Today was a stay-cation day for me. I slept in. I was slow to make coffee and to get dressed. I tried to not focus on work that I was not doing–it takes a while to detach from a 7/24 work pace. And it was not long before I was back online moving a vendor software patch (a group of manual OSS notes to those SAP folks out there). I then logged off and unplugged the Nike laptop.
I had left some frozen Italian-styled meatballs in the freezer last time I cooked pasta. I got them out and a jar of sauce. I baked the meatballs and heated about 1/4 of the sauce and toasted some bread. I made a favorite of mine, a meatball sandwich. I used sour cream for the cheese–it is better than other choices (none of which I had anyway).
I left the house after that, I had a check to deposit. There were a few hobby supplies I could use (I was running low on Tamiya super-pure version of lacquer thinner), and a few items would be attractive I am sure (I have some new sanding needles and rigging string .02 mm now), and lastly, the local gaming store might be a nice stop. Of course, this would be followed by a stop at the pharmacy for prescriptions and more house supplies. Must not forget to stop at the ATM and deposit the check!
How could there be traffic! It is after lunchtime, and speeds are slow even for overly polite Oregon standards. The fast lane can only be called that as it is at least running 1/2 the speed limit.
I make it to Tammies Hobbies with mandatory masks now. All the folks are keeping their distances this time. My previous trips were much less attentive to the new local social conventions of six feet apart. Now the attention is now better–I feel a bit safer now. They have a new section full of science fiction models with good coverage of Star Trek. I see the huge Enterprise model and manage to resist it again.
I get a text from Dondrea to get some pictures of our church. I get the flag and the word boards for her. The church is busy, as this is a food day. The church is supplying food to people in need. Everyone with masks but it is hard to hand out food without getting close.
(I have replaced this flag many times–always happy to see it still there. I do have two more ready when some person steals this one)
(One of the signs)
(And here is another one with an interesting choice of words)
There are a lot of homeless and food challenged kids by the church as our church works with organizations to help them. I told them to relax as I was taking pictures of the church, not them. They were sitting in the shade on the grass. They even waved to me as I left.
Hunger does not stop for protests, riots, or viruses, particularly for school-aged kids in a year without school lunches.
Next, I get a call. I have been traveling so slow that I have missed my call with Australia. I have been asked to speak there on computer stuff. So we do the call over the phone while I drive home–I park in a parking lot and finish the call.
The Mastering SAP conference in Australia is going all digital as there is no real way to have folks travel there in October. Steve, the owner of the event company that is putting it on, has created a new format of ten-minute presentations and then interactive discussions and online messaging to make it a positive experience. They want to create a new format that will be worthy of people’s investment of time and money. I will be part of a panel now. I agree to be part of this as I, too, want to be part of a better format. I have to do a video of my slides and then work out with the panel what we will talk about. This is not my comfort zone, but I want to know how to do this kind of communication better. I am signed-up to learn and participate.
Once the call is over, I am at Rainy Day Games parking lot and thus visit the local game store. Everyone has a mask, and social distancing is practiced. A new Dune Expansion has been released! I have been upgrading my copy of this game, Dune, with a new map and new counters. Now there is an expansion. This was a unique game when it came out with the movie so many years ago. It was the first real political game since Diplomacy that is very thematic. The version I have is last year’s re-launch of the game after years of waiting.
I am excited to get this unexpected add-on. It has some new rules and corrections that make me want this virus thing to stop so I can play this six-person game soon. I do suspect that it will wait for the next game convention: The Spice Must Flow!
I stop by the pharmacy and pick up a prescription and some supplies. The staff all know me and wave as I leave. I once got them all passes to the Nike store–one year Nike was very generous with passes so I shared them with the pharmacy. They are always making sure I have my flu shots. I am not sure I get the better, if not sharp, end of the exchange!
Home. Yes, the check is still in the car. I guess I will try tomorrow to get that deposited. Rushed home and read the rules.
Corwin cooks dinner. New York strip steaks. I make the marinade from scratch and it sets the grill nearly on fire. The steaks are Chicago style. Molasses mixed with wine, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce must be a secret rocket fuel mix!
The reports show more than six-hundred forty Americans lost their battle with the virus today. I have a request from Rev. Anne Weld-Martin to share this song: We Rise Again.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 