Another day…another post. The winter rain is settling into Portland and the dogs did not want to get out of bed this morning. There will be little neighborhood exploration today, as we anticipate “Date Night.” It means that the pressure of preparing my weekly meal has passed and I can relax while someone serves me my dinner. I liked cooking my pork chops on the electric range surface and felt it was my best effort in the kitchen ever. I still marvel at the fact that my wife actually enjoys preparing food and seems to never tire of it. It’s by far the most stressful thing that I do every week in retirement. 

Life is complicated. I now see the many homeless as I run through the streets near downtown. It tugs at my heart when I compare their lives with mine. It’s always cold and damp in their world. I never carry any cash with me when I’m running but try to help out at other times. It’s hard to just pass by, knowing that I have someplace warm to go and food on the table when I want it. I’ve even complained of having too much stuff, as we squeeze ourselves into an small apartment. To see other human beings living in cardboard boxes is gut wrenching, and something I didn’t have to face every day in our plush Forest Heights neighborhood. Here, it’s hard to ignore. I should be doing some volunteer work of some kind, but I continue to be selfish with my time. 

It’s a good day to watch TV and admire the autumn leaves outside our windows. The rain will soon wash the colors away. The 1-800-Got-Junk truck will haul away more of our clutter this afternoon. It’s their third visit during the course of our move to remove items that Goodwill won’t accept or are too big or cumbersome to haul on our own. It gives me a good excuse to stay home where it’s warm and dry. Every day there seems to be a scheduled appointment to deliver something, install equipment, or remove items that requires my presence or muscle. It will take a few more weeks to get fully settled and get the bugs out. I noticed last night that kitchen cupboards and pantry are a particular challenge, crammed to the point of making it difficult to find the right spices or ingredients to fulfill a simple recipe. There’s nothing simple about downsizing!