Poppy has had a couple evenings where she was very “farty” before bed and we’d go out for the regular final pee of the night, and then she would opt to turn around and head back in without a final poop. Then I would wake up at 2:00 AM with her sitting over me staring at me, to which I’d ask, “do you need to go outside?” - YESS!! OMG YES!!! To help ensure we don’t have any of these episodes, we changed our after dinner routine to include “fart walks”, where we walk along the West-Side Highway Park and make sure she works through any remaining poop issues — it has turned into a lovely change to our evenings.

Picking my head up for a few moments to acknowledge the war we’ve entered with Iran, I find myself so very frustrated that we keep allowing those in power to keep playing the same old tune they’ve been doing for my entire life. We always seem to have endless money for the war machine, but we don’t ever prioritize the money for the other areas like education, sciences, arts, and healthcare. It blows my mind that people keep falling for this bullshit.

I read an interesting piece in The Guardian about the U.S. saying goodbye to the mass-market paperback. I hadn’t ever thought about the economics of paperback as part of the whole evolution of the publishing industry. I am fascinated by the notion that the paperback was about democratizing reading for the working class. Clearly we are trading digital for this, which I think is going to be a devastating mistake for people who are the ones who can least afford to lose this.

The ongoing benefit of having a kiddo working on their library sciences degree is that I get really interesting references from them. This week’s thought provoking reference was for the Brian Deer Classification System (BDC), an indigenous way of classifying our world. Something that has contributed significantly to my sanity trying to exist amidst the AI slop, providing me with yet another world model to consider when it comes to how I see things and move through the real world, and even the digital world.

I took the E Train to JFK to fly to Oregon recently. I normally take a taxi or Uber to JFK, but the last time I flew to Oregon I puked in the back of the car. The guy kept swerving on and off the freeway into neighborhoods to avoid construction, which is common on the road to JFK, and he didn’t speak English when I told him I wasn’t feeling well. This time I took the E Train there, and instead of it costing me $120.00, it cost me $12.00. It took the same amount of time, and I didn’t puke. You have to switch trains to catch the AirTrain, but it is so worth it.

I flew to Seattle and my kiddo meets me at the airport. I cannot tell you how much I love my kid making their way to the airport and waiting at the gate for me. It is never something I really thought about on the lead up to them becoming an adult, but it just some that swells my heart. I don’t expect it every time, but I will definitely soak it up whenever it happens. Being a parent is such a trip. Seeing the kiddo at the gate was the entry point for a very lovely weekend with them in Washington and Oregon.

Once landing at SeaTac and being “picked up” by my kiddo, I stayed at an AirBnb near my kiddo’s place. It was a comfortable place just around the corner from their apartment, and an easy walk from the light rail in Seattle. I absolutely loved their neighborhood. It was residential in the old Pacific Northwest way, and there were older lesbian women making their way in all directions. The vibe was nice. It really felt like my kiddo had found their people in a community that actually cared.

After I settled into my place, the kiddo suggested we head up to a bookstore in her neighborhood. It was half bookstore and half pub. It was nice. All of the books placed out on the table to get your attention were very thoughtful, best seller, but also Seattle activist centered. The kiddo pointed me to a book on the Lost Subways of America by Jake Berman, showcasing all of the transit systems that never happened or disappeared due to the business and politics of American car culture, racism, and class divide.

We shopped for books. I love buying us books. It is big part of our relationship. Afterwards we had some drinks before making our way over the hill to an Ethiopian restaurant the kiddo suggested. We opted for their meat and vegetarian platter for two with the house specialty. When it is a good family operated Ethiopian place, I’ve learned to trust the owners, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was the most colorful, flavorful, and vibrant spread of nourishing goodness that I have had for a while, leaving me very happy and full.

I woke up the next morning in my warm and cozy Airbnb bed. The place had a cold concrete floor, but I kind of like that. I took a warm shower and got dressed. The kiddo was up early and wanted to head to one of the usual cafe’s for breakfast. I got a Chai Latte and a blackberry pastry. They make their own pastries using local fruit, so I made sure to get a second Chai Latte, and a blueberry pastry. We sat and chatted for well over an hour before heading back to the Airbnb to checkout.

I checked out of the Airbnb by 11:00 AM, but our flight wasn’t until after 5:00 PM, so I headed over to the kiddo’s apartment to chill on the couch. This gave me the opportunity to meet Peri, Bella, and her roommates cat Venice. Peri warmed up to me faster than last time, sitting on my lap. Bella is just always sweet. I’ve met them both before, but Venice was also very sweet and curious, and had the cutest little cross-eye stair that made me smile the whole time I was there.

As lunch rolled around we walked over to the light rail station and took a train to another neighborhood where we walked for a while to find a Vietnamese place she liked. We had eaten Bánh mì in Oakland, so she was pretty stoked to introduce me to her neighborhood place. The bonus was, this place was all vegan. I have to say it delivered. While not 100% as good as some of the pork ones I have had, it was pretty amazing, and if you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t know the difference.

By 6:00 PM, we were on our way to Bend, Oregon. Well, Redmond, OR. We had a vacation rental in Sunriver where we would meet most of my brothers and sisters and their families for a weekend celebrating our mother. One of our sisters couldn’t come—she is having a baby. Two brothers aren’t welcome. But the rest of us enjoyed our time together, sharing stories about mom, and making sense of the crazy upbringing we all shared in Southern Oregon, while acknowledging how different we all are now.

While in Bend, OR, took a quick, but glorious nap on the back porch. I’ve become a connoisseur of naps in this second half of my life. I grabbed my book, laid down on the common backyard furniture in this part of the country, read for about 30 minutes as my kiddo worked steadily on their paper, and then I was out. I don’t know how long I slept for, and that was just fine. It was enough. It was one of those really perfect naps where I am rested, but don’t wake up too tired, with the perfect outdoor temperature.

As we wrapped up the weekend, my brother and his wife took my kiddo and I into town. I used to live in Bend, OR so I knew it well. We drove by my old apartment and my office where I ran the “Social Media Squad”, and parked in front of McMenamins Old St. Francis restaurant and hotel. A place where I would eat and drink daily back in the days when I was newly divorced. The kiddo and I would hang out there, eating, drinking, swimming, and watching movies in the theater. I had my usual—the Captain Neon burger w/ Tots!

Our flight didn’t leave Redmond, OR back to Seattle, WA until 6:00 PM, so we spent time at a bookstore in Bend after eating, but then eventually made our way to the airport and opted to just hang out talking and working on our computers. While I was walking around I noticed one of my siblings who didn’t get invited to the family gathering. My mom always said that I was found in the woods and shaved down, which when combined with how hairy I am, it makes sense that I am a descendant of Sasquatch.

The next morning I woke up early, and spend time taking care of emails and writing my weekly newsletters. Then the kiddo took me to a breakfast joint right across the street from their apartment. I opted for the French Toast special, because I trust the special will reflect the personality of the diner. It did. It was great. The diner was pretty old school, with a classic lineup of Pacific Northwest characters serving and bussing, all the way to our skull cap flannel wearing lesbian who cared enough, but not too much.

I really enjoyed the time with my kiddo. I enjoyed seeing my family, and I realized that this once a year ritual since my mother died will likely be the entirety of how I see my family, except for the rare vacation to NYC. I spent the first half of my life traveling back to see my family from wherever I lived in the. moment—so for the second half of my life, I’m going to reverse the polarities. This is the second year doing this gathering since our mother passed, and it is something I hope we keep doing because it gives me a focused weekend to spend with everyone I love.

I am a week behind on my newsletter. Everything here is a week behind, because my work and professional newsletters tend to get priority. But this is the most important newsletter to me. I will keep trying to get out on Monday (sorry Mark), but I feel like sending randomly on a day is the new spelling mistake to show that you are human in an AI world. This newsletter is 100% human, except for any algorotoscope images—which are generated in my machine shop on the ML lathe. I’ll play catch up on the next week, compressing 2 weeks into one.

I spent a lot of time this century thinking about what life would be like when my kiddo is all grown. Getting them to 18 was my top priority for so many years. I spent all last century thinking I wouldn’t live past 30, and when my kiddo was born in 2000, that all changed. Well, now I am there. I am so proud of them. All grown up, living in their own apartment, getting their library science degree. My heart swells as I write this. Having them meet me at the airport when I come to visit fills me with such joy and accomplishment. I made it. I made it. <3

"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." — Maya Angelou