Wednesday started with me enjoying the snuggly blankets and sheets until closer to 8 than 7. Another sunny morning woke me with sunrise, but I rolled over and soon slept again in snuggly happiness. I rose and made a pot of liberal coffee, moving to my last bag from the Portland-based shipment of Equal Exchange. While their coffee is good, it is not as great as our local beans, and I will think about it. I have a scone I baked a few days ago, orange cranberry, with a banana (my potassium is finally in the normal range in my last blood test, yay!). I discover my focus and apply it to writing. I am not time boxed, and I chat with Deborah for a while and deal with a double payment I discovered in my Quicken downloads; they refund it. I am proud that I caught it.
I do not finish the blog until noonish and make lunch, reheated goulash with a bit of leftover Popeyes and a biscuit. Most of my roses are blooming, with one still struggling with too much shade and too much water in the winter. Fertilizer has been applied, and it, like the others that are struggling, seems to be recovering. My English roses are loving the Spring/Summer we are having.
All day, I would be reading more of the 1864 American Civil War (ACW) and General Hood’s failed campaign in Tennessee, and the destruction of his army by about 50% from failed attacks on well-defended positions in Franklin and Nashville. Here: map. I am at the point where the Union has dug in at Franklin, and Hood brings up his army. It reminds me of Gettysburg: the Union is on the run, digs in, and is then hit, and the Confederates pay a terrible price for charging a reinforced position. But in this case, there is no chance of breaking the Union line.
Aside: The same publishers of my new ACW board games also have one of these battles, using the same rules. Solo play is an option. My theory, above, could be tested. Hmmm.
I headed to McMenamins Raleigh Hills Pub (with my ACW book) to get another stamp. There I get beer and read, I follow with a dessert (way too much sugar) and a coffee. I read. I pay my bill and go. I am still a few hours early for games with Z at church, and I park there anyway and head to the library.
The staff there can reset my password and replace my library card. I don’t have any eBooks, so this makes it easy. I remembered my earpods, put them in, and they cut out all sound except the music and the videos I watch on the second floor of the Beaverton Library. I do research on online role-playing games, with a particular interest in ShadowDark. I am disappointed that Roll20 has not invested in this system. I do find a Start Playing Games website with options. I also learned about a tabletop system called Owlbear Rodeo. These are low-cost buy-in systems, unlike Roll20, which means purchasing content at published prices (I have bought D&D 5E twice at the same price to use it during the Pandemic).
I look for World War I books, and it is hard to find them. I learned that the physical books listed in the catalog are held across all the libraries, and that The Guns of August has not been reshelved yet in Beaverton, but I could get an audio or eBook version. I will have to look into eBooks. I was thinking of reading it again. It is an excellent book, and even with more scholarship since it was written, it remains a good account.
The dessert and coffee caused a sugar crash, so I headed out of the library to get a chicken sandwich at the local coffee place, Ava Roasteria. With some water, I was feeling better. No more desserts!
Z and Dondrea met me at the church, and while the band and then the choir practiced, Z and I played games. We stuck with Raiders of Sythia as Z remembered it. A mostly set up, and soon we were off raiding, and Z was soon ahead of me, doing the easy raids that are worth a few points. I had noticed in previous games that these were not worth the cost for only two points. Z knows the game is a race and was raiding more. I went for the goals and the larger point raids (only doing one of the simple ones, as it was easy with the larger crew that I had). My crew took wounds, Z rolls were magical with low wounds and high points, and soon we were only five points apart with limited crew and beast points. I managed to make the last raid and trip the end-of-game condition before Z was ready for another raid and pulled off a five-point win. It was an excellent game, and we did not know who won until we took the final count.
I had Flip-7 in the car, and we played three games, and I managed to win all of them. Z is not sure about push-your-luck choices and went for the safer choice. I was lucky too. We both enjoy both games.
It was fun to play again. I returned home, watched another older Doctor Who, David Tenent’s Doctor, and soon was reading more ACW. I started to nod off and dream the battle (thinking I was still reading, but the story went odd with me seeing it), woke, put the book away, and slept.
Thanks for reading!
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 