Sleep was elusive. I was thrashing in my blankets and was at risk of being tied down by an improbable combination of sheets turned into restraints. I was partially constrained at 3ish when proof of hydration became required (other options, while non-destructive–I still have a waterproof mattress cover–require considerable clean-up) and untangled myself. I discovered that my colon had decided it, too, would participate in these bodily functions. Returning to my covers, now straightened and entering a less restrictive arrangement of blankets, I tried to sleep comfortably. I rose after thirty minutes for another round of colon processes; again, alternatives would be messy.
I tried to sleep, but that was not possible; I was awake. I rose. I found my laptop and the kitchen. Everything was as I expected (I thought the house elves were slipping, but then I remembered I don’t have any–Susie likely freed them). The timer on the orchids had not yet snapped on their 14 hours of daylight. The orchids were reveling in the 66F (19C) morning.
I discovered I was at the last of a bag of Equal Exchange brand French Roast. I realized I had 1 and 1/4 of the grounds to make coffee in my French Press. This would leave me with dregs tomorrow to combine with a new bag (I checked I have plenty left). What the f**k! I dumped it all in–I will feel this one! There was over an inch of coffee floating in the hot water–well, maybe there were two pots left–but I was happy to get this coffee after sleeping only for a few hours. Yes!
I stick to a comforting cup. Indeed, mint tea in Morocco, liberal coffee here in Oregon, the dark boil of Turkish Coffee in Istanbul, Masala Chai in India, and chicory coffee with beignets in New Orleans are my drugs of choice–an honest hot drink even on a steamy day in exotic lands. And it is unlikely to get you jailed or shot for a hot cup of joe, and I won’t discuss the latest economic theories with my orchids and expect their input. Coffee is joy.
Saturday, the day I was writing about yesterday, was busy, and I took hours to record it and put some effort into organizing it into a linear story. I also take some time to write better now that I am retired, and my time, so far, belongs to me. I struggle with Grammarly (I use it to find the easy mistakes I miss), which is on a Hemmingway kick. The AI keeps changing my comma-laden complex sentences to short little sentences, even if that means removing my original meaning. I have to ask them to scan some Emmerson or give me a setting (“Why yes, I will take the Emmerson AI for just a few dollars more, especially after accidentally turning on the Seuss setting”).
I finished the long blog and posted it, and I still have plenty of time. I have toast with my pumpkin spice and pecan oatmeal from Trader Joe’s. I could feel the coffee and lack of sleep. I doubted the wisdom of driving to and from Portland for a few hours of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and then back to Matt’s to play Dungeons and Dragons. Yesterday’s parking ticket was still in my mind, and I was still mad about it. Thus conflicted, I dressed in my grey suit with the grey vest and a traditional white dress shirt with a button-down collar for church and to look 1920s at the festival.
I arrive at church early as I am speaking today. At the end of the service, I will finish the Safe Sanctuary policy training. I will cover some bullet points and then ask questions from the test provided in the Central Methodist Church material. Last time, I was nervous, but I think I will be better this time. I am stretching my speaker skills, which have been dormant since before the pandemic.
Ken gave the sermon, and we completed the sermon series on rest and the Sabbath. Pastor Ken covers that humans were created before the Sabbath and that its establishment should be with joy and not endless rules and inconveniences for people. One of Mark’s gospel translations makes me wince, “cornfields” instead of grainfields. Maze is a modern creation and was not planted in ancient times. Yes, Jesus did not grab a few ears, peel them, and munch down on some sweet corn to the frustration of the local holy police who try to give him the equivalent of a parking violation. And unless the sacred bread in the temple is cornbread, then Jesus’ remarks are less meaningful. Returning to the story and Ken’s sermon, Jesus made the point that eating the same thing that makes the holy bread when hungry by pulling some off the plants should not be a violation, as was when King David ate the sacred bread when starving and was held blameless. The Sabbath is for people, and people rule it; it should be about joy. The message is that we Christians should focus on joy, justice, and community, not rule-following (though with a denomination called ‘Methodists,’ this might be harder for us. “Would you like to serve on a committee?”). A tour of Sunday morning TV would likely show any viewer how far we have to go!
Wincing again, I rose after Dondrea, our worship leader, called me to finish the training. I reminded the listeners, especially after the sermon, that our denomination’s focus on Safe Sanctuary policies and processes was not corporate box-checking or rule-making. We needed to focus on protecting vulnerable folks, and this policy is one of the tools that enables us. Dondrea and others told me I managed to teach and make people laugh. I completed the training and even got applause.
Aside: I have learned from doing magic tricks and reading about WC Fields (yes, the drunk guy) that you can pretend you are not good at this and get the audience to cheer for you. WC Fields was a juggler before he was an actor and famous drunk. According to what I read, he found that this perfect juggling execution bored the audience, but when he pretended to be drunk and almost dropped the plates and stumble and made impossible recoveries, he was a hit. The audience was engaged. While others may emulate Lincoln or Jesus or Moses, I try to engage my audience, get some laughs, and remember WC Fields and his juggling when speaking, “What would Fields do?”
Returning to my narrative, I escape to the house, tired and stumbling a bit. I stay home and disassemble my outfit. I make beef and broccoli from a Trader Joe’s frozen Asian-style dinner. This mainly involves defrosting and reheating already-made food, but it is still good to go through the process. The broccoli is cooked and slightly steamed first. The beef is fried or more like reheated in some oil. This is recombined with a spicy sweat sauce (according to the packaging, it says “spicy sweat sauce”) and is excellent. I have this with some Basmati rice that was ready but not quite simultaneously. Sequence issues on my cooking. But soon, I had it all assembled and enjoyed “Lord of the Rings: Ring of Powers.”
The episode is the final one for the season (there is another season), and is packed through with action and an amazing amount of gymnastic writing to align the season to some various degrees to the cannon of LOTR. The unexpected sword fight between Galadriel and Sauron, with Sauron using Morgoth’s Iron Crown as a weapon, is excellent writing, wonderful action, and fits the story well. But we know they both go on, so it is unnecessary and a waste. Celebrimbo’s dying words (we know he was doomed from the beginning, not a spoiler) bring back one of the most powerful elements in the cannon, The Oath, and the Naming of Sauron as Lord of the Rings while the song for the ring is played darkly in the background. This felt more like Tolkien. We also learn the wizard’s name, The Stranger, and we again see Tolkien’s power of naming (no spoilers). The Dwarves are always my favorite, and they start the episode. This section is likely the best part of the series to date–no spoilers. While many would be unhappy with the acting and lack of reliance on the cannon, I still enjoyed the season and will likely watch it again from the start to see how it is woven together. I liked it and look forward to the next season.
Next, after resting, I head to Matt’s house. Today, we have another adventure for Dungeons and Dragons 5.0 with some elements from the 2024 new version. With other groups yet to reach the same section, thus avoiding spoilers, I will briefly say we have been pounded by creatures and encounters that we would have best avoided, but I am unsure how to prevent them. We have absorbed the most damage I think we have ever taken. I think our chances of success are low in our resource-poor condition. We are also on a clock, which means no stopping to recover our resources. Trying to make this work in three weeks when we play again will be fun. I am sure the other players will be wondering what to do.
Matt made burgers for the game. They were excellent.
I returned home in Air Volvo and soon showered, dressed in PJs, and read in bed. I was tired and soon nodded off while trying to read. I dreamed of a story when my Kindle hit me, as it fell from my hand as I drifted off to sleep. Putting the machine down, I rolled over and soon was asleep. I did not thrash or wake until nearly 8 on Monday.
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