My weekend started with me up at 7ish to be ready for the 8 and 8:30 status meetings for work. We are running 7/24 until hyper-care for the software ends in mid-July. So I was online early, reading emails, texts, and Slack messages. So far, I am just a tourist on these Zoom calls as nothing has required me to step in.
I did the dishes that had been in the sink for two days.
My plan was to see a movie with Susie in the morning, have lunch out, and then do some figure painting and maybe a bit of housework. So I was in Air Volvo headed to Susie’s place in Tigard, Humming Bird House, by 10ish after having coffee, yogurt, and a bagel with cream cheese (this time, I managed not to trip and drop it) for breakfast. I also take pills and put Utterly Smooth on my hands and toes after showering–I am very disciplined about medications and processes.
Susie was up early and had just finished breakfast when I got there. Vanessa was the nurse for today. Susie was placed in a recliner in the activity room. I set up the screen I keep in Susie’s closet, an older screen I used to use as a monitor, and plugged my Apple into the screen. I use a USB-C-to-Digital convertor as my M1 Mac 13″ has only two USB-C plugs!
Saturday’s movie was The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), made by Touch Stone (Disney) using mostly B-actors. It is my favorite version, and I would recommend it. The sword fights are with the actual actors (apparently, if you are a B-actor, you get to do your own sword fights), and the acting is believable. There are some nice touches not from the book; the Count appearing (as the count) to his guests in a hot air balloon is breathtaking. The prison is fun, with some of the best jokes and ideas. The pirates allow for some of the best jokes, “Who are you?” “We are bad men.” If you need a brain cookie, please consider this film a near-perfect relaxation.
Susie enjoyed the movie but was then sad as I was heading out when the movie ended. Susie asked to come home again, and we talked about it. I explained that she needed to be safe at Hummingbird House. She told me she was happy and felt safe there. So she will stay and “I am OK.”
Again, this is heartbreaking for me. Susie still cannot walk or transfer, and I could not keep her safely at the house.
I headed out and stopped at Pepitas for lunch in Beaverton. The place was packed, and there was precisely one waiter, manager, and host, all the same guy. I waited twenty minutes for a table, and service was slow at first. I ordered a beer in a bottle to make it easier on them and steak fajitas to make the check higher than usual–they were being crushed. My dinner-lunch game out without issue and was quick. The bartender was helping. He cleared my table and took my payment to release some pressure on the manager. Lunch/dinner was excellent.
I returned home and rested for a bit. I managed to sleep through the status meeting at 4:30. Oops. I managed to wake up and traveled to Portland at just about 5ish. I drove the slightly heavy traffic in Air Volvo without issue.
My first stop was Guardian Games. This is the best gaming store, really a complex, in Portland, and they are open again for open play in a new play area. So far, the rooms I used to rent are unavailable, but I expect that will soon change. I went through their games, looking for anything that caught my interest. No Arc Nova board game, I did not expect them to have it, but I was surprised to see other games on the shelf. Nothing I needed. I then went through their role play game (RPG) shelves (they usually have everything that has been published in the last ten years) and found something that caught my attention.
The Lamentations of the Flame Princess RPG got my attention (LotFP). In Finland (!?), they are publishing in English (?!) a new version of Old School (OSRIC) rules, but instead of the usual challenge of adding bloat to a bloated book, these rules are reducing the rules (i.e., the magic-user class is described on page 15, just one page). Yes, rules-light Dungeons and Dragon first edition rules set in Earth 1700s. This earth has dark demonic magic and horror. Interesting. There are lots and lots of adventures, all recently published. Also, and am I not surprised, there are various versions of LotFP, and the reference book is MIA due to the pandemic, so there is a free fill-in PDF version. I might have to play this.
I was soon, having bought a copy hard copy of the LotFP players’ rules, headed to Richard’s. I was there at 6 and thus was just on time. I was surprised that the Space Race board game was on for tonight. I thought this game was headed out of the collection. But Richard likes it and wants to try it again. Shawn was our third today, and he quickly picked up how to play. I could catch Richard a few times, and Shawn scared me a few times. I enjoyed the game and remembered, mostly, how to play. We still had to look up a few rules, but generally, I enjoyed it. I will officially move the game from the garage and back to my shelves.
Space Race was a Kickstarter game, and we have all the add-ons (both Richard and I backed the Kickstarter, we both liked the theme). I also have the 3D print files for the rocket models in the game–the game designers have been very supportive.
After a game of Space Race (I did have Carl Sagan working for me, as you can see), Richard won, we played my copy of Unsettled next. We played a new mission on the easy planet, Winona, mission B. This was easier than the first mission, A, and we enjoyed working together; it is a cooperative game to survive and exit the planet. Unsettled is a SciFi board game where the players explore a planet and try to find a way to survive (usually having crashed their spaceship into the planet). It was a slightly intense session as a severe mistake would have us all die. However, I was surprised that the mission was straightforward, and we managed to finish it and survive the first play.
After the games, I drove home without incident but never liked the on-ramp, which was taller than the bridge on the way home. I don’t like bridges, but at least this one is not see-thru (The Big Mac in Michigan is see-thru!). I was in bed after midnight and not asleep before 1ish. The start on Sunday will be hard!
Here is the Wedgwood rose first bloom:
Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 