Tuesday Quiet Day with Headache

I ignored my 6:30 alarm and instead rose at 7. I was just ready to start. I found the pre-ground coffee that has just about two loads left and used it. Coffee was soon ready, and I added salmon to my bagel with cream cheese and a banana. Instead of starting the blog, I had a game at Richard’s house at 9:30, I paid bills, and did my usual task of reading (mostly deleting) email, checking my balances, and updating Quicken to keep a clear overview of my expenses, earnings, and assets (liquid and illiquid). My Social Security application (I will soon be 62) is already past its 30-day estimated approval time in Kansas City; there is nothing complex in my employment history, so let’s hope that the government can still handle Social Security processes.

Yesterday was the State of the Union Speech, and I managed to watch a few minutes. The rambling, confused words, full of lies and attacks, had me turn it off and read a book. Just the usual President Chaos-Battleship.

I felt better-rested on Tuesday morning and was not in pain or experiencing side effects from the rash meds. I showered, then applied a complex regimen of three different creams that require me to wash my hands repeatedly. There are signs of improvement. I then finished with my usual teeth and shaving rituals. One more cream: Utterly Smooth with 20% Urea (cow pee) for hands and feet to stop or slow nerve issues from the chemotherapy (it seems to help, and I can tell when I forget it). Now properly assembled, I dress and soon board Air VW the Gray for my trip to Portland.

The traffic across Beaverton is slow and deep, with some lights taking three tries to get through. When I start on Highway 26, I see the advisory speed is depressingly low at 35 mph. I crawl the few miles to the tunnel, then find that Portland traffic is moving, at least, and I make it to Richard’s house a few minutes early!

James had some traffic issues and a mistake that sent him onto the highways instead of the backroads he usually takes to avoid traffic and reach Richard’s from Washington State. We were soon back at Tainted Grail, a cooperative board game in the style of role-playing. We have been stuck in chapter 7 for months, and today we were hopeful to finally progress the story. We had collected various secrets and believed that we knew where we needed to go.

We were surprised to actually end the chapter and start a new set of rules and new areas. It was now more of a computer game than a board game as we explored to gather resources to continue our progress. We pushed through, found a way-station to recharge us, and then off to the final battle. Arthur and Morgaine enter our story (Tainted Grail theme is a mix of Arthurian Legend, Lovecraft horror, and SciFi High Fantasy), and Richard is our champion, putting down the warriors that Morgaine throws at us. It was a sad (but I cannot cover it there as it is copyrighted stuff), but excellent ending. We managed to reach chapter 9 and packed it in late after 2 (we played longer as the material was interesting and surprisingly fun).

We performed the save process and will be back next week to see where the story takes us. We then headed out. I stopped at my usual lunch place, now happy hour, as I was so late, for a meal and to write the blog. I had a “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” beer and three meatball sliders. As I wrote, the stiffness and headache from the new meds (the creams can cause flu-like symptoms) returned. It was a difficult ride home.

I did talk to Deborah, who was now done with work in the Detroit area. I crawled into bed and slept. The migraine faded soon, but the exhaustion and body aches kept on impacting me. I made a salad for dinner, and my tummy was unhappy too, with the Italian-style dressing satisfying a craving for something garlicy and sharp, like vinegar.

I watched more of Star Trek: Other New Worlds, season 2, “The Lotus Eaters.” An amazing story of when you forgot who you are, but remained still yourself. Recommended.

Still not quite feeling well, I returned to the office with a cup of hot Sleepy Time Tea and wrote a letter for the church finances. I promised to help my church’s finance committee and the pastor with stewardship (i.e., money raising). I have a first draft of something to share soon.

With that done, I returned to my newest book on moss, which I picked up at the Hoyt Arboretum store: Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. It is lovely, and I used some of it from the letter I wrote.

I went to bed, reapplying the creams twice a day, but had trouble sleeping. I rose a few times and even started another book, Captain Hornblower stories, that I have not read since I was in my twenties. They are just as magical now as then. My mind was back to sailing the oceans during the Napoleonic Wars on a British man-of-war. Relaxed, I soon fell asleep while I wondered once again how I had never gone to sea.

Thanks for reading.