Emma and I finished our day playing the now older board game Scythe. I cannot believe that it has been ten years since the Kickstarter, my first big one. We played at The 649, a taphouse and bar with good food, and Kyle and Crystal were bartending on Sunday night. As we were playing two-person, more like a duel than the crazy back-and-forth play with four or more, and Emma did not know the game, I picked her the plainly aggressive Saxon (black), and I picked the mobbing but simple Nordic (blue), which, while boring, can slide a win in before anyone notices (especially if nobody is playing green, Albion). I played unmolested and started the usual Nordic production swarming by using my swim ability to move my workers past the rivers early. I then rushed the center with my Mechs, but later, Emma, who understood combat well, slammed into me, pushed me back to my homebase, and sat on the center. I used my character to visit many Encounters (getting a Mech, Popular, Military Power, and Combat Cards that kept Emma from turning me into a punching bag). I had the Innovation card, and Emma had the Engineering (which is good for Saxon). I started pushing out stars by building and improving. I ended the game and scored just ten points before Emma could use Saxon and cover the board. Emma’s verdict is that she liked Scythe (my copy is the most bling version with painted Mechs, special meeples, and stored in a special box system), but it is complex, and the asymmetrical nature takes more play to understand.
We returned home, after I paid the bill, which was small as we had just the humus plate and smaller beers. I shared some of my painted figures for Scythe’s campaign game, Bloodrage, and Cthulhu Wars. We then decided to get to bed early. Emma’s flight is at 7, which means an early start to travel to PDX to be at the airport at 5.
Before this, we tried a few places in Portland, and I wanted Emma to see some of the edgy places in Portland, so we did the Albion area and the Portland Gaming Store, whose staff welcomed us and explained their game renting process ($10 a week to rent a board game or free if played at the store). There I found a copy of Pendragon Core Rulebook for 1/2 off. I had skipped this one, but might someday want to give it a try. I bought it for $25.
Before that, we crossed the Oz like St. John Bridge and found a strange mix of beer, food, axe throwing, and a rage room place, Stormbraker, and had small beers and shared a pretzel. We found no restrooms in the bridge park, Cathedral Park, but a later search said there were some (and the crowd suggested it), and we headed for a snack, drink, and restroom. Ben, our bartender, saw Emma was sporting a mushroom T-shirt, and Ben, also a forager, talked about mushroom foraging (not what Grammarly let me keep ‘forging’) in Forest Park and the local area.
Cathedral Park, which includes a sandy swimming area (glacier-fed rivers, not necessarily always polluted), had collected quite a crowd, but only a few swimmers were out enjoying our first hot and sunny day on towels, getting some sun.
I always find St. John Bridge and Cathedral Park almost a mystical place, and it has, to me, a strange, unworldly feeling. Emma said, “I can see why this is your favorite bridge.” The Arbritum has the same feel; we did not get to that on this trip.
Before this, I met Emma at Powell’s City of Books. I had gone to church, taught Sunday School, and then traveled to Portland and parked in the Pearl District. I dropped Emma off at the MAX before church, and she explored Portland by taking various MAX trains to visit some craft and tea stores before meeting me at Powell’s. We then walked, it was hot already, to Deschutes Brewery’s Public House nearby for beer and a light lunch. We both went for soup.
Before this, I taught The Book of Revelation after church service. There was also an interview about the South Trip for the Methodist Church Conference. I was not needed for that, but that made things a bit more chaotic. I focused on the transmission and the first part of the book, Letters and Introduction, and the underlying issues in the Greek text. I did not get many questions and I was concerned that I my material was not working. I also discussed whether the John in this text is the traditional John the Apostle and the author of the Gospel According to John. I also covered a few of the Roman Emperors who are often mentioned in the text. I heard later that my approach was unexpected, and folks were happy with it. I finished a bit early as I had fewer questions than I expected. But still, with the chaos and having to meet Emma, it was a good day to be early.
Church parking was complex as I was early (Emmaus had many spots) and the City was using the parking lot for a bike safety event (it was packed when I headed out around 1:40). I had to get some painkillers from my car for a congregation member (it was hot and my glasses steamed up when I was cooling down in the church). I missed most of Ken’s sermon on Jeremiah, but it was about leaders of the old temple ignoring their failures as called out by the prophet, and letting ‘wounds’ of the people worsen. Ken talked about how this often fits our times, and especially preachers and church leaders who find they cannot call out social failures or political problems in many churches. God in the Old Testament measures the health of the land by how it treats the widow, orphan, and the stranger (reminding us that we, or our forefathers, were once strangers in a strange land).
Before this, I rose around 6:45, and Emma and I had a quiet morning. I had time to write the blog.
And that takes me full circle. Thanks for reading.
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