Wednesday Writing and Gaming

Wednesday started with me sleeping until 7ish and knowing I would write all day. And for the most part, I did get much writing completed. I resist many of Grammarly’s suggestions but somehow misspelled Davy Jones’ Locker (thanks, Deborah). Artificial Intelligence (AI) is undoubtedly artificial, but I wonder if we should use another word to describe it when using ‘intelligence’! Maybe our-current-untested-pattern-matching-algorithm (OCUMA) is likely not going anywhere with their marketing department.

Putting away my concerns about typos and wooden wording from the previous day, I fought my way through and spent much of the morning writing the blog. I delayed dressing and made lunch, a kid’s meal of fish sticks and tater tots (sprinkled with Tony’s Chachere’s Orginal Creole Seasoning. One has to be careful with Tony’s as it contains 5%+ salt; don’t add more salt if using it without letting it cook in. It was excellent on the tater tots.

I had tarter sauce, which is soon expiring, with the fish and tater tots, which were all baked. I had strawberries from the 185th for my dessert—likely the last of the regular crop. My weight is still stable at 230. Someday, I will break into the 220s again!

Finally getting dressed, I return to my computer and more writing. The sermon starts to form. It has taken me weeks to think this through, and now the words flow as patterns and colors in my mind. I have thought of all these words before, but now they appear and seem better and more organized than I expected. While interesting to me, I ignore some paths that will not add to my message or the alignment to cooking, New Orleans (NOLA), or AI.

Aside: Grammarly has a new update that offers to replace my paragraphs with its version with a simple acceptance. Then, Grammarly’s usual editing notices the change and offers to re-edit and return it to what I had to begin with. While this is quite amusing, it is a time-sink. Also, to reject its correction, I have to drop down on options and then reject. Hmmm.

I decided on tip and crackers for dinner as the lunch was heavy. I stopped about 4ish on the writing with the sermon, now 1400 words, and 3/4 of the first draft is done (and much of the editing is done as I write and fight Grammarly). I read more of the Vampire Cookbook and realized that tomorrow is Halloween, and I have no candy or light decorations. Poo. I will have to rise and focus (having an excellent distraction today) and be early to make my day work.

Dondrea reminds me (!) that I have lunch with Scott as it is Thursday (I am such an air-head now). I rest briefly and then head to First United Methodist Church. The traffic was light, but the Oregon had left the mist behind, and it was wet and raining. Local flooding was back, with large puddles everywhere and the leaves melting off the trees. I splashed and drove across Beaverton and was just a few minutes early. My coat was still in the car, and I grabbed an umbrella; it’s not that accepted in Oregon, but it was still early. In the winter, we wear hats and coats and pretend we are expected to be soaked. Eventually, we will love the rain again and soon not even notice it (much).

I discovered that my new shoes are not waterproof; I must purchase an alternative soon. My sweater was a poor choice for the wind and sideways rain. The barista saw me with the umbrella and sweater and acknowledged that neither was ready for a winter day. I get a mocha and walk it back from the local coffee shop to the church.

Z and Dondrea appear, and Z and I decide on the board game Istanbul today. I grab and put on my coat, always in the cargo hold once the leaves start to change, and now I feel warm. Andrew is also there, and we will soon set up the game with the Mocha and Baksheesh add-on for three. Z remembers most of the rules; Andrew soon needs no help as he remembers it from our last play. This is an efficiency-styled game where the players collect and invest resources to get the best and quickest payoff (rubies in the game). The Mocha and Baksheesh add-on creates new options and complexity. Z heavily invests in these new strategies and manages to win the first game; we had to stop early to let Andrew sing in the choir practice (his wife plays in the Praise Band that practices first).

(The strange device on the table is used to bleed air out of the church’s hot water heating system; Jack took the picture and was working on the heating).

Andrew played a conventional game and blocked me repeatedly, and Z bounced me off of Andrew, too. With just a bit more luck, that strategy would have worked. I expect Andrew to take us next time!

We have time for two more fast two-person games. Z continues to call out her “evil plans” and tries to block me a few times while achieving her goals. This is impressive, and she blocked me in the first game. However, my goals are more complex and varied in the second game, and I soon score the game-stopping ruby, but Z matches me. I have a pile of cash left, so I win on the tie-breaker (Z winning the last tie-breaker).

There is enough time for one more game. Z flies ahead and stays there on some lucky combinations. Z’s “evil plans” are working in this game, and while Z has not mastered the evil laugh, I expect it soon. I am crushed by one ruby and lose to her master plan. Excellent. Next time. Three games, two won by Z. Z is delighted.

Istanbul is a unique and complex game to learn. I would recommend it, but make sure someone can teach you or watch a few videos on how to play. It is an excellent game and plays well, following the extra rules for two players in the manual (!) for two or more.

When I returned home, I had some more crackers and dip and watched the new episodes (7 and 8) of “The Legends of Vox Machina,” but I only started the next episode. I was surprised by the storyline direction (no spoilers) and decided to put off more until another day.

Setting the alarm to rise and get going sooner on Thursday, I showered and dressed in PJs, the red plaid making me look like a Scottish nightmare, and soon turned off the light. I only flipped through a few books on drink recipes for absinthe. I turned off the light nearer to 11 than 10 and slept through the night.

Thanks for reading.