I switched us over to the new computer (the Dell) last night. There were a few snags, when the files I'd transferred from the old computer (the Compaq) didn't show up on the new computer, but I eventually figured out what other files I needed to transfer to make it all work.

Yoga class yesterday evening was smaller than I'd ever seen it. I haven't seen either Jason or Rachel in several weeks. (I kind of suspect that Jason has been going to Saturday morning classes.) I was distracted through the whole class. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about what I would have to do later for the new computer.

The Dell is now set up on the computer table. The Compaq is in pieces on the living room floor. It's now time to set up the Compaq in the dining room.

We stopped into QFC this morning, and I saw that they're carrying BibiCaffè again. That was a good start to the day. I used to love those little Italian espresso drinks. Then, suddenly, I couldn't find them anywhere. I thought the company had gone out of business, or something. It has been many years since I've seen a bottle of BibiCaffè. Now I'm drinking one, and there's another one in the office refigerator for this afternoon. It's as good as I remember it.

On the BibiCaffè website, there is a recipe for a coffee martini. That sounds good.

Another imaginary train trip...

After visiting the VR website, I learned that I could catch an InterCity train in Helsinki at 9:03 on April 10 and arrive in Turku (the former capital of Finland) at 11:00. A 2nd class one-way ticket would cost me 24.90 euros (about 33 US dollars). I'd purchase a one-way ticket because I'd hang around Turku for a day. The next morning, I'd walk on to the 8:45 ferry to Mariehamn, in the islands of Åland, in the Baltic Sea, where I'd arrive at 14:10. A round trip ferry ticket would cost between 48 and 125 euros (63 to 165 US dollars), depending on the deck.

The new computer arrived today. It is quite a step up from our present one, in terms of speed and processing power. We'll keep the present one around, and be a two desktop PC household. We may never get any housework done.

I unpacked the new PC this evening, and got it all plugged in. For the next few days, I'll be transferring files. With this new computer, we will do things right and have the firewall, spyware killers, and Opera installed before we ever connect to the internet.

As I drove to church this morning, Eddie Vedder's cover of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" came on the radio. I was reminded that I'm a sucker for the basic songs - just a human voice backed by a strong guitar. "Seasick, Yet Still Docked," by Morrissey. "Blowin' In The Wind," by Bob Dylan. "Strong Enough," by Cheryl Crow. "The Milkman of Human Kindness," by Billy Bragg.

Phillip slept in this morning, and I went to church alone. After the Palm Sunday procession, I walked into church and saw a young man, sitting alone, who was clearly a visitor. For one thing, he was black. Despite our church's commitment as an Open & Affirming congregation, we continue to be frustrated by the extremely small percentage of members who are persons of color. For another thing, he was wearing a suit. In our church, no man under the age of 80 wears a suit to church. I sat down in the pew ahead of him, intending to take on my role as a member of the Welcome & Nurture committee. Service began as soon as the singing (of the procession) ended. It soon became obvious that this stranger was not alone, but rather the guest of a member of our congregation. I said hello to the guest during the Sharing of The Peace. As soon as Service ended, he and the member of our congregation disappeared, and I never got to find out who he was.

This afternoon, Phillip and I investigated another mini golf course for our July CAP adventure. This one was in Issaquah, and was part of a gaming center named Illusionz. It was the saddest looking mini golf course either of us had ever seen. It tried to be innovative. There were unusually steep banks. One hole had a couple dozen golf balls stuck to the green as hazards. One hole had a spinner that told you where to place your hand or foot before teeing off. But, it was just nine holes of a boring-looking course off in the corner - no themes, no decoration. It looked like someone had set it up right out of a box. As Phillip commented, it was no surprise that Illusionz didn't include a photo of it on their web site. We didn't bother playing. Instead, we spent time playing video games. Many of the video games weren't working, though. Some had missing joysticks. One of the racing games we tried didn't work right. Some weren't even on. There was one pinball game with all of its insides missing. I had wanted to try the roller coaster simulator. We were, however, too big to ride on it. It was a sad place.