Day 311: MLK 2021

Susie had a 9AM appointment with Zerida for hair, nails, toes, etc. I was up at 7:30ish, having ignored the 7ish alarm. I then made coffee and got something to eat. Susie was up and dressed by 8ish. Her driver here at 9ish. Susie spent the next couple of hours then with Zerida. I finished up some email and then dressed and printed out the Howard stories on my printer. I put the printed stories in a large envelope and addressed it to Mom Wild. She wanted to read some of Howard’s stories.

I took Air Volvo, bombed by the crows and looking well splattered, to the post office. It is MLK, but the machine that helps you mail was working. There was a line five deep to use it. All of us are masked and socially distanced. Some folks did not know how to use the machine, and some social distancing was put aside to show folks how to make the purchase by others. I was not going to get close to folks–sorry, come when the post office is open. I also noticed another person who took off his mask when not talking to people. He was packing a package and would take off his mask while working. I was feeling too safe and was happy when it was my turn. I got out the hand sanitizer, I bring my own, before and after using the machine. Nobody cleans the machine between uses!

I managed to get the item mailed and cleaned my hands again in the car. I will not be back to mail something!

I did the car drive-thru for spicy chicken sandwiches from Popeyes. I had to drive around again as there was room for one more car and two cars, and I wanted the next spot. I was not going to get in between people’s lunch! The post office was nuts; imagine the car line for lunch! No events, and I managed lunch.

Susie returned with a McDonald’s Happy Meal, her fav.

She rested while I met Mariah at the Golden Valley Brewery for a beer. Mariah sent me a text about getting a beer right after I got the sandwich. I asked her if it could be about 2. That worked.

The GVB is very careful, and I feel safe outside there. The staff wants GVB to work and be safe. It was a bit warmer today, and so I did not freeze like last time. I had a dark heavy beer, a light salad (I had a chicken sandwich already), and coffee. We talked about writing and getting through January. We both find the month hard so far.

Actually, I always worry about January-February in the Pacific Northwest. It is dark, and work always wants you to do six months of work in January and another in February. It is a hard month.

It is MLK, and sometimes all I can do is just get through the day. This year is like that.

Earlier on Monday, I signed up to be a content provider for DriveThruRPG. I want to publish my own adventures for Dungeons and Dragons. I have many old adventures I wrote I want to get published—time to start down that path.

To that end, I also contacted a local copy editor in Portland to get some help. I can use Grammarly to get close, but I would like perfect. So I will see about getting some assistance.

Being Monday, today was the weekly Dungeons and Dragon game I host of the online service Roll20. Today the adventures look into the evil elves, Drow, that were camped out. It was an illusion, and the players faced a hoard of zombies. Their cleric turned them to dust by calling down his deities purifying light on them—Poof (one was left–it did not last long). Not wanting to let something escape, the adventures discovered that a Drow mage was hidden in an illusion and a Rope Trick spell. He had made all the zombies and was a scouting mage. They took him, prisoner after he fell on to their wizard. The Drow was invisible but gave away his location by making too much noise (falling on the wizard).

The mage they captured, Orl, lead them out of the level to the next level. The Drow fortress is there, and they were invited to dinner (the joke was not lost on them). Before they left, the Behir found them. This is “he who speaks in lightening” that the trogs had warned them about. A fierce battle followed. This is a D&D monster that is a cross between a basilisk and a lightning dragon (blue). The fight went fast as the players overpowered it. This happens with “boss” creatures in D&D; the players have all those cool powers and attacks.

I was also sad that the figure I have once again did not get used. I get to run a Behir about once every two years or less. So here is me with the figure.

We will play again in a week or so. They have entered the next level to find it overrun with Minotaurs!

I made dinner before the game. I fried some hamburgers with cheese—baked beans from a can and peaches from a can but very fresh tasting to finish it out.

8,409 people were vaccinated today in Oregon. Nearly four percent of people in my county, Washington, have been vaccinated.

1,425 people died today in the USA from Covid-19.