Friday Laundry And Finding My Way

I rose with clouds and sun, weather more usual for the Pacific Northwest. The new coffee Machine with a timer and an automatic shut-off had already summoned coffee, liberal Fair Trade. With coffee, I started the blog and quickly wrote a physical card to Mom Wild. I try to get a card to her every day and need to get it out to the box before the mail person arrives, they run early now.

With coffee, muffins I made a few days ago (they are aging poorly), and a banana, I continued with my quest to complete the blog. Texts and calls, mostly with Deborah, slow the process, an excellent distraction, and soon, I am running late. However, I seldom have plans on Friday, and today, I am mostly at loose ends.

The laundry that has accumulated since Monday is soon in The Machine. Later, I strip the bed and wash the sheets. I try to redo the bed every week, especially now that pollen is starting to build. The pine trees are ‘smoking’ with pollen. I will soon begin showering in the evening to ensure I don’t carry pollen into my pillows and sheets.

I walked outside in the backyard and noticed that the neem oil I sprayed on the two roses affected by rust appears to halt the spread, as I can see it was not getting worse, and I take that as a victory. According to what I read on the always-true Internet, the oil drowns the fungus and has some antifungal function. The Internet suggested various other products may work, but you may have to rotate various products (almost like written by someone who sells multiple products). But when I read the warning labels on those products at Ace Hardware, I was scared to hold the bottle at the store! I put the bottle back with care, noticing it cost more than neem oil in a lovely spray bottle mixed with water and ready to use. Done!

For a cold lunch, I sliced some ham, peeled some hard-boiled eggs, and added some blue cheese-stuffed olives from the Olive Pit. Finishing the laundry, I threw in the sheets (they don’t need attention), showered, and was finally dressed by 2.

I was thinking of cleaning the house, but the sunshine was tempting and I instead boarded Air VW the Gray and headed to Hillsboro for a walk. There, with more traffic than I would expect, I found a parking spot on Main Street and began my shopping.

I stopped by the usual shops and got coffee and pasta. I also found an 1883 pre-stamped envelope in Le Stuff Antiques and paid $1 for it (it was worth about that, but I still found it, and that was worth it). I do not usually look through a pile of postcards, as the good ones are usually already found, and most of the stamps were lifted from these, but today I thought these might have something. I was awarded one envelope; I was happy to pay my $1 and later look it up. It is not valuable, and I overpaid, but there is a version worth more, so I can compare it to others. It was fun to be a stamp collector on the hunt again. They asked me about unused postcards priced at $1 each in packs of eight, but I know most modern stuff is worth less. I smiled and said I would have to check at home. When I checked later, I was surprised that these are international postcards and are worth little, unused, but oddly, a postally used one (one that was used at the time for international post) is rare and conditionally valued at $10 (it seems that few used ones found their way to collectors). American postage is seldom rated more for used copies, making this postcard an exception.

I stopped by the gaming store and saw the owner, and we arranged to meet at his shop, Rune and Bone, next Thursday afternoon to play the board game Unsettled. We talked about his Dungeons and Dragons playing and that he is using the new books. I failed to resist the Monty Python role-playing game (RPG) book. I took their only copy home, $50 (unlike the cheaper D&D, $49.99, but there are three books); Nick tried not to look relieved that someone bought it.

Aside: I like the Monty Python RPG. It is silly, but an interesting system that mixes silliness with actual, meaningful rules and some interesting ideas of abstracting skills and abilities. I might have to try some silliness.

At home, I heated up some chili I made a few weeks ago from the freezer and finished the first season of Severance on Apple+. Deborah called and we talked until she needed to sleep. I then started to order my table and start on the cleaning I had put off.

Rev. Anne called and needed help with a computer issue. I drove to their house and helped with some digital paperwork. I learned that a copy of your registration should be kept at home, as the control number is essential to the Oregon DMV online access. My friends keep photos of this stuff in a folder on their phones. I will have to do that, too. We finished what we could do and returned home in the EV.

It was late, and I made the bed and soon used it. I read more about the Battleship Battle of Jutland in 1916. I am comparing some books from the 1920s-30s on the battle. Soon, I was too tired to read more; I curled up and went to sleep. Unremembered pleasant dreams came and were interrupted by two chances to prove hydration.

Thanks for reading!