Day 34: Saturday 4 Phase 1: July 4th

Today is a holiday, and I slept in. I not moving until 10ish. Sleep came, and I decided that while it was here, I should spend more time with that old friend. When I finally got going, I made Mexican Fair Trade coffee. Nothing like some liberal border-crossing brew to get you started on the right path in the morning.

I made lemon ginger scones last night from King Arthur mix. I am now through about half of the case I ordered at the beginning of the emergency. They are good.

I worked a bit on the model Titanic and have started on the enclosed promenade deck. This is mostly attaching tiny brass window frames to the model.

I made bean and chicken and veggie soup today. When the emergency started, it was impossible to get soup starters, so I found some at The Women’s Bean Project. I decided to make soup today. So far, I am the only one who has had any. It is good. I bagged it and froze it.

Lunch was leftover pizza from The Rock. I like to microwave it hot and then let it sit so the warm get through the whole slice and then do another run to get is sizzling. I then let it cool down. The crust is a bit too soft, but it is still good.

I wrote more science fiction: Howard’s Lockdown.  Today I invented Dreamland Portland near the doomed city of the unspeakable elder god’s city. I am working on a Dicken’s like story of three cultists visiting Howard. I will not want a very long story as you need to keep it light if you are harvesting Dickens! Currently, in my account, Howard is traveling with the entity of cults of the past, Alister Crowley, and just left a bar that serves extracts of books. Mr. Crowley ordered the drink Audit with No Regrets. Made from the extract of tax law books and a biography of Henry VIII, shaken with an olive.

I am planning, someday, to publish Howard’s stories. The stories match some of my travels. Istanbul, Amsterdam, Orlando computer conferences, and a Christmas story I wrote riding Amtrak. I write one from my experiences and imagination.

I also squeezed in a practice game of Istanbul. Set-up for two players. I play both. I added coffee.

Tonight is firework night. My street has acquired a massive supply of illegal fireworks. Going with the summer theme: We are the People Our Parents Warned Us About Jimmy Buffett. The explosions and flashes are ongoing.

(Susie out for the fireworks, kept on masks and social distance)

(the fireworks were close, that is the tree in my front yard)

Reports are confusing. The death rate is down with over two-hundred-fifty Americans dying today from the virus. The infection rate continues to explode.

I found this new hymn I had not heard before that seemed to work for me: The First One Ever.