Today 4Jan2023: Busy Wednesday

Going backward, I came to the house at 9ish after choir practice on Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, Beaverton–the church next to the fountain and the park just out of Old Town. There, I do not sing; instead, Zophia, an 11-year-old, plays board games with me while her mother, Dondrea, rehearses with the band and the choir. Today we played Architects of the West Kingdom, in which Zophia was having some trouble, at first, remembering how to play. Finally, she did build a great work in the game, and gameplay started to return to her. I scored crushingly higher, but she did well and would, in the next play, be ready to defeat me. Architects is a worker placement and resource management and, in its final form, after the latest Kickstarter, has many options and directions. It is rated the 87th-best game on Board Game Geek. It uses my fav option, a simple turn structure, and a difficult overall strategy.

Zophia decided to take on the mean board game, Brass: Lancashire, that we last played before the holidays. It was the first game playing in weeks (the holidays and both of us had colds). I brought the newly purchased (and expensive) Iron Clay brand poker chips. Zophia agreed that the poker chips really improved the play of Brass.

The game is mean as you can quickly get in the face of the other player and each move usually reduces the options of your opponents in the game. Also, there are correct choices, and I understand the game well and have my turns planned two or three steps ahead. But, Zophia loves the competition and the complexity with the brain burn–she is starting to see the patterns. The game is the 20th best and is in its new version (originally from 2007) and rated for 14+ years of age, so Zophia loves that she is managing to hold her own at 11! We also managed to own our own part of the board, so we did not slam into each other. Zophia and I managed to get about 3/4 before we ran out of time. I was, at that time, ahead, but Zophia matched me at 27 for the first epoch, excellent, and she would likely have pushed further up the points–she still had a lot of money to spend. I suspect I will be fighting for my life in Brass next Wednesday!

Aside: If you want to do just resource management with little randomness, Brass Lancashire is a good choice. However, this is not a beginner’s game. Brass: Burmington is a kinder version and is the 2nd best game on Board Game Geek. I like the Lancashire version better. Both are fun and recommended; not for beginners!

Before this, I was home. I rested a bit after 4ish; I had physical therapy PT today and was fatigued. I spent the last hours loading vendor patches (OSS notes for those who understand SAP software). I am working on fixes to the master data (MDG again to those who live and breathe SAP software) for performance improvements and vendor-recommended updates for stability. I had created a list of suggestions and received more–I was installing the fixes in our sandbox to validate the application of the fixes. I spent most of the day at work looking at upgrades and patches and applying them.

Before this, as I hinted, I was at PT–my weekly visit–and Michael and Leo had me working on existing and some new exercises. Michael was interested in helping me with my lift for Susie. So he reviewed the best way to keep my back straight and then had me practice with some light weights. Leo then finished with me running through the current exercises. It is an intense hour. I have three more sessions.

Moving back more, I had lunch at McMenamins Oak Hills. I stuck to diet soda but had their curry tuna sandwich–McMenamins make their own beer, and I like their Ruby Ale. McMenamins is a local chain that often buys historical places and turns them into spas, restaurants, and event centers.

I worked, using their Wifi, on the vendor patches, followed along at work, and watched the kerfuffle of the USA House of Representatives not electing a speaker again. I pointed out to the waiter that there were no requirements for being the speaker, and he should put his name in. He ignored me but thought it funny that there were no requirements. So I worked there for about an hour on Nike stuff.

Before this, I visited Susie at the hummingbird house. I had traveled there from work in the morning. I could only stay for about twenty minutes on a workday. So first, we connected to Susie’s mother, who had just finished her hair appointment. So Susie and she has a short chat on FaceTime. Next, as I had some more time, we called Susie’s sister, Barb, who was still at work (a school secretary in Grand Ledge, Michigan), and talked briefly with her. Susie needs some PJs, and Barb might manage that (I have found a few pairs at the house, but most have already migrated to the hummingbird house and, before that, at the Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center–we seemed to have lost a few sets now). I will try to bring some I have found, and maybe Barb can find some more.

Susie is always sad when I leave, and the return to work has shortened my visits–making it even harder.

Moving to the early morning, I started at 6AM and began with my exercises after starting the coffee. I spend about twenty-five minutes running through all the stretches and exercises. I then had breakfast, this time pumpkin pie eft over from Christmas dinner (Rev. Anne suggested that warm pumpkin pie is an excellent breakfast–I left mine cold–and I agree it is an ideal breakfast), plus yogurt with liberal coffee.

Waking, the alarm at 6AM was not welcomed with joy and cheers. Regrets and debates about maybe just a few more minutes of sleep were brushed off, and the day started with stoicism and the realization that the weekend was getting closer by the minute–there was hope! The cause of the difficulty was obvious. I was reading the new book from the Smiths for Christmas, The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell, and enjoying it. I did not stop until after midnight. Yes, the morning seemed to come only minutes after I closed my eyes! Good books (Michelle Smith picks excellent ones) are a weakness–I can’t stop sometimes.

I finished Nameless Serenade (The Commissario Ricciardi Mysteries) and loved it. I had predicted the ending, but it was still a great read. I care for the Commissario and all the book’s regulars. I laugh through the book. Recommended (it is number nine, I think, in the series).

Yesterday I received some more stamps for my collection and put them in my album. I am filling the holes here and there. I also have, embarrassedly, purchased two stamps to replace two stamps misplaced in the albums (I have two albums, USA and USA Revenues). I have finally found reasonably priced correct stamps and my Columbians are now nearly completed (the $3 and $4 stamps from 1893 are not filled as the price point for such stamps is out of my budget–but I did find a reasonably priced proof of the $5 and that brings a smile when I turn to 1892–it was the only time I have seen it offered in an auction as a single stamp).

Well, that brings me past 11PM on Wednesday, and I am still blogging. I just finished the pumpkin pie. I will return to the NYC bagels for breakfast (all safely frozen) this coming morning. I am likely going to read too late. I am also blasting my radio–testing it. It is still running after an hour. No unexpected shutdowns, and it is running at 9V 2A power and blasting out old rock. A pleasant end for today.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you don’t mind that my attention wanders a bit on some days.