Today 3Aug2023

Today started at 6AM with my alarm. I found the kitchen and started the electric kettle with fresh cold water (In the USA, we use cold as the water has not passed through the water heater and thus still mixed with air and tastes better). I climbed aboard the stationary bikes and road for 2 miles for just over ten minutes. This left me a little wobbly as I had not done that much before. I want to get to thirty minutes this week.

I used the hot water to make liberal coffee in my French Press and found another blueberry, organic yogurt. I took the coffee and yogurt to the in-home office and ate and drank while reading emails, Slack updates, and news updates (overly focused on Trump and not enough on the world markets and events in Ukraine, from my point of view). I then looked at some work items and lost track of time, and soon was running late.

I rushed into the shower and soon got dressed, picking a dress shirt, even with all the outdoor items I had planned for today. I then, still running late, found my thermal cup (still in Air Volvo), washed it, and then recharged it with liberal coffee. I took Air Volvo to the office with my Nike laptop in the cargo hold. There were no issues, and I witnessed no extra-legal driving and arrived just in time for the first meeting.

I spent the next few hours doing Zoom status meetings and updating Slack channels. I also met with folks now working on my newest project on Zoom. I did meetings and updates for the morning. I also recharged with more Starbucks coffee, free until 10AM, at our in-building coffee bar. I then rushed to Nike World Headquarters in Air Volvo, landing in the NYC garage on a nearly empty third floor.

I walked across WHQ to the Serena Williams building to meet Scott for lunch; we often meet on Thursdays to catch up. Scott was early, and we started lunch early and sat outside, having each enjoyed the salad bar. We talked about the current projects and Nike in general.

After lunch, Scott walked me to the extreme end of the campus to show me the cornerstone of Nike WHQ. Cool! After that, I headed back (an even longer walk) in the now heat of the afternoon. Next, I reboarded Air Volvo and headed to Susie’s place at the hummingbird house in Portland (Tigard) at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116.

Susie was happy to see me when I walked into the shared living room. Michelle Nixon, the owner of Allegiance Senior Care, was there with her grand-babby, and Susie got to hold the little person. I arrived just as they were leaving and visited with Susie on the porch as it was hot, and I already had walked much in the heat.

We called Leta, Susie’s mother, and Barb, Susie’s sister, in a three-way FaceTime on my iPhone. Leta was outside watering, and Barb was at her house. We updated each other, and then, as it was a workday, I had to ring off and head out. No walk in the park today, but we had a pleasant visit on the porch and chatted with family.

I returned to work, and after a few more updates on Slack and email, I headed out to the Nike party to celebrate our software installed on July 4th. I had a beer, a hot dog, chicken wings, and macaroni salad. I chatted with old friends, many of whom were there when we installed the software in 2000 for the first time–we are replacing the software with a better version that requires a green-field install (i.e., start over). It was a lovely party, but it was outside and in the parking lot. Hot!

There was a dunking tank, and leadership was provided as a target. Information Technology groups can never hit their targets, and it was nearly the same for those trying to hit the target to dip leadership. Some folks went for a manual override after too many misses! There were few hits.

I was tired and left at about 5PM from the party and took Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. The trip was slow, as Thursday is always the worst traffic, but soon I was home. I then drank water and laid down to read. I woke at about 7:30 and started on the blog, having nodded off.

I also got an update that my short review of the board game Expeditions was accepted on Board Game Geek’s website. BGG is where I track my games and my first source of information on board games. I have been a member for years (2009) and pay a small annual fee to improve my experience each year. I recommend the site if you play board or war games.

I ordered a plastic cover for Expeditions (like what I have for other games) to prevent some of the components from being accidentally moved. I have found several games (i.e., Terraforming Mars and Instanbul) difficult to teach or play without these editions. Scythe uses a two-layer cardboard mat with cutouts to prevent the pieces from getting jumbled, which I was missing in Expeditions.

Well, I hope my day and my visit to Susie were interesting to you. Thanks for reading!