Porthole

29th week of the Year 180.

(exercise) = Exor. (observations) = obsv. (s***,shave,shower) = ss&s. (read something) = read. (comment blogs) = bogs. (BoyLove series on-line) = ytBL. (Thai TV BL series on GMMTV25) = tv25. (write poetry or prose) = PorP. (take a daily walk) = walk. (buy something) = shop. (take a photo) = foto. (video) = วิดีโอ. (speak Thai/Lao) = pôod. (learn Thai) Thai. (go-into-the-water) = pool. (clothes) = wash. (cook something) = cook. (tidy up) = mess. (travel) = trip. (noon) = เที่ยง. (talking to ex-pats/travelers/strangers in European) = chat. (Thai teaching book) = book. (hand written journal) = jour. (contests) = test.

8 oktober

We stay in Sisaket

PorP.

Absolutely horrible day. Grab to Rajabhat. Long walk back through garbage, trash and filth. The university is about 5 km from the center. No buses, no transportation. This is the local college for 'poor' students.

Pan acted nasty. 'Nuff said.

Late coffee/tea. Sat outside with Arm, Lay, Golf who were drinking beer, many beers.

7 oktober

We go to Sisaket

PorP.

On bus to Ubon... then another bus. We're in Yasothorn. Need to find out schedule for Yasothorn-Sisaket. It's 15:48. We missed out on the direct bus.

Arrived at Sisaket. Staying in T4 for 3 nights.

6 oktober

exor. 200/100/200/300 = 800. 82 degrees at 09:15. No motivation.
ss&s.
PorP.
walk.
trip. Didn't buy ticket.
tv31.

I must pack today for tomorrow. If I'm smart I'll buy the bus ticket too!

5 oktober

exor. 350/200/250/300 = 1100. 84 degrees at 08:49
ss&s.
cook. chicken and pork with lemon, sugar, carrots, greens.
ytBL. "I Feel You Linger in the Air" Ep1 Ep2
เที่ยง. 89°F 32°C
bogs. Sonali/Beholden/Wordsmitty/Harlow
chat. P'Nan
walk.
shop. toilet paper, ice cream.
PorP. ""Expired" O5 'delicious' 37w" 

When did you realize you were dead?

4 oktober

I need to calm down. A bit of drama the last two days. Nothing life threatening; it's just that my nerves are so damaged that I can't withstand any bad news... no matter how petty. I'm trying to get back into routines. It's 10:54 and I already have made some progress on the day. I enjoyed writing on paper. I'll go for water, a walk, visit friends, study? It's an idea. Pan seems happy today. We visit his doctor on the 9th.

exor. 300/100/200/300 = 900. 81 degrees at 8 a.m. It was very quiet in the shadows.
ss&s. Found my toothbrush.
PorP. ""Dug in" O3 40w 'root' " 
wash. Pan is washing and cooking today.
agua. another 8 liters.
chat. Nan and German visitor from Brasil.

To KansasCane on YCC: "If the last two centuries have had a steady heartbeat then the last two decades have been a heart attack. It's the uncertainty of it all that disturbs creatures of habit."

3 oktober

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/the-world-would-be-better-off-without-rel...

exor. 200/100/200/200 = 700. The sun comes around by 10:00. 84/29 degrees.
cook. rice in pepsi with onion and cilantro
ss&s.
baht. took out money. the closest ATM didn't have the funds.
chat. with David.
walk.
shop. Lotus. Pan and I both bought .
agua. 8 liters.

To Charity on FB: "I find it interesting how small additions help in a kitchen. I value my scissors, my one knife to chop, my rice cooker, my 10 liter jug for filtered water. We have a rack... not as fancy 😊 but it helps. The clothes rack on the balcony is a must in Thailand. Small details, but they matter."

To Renae on FB: "Chris Carpenter, I personally like interacting with people more than robots. I can ask questions. I can receive answers. It's why I don't do drive-throughs like Starbucks, why I don't do delivery. I love old time diners with coffee and a slice of pie. In Thailand I smile and speak to street vendors. The folks selling flowers, roti, chicken-on-a-stick know me. I want to be seen and heard. A machine cannot do that."


2 oktober

Trip. train home to Udon Thani.
walk.

Up before 7 a.m. Ate breakfast! Out by 7:15? Took green line to blue line to Ban Sue... an empty cavern of a new train station with poor signage and long distances. Horrible place imho. Train was hot. I sat in 3rd class, car 4, seat 38? Anyhoo... no rain but the fields were very green and soaked. There's been bad flooding in some areas today.

Very worn out. Pan was glad to see me, bought me roses (old rose color), made sure I ate. I'm going to bed early as I'm exhausted. Tomorrow I'll unpack and try to restart routines.

I do need to rethink how I'm spending what is possibly the last stage of my life.

8549

40 words... The prompts for the following dates:

Use Nature blog?

10/01/2023- 'reflect'
10/02/2023-'tremendous'
10/03/2023-'root'
         This is how it begins. How it always begins. An urge to seek water and sustenance. An urge to cling to the soil that nurtures us. Finally a shy shoot to greet the sun. While roots... dig deeper in the heart they call home.
10/04/2023- 'instrumental' ???
         
10/05/2023-'delicious' grapes after the frost, a banana before it turns brown, fresh bread and split pea soup.
         So many things are delicious just before they rot: bananas turning black, bread with a spot of mold, your teeth before they fall out. Death becomes you. I can vouch for that.
10/06/2023-'terrific' as in terrifying?
         
10/07/2023-'until' waiting, 17 years, 20...
         Until you bloom like the cutting of a night blooming orchid. I waited 17 years to inhale its fragrance. Tonight I inhale yours.
10/08/2023-fragile' poppy, seedling, chick
         Not everything last. Not youth. Not beauty. Not the fragile petals of a roseate poppy. What endures is the memory of a moment that came in a dream and left on the wings of breeze.
10/09/2023-'determinant' Lead stem, flower, pinch and it branches, chrysanthemum.
10/10/2023-wisdom' Flowers that symbolize wisdom are: Sage, Jacaranda, Iris, Perovskia, Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal), Aquilegia (Columbine) and Euphorbia (Spurge). September I'll remember. Like an aster, a star fallen to earth whilst the sage shyly blooms, small yellow flowers that defy the coming frost.
10/11/2023-reply' ???
10/12/2023-'collapse' Tired, the petals weep then wither. They have given their all. Only time will tell the fruits of their labor, whether it yielded a harvest of sprouts, a continuance of life itself, someone's last dinner.

Prompt me ghouls...

Week 1: phonebooth *Boothr*
         I followed the emerald ooze. It was coming from the rusted abandoned phone booth. No door, no phone, but I felt a ringing in my ear.
Week 2: pirate flag *Pirateflag*
         She hung the skull-and-bones upside down on the widow's peak. By moonlight, I caught a glint of a silvery hook. Earlier:She hung a black flag upside down on the widow's peak. By moonlight, I caught a glint of her silvery hook.
Week 3: train *Trainv*
         The tracks came into town over 100 years ago. They had been abandoned for over 5 decades. Surely the ghosts of the train wreck had moved on by now. Surely.
Week 4: handprint *Hand2*
         It was small, like a racoon. It was red like fresh strawberry jam. The hand that made it couldn't have gone far.
Week 5: October 31st *Dateoct31*
         No need to stress out. Bad things only happened on the first of the month, they told me. It was still the 31st until midnight.