Travels with Mary

 In the spirit of shutting out the clamorous world, I am continuing my quiet intercourse (not THAT meaning) with my readers. Here are a few added travel notes I wish to add. 

Covid

Yachats (in Lincoln County) has signs up on Hwy 101 thanking visitors for keeping their county open. It made me feel welcome and safe.

In Bandon I "stalked" a fellow motel occupant who rubbed me the wrong way. First, I noticed his humongous SUV was backed into a parking space signed as "Park Forward". Also, California plates. He walked around with his mask below his nose, which I always take as a "finger" to community safety. This was a "no pets" motel and he secreted his dog in and out of his room. I add this diatribe as evidence that my "live and let live" vibe has been pushed past it's limit this year.

Comfort

My attention to comfort, however, is still in peak operating order. My sweetie and I sleep in different latitudes and longitudes. By this I mean, he reacts as if we are in cool climes when I am throwing off everything but the sheet I require to fall asleep. I try to cool the room to my preference and if allowed and able to, he has the extra blanket and a hot water bottle I bring for his comfort. If I am NOT able and/or allowed to cool the room to my happy range, I fill the "hot" water bottle with icy water I have created via the fridge and/or ice bucket. Chilling my feet works like warming! 

As for longitudes, we operate in different time zones. By this I mean that I am usually an aggressive early riser: entirely awake with no transition state. He is a night owl at the cellular level (bless, his heart; he has no choice in this) and is awake many hours past my off switch activation and waking is a transition state that lasts for hours. Hence I have many fully awake hours in a small room wherein I am trying to make my coffee and secure breakfast on the down low. He would probably give me a B+ for effort and a C- for outcome. He is a stranger to the concept of morning coffee and sustenance. It's weird.

Coffee

Look! The three C's of today's travel: an unplanned convergence! Efforts to have the best coffee available without waking him or looking in the dark for a kiosk has a history all it's own. At home I enjoy two very dark drip cups that I can keep warm with an electric beverage warmer. Following this last trip I vowed to secure a quiet, excellent brew, hotish to the last sip and light and small to pack. This involved gear. *I have acquired and home tested a pour-over coffee and an insulated, lidded mug. I can use the provided room coffee maker to pre-warm the mug and then to drip over the "coffee bag. It made VERY good coffee. Breakfast-wise I hence forth vow to unwrap my Quest bar at home and put it in a quiet opening container. It's the least I can do for Rip Van W.

*This is a screen grab from the Amazon Kuzu page.