Friday More California Sun

The forecast was wrong, but usually, predicting overcast conditions in Oregon in April is riskless. This year’s rains are reported to be 105% of expected amounts. A little sun is OK. It was like a day in Northern California, cool but sunny.

I rose after 7 and found my pot of joy waiting for me. I assembled the coffee the night before and set the new coffee machine to summon the elixir of liberal bitterness. Fair Trade coffee ensures my cup helps and does not hurt the world. The dark and bitter taste reminds me of how much more needs to be done, but Hope is in the cup, and I know that eventually, the world will remember Justince with Compassion and the Love of Community. I hope that each sip gets us close.

I did the usual things: reading the news (doom scrolling for us liberals) and updating Quicken. I looked at my investments, and with the wild ups and downs from Trump proclaiming and then reversing tariffs, plus his threats to assume control of the Federal Reserve and then reversing that, too, I was surprised to be so far ahead. I had sold my 401K to cash to move my holdings to an IRA. This happened just before the chaos, meaning I sold out high and bought back in low, though I am still heavy in cash. The stock that I hold (i.e., not in the IRA) has tanked 8%, but I feel lucky it was only that bad.

I wrote the blog, texted, and talked to Deborah. It is wonderful to wake up to a text from her and, often, a call. Later, on Friday, I wished Deborah a good night as her day had ended first. She resides in the Eastern Time Zone.

The blog was not finished until the afternoon, but I had no plans for Friday. Mom Wild surprised me with a call, and I texted my sister with her request. While I try to help, distance makes things complex. I started the laundry. Friday and Monday are my usual laundry days, the once work-from-home days when we first returned to work from the lockdown at the shoe company. I stripped the bed, put out the other sheets, and later put them on just before getting in bed. Lunch was me finishing the reheated pasta and meatballs I made a few days ago.

I watched ShipHappens, Battleship New Jersey, and Drachinifel on YouTube. Drachinifel had translated a document describing Henry VIII’s navy and created tables of the main ships’ armament, ammo, and stores. I expect a new book soon.

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I then decided I wanted to try out the Age of Steam board game–an 18xx train-style board game, packed it in the Air VW the Gray, and headed to Wildwood. JR was there, and we chatted for a while. Then, I grabbed a beer and a table and spent the next two hours playing two partial games for three players. I have played a game like this at Richard’s, but the map was different, and there were no goals that were not in this 18xx train game. This is officially, if you are into 18xx games, 1875 Age of Steam, Deluxe. I misplayed and underpaid the players and knocked one of my test players out of the second round. Wrong! I then overpaid in the next play, but that at least let me try out many of the game’s features. Unlike other 18xx games that can go on all day, this one ends in under two hours. Also, the bank and the players running out of money are not a game-ending trigger. I liked this game as it was about building and running your railroad, and that is all you score for (and stock offerings reduce your score).

With the game set in my head, I paid my bill for two beers and headed back home in the EV. The sun was setting, and I watched in the backyard in its light for a while. The hummingbirds were in and out of the pine trees and redwoods. Bugs would whirl in the short-lived flight of early spring, with many living for only days. Larger bugs would perform figure eight flights, raising and falling more than ten feet. Bees were all over the few flowers on the apple tree, rhododendron, and mountain ash. A few small white moths or butterflies flew here and there. No larger predators-like insects or butterflies, were yet out. The bugs I witnessed are harbingers of summer and often fall to frosts or rains.

I took out the pork roast from the frig and despite the two hour cooking time, started roasting it. I also boiled potatoes and made a salad. I cleaned and did laundry while it cooked. I also connected with Deborah on the phone before she slept and ended her day together. Dinner was more assembly and following a process than chef work. I made four servings of pork and admit I had two. It was delicious.

Lettuce was frozen in frig. I managed to salvage enough for a salad. I had lots of olives, so I added them.

Aside: Getting frozen items on the frig is a bad sign; I remember Dad telling me that. This is an older frig and when they start to freeze in the frig part it means the cooling stuff is failing and it is over rev-ing to get the freezer cold. I tried to turn things down a bit, but I suspect it is doomed–but the frig is more than twenty years old and was rebuilt once under warenty–I got my value out of it. I will take measurements for the space (it is smallish) and look for a replacement. I will, based on Deborah’s suggestion, also clean it up.

I binge-watched the first three episodes of Andor, which is now in season 2. I am not sure if I think it’s better than season 1, but it is busy tying together some leftovers from season 1. It is dark and harsh. There was some irony and even a funny moment. Though I did not like it as much, I could not stop watching. So, I recommend it with reservations that I cannot specify.

After that, I did the dishes for dinner and headed to bed. Sleep was hard to find as I was warm (the heat and AC are off), and then I woke twice for proof of hydration and one bad dream. I dreamed I was choking to wake to an asthma attack. I got it under control with my inhaler. My throat is sore today. Yes, Spring is full of pollen, and I opened the windows earlier. Hmmm.

Thanks for reading!