Yesterday was almost “normal,” highlighted with dinner at a friend’s house. There was no sitting around watching TV all evening, just wine and conversation – like the old days. Our schnauzer Tally stayed home, brooding about abandonment. She’s seen all the packing going on and was confused by a farewell visit from her pet sitter, expecting us to leave without her. It will be even tougher next week when we send her to Falco’s house while the packers prepare our load for the cross-country haul. I wish we could tell her what’s going on and that everything will be all right. 

Today, the normalcy continues with the final Portland “Leadership Meeting” at Buffalo Wild Wings. I may be back someday to lead another one, but I don’t know when that will happen with one friend in Netarts, another in Sheridan, and the third amigo in Tualatin. It’s been a good seven-year run here in Portland, with the hometown Elkhart duo to support me while meeting other friends through work and baseball card collecting. I will miss the comradery, but will get to spend more time with my son, his wife’s family, and my grandkids.  We’ll also get involved in the new IslandWalk Community and the quaint town of Venice.

The only thing that wasn’t normal about yesterday was the afternoon time I spent watching the John Wayne Gacy – Devil in Disguise documentary on the Peacock network. It’s the bizarre story of the renowned serial killer and the families of his victims. He shows absolutely no remorse in the interviews, acting like it’s no big deal that there were 30-bodies buried in the crawl space under his home, while his wife and child innocently complained about the smell. The police and city officials apparently dismissed much of the evidence that might have shorted his killing spree, viewing it as consensual gay behavior. He was not a homosexual, but this was how his relationships were portrayed, discounting the credibility of the victims. It was another sad example of where “Gay Lives Didn’t Matter” because they weren’t considered normal human beings. 

I hope to have another normal day with good friends today. It will involve wings, beer, and basketball. I will read a poem (See Post #1616), as has always been my traditional way of saying goodbye, dating back to work relationships. I will probably write another to honor my Elkhart friends that I will save for my return trips to Portland. We’ll be back many times in the future to see friends and family. Hopefully, they will come to visit and see what normal is like for us in Florida.