seem to have internet back. Lay down again for an evening nap. I felt chill. Now up... what should I do? Half-packed. Birgit has offered to take me to Walgreens in the morning.  1 a.m. blowing and snowing.  15 Birgit got me to Walgreens. We figured it out. Now... to wait. Fried fish at Senior Center.  Clam chower, fries, banana pudding. Sat with Phil, Laxmi, Monte, Wally and Kathi.Blood pressure: 160/90 = not good. Couldn't straighten out sim card. Bad info. Butter to Julian. Dylan offered to take me to the airport.  16 Don't ask. 17 Extremely tired after no sleep. Dylan got me to the airport by 03:45 but no problems. Ate a roast beast sandwich. Chatted with the coach of a junior high basketball team. They were on their way to Phoenix to watch an NBA playoff game. Talked to Christina on the plane. She grew up in Boston near Nakeeta who I know. Small world indeed. Nice chat about seafood and growing up in a Catholic town. In MSP too tired to care. Great chat with Isaiah from Sacramento. We talked about language and culture. He's Hmong. |
| A4 It will be blustery later today. I'd like to work in a cafe on my trip as internet is iffy at best at home, especially in the evenings. Lots to be done at home for the trip. 1. Packing. (repacking) 2. Cleaning. 3. Watering. Did laundry yesterday but will do another load come Sunday or next week. It's time to do bedspreads, sweaters, jackets...  ![Merit Badge in Taboo Words
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Hi K,
Congratulations! You won 1st Place in [Link To Item #2139468] with your fantastic poem, [Link to Book Entry #1029704].
Rachel](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Taboo_Words-2139481_13.gif) Nice to see birds delivering messages to my mailbox. At least the rent for April and May is paid (one check). So many details to take care of before a trip. I can fold my wash (I hang it everywhere to dry) and look around for needs to be done before I leave. And I can open my luggage which is still partially packed from February 2020 when I cancelled a trip to Spain/Morocco/Portugal. Ironic, isn't it? I need to update my address book as well as I'd like to send postcards. Yes, snail-mail is as old fashioned as I am; but, wouldn't it be nice to get a letter in the mail? Apparently not these days. Still, I did get a postcard last week from Cecilie mailed from Paris. KU 25-47 72 NC 40-29 69 Ouch. Kansas, my alma mater, comes roaring back but it was touch-and-go at the end. They're going nuts in Lawrence right now. I remember 2008 when they won. I was in Allen Field House. Snowing. A5 Quite white out there. Inside, I'm coughing and woozy. Not super bad but may be better to stay in. Realizing that although I really love the train I may just jet around between Portugal and Norway. Can't afford Turin for Eurovision apparently. I was mostly happy in Kansas (the first time). Years later in 2007:  A6 39 degrees, sunny and warming, while I'm sitting here coughing. Thinking of comma...s Getting better... all the time... well, almost. Throat's sore from coughing. I'm nursing another coffee. Apparently... not so restrictive getting into Portugal. We'll see. Still sunny outside. A7 I've had a head cold for two days so I was thrilled to get out and see folks. I asked Nikola: 'Curious: what flowers are blooming. We have some (brave) daffodils, tulips, hyacinths. Tomorrow could rise to 70 but twenties and possible snow next week." Wordle was easy for me today. Almost got it in two! 0-0-10-11-7-0 = 28 wins versus no losses. Dordle was difficult for me. Got it in 6/7 ... barely. Walked to the grocery store. Bought ice cream and donuts as a treat. Shouldn't have eaten so much though. The answer to my problem may be WalMart... I'll get back to you on that. I wonder where I hid my euros... Brian in CR starts a new job May 1st.  Ate up the last of the fish. I have plenty of time to finish off food or give it away. A8 ⛅48 degrees and warming this morning. Still not feeling well and have too much to do. Did go through packed clothes last night. Need to add and subtract. A9 Flakes in the air. Caught the #8 bus, got off at Mount. Got to the eye clinic as early as I could. No appointment possible. Checked frames. Back on bus. Took #6 downtown. Drowned my sorrows in a mocha rose milkshake (with dry rose petals on top of the whipped cream). Angie-of-the-green-hair suggested it. It was a pale green itself. Spoke to some people but basically accomplished nothing. No mail. Cold walk home. Arrived chilled. 10 Cold. Not feeling well. I'm withdrawn... dangerously so. Snow on and off. Sat with Birgit. Highlight of the day. Tried to revive my yahoo email. Sent code here. Got it late. Wouldn't work. |
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