Three Beautiful Things 10-26-2026: Bow Tie Cafe Again, Departure, Back Home In Kellogg

 1.  During our family reunion time over the weekend, in celebration of Patrick and Meagan's Sunday wedding, our central gathering place was the Bow Tie Cafe, where we could get coffee drinks and breakfast food like bagels, breakfast sandwiches, burritos, avocado toast, and more. 

We got together for our last breakfast blowout this morning and yakked, shared dreams for future get togethers, and continued to enjoy one another's company. 

2. We all had afternoon or early evening flights out of Cincinnati today, so we put our heads together, figured out transportation details, and hung out at Meagan and Patrick's apartment until it was time to go. Debbie and I piled into Adrienne's rental vehicle and Adrienne blasted us and her kids to the airport. 

It was kind of a dream come true for us. 

We both are averse to doing things at the last minute and riding with Adrienne meant we were at the airport about four hours before our flight. 

We bade Adrienne, Jack, and Eloise farewell and relaxed with some fast food, a bit of conversation, and charging our devices. Before long we were flying to Salt Lake City. 

3. At the Salt Lake City airport, we arrived at the boarding gate during boarding, so we slipped onto the plane and into our seats almost immediately and, before we knew it, we landed in Spokane. 

I spent time in the air listening again to lectures on the Romantic period of classical music and enjoyed it very much. I also enjoyed watching most of the Game 5 of the WNBA playoffs. 

Once on the ground, we shuttled to where the Camry was parked and successfully rocketed through the dark and rain back to Kellogg where we will take some time to recover from the way changing time zones throws our sleep and energy out of whack. 

Three Beautiful Things 1-25-2026: Wedding, Party, Memories

 1. The wedding ceremony went smoothly. We waited just a few minutes after five o'clock to start -- that gave the sun time to duck behind some surrounding buildings -- and about ten minutes or so later, I pronounced Meagan and Patrick wife and husband.  

2. The twenty of us who were on Patrick and Meagan's lower balcony paraded a short distance for a dinner party at El Barril, a local Mexican restaurant where spirits were high and the spirit of celebration was alive! 

3.  After dinner, I relaxed for a while at Patrick and Meagan's apartment after everyone else had left. Patrick and I spent some. time piecing together details of our the 1998 cross country trip from Eugene to Hendersonville, NC and back. Our reminiscing grew out of memories of the 1997 trip Adrienne, Molly, and Patrick took to Chicagoland when Debbie and I got married in Coeur d' Alene on Christmas Eve. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-24-2026: Mt. Adams Stroll, River Cruise, Yakkin' About Shakespeare

1. I enjoyed a Mt. Adams neighborhood stroll today. Well, actually two strolls. 

First, I went to the Bow Tie Cafe for a latte and a raspberry croissant.

Later, I walked to the United Dairy Farmers convenience store in search of n/a beer, a bag of chips, and beer for Debbie. Chips. Easy. Beer for Debbie. Easy. N/A beer. They don't carry any.

I excited the woman who checked my groceries, though. This store checks the ID of every purchaser of alcohol. I presented my drivers license and the checker screeched with delight. She keeps track of what states she sees IDs from and now she could add Idaho to her list! 

No n/a beer at the store, but I knew the Bow Tie Cafe carries Bero non-alcoholic beer -- very tasty ones -- so I strolled in and purchased four cans. 

I crossed the street and dropped into a terrific dive-ish bar called HiFi Cincy. 

It's a bar that features music played on vinyl LPs and I wanted to hear what was on the turntable this afternoon. 

Bliss! I walked in to hear Fleetwood Mac's iconic Rumors just as John McVie was playing his iconic bass solo in "The Chain". 

I grabbed a stool, ordered an Athletic n/a Golden Ale, chatted some with Sophia the bartender, and listened to the rest of the album, totally enjoying the rich sound of this vinyl LP and this bar's great sound system. 

2. Upon returning later in the afternoon to Meagan and Patrick's apartment, I enjoyed a reunion with Adrienne, Jack, and Eloise. 

A little while later, we all piled into vehicles and headed for Newport, KY and a river/buffet cruise on the Ohio River on the Belle of Cincinnati.  

I met Meagan's family. 

After dinner, I gazed upon the shores of Ohio and Kentucky and saw condos, financial institutions, hotels, churches, two sports arenas, a music venue, and freeway bridges and a pedestrian bridge crossing the Ohio River. 

A dj played yacht rock and interrupted the music from time to time to congratulate cruisers on the occasion of their birthdays and anniversaries. 

The weather on the river was comfortably moderate. 

3. Back at Patrick and Meagan's apartment, after a while, Patrick and I were the last two people who hadn't left the living room and we had a long and stimulating talk about a number of topics related to the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-23-2026: Lattes, Reunion, Pizza

 1.  The switch from Pacific Standard Time to Eastern Standard Time took more out of me today than it ever has before, so I slept in and once I'd had some time to wake up/come alive, Debbie and I strolled up the street a few blocks and enjoyed lattes at the Bow Tie Cafe in the Mount Adams neighborhood where Patrick and Meagan live and where much of this weekend's activities will happen. 

2. Debbie and I relaxed and napped back in our weekend rental before heading to Meagan and Patrick's apartment a few minutes away where I saw Molly, Olivia, David, and Ana for the first time in eight years. Meagan and Patrick introduced me to their modest and lovely two level apartment and its two outdoor balconies overlooking the Ohio River, making for terrific views. 

3. Patrick ordered pizzas from Your Mom's Pizzeria and, not long after that, Patrick's father, John, and his wife, Bonnie, arrived and we all ate pizza, yakked about all kinds of things, and had a merry time back in each other's company again. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-22-2026: Uneventful Flight, Yakkin' Past Midnight, My New Clothes Work!

1. Our flight from Spokane to Atlanta to Cincinnati went smoothly without delay and Patrick picked us up at the airport and brought us to our rental apartment in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, within a few minutes of Meagan and Patrick's apartment, site of Sunday's wedding. 

2. Patrick, Debbie, and I stayed up until past 2 a.m. EST yakkin' about all kinds of stuff: the upcoming weekend, family news, the world we live in, vinyl records, and more. It was really fun! 

3. The package I had Amazon send to Patrick and Meagan's apartment arrived. I'm shocked. The two shirts fit and look pretty good. Same with the two pairs of pants. What a relief. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-21-2026: World Series Wager, Spinning Reels, Packing Slowly

1.  Ed and I lay down a sports bet at the Caesars Sportsbook at the Spokane Tribe Casino three times a year. Super Bowl. NCAA Basketball Tournament (men and/or women). The World Series. Today we roared over and Ed wagered on the Brewers and I laid money down on the underdog Rays. Each betting on separate teams means we'll get to make another trip over to pick up someone's winnings. 

2. Ed and I both drifted around the casino floor playing machines, many of them unavailable at the CdA Casino or the Wildhorse Casino. I didn't come out ahead, but I didn't lose much money either. I enjoyed a nice break around noon for a Pepper Cheese Smashburger with tots. A very good snack. 

3. Slowly. Carefully. I packed for tomorrow's flight to Cincinnati. Why slow? Why careful? Because I'm always up against my proclivity to forget stuff and I worked hard this evening to make sure I don't!  

Three Beautiful Things 10-20-2026: Christy's Appointments, The Breakfast Nook, Shirts and Pants Purchased

 1. I drove Christy to CdA for two medical appointments. My impression was that she left both conversations with both medical pros satisfied. Neither appointment had anything to do with her hip replacement but with other matters she's been dealing with for several years. I don't feel at liberty to go into any detail. I was happy that Christy came out of both appointments with a deeper understanding of her condition and both professionals want to see her again fairly soon to continue to help her regain her health. 

2. In between appointments, Christy said she had been craving a breakfast out and requested that we go to the Breakfast Nook. I tried one of today's specials, a Jalapeno Swiss cheese burger with fries and Christy had a solid breakfast: eggs over easy, hash browns, and toast. I hadn't been to the Breakfast Nook for several months. I thoroughly enjoyed being back, dining in the midst of a lot of peers. 

3.  During Christy's second appointment, I took care of a very very very minor thing at Parker Toyota and then went pants and shirt shopping at Fred Meyer. I struck out. I decided, once I got home, to make an Amazon order and I purchased two shirts and two pairs of pants and had them sent to Meagan and Patrick's apartment in Cincinnati. I'll catch up with my new clothes in a couple of days, trusting that they fit and that I'll look okay for the weekend's festivities. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-19-2026: Getting Ready, Potsticker Chicken Soup, World Series Wager

1. I did my best today to have as much in place as possible for our trip to Cincinnati on Thursday. Laundry done. Tuesday trip to CdA to take Christy to appointments scheduled: I'll buy some clothes. My main concern: don't be doing stuff at the last minute. 

2. I fixed Debbie and me a soup today. It's similar to soups I made when I was home on my own. Chicken, potstickers, onion, celery, broccoli, and green beans cooked in the wok in vegetable and sesame oil. None of these items were completely ready to eat when I poured chicken broth over them and I let them finish cooking in the lightly boiling liquid. I added soy sauce and red pepper flakes to the soup. 

It worked. 

3. The Rays won. On Wednesday, Ed and I will go to the Spokane Tribe Casino to make modest bets on either the Brewers or the Rays. I will bet on whichever team Ed does not bet on -- that way, one of us will win some money and we'll need to make another trip to the casino so the winner can cash in. 

I know it's the stupidest possible way to wager, but I want to guarantee that we'll have a reason to make a second trip to Spokane. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-18-2026: Wedding Service Composed, Clothes -- FAIL!, Single Pot Oven Baked Chicken Dish

 1. I will officiate Meagan and Patrick's wedding one week from today. I am really happy to say that I have almost everything ready to go. The most important thing is nailed down: I wrote the ceremony today, including a very short homily.  I only have one task remaining and it's my least favorite of all: I need to buy clothes. 

2. I know my clothing all looks awful. Almost everything I have is old, faded, ill-fitting, sometimes threadbare. I tried today to buy some wedding appropriate clothes online, but I couldn't bring myself to make a purchase. I could have bought clothes in CdA on Friday, but I couldn't bring myself to go to a store. It's at times like this when I envy people (like my mother).  She loved to shop for clothes, loved to buy clothes, loved to wear clothes, loved to look good. 

I just don't. 

3. I like to grocery shop, though. I did a little shopping today. I also like to cook, but Debbie took over the kitchen today and made this awesome dish with chicken thighs, rice, onion, and great spices like cumin and paprika. It was a Dutch oven dish and I loved it. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-17-2026: Party at Rose Lake, Home Improvement, Life After Copper

1. Out at Rose Lake, the Shannons hosted what I'd call a "get the people we know all together" party featuring a buffet of finger food and a lot of conversation. It was a totally under control boisterous party. Debbie and I sat at a long table with Sue, Diane, Nancy, Sharon, Cleve, and Ed and talked about a range of topics from travel to real estate to books. Others talked around the buffet island and for others it was fun watching the WSU/OSU football game. 

2. The jobs around the house are nearly completed. We have new carpeting on our porches, the rod iron porch railing and mailbox are freshly painted, awning got moved from one side of the house to the other, the wooden backyard fence is shored up, a busted back door to our garage works now, and the gate to the back yard also works a lot better. I've probably forgotten something. 

It's been a busy time around here. 

3. Inside the house, I continue to work on transitioning the Vizio room from being Copper's primary place to hang out to becoming a room where I hang out a lot again. I'm not doing anything very ambitious. Papers taken care of. Books off the floor. That kind of thing. I miss Copper's presence and so it's taken me a while to turn the room into a place where I do things I enjoy and can be by myself. 

Three Beautiful Things 10-16-2026: Pinehurst Elementary in the Late 70s, No Talent Fundraiser, Winding Down at The Lounge

 1. I staggered out of bed this morning, got kind of cleaned up, revved up the Camry, stopped at Silver Peak Espresso for a life-saving latte, and blasted over to CdA for a quick service job on the car. Then Robin (KHS, Class of 1986) cut my hair at Supercuts and she talked about her days at Pinehurst Elementary and both of us figured she was at the school the same time Christy taught there, but Robin knows she did not have Christy as a teacher. She told me all her teachers from first grade to sixth -- mainly I remember she had Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Clemson but the other names have already faded out of my memory. . . 

2. This evening Christy, Debbie, and I went to the Shoshone County Democratic Party's No Talent Show and party fundraiser. Debbie performed and undermined the "no talent" part of the night by being very talented! She performed her mighty having a baby satire song "The Miracle of Birth" which made the audience laugh heartily many times and I got to join in by being the janitor in the song and, with plunger in hand, got to speak this line from the song: "May I be of assistance?" 

3. Debbie and I wound down at The Lounge after all the excitement of "The Miracle of Birth". Harley and Candy strolled in after a busy time serving burgers at the Kellogg Elks and the four of us commandeered a table and launch into a wide-ranging yakkin' session and talked about pesto, Elks conventions, cougars, helping out our kids, and a bunch of other topics. 

It was a great nightcap.