This morning at 7am I stopped at my usual 7-Eleven to get my usual morning
Big Gulp(tm) of Diet Coke(rg)
and, as I left the store, I told the clerk, “Have a good night”.
I stopped in the parking lot and realized I had said that because it was dark outside.

Winter is coming and soon I will go to work in the dark and go home from
work in the dark.
Leaves are starting to rustle in the trees and crunch underfoot.
Soon the rains will come and then the ice and snow.
Winter is coming.

On our way off to school and work one morning last week, we looked up an there overhead was a large, quiet, floating shape. They show up on the cool mornings this time of year. It’s fun to see them just floating up in the sky.

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D&D players inhabit my dining room.

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It’s just not normal.
We don’t get 90 degree weather at the end of September.
The politians, scientist and fanatics can argue about why
the earth is getting warmer. but whatever the reason
things
are
getting
messed up.

This morning I ran 6 miles in
Pasta to Pints
(beer and pasta at the end — a reason to run!!).
Yesterday I ran 8 miles around my neighborhood.
That’s a lot of running for one weekend especially when I’m
tapering for the
Portland Marathon in two weeks.
I’ll have to take care of my body for the next two weeks.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera rushing to get out of the house
so you don’t have pictures of another sunny summer day
in downtown Portland.
Wait, I wasn’t supposed to tell you about that.
It rains here all the time. That’s right.
Rain, rain, rain and gray sky.
And the slugs — you have to pick them off your car in the morning.
No one would ever like to move here. Never.

My Saturn received it’s birthday card today.
Happy Birthday, my little red car.

Last night I escorted my mother to a dinner where she was receiving
and award.
The dinner turned out to be the annual dinner of the
Good Samaritan Hospital
Foundation.
Good Sam is the hospital that’s in the middle of downtown so, given the sort of people they get for a foundation, I spent the evening with the old money of Portland — name tags had names that are on buildings in this town.

Anyway, my mother received her recognition as a
“Treasure of Good Samaritan” for her 30+ years of volunteer
work.
The other honorees were the Episcopal bishop of Oregon and
a doctor how has lead woman’s cradiac research and care for years.
This should give you some idea of the honor.
Good work mother.

So, what could be better on a
diet dinner
than a little spice like
I’m On Fire and Ready To Die.
Yumm… My lips are still tingling.

This afternoon we went to the
Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire.
Dressed in finery from another century, we reveled with the
citizens of another time.

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This morning I joined 40,000 woman (and a few men) in
Portland’s 12′th annual
Race For the Cure.
With the drone of news helicoptors overhead,
I ran the coed 5K with my wife in memory of
her mother
who died of cancer a few years ago.

A great turnout for a good cause.

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Need I say more.

Last Wednesday I helped a friend move a PDP-8 to his house.
For those of you too young to remember Digital Equipment Corporation
or the PDP line of computers, these are the computers that showed up
in schools, labs and businesses back in the 70′s.
This particular friend collects PDP-8′s.

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It’s not like he’s the only collector in the family — his wife has an
extensive Barbie collection.

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Just finished my Saturday morning run (only 9 miles).
The
Portland Marathon
is only four weekends away!!!

One of the nice things about these cool, damp fall mornings is the
hot air balloons.
You see them hanging in the sky in the west after sunrise.
I don’t know what it is, but they make me smile just seeing them
floating silently and slowly up there.
I’ll have to take a ride some day.

One of our interns was leaving us and returning to school.
We had the going away lunch at
McMenamin’s
Cornelius Pass Roadhouse.
There are few taverns that have a gardener on the staff

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All of the taverns, converted hotels and schools, and theaters
have been decorated in a fun and quirky style.
To further show the oddness of the
McMenamin brothers, here is picture of the urinals.
Above them is a mess of pipes.
When you flush, the meters change and lights flash.
It makes you want to drink more beer so you can use them again.

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It’s been a very busy week and I haven’t spent any time in front of my computer.
It’s time to catch up.

This is the coolest.
Realtime earthquake reports
Has there been one near you?

Didn’t get everything on my list done, but I also did a few extra things.
Most notably,
put up the grills on most of the windows and moved all the book boxes
in from tha garage.
There is always next weekend.

Back home after two weeks of travelling. So, what should I do? Relax?
No, that would be no fun.
It’s time for chores!!
My list looks something like this:

• run 10 miles
• mow lawn
• bills
• setup book shelves in new office
• setup bed in new guest room
• install new networking setup in garage
• buy 8ft table for new office
• move desk and cabinet into guest room (only cabinet, desk next weekend)
• fill and test hot tub (it’s been off for maybe too long)
• work on web site (my volunteer work)

I’m posting this early in the day.
I’ll update it throughout the day and we’ll see how many I get done.