Wednesday. To bed before eleven last night futzing with this thing, up at about seven, to Starbuck's for the paper only, a stop by the local breakfast restaurant for steak and eggs while reading the Times. My weight was still down when I checked, thought I'd give it a kick start with something a bit unusual, see what the scale says again tomorrow.

An overly greasy sort of a steak and eggs breakfast was my thought, but I was thinking it'd be hard to screw something so simple up and managed the thing without incident. Well, except for the hash browns. But one must make allowances for the hash browns. A different start to the day here in Portland anyway.

Today lunch planned somewhere or other with the family, then starting back to Oakland tomorrow morning. Give Mr. & Mrs. M a call to see if they're up for a visit later tomorrow. I'm ready.

Later. A slow morning and afternoon. Lunch out at a sidewalk table at a decent pasta restaurant just south of here, back for a nap. A nap this morning, a nap this afternoon. Sounds like an old folks home. Feels good, though, these naps. A picture or two of the bees out in the back yard touching base with Mr. M to arrange stopping at their place tomorrow, first day of the journey home.

So the day winds down, the visit to the sister's winds down and I'm ready to return. Taking things learned to use when I get home? Hard to say. You discuss this, you discuss that, none of us still knows what the future may bring. Live here, live there; shoot pictures here, shoot pictures there. So many questions, still too many answers.

I am going to see a specialist for this cough. I have a recommendation from my doctor, “if the cough-chest thing continues see this guy”. OK. I'll go see this guy. I don't believe he said “cough-chest thing”, but you know how doctors are. I've never had allergies or whatever I have before the end of last year, maybe I've just been lucky and came close to dodging them altogether. Close but no cigar. With lungs like these you've got to watch those cigars. The lung x-ray was obviously negative, but maybe he can fill me in on climate, humidity, proximity to highways and such, give it some context. I have no idea of the options.

Later still. Another nap and now it's seven in the evening, the sun starting to sink below the horizon. Four one hour naps today and I'm still, I don't know, maybe ready for another one? These really must have been long days of something or other, but primarily driving, both as driver and passenger. Is that enough to knock you out? My sister's in no better condition, so maybe it's the driving, the high altitude hard exercise entailed in the taking of pictures. (Yes, I'm kidding.) But, we'll see. Tomorrow the road, again the road, but home.