Today 25Oct2023

After playing board games with Z, Andrew, and Sean at church, I returned to the house. Z and I play while the chorus and band practice on Wednesdays. Z and I started on Istanbul, a resource and economic board game, and then added a third player, which Sean started, and Andrew finished for our second game. We played the base game and expanded to three players in the second game. I won both, but economic and resource management is my thing. I am back in the office writing a blog for today. My office is now reorganized by Matt, and my model-building stuff is here now. I will move the figure painting stuff to the office soon. I am grateful and happy to return to model building and figure painting. I have waited years to be back to this.

Before taking Air Volvo back to the house, after playing games, I met Z and Dondrea at the church. I brought Susie’s blue wool coat and a hat (and a cool hat box), a matching blue, to give to Z. The cape/coat fit well, and the hat looked perfect with Z’s blond hair. The hat was purchased with the then Las Vegas-based Weis family when we met after yet-another-SAP-computer-convention Las Vegas–It was worn just a few times, and I am happy that I held back the hat and coat for Z. The cape/coat is from a purchase in the 1990s in Annapolis, Maryland. Enjoy Z!

Before this, I arrived early at the church, walked down to Avia Coffee, and got a grilled ham and cheese plus three cannoles separately boxed. I shared those with Z and Dondrea. I felt like we were in a cheap mob movie, “Yes, godfather, I brought your favorite cannoles.” They were excellent.

Before this, I was at the house looking at my 1945 version of the IJN Yamato, the largest battleship. This will be my first construction project to find my way again. I ordered some replacement parts. I already have etched brass replacement parts. I ordered gun barrels and wooden take overlays. I have three recently published books on the ship. Only recently have we gotten good sources for IJN Yamato. I have to get paint and various other items. It should be an easy build for me. I will do minimum rigging as it is 1/700 and only 14 inches long. Less is more at this scale. I will not do the usual last moments of the IJN Yamato diorama, even though it is just a water-line model, but have it join my soon-to-grow 1/700 fleet.

Moving back, I traveled to Beaverton food carts and had a terrible order of fish and chips with a beer. I wanted to get lunch instead of reheating something. I took Air Volvo from the house to the carts and back.

Matt arrived at 10AM and reorganized all the models and figures into the cabinets we moved in last week. He moved the models from the garage to the office and got everything orderly. We also took all of Susie’s clothing in six bags to First United Methodist Church. These will be sorted and shared with the local shelters. Being so small, Susie’s clothing will be shared with the shelters that service local kids. One more gift from Susie to the community. Yesterday, Susie’s coats, three heavy and huge bags, were added to the local coat drive and soon should be helping the greater Portland area. While it makes me cry, it fits our liberal beliefs to give it all away.

Matt and I loaded a spare dresser and drawers into Air Volvo and took it to Goodwill. My old bathroom cabinet also was sent to Goodwill. Matt was done at 1:30PM, and I did not have more work planned. Thanks, Matt! We did all I was good to manage. Excellent.

Aside: If you have like tasks for Matt, he would love to hear from you. He has retired and is looking for a good workout and a chance to bring more order to the world. Contact him or me, and you, too, can experience the ultimate in friendly organizing.

I started my day at 8ish and found a breakfast of instant oatmeal and liberal coffee. My goods from King Arthur Bread company arrived. I replaced my dated yeast and poured it on my roses. I mixed up a rising no-knead bread recipe (18+ hours). I put away the other items until later.

I wrote a first draft of Susie’s obituary, which I will edit again on Thursday night, and then talked to Barb and Leta to get some details from skating and Susie’s early life. I received some excellent replies on Susie’s celebration. We will start setting a date and then work out the logistics and schedule preparations. I am waiting for my new Apple laptop, which shipped today from China and will arrive 2Nov2023. Someone has already offered to purchase my old M1 13″, so it looks like it already has a home.

It is so strange not to see Susie today–my day seems incomplete and discombobulated. I did have a quick call with Leta and Barb (Susie’s mother and sister, respectively). I did not call Leta back; she had to ring off, but we will connect on Thursday.

Well, it is past 11PM, and I am back to work on Thursday morning, so I think I will stop there. Thanks for reading.