I was surprised to sleep the whole night. It is also nice to finally have some sleep. It is hard to be so fatigued all day. It is also the last official day of cycle 2. I missed a dose, so I will have an add-on dose for Thursday morning, but it is still nice to reach the fourteenth day! My start of cycle 3 will be 10March.
Aside: This Thursday morning, there is no pain in my hands, finally!
I rushed a bit in the morning as Evan wanted to come over and see Susie and maybe play a board game with me. I managed to be ready about 11ish when he showed I had taken my pills, showered, dressed, and read all my emails. I even wrote the blog in a rush.
In the blowing rain, Evan and I proceeded to Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center at 3900 Pacific Highway, Room 44A. Dairy Creek, a usually small creek that runs under the Pacific Highway, is now again Dairy Lake. The last few days of more than six inches of rain have the water flowing down for the mountains and into the rivers and creeks. We usually have flooding a few days after heavy rain.
After following the entrance process, we headed to Susie. Susie was in a wheelchair by the nurses’ station. She was happy to see us and had breakfast there before we appeared. Susie’s speech seems a bit harder to follow, but she is also trying to get more out. Susie also seemed weaker and having trouble sitting up in the wheelchair. Still, Susie was happy to see Evan and me.
Evan and I then went to lunch at the Grand Lodge. This time my Compas Pizza was not undercooked and was great.
After lunch, we returned to the facility, and Susie was still eating her blenderized lunch. So I helped feed Susie a bit. She is still having trouble swallowing.
I managed to reach Leta and Susie, and her mother had a friendly chat on FaceTime.
Susie and Evan were at the table after Susie had enough of her lunch.
We spent another 30 minutes or so with Susie. Finally, she wanted back to her room as she was too tired to talk or for me to wheel her around the facility for my usual tour. I kissed her goodbye as the nursing aide started Susie back to her room.
Evan and I then headed to Hillsboro. I wanted a walk and to see some of the antiques they have there. We took a call from Dr. Peter Koper while parking. He and his wife are back from Texas and could be more easily reached now. I almost called him when in Forest Grove, but Susie was too tired for more calls. So we chatted a bit about Susie and my health and the war. I will try to connect with Peter this week so Susie can chat with him.
I walked through downtown Hillsboro and tried out a few favorite shops. Le Stuff is one of the best antique places with reasonable prices. They turn their inventory and seem to have connections with buyers and sellers from all over the country. There is always something that interested me; this time, I managed to resist a large radio for only $75 that needs to be rebuilt. The cabinet is in nearly perfect condition and by itself is worth the money. But, I do not need another project, so I pass. I next stopped by the local foodie shop, Bennett Coffee Roasting Company, and got some coffee, Columbia Geisha, and some saltwater taffy. I usually don’t buy candy, but it seemed exactly what I needed. I was sweating from the walk, so I cut the visit a bit short and headed to Beaverton.
The 649 Taphouse was just opened, and we claimed one of our usual tables. Evan was surprised to find a gal he knew at the next table. I begged off from sharing a table explaining I was in chemotherapy and needed to stay separate. We did explain to her and her 12-year-old girl how the game we were playing worked, The Architect of the West Kingdom. It was more game than they wanted, but Azul, which I recommended to them, was maybe a better fit for them. It is also cheap and filled with neat actual miniature tiles.
Evan and I played one game. I had a cold drink, the first one that did not burn me, a Cuba Libre. I used to drink them in India in hotel bars. The rum killed anything in the water, I reasoned. On the game, Evan remembered how to play and kept up the pressure on me the whole game, with him winning by three points. We did play without add-ons, but we kept all the extra cards in play. As I genuinely enjoy the game, I have added over the last three years the overly expensive painted meeples, metal coins, the unique cards by purchasing them online, and the recent add-on Age of Artisans. I have pledged for the Kickstarter for the following add-on, Works of Wonder.
The Architect of the West Kindom uses a new mechanic that has you place a meeple on the board to do an action. The action is increased by how many meeples you have there. You can arrest meeples in a location and sell them to prison if the meeples are from another player. Thus, getting too many meeples in one place makes you a target. You build buildings for points from blueprint cards, and to in the theme impress the king, that uses resources that your hard-working meeples produce. There is also a cathedral that needs to be built and a black market to sneak a shortcut in getting supplies. The game is easy to learn but hard to master and to win. The scores at the end of the game are usually close, with every point valuable. It plays fast and, even with five players, moves well, and there is no chance of a player falling so far behind to become a king-maker for other players as you have in some other longer played games.
After the drink and the game, and the walk, I needed a nap. Evan stayed for a bit and then left. I ordered dinner from the Gyro House with Erika and Michelle and SEC GrubHub cards covering the cost. Thank you, especially after I paid for Susie’s stay in Forest Grove! Someone buying dinner helps!
I read the rest of the night enjoying Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. I finished the book: a page-turner and military SciFi and Space Opera. I have started the second book.
I was back up around 1ish and finally to bed and asleep until 7:30ish. Nice to have sleep returning to me.
Aside: Dondrea got the copy of Bright Ages I sent her. This is a book I have recommended before in the blog.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 