Chez Jose restaurant in Portland had really good food. We didn't have any trouble finding the place once we went the right direction. Driving in the rain in rush hour traffic was interesting. That's why we usually stay on our side of the river! It was fun meeting Tim and Kiersten there for dinner. I had a yummy beef taco with a side salad in place of the rice and beans. I don't think I overate or ate too unhealthy. The place was very busy and very noisy, so it was a little hard to talk. A fun experience, especially since we don't usually go to Mexican restaurants. (Dave had a hamburger and fries.)

I just came home from an appointment with Dr. Angel, the cardiologist. He gave me a thumbs up on my new baseline echocardigram. I won't need to get annual echos any longer, just on an as needed basis. I complained to him about hair loss and fatigue, so he sent me to the lab for a check on my blood count and my thyroid. I also had to get a Pro-Time lab test done on my coumadin level. He said that use of coumadin can cause hair loss. He said that I can gradually stop taking the beta-blocker Metoprolol. I'll need to monitor my blood pressure and email him if it goes up after stopping the small dose of Metoprolol that I'm on.

Tonight we are going to take Tim and Kiersten out to dinner to celebrate Tim's birthday. Tim chose Chez Jose in Portland.

Happy birthday to our son, Tim. He is 27 today! And Jonathan's news is that he completed the initial six-hour testing for the Washington State Patrol and passed! He has an interview with them in Tumwater on August 18.

Just returned home from a Portland Festival Symphony concert in the park. We always enjoy these annual concerts which take place on the first three weekends in August. Last weekend was too hot to attend the concert. Tonight was just right, even a bit cool. We stopped at Subway first so that we could eat while we listened. We also stopped at Camping World so that Dave could buy a new strap for our RV awning. Now he gets to figure out how to attach it.

Today is the anniversary of "Gotcha Day". Twenty years ago today we added Jonathan to our family after picking him up at the San Francisco Airport after his flight from Korea. He turned four months old the day after we got him. He was one frightened baby after that long flight. He cried when I held him, and stopped crying when Dave held him, but still wasn't happy. When we finally got into our rented mini-van in the airport parking lot, Jonathan was placed in his car seat next to Tim, who turned seven two days after "Gotcha Day". Tim made faces at Jonathan and interacted with him and finally Jonathan began to relax and smile. We are so proud and happy at the men that Jonathan and Tim have grown into.

Yesterday Dave and I went to the Japanese Tea Garden at Washington Park in Portland. We had never been there before. Our idea was to combine visiting the Garden with our walk. We enjoyed the Garden but finished the walk way too soon.

It was so cool there that I had to stop at the Rose Garden gift shop and buy a jacket. Yesterday's high was lower than the low on those record-setting hot days that we had. The cool weather is a nice change, but now it feels like summer is almost over.

Today was another busy Tuesday. I had a doctor's appointment in the morning, a CASA meeting at DSHS in the early afternoon, and my weekly Starbucks afternoon with my friends. My original CASA case has finally been dismissed with a happy ending of the mom regaining custody of her child. My other case has been going over two years also and I've had a hard time getting back into the swing of things since my surgery. In that case, there are several worries and concerns which weigh on my mind and heart. I pray for wisdom to act in the best interest of the children.

After a very warm weekend, we had a respite overnight last night. We were able to turn OFF our air conditioning and the house was a very pleasant temperature for sleeping. But this morning, we had to turn the air conditioning back on. Dave was able to get the lawn mowed and the yard work done before it got too hot. Now we just finished our exercise. We take turns using the treadmill and exercise bike while we watch TV together--this works well. Some day I hope to go back outside and get some exercise, but not today!