Things could always be worse

January 16, 2026

Everything about the flight back to Portland went well. We planned well and picked the one that departed at 9:45, which meant that it was just barely light enough to drive when we left home at 7; and it was light enough to drive to our new home at the other end when we arrive just before 2. I had a window seat on the first leg, the short hop to Phoenix, so I was able to appreciate the views on the clear morning as the plane executed a 270 degree loop of Tucson's basin before finally heading northeast. I know the lay of the land here now and so I was able to enjoy looking down on familiar landmarks - all the mountain ranges of course, but also even spots like Sweetwater and Kennedy Lake.

Our flight departed to the south, before executing a counterclockwise loop of the basin. That's Mica Mountain and Rincon Peak to the east.

The view northeast through the gap between the Catalina range and Mica Mountain.

The view west of town, with the Tucson Mountains looking very small from up here. If you know where to look, many landmarks are visible. The giant white A on Sentinel Peak is on the left, and Sweetwater and Silverbell Lake are on the right.

Looking southwest across the Estrella Mountains as we approach Phoenix.

Descending into Phoenix. I was wondering if that large array of solar panels was what it is or cropland, until the sun reflected back and cleared things up.

We weren't as lucky on the second flight, with us split into different rows and both crowded into middle seats. It's too bad, because the Sierras looked amazing and it would have been nice to get a better look at them than across my neighbor's lap; and when we approached fog-bound Portland from the west snow-bound Rainier, Saint Helens and Adams all stood out above the clouds.

This would have been a nice time to have a window seat.

By far the most important thing to say about the flight though was how much difference it made that Rachael had registered me as in need of wheelchair assistance. On the initial flight I was wheeled from the check-in desk through security and to the departure gate, and when we arrived in Portland we were met at the plane and I was serviced for the next half hour - to baggage claim, to the women's restroom for Rachael, to the car rental desk to pick up our new wheels, and then even to the rental car itself. Fantastic service.

Things were a little sloppy when we arrived at our new apartment though. The check-in didn't go as expected, and no one was there to let us in. We went to a nearby restaurant for an early dinner while we waited for a response from our host, and even after we heard back it still was confusing meeting up with the cleaning lady on a dark side street to pick up the keys. But we're in.

__________

So my first surgery has been rescheduled, something we were notified of between flights. It's now set for February 19th, postponed by 27 days from the original January 23rd date I was counting down toward just five days ago. Instead of a week from today, due to an easily avoidable procedural error surgery is now 34 days away. But who's counting?

Things could always be worse though, so I'm trying to keep a positive attitude as I painfully hobble down the long hall from our latest home to the elevator so I can get to the car and drive to the coffee shop for breakfast. With luck, I'll find a parking spot near the entrance.

It's a long hall. The elevator is just to the right, and our doorway is nearly at the far end.

The view as I leave the coffee shop. Even though it's a clear morning it still looks grey at eight o'clock.

Indeed, these are the times that try men's souls. So am I still a glass-half-full type of guy in spite of it all? I'd ask my good friend Bruce for his assessment if he were in town and we were having coffee together over on Clinton Street, but I know better now after he shared his thoughts recently. I don't want to risk his sputtering in a fit of disgust and maybe upsetting the table and creating a scene, so I'll just do my own self-assessment.

There are several different perspectives to consider the situation from. One is our living situation, in our apartment in the Pearl District where now we'll be staying for the next three months rather than two. On the GHE side of the ledger, we'd rather be spending these extra four weeks of waiting in Tucson or maybe somewhere else warm we decided to move on to next than up here in Portland where it's wetter, twenty degrees colder and days are shorter. And it's too bad that our room is so far from the elevator.

The GHF side of the ledger is much longer though. First off, it's a nice place, one we'll be quite comfortable in for three months - the longest we've stayed in one place for over eight years. It's spacious, well equipped, has plenty of storage space, and has a big screen that we can watch our evening film from on the wide, comfortable couch rather than on the iPad in bed.

There's a large bedroom, and with a door to seal it off from the rest of the unit.

And even though it's a long way from the room to the elevator, it's a very short distance at the other end to our reserved parking spot. And it's a very lucky thing that we could extend our reservation by a month at the last minute so we won't need to pack up and move somewhere else in the middle of my rehab. So from the lodging perspective, the glass is way above half full, and almost brimming over. Full enough that we can live with the fact that it's on the cold side and a little dark and the elevator is excruciatingly slow and we can't quite figure out the spout situation on the kitchen sink.

Transportation and accessibility? That's another generally bright spot. It's easy to get to the car, as we've already noted. Also though, there's a streetcar stop just a block away that either of us could make use of. And we're only a block and a half from Ovation and Lovejoy Bakery, two of my favorite neighborhood morning hangouts. And it's especially great that there are zero stairs to be managed - none at the street entrance, none at the garage, and none on our floor. I appreciate that now, but I'll really appreciate it after surgery - which is only 34 long days away now.

And the elevator is large, so it will be easy to wheel the bikes in and out of once they arrive. It's nothing like that nightmarish situation with our Airbnb in the Old Town in Nice last spring, where there was a half flight of stairs from the street entrance to the elevator, and then another half flight at the top because the elevator stopped at landings midway between floors. And the elevator was so cramped and small that you could only get our small Bike Fridays inside it one at a time by folding them and removing the handlebar.

Like I said, things could always be worse.

And then, there are the environmental considerations. As expected of course, it's cooler and grayer here than in Tucson. But we've arrived at an uncharacteristically fine time, with a string of crisp, clear days with highs of about 50F - days that would be fine for a birding ride along the Columbia Slough or out at Sauvie Island, if my bike weren't still in transit and not expected to arrive until early next week - by which time we can expect the more characteristic rains to return.

The view from our home for the next three months. It won't be a bad spot to sit around with my leg elevated while I'm rehabbing.

Because I can't bike yet, I drove out to Sauvie Island yesterday to check out the birds. Surprisingly the birding wasn't any good - it's really hard in the car, when you can't just spontaneously stop anywhere you want to - but it was still great just to have a look. Hopefully we'll still have a few decent days after the bikes arrive.

And if we step back a ways to take a larger perspective? The further back we get from the nitty gritty of life and look around to our situation relative to others less fortunate, the better our situation becomes. Portland isn't under siege by an occupying army for the moment at least; and we're not personally much at risk of being collected and thrown down an ICE-hole or deported or worse as long as we don't take unnecessary risks; and we're fortunate and privileged enough to have the resources that let us live comfortably and rent a car, something we don't take for granted. And above all, I have a loving and supportive partner to help me through the rough spots and darker days, and I can still see. I've never appreciated the gift of sight as much as I have this last year.

And it's a definite plus that Portland still has its share of microbreweries, and I'm allowed to drink alcohol again (in moderation, of course) with my new medication.

A nice winter stout from Breakside Brewery. The glass is definitely more than half full.

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Steve Miller/GrampiesSo a few comments....are you going to take your Tyenne on schedule until the two week window before the new surgery date? You might want to inquire about getting one of those "handicapped" placards so you can get access to closer parking both while you wait for the first surgery and during the rehab period. Keep us posted on how things are going and what you are doing. Love, Dodie
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1 week ago

Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesI'm unsure about my Tyrone schedule. I'll stop in time of course, but I wonder if I should push out the date on the preceding one to even out that and the first dose after the surgery. I posed the question to my rheumatologist, but haven't heard back yet.

The handicapped parking question is a good one I'll have to think of. I'm not sure of how much driving I'll be doing before surgery anyway, but I should look into it.
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1 week ago

Kathleen ClassenDefinitely look into it. Not sure how it works in your neck of the woods, but in Canada you can get short term permits for the pre and post surgical months. It makes a world of difference to know you have an excellent chance of rock star parking if you do want to use the car.
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1 week ago

Janice BranhamWe wish you were still in Tucson too! Glad to hear at least you have a new date and aren't being kept in suspense.
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1 week ago