I was reading late, and then a headache woke me. I had very little sleep. It was hard to get going with my first meeting at 7:30. I managed to make the Zoom meeting dressed and ready. This was followed by many status meetings and alignments. Being tired and in a bit of pain, it seemed unfair that I had to speak in many meetings and provide status. I can often get away with doing multi-tasking and not have to say anything on most days. I kept going all morning in constant pressure of trying to get things done.
I rested instead of taking a walk today. I had a non-stop inflow of email and Slack messages, so there was no real rest.
Coffee and a just biscuit leftover from KFC were my breakfast today. I ordered the more expensive lunch today, delivered by GrubHub. Lamb kebobs from Gyro House over rice and with a salad. I was hungry when it showed just before noon. It is as good as it gets for lamb kebobs.
After clearing more emails and more Zoom meetings that I could not avoid, I finally got lunch and a real 45-minute break.
I had noticed a board game, The John Company, was going on Kickstarter by a favorite designer. The designer, Cole Wehrle, created one of the more challenging games I have to play, understand, and win in my collection, Pax Pamir. I spent lunchtime deciding if I was interested in the game.
Cole Wehrle does not sell his games but runs a Kickstarter campaign to get orders ahead of time and then fulfills the Kickstarter. This means it is hard to get a copy unless you wait for the next round of Kickstarter. Even though I am happy to have a copy, Pax Pamir, while fascinating to me, does not often hit the table. It simulates the political situation in the Great Game in Afghanistan. The game board is a little carpet map of Afganistan. It has a complex but very fun to play against solo version.
The John Company is another strangely complex game from this designer that recreates the experience of working for the East India Company on the subcontinent starting in the late 1800s. It is for 1-6 players. It is very complex. Your goal is to bring prestige (victory points) to your family by operating the East India Company well but ensuring it helps your family. Other players are trying to do the same. The game allows for limited cooperation between players. You even retire your family members for even more points, but can you keep the income going to keep the retired family happy?
I watched a video on how to play the first edition for lunch while enjoying my kebobs. I ordered the game on Kickstarter as it would make an exciting solo game. I found a few minutes to order The John Company on Kickstarter’s website while Zooming.
I could not even finish my videos and reading on The John Company as I had more alignment meetings and status meetings. I had more Zoom meetings where I needed to fully participate. This lasted until about 3PM.
By that time was really tired, and the lack of sleep got to me. I rested and read.
I baked bratwursts for dinner. I also made popovers from a King Arthur Flour mix. It is a fav of mine. I have a popover pan that makes these perfect. Corn niblets, frozen (Schwann’s), heated in a staining basket over boiling water, make these always seem fresh off the cob. I add salt, pepper, and butter.
I have to admit I had more than one popover.
I fell asleep after dinner watching the news with Susie.
I had a few care giving moments today with Susie and she fell to the floor putting her socks on. She was hurt, but I had to pick her up.
I am now reading the third Honor Harrison novel by David Weber. They keep getting better and harder to put down.
14,312 people yesterday were vaccinated in Oregon. This number will likely increase as it takes 72 hours to update all the counts.
873 people in the USA died today from the virus.
I turned to this Charles Wesley hymn, Rejoice, the Lord Is King. This version was just posted, and I like what they did with it.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 