Although I enjoy staying home, I’m also envious of people who are traveling. We had some friends who passed through town over the past week and even though they were touring sites that I see every day, I was still having restless feelings of being a nomad, living in hotel rooms and going on daily adventures. It was also a reminder of wake-up calls, structured tours, taxis, airlines, trains, and shuttle buses. We’ll be on the road tomorrow, dealing with all of these travel hassles associated with leaving the comforts of home. I just printed our boarding passes and bag tags for tomorrow’s flight. The dogs will stay behind to guard the house in the capable hands of our round-the-clock pet sitter, while I’ll be a visitor in Austin.

On my desk now sits a sign that reads, IT’S NOT EASY PRETENDING TO WORK THIS HARD ALL DAY LONG.” In fact, I’m writing this post while binge-watching the second season of Ozark on Netflix. I had taken a break from made-for-TV documentaries, in lieu of exclusively live sports as my primary background entertainment noise while I “work.” I’ve also done some family history “work” on Ancestry.com, as my search for birth parent answers continues. Next on my agenda is the highly recommended Goliath series. It will have to wait until we get back in town. My friends know me well, that’s why they felt the sign was a good birthday gift. Busy…busy…busy. 

One of my visiting friends was here all weekend and never saw one of our signature mountain peaks due to the cloudy conditions. A clear day around Portland is known as a “Five Peak Day,” as Hood, Adams, St. Helen’s, Jefferson, and Rainier “peek” over the horizon. I oddly think of Peak Performance, a workout facility in Indianapolis that had nothing to do with mountains and everything to do with muscles. That was a time in my life when I lifted weights in the morning rather than pound the sidewalks each day to maintain my infamous running streak. Today was day 3538, with a side-streak of forty-two 5k days. I may only get the minimum mile in tomorrow morning considering our early morning flight schedule.

I have Halloween cards on my desk for my three grand kids, with nearly two months to get them mailed. This is the kind of pressure that I feel on a daily basis. While my wife comes home stressed-out from work every day, my most stressful time is the day I’m in charge of preparing dinner. Last night, I grilled “Michael’s Spiced BBQ Pork Chops,” a recipe selected solely because of the familiar first name. Michael the cook’ s finished product could not quite match the picturesque presentation in the magazine, so it was another frustrating effort in the kitchen, with only marginal success in the taste department. I’ll be glad to get away from the dogs, the kitchen, and the neighborhood for a few days. My next stressful moments might be on the dance floor at the wedding we’re attending, or standing in a long line for brisket at Franklin BBQ.

In visiting Austin, our first priority will not be Texas wine country, after four years of experiencing Oregon’s Pinot Noir crops. We’ll have to pack our boots, but chances are we’ll look like tourists anyway. It was ninety degrees here in Portland today, so the transition back to hot weather won’t be a hot topic of discussion. However, getting together with old friends and co-workers will bring back a lot of memories of Shiner Beer, Tex-Mex food, world’s largest dog walks, Longhorns, bats, margaritas, tacos, two-steppin’, tuxedos, and pool time. I’m sure it will be a great visit!