Thoughts on how to cope...

This list was culled from the astronauts that were living for long periods of time on space shuttles/space stations.  Plus some of my own thoughts.

It will be several months or even a year before a vaccine is found and proven safe so embrace the situation; deal with it; try to make the best of it.

You've got to have a little fun every day.

Don't watch the news or news shows on television or listen to talk radio; it will only make you anxious or worse.

Follow a schedule for daily living and stick to it (daily routine).

Go outside; Enjoy the beauty around you.

Exercise (go for a walk).

Pursue meaningful distractions/activities (pick up hobbies like reading books, writing, playing instruments, and making art.  Start a new project, study another language, and keep a journal.  It's a chance to do something different that you have maybe not done before or not had time to do.)

Stay connected (via email, mail. etc.); talk to others; help others.

TV/Movie night (with snacks).  Watch television and movie adaptations of books by authors such as Austen, Bronte and Dickens.

Saying

You can’t fix stupid
You can’t fix crazy

"The Art of the Deal"

Donald Trump wrote in "The Art of the Deal" that if you tell people a lie three times, they will believe it. 

You tell people what they want to hear, play to their fantasies, and then you close the deal.”  

Trump's presidency

Obama says Trump's presidency is “a blip on the long arc of history."

Locke and Key

I finished watching the series "Locke and Key" this afternoon on Netflix.  "After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys that may be connected to their father's death. As the Locke children explore the different keys and their unique powers, a mysterious demon awakens - and will stop at nothing to steal them. Locke and Key is a coming-of-age mystery about love, loss, and the unshakable bonds that define family." Written by Netflix.  Excellent cast, plot, and setting.

February 2020

I traveled via Amtrak to Seattle on Thursday, February 6, leaving Vancouver at 8:38 am.  I arrived in Seattle a bit late, walked across the street and caught a city bus to 3rd and Union.  I attended the Downtown Seattle Chat Event at the Russell Investments Center at 2nd and Union.  Afterwards I had lunch at Starbucks at the Event location.  I walked down one block to the Seattle Art Museum.  The first Thursday of the Month is free to the public.  After viewing the artworks I had a late Afternoon snack at the SAM Taste Cafe.  I stopped by Starbucks as I was walking to the bus stop to get food for dinner.  I caught the 6:08 Amtrak south to Vancouver.  I had a bowl of Ivar's Clam Chowder.  A lovely day overall.

My daughter, Catherine, and I had Valentine's Day Tea at Albertina Kerr in Portland on Feb. 8th.  We sat at a table for two.  We had delicious Finger Sandwiches and Savories, Hazelnut Scone with Devonshire cream and Marionberry Jam and Sweets for dessert with a Pot of Albertina's Classic Earl Grey Hot Tea.  Catherine purchased several jewelry items for me at their shop.  She purchased a couple decorative wall plaques for herself.

On Friday, February 21, I went to the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival with the Marshall Center 50+ Group.  I had four or five samples of Riesling Wine.  I liked the Willamette Valley and the Hillcrest samples the best.  We had late lunch at Mo's in downtown Newport.  We stopped at McDonalds in McMinneville both going and returning for restroom break and to grab a bite to eat.  Very relaxing trip.  We got back about 8:00 pm.

Trip to Las Vegas February 24 to 28, 2020

Monday, Feb. 24, my daughter, Catherine, took me to PDX at 5:00am.  I checked my suitcase.  I had breakfast in the Alaska Lounge from 5:40 to flight boarding time.  Flight 1786 left for LAS at 07:30 AM arriving at 9:32 AM.  I got my suitcase and walked to Passenger pickup.  My sister, Jeanette, picked me up.  While she ran an errand I settled in the guest bedroom at her house and then took a nap as I didn’t get much sleep last night.  

We drove out to Stonehenge (Seven Magic Mountains) where I got some photos about 4:15.  I walked down the nearby rocky road to find the Virtual: "Many Years Ago".  We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen at 6:30.  Very good pizza!

Tuesday, Feb. 25 - I did the Virtuals "Hopeful and Broken Hearted" about noon and "Luscious" at 12:15 PM. We had chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate cupcakes at Ethel M Chocolates after we explored the cactus garden. We saw "The Call of the Wild" at a movie theatre. It is definitely not a children's movie!  We had dinner at P.F.Chang's China Bistro at 5:30 PM in Henderson.  I watched a DVD movie - "Pelican Brief" - this evening.

Wednesday, Feb. 26 - We took a one hour tour at 10:00 AM of the LAS7 - Amazon Fulfillment Center in North Las Vegas. We saw what happens after you click 'buy' on Amazon by touring one of their fulfillment centers and seeing first-hand how Amazon delivers for their customers.  Afterwards I got an Amazon model airplane for taking the tour.  We visited Jeanette's daughter about 1:30 PM.  We purchased dinner at Panda Express #2417 about 7:00 to take back to the house.  We watched the DVD "The Age of Adaline".

Thursday, Feb. 27 - We went to Costco where we had "lunch".  I had a hot dog and a vanilla ice cream with strawberry sundae.  The hot dog was mighty tasty.  I found "The Hare and the Tortoise" in The Willows park in Summerlin South about 3:45 PM.  We saw the movie "1917".  Excellent film!  I had a scrambled egg and the last of Chow Mein noodles for a light dinner.

Friday, Feb. 28 - Jeanette dropped me off at Terminal 3 around 7:30 AM.  I checked my suitcase for the first time at the curb.  I got "breakfast" at 8:30 at Starbucks of a Blueberry Yogurt Parfait and a Cinnamon Bun at 8:30.  I took the train to D Gate to find the Virtual "Welcome to Las Vegas".  I took the train and walked to Gate E 11.  The plane was a half hour late leaving around 11:00 AM and arriving PDX about 1:21 PM.  I rode two MAX Light Rail Trains and a CTran bus to downtown where Catherine picked me up.  It was a great trip but good to be home!

Thankfully January is over!

Someone once wrote that the month of January would not be so bad if it just came later in the year...

I traveled via Amtrak to Seattle on Thursday, February 6, leaving Vancouver at 8:38am.  I arrived in Seattle a bit late, walked across the street and caught a city bus to 3rd and Union.  I attended the Downtown Seattle Chat Event at the Russell Investments Center at 2nd and Union.  Afterwards I had lunch at Starbucks at the Event location.  I walked down one block to the Seattle Art Museum.  The first Thursday of the Month is free to the public.  I had an late Afternoon snack at the SAM Taste Cafe.  I stopped by Starbucks as I was walking to the bus stop to get food for dinner.  I caught the 6:08 Amtrak south to Vancouver.  I had a bowl of Ivar's Clam Chowder.  A lovely day overall.

My daughter, Catherine, and I had Valentine's Day Tea at Albertina's in Portland.  We sat at a table for two.  We had delicious Finger Sandwiches and Savories, Hazelnut Scone with Devonshire Cream and Marionberry Jam and Sweets for dessert with a Pot of Albertina's Classic Earl Grey Hot Tea.  Catherine purchased several jewelry items for me at their shop.  She purchased a couple decorative plaques for herself.

On Friday, February 21, I went to the Newport Seafood and Wine Festival with the Marshall Center 50+ Group.  I had four or five samples of Riesling Wine.  I liked the Willamette Valley and the Hillcrest samples the best.  We had late lunch at Mo's in downtown Newport.  We stopped at McDonalds in McMinneville both going and returning for restroom break and to grab a bite to eat.  Very relaxing trip.  We got back about 8:00pm.

Amtrak Trip to Seattle, Thursday December 19, 2019

On Thursday December 19th, I traveled via Amtrak to Seattle for the day.  I got to the train station early so I could get a parking space (which is free).  As the train headed north I saw the Lancaster House just north of Ridgefield, the largest egg in the world at Winlock, south of Tacoma and the 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge. 

I surprisingly arrived at the station on time, walked diagonally across the street and caught the first bus to 3rd and Union.  I attended a Geocaching Event: You can always go Downtown - December 2019 Chat from Noon - 1PM  at Starbucks at the Russell Investment Center.  The next event will be in February which will be the same day as SAM is free.

Afterwards I traveled via bus to the Fremont district.  I found the Virtual near Groundspeak Hdqts (my second try).  I caught a bus and then transferred to another bus to reach the Key Arena.  I walked a few blocks to McMenamins on Roy Street to get a Passport Stamp.  I walked to Seattle Center where I purchased a Cheese and Fruit Protein box at Starbucks in the Armory.  Did not have any shortbread cookies.  I rode the front seat of the Monorail to downtown. 

I stopped at Starbucks where I purchased shortbread cookies.  I walked west to 2nd Street where I caught the first bus to the King Street Station.  I rode the 6:08 Amtrak train south in Business Class. I think that I will no longer do that as I am always one of the first to board the train so I have a choice of seats.  All in all it was a great trip.  A bit damp though as Seattle had five inches of rain in two days!