I finished the day at home after safely driving back from Portland in the Air VW the Gray. I had to take the high bridge, which I never like, but I am always impressed that the on-ramp is higher than the bridge deck. No stalled cars or other hazards, with light traffic, making it an easy return to Beaverton.
I did the dishes after making lunch. There was enough stuff to run the dishwasher. I plugged in the EV to charge, having avoided it during the hot weather. The local electrical grid was stressed by the AC use; I could see some blinking of power with the AC, dishwasher, and charging. I waited until the evening, when usage is at its lowest.
Aside: The EV uses less power than the laundry and far less than the stove. EVs will not cause the grid to collapse, despite claims in the right-leaning media, but if your power company is using Coal to create power, you might as well enjoy a gas car. Here in the Pacific Northwest, our electrical power is from hydro, wind, and solar, with some natural gas plants to balance the system. Any carbon is covered by plantings and the usual green credits. Oregon has no nuclear plants as it was realized years ago that earthquakes and tsunamis do not go well with nuclear systems!
I read and had some crackers and soon was nodding off. I put on my PJs and crawled into bed after putting the last of the laundry away. I woke at 12:30, 3, and 6. This is a pattern I’ve been experiencing most nights. I just roll over.
Before this, I arrived early at Richard’s house with instructions to play upstairs, and I learned that Richard needed a new AC system and was looking at investing in a green system, including replacing an aging water heater with a tankless version. Still, the impact on the walls and ceiling, due to re-piping, forced him to replace them like-for-like. AC replacement usually means replacing the furnace to ensure everything matches. Yikes!
It was not too hot in the house, in the 70s, and we played a board game, Merchant Cove, with four people, with me trying to be the Captain again. I scored last, taking on too much corruption, but only a few points behind Kathleen. I had taken on too much corruption, and that cost me 49 points. I was leading for a moment, and on my last turn, I managed to pour in the points.
Merchant Cove is a lovely asymmetric Euro-style game where each player takes on a unique role and plays a different game. I was playing a simple fishing game. Chris was raising dragons. Kathleen was diving for treasures under the sea. Richard was running a bar and inn. I like the game, but I have only learned one version so far.
Chris and I, after the game, talked about my HOPE_16 conference and talked about hacking. I described some of the best presentations I saw (LLM flaws, ATM hacking, and phone hacking devices), but then had a coughing attack from the hot air and some bad air, I suspect. Richard followed along.
It was a good evening, though the coughing was hard to stop. Water and inhailer got it under control. Yikes!
Before heading to Richard’s, I stayed home and inside as the temperature reached 103°F (40°C); glaciers on Mount Hood look smaller. I found a pork chop I had frozen a few months ago and decided it was time to cook it. I used water dripping in a pan to defrost it.
I found the last of the carrots, peeled them, and sliced them into coins. I steamed them. A can of baked beans was opened and heated. I did not want to run the oven, but the pork chop was too thick to cook in a pan. I baked it for fifteen minutes until it was finished; I checked it with an electronic food thermometer.
I recently watched the Nova science show on the findings of graves in the floor of Notre Dame in Paris. They also discovered the broken remains of a screen that used to stand around the altar area (using less precise words). I did not know that before the Counter-Reformation, a screen was around the altar area and the celebration of the Eucharist was kept private to the local clergy (again using less precise words). Most screens were demolished, and in Notre Dame’s case, the broken remains were buried with the body of a cleric who paid for the changes. Fascinating, as I had forgotten the Counter-Reformation included the elimination of many medieval traditions in the Roman Catholic mass. The broken screen bits are being scanned, and there is hope to someday have a virtual version of the screen created. Without the fire, this would remain lost, which is one positive aspect. It was a wonderful documentary.
I ate my pork chop, beans, and carrots, and also enjoyed the leftover beans and carrots stored in glassware (thanks, Glenda and Gene). I ate while watching the show.
Before this, I drove to the framing store and picked up my posters from the New Member Class I am teaching in September. It was hot, and I just grabbed them and drove home. I printed twenty flyers for Sunday on my printer. The EV was already down to 40% and I did charge it for a bit to get it back to 49% for the trip to Portland and back. It is about 10% there and back to Richard’s house, but I would like to have some extra charge for the AC and emergencies.
Before this, I wrote the blog and talked with Deborah. We also talked when I drove here and there. I also did the church email on the refresh and continue to help that move forward. I did Dungeons & Dragons paperwork and sent out a short summary of the treasure found in the last play.
It was a busy day, and I am headed to Michigan on Thursday. I woke around 7:30 after rolling over a few times.
Thanks for reading.
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