Sunday Busy

I rose early on Sunday morning to write the blog, dress, and go to church. Today, there is also the funeral of a long-term member of First United Methodist Church, Beaverton, but I do not do funerals unless they are for close friends. They hurt too much now.

Today, I write the blog without the usual transitions and boil plates (like the above), focusing on writing about the main events and telling the story from the end to the start. I am surprised to have completed the blog early and published it.

I clean up and dress. The ritual of wearing a suit complexity increases with the addition of suspenders, a vest, and a pocket watch. My grey suit was tight before, but now the vest and coat fit or even too large. I did not pick the black suit, which is more appropriate for a funeral and church, but it hangs on me now. I have to unwrap the grey suit as it was cleaned, and I have not worn it since picking it up at Beaverton Cleaners. Our hot summer was not good for suits, but it is cooling off now, and it seems to be an excellent choice for today.

I picked a white shirt because the coat and vest, grey on grey, will smother a darker shirt. I think the tie was a gift from Leta (Susie’s mother) in the 1980s or early 1990s. It is red with paisley and grey leaf structures that match the suit color. Like most men in their sixties (and I am always surprised to have entered this group), I have excellent ties—many older than many folks I play games with! When I was in my thirties, older men at church told me they had suits older than me–now I am them! When did that happen! My plain black shoes with dark grey socks, while boring, work.

I am ready too early, as often happens to me, and I spend thirty minutes online reading and surfing the Internet more. Air Volvo is prepared for me; my Dungeons and Dragons books are loaded for the game this evening. I board with my black homburg hat, and soon, in low traffic, I cross Aloha to Beaverton to Old Town to reach the church and park with a view of the Gay Progress flag flying from our church. Z and I put in the new flag (the old one was faded), which looks good.

The church is lightly attended today, but coffee is ready for anyone. Z is in the back, as usual, but today, she is studying school stuff. She leads some activities as school starts next week and has much to memorize and prepare. I sit, and Pastor Ken joins me. I pointed out all the new tissue boxes in the pews and told him that was not a good sign for his sermon. He laughs (he is there for the funeral) and reassures me that it will not be that kind of sermon.

Ken’s sermon focuses on unity, communication, or lack of communication. He tells a story of his growing up–that is his story to tell. Ken acknowledges poorly communicating details about another church using our sanctuary. He ties this into Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Unity is important, and helping a new church, while not a Methodist church, is essential for both our congregation’s health. It will help us all.

Ken also reviews a list of folks that Paul calls out as blessed. In the past, Ken thought the list should be more inclusive, including accountants and admins, for example. But he now understands that these teachers, preachers, and other religious workers are a promise. God promises they are always there to help everyone. For example, though Ken does not make this connection, a church in Beaverton is blessed with enough room for another church to use its facilities.

After church, we took a picture of everyone at the church near the altar with a Filipino couple that had been visiting the USA for two months. They will take the picture back with them, and we hope to get one from their home church, also Methodist. After that, I chatted with folks and waited for Dondrea and Z, and then we headed to Top Burmese restaurant a few blocks away.

Dondrea and I had their salad, and Z had a fantastic chicken curry with coconut rice to accompany it. I ordered Samaos and supplied us salad eaters with some real food. It was all great. Dondrea and I split the check, and she saw me trying to pay it.

Dondrea and Z head back to church for the funeral. I took an Air Volvo and made it home before events unfolded. My colon reacted to the lettuce and dumped my insides. Yikes, where does all that come from! It has been months since this has happened. Lettuce is off the list again.

I rest, feeling relatively weak after an extended time with my colon. I rise, wrap a copy of Ars Goetia from a Kickstarter and a new translation, a book of demonic symbols likely composed in the late 1500s (and a perfect prop for some of our role-playing games). The book is a numbered limited edition from Europe. I have given Matt a few other books from the same publisher. I took this late birthday gift, which just arrived this week, and boarded an Air Volvo. I am thirty minutes early despite having to turn around and get my phone. Matt makes burgers (which stay inside of me).

We return to our Dungeons and Dragron 5.0E campaign game (version 5.1E release is next month). I play the now good and lawful cleric of light (being now lawful-boring instead of lawful-efficient when evil before). We start where we left off two weeks ago with a nest of undead, which is short work for me as I destroy the undead with my turning and blast any remaining undead with my light. Destroying undead, devils, and demons are something my lawful-boring character is good at.

While I can’t tell our story here as the material is purchased, I did notice our 15th-level characters are powerful now and slamming through things. I am temporarily changed into a T-Rex and bite and chew for a while. We discover a new use for the deep travel well we used to climb as we throw bad guys down it. I also fight some things alone and use my light blast and high armor class to make short work of them. I have a spell duel with the big bad, and he keeps dispelling my blocking spells, but this delays him enough that we escape. Our group, only four players, plays fast, and our goal is to escape with the treasure and goodies and leave the bad guys empty-handed, not necessarily destroyed.

We started the next part of the adventure, which, surprisingly, is set in a familiar D&D story. This is purchased material and seems to be a tour of D&D settings. I wrote a summary but realized I can’t do that as some folks might play this material. I am sorry to delete it. I will write that I enjoyed the start and am happy to do this new setting, as I have never played it before.

Air Volvo brought me home without issue. When I drive home, it is now dark; fall is approaching. I am tired again, but my colon does not wish to ruin my evening. I shower, get into my PJs, and read. I soon fall asleep, wake up, and crawl under the covers. It is cold in the house; I hope the orchids are happy.

Thanks for reading!