Peak Summer in Olympia

 Update, Aug. 19, 2025

            Peak summer in Olympia gets a good rating from me. We’ve had a few hots days—last week it hit 94—but heat waves don’t last long. Two or three days of high temps are offset by nights that do eventually cool off and the more typical weather that follows. Three days ago the high was in the upper 60s with showers and we’ll have a couple more similar days soon. We don’t have air conditioning and will do without it since we’d only need it about ten days a year.

            My brother arrived on Aug. 1 and he left this past Thursday. I wish he could have stayed longer and he pledges to do so in January when he returns. His visit was divided roughly in two by our excursion to Springfield, MO, for the second Butler family reunion. With mom, we drove an hour to Seatac at the crack of doom, flew to Kansas City, and drove three plus hours to the Queen City of the Ozarks (a better title than Hog Princess of the Ozarks by a small margin). Quite a travel slog. Flying into Springfield is so expensive these days that the extra driving hours paid for themselves.

            But the reunion was worth the slog. Most of our cousins and spouses, some of their offspring and spouses, and a spouse to be named later attended and we had a very good time catching up. My cousins have generally inherited the sardonic humor gene and use it prolifically. Cousins Carla and Kristi presented some of the growing body of research on the Butler lineage and showed us a few mysteries that might be solvable or just as likely will produce horror novels. After the official event including a good catered dinner at the hotel meeting room, some of us gathered in the lobby for Mexican Train dominoes, using Moody house rules.

            I also had a chance to see my dad’s wife Pam and my longtime friends David and Tammy Moody. They created those domino house rules. Avoid the double blank.

            While my brother was here we took an air-conditioned drive on a hot day and saw the badly named Millersylvania State Park, which is quite beautiful, and ate out a few extra times. Brian was the big winner at the Lucky Eagle Casino before the reunion trip. And he made Nanaimo bars (online recipes easily findable) and for a recent meal, excellent cashew chicken.

            Otherwise, what’s been happening? Down time for projects and rest between semesters. I’ve been prepping two classes for the fall semester which starts Aug. 25, but I’ve enjoyed the break since about July 10 very much. One sour note—since March and April I’ve noticed more hearing loss in my right ear. I had it checked and that got elaborate: a hearing test (loss confirmed and asymmetrical which piqued the attention of the audiologist), blood tests to rule out autoimmune disease (it’s ruled out), an MRI to look for a probably benign tumor (none there, and is there a less comforting phrase than “probably benign”?), and now further audiology to determine whether I need new hearing aids. I’m listening to less music. I hope that’s temporary as these changes play out.

            Mom and I continue to watch BritBox detective/mystery series nearly every evening. Right now it’s “Father Brown,” somewhat loosely based on the title character from detective stories by G.K. Chesterton though only a few of the episodes are based on his stories and then loosely. Key term? Loosely. Brown is played by Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films).

            Reading a Ray Bradbury short story collection (weird stories, they used to call them, sort of horror lite) right now. On deck: old novels or story collections by Robert Silverberg, Damon Knight, Walter M. Miller, Jr., and James Blish; a more recent award-winning novel, China Mountain Zhang; and outside of S-F, the novel Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino and stories by M.R. James, the Edwardian ghost story paragon. Not a serious tome in sight, because summer.

            I’m trying not to let politics bother me beyond stirring up revolutionary thoughts. When we’re done ousting Trump and company, what should be our systemic focus? Several reforms:  1) institute public financing of campaigns, 2) greatly limit or outlaw the use of personal wealth to run for office, 3) cap the total amount of wealth a person may control, because money rots politics, 4) ideally change to a party-list electoral system for the House of Representatives which would end gerrymandering, 5) declare corporations to have rights less than people and empower Congress to restrict them, 6) alter the Supreme Court though I’m conflicted about exactly how, 7) constrain the president’s pardon power, and 8) ban convicted felons from running from office.

            We might also want to charge large numbers of Trumpists with sedition, but that’s not systemic. "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream" (Amos 5:24, RSV).

            What’s happening with all of you? Spill. Please.