With all the headaches and darkness, it was time to get out more. I was also not sleeping well, and I attributed it to a lack of steps. It may be time to bring some rigor back to exercise and food via an app on my phone.
As I start to execute my trip plan for about three weeks in California, I am also watching as the 2600: Hacker Quarterly conference, Hope 2026, approaches in August. I did not try for a speaker slot, as I learned last time, I am more of a practitioner than a hacker. I write cool stuff, not break cool systems. Before that, I will be in Michigan from July 11-16, 2026.
The American Civil War (ACW) battle at Franklin has my attention, and I am thinking I need a short trip to the South to see these places in Tennessee. I am tempted to buy the newish simulation from the same people who made my copy of Gettysburg: July 1-3, 1863. I would start in Nashville, head south to trace the battle in reverse, then go to Montgomery and Columbus, Georgia, for the Civil War Naval Museum. After that, I would either head south to New Orleans or North to Atlanta. Just in the thinking stage.
Aside: The ACW is opposed to ECW, the English Civil War, and both are now settings for various wargames and figure-level games. Thus, in the UK, the Civil War is between Cromwell and the Loyalists, and the ACW is the Battle Between the States in the US. My 28mm figures of General Lee and Grant are from a UK company: Perry. There they are, coded ACW, and my unfinished army of ACW figures is from Perry (not an American company; Perry’s are 28MM, D&D scale, hard plastic, and historically accurate; they are significantly cheaper, too).
Returning to the story of Wednesday, I wrote the blog, talked to Deborah and others, and finished it around 11. I passed on Breakfast and had only two cups of coffee. I showered, dressed, did not do the dishes or fold the laundry, and got in the Air VW the Gray and headed to the local MAX station, Quatama. It was nearly fully charged as I had finally remembered to plug it in on Tuesday and set it to charge to 100%.
I had my ACW book with me, and was reading the aftermath of the Battle of Franklin in 1864, The Confederacy’s Last Hurrah. The author, Wiley Sword, is brutal in his comments on Confederate General Hood’s decision to sacrifice the Army of Tennessee against the unbreakable, reinforced position of the Union army, conservatively managed by General Scoldfield (who also receives strong criticism for seemingly winning a battle by default).
The comparison to the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 is unavoidable. The story of the all-in attack reminds me of Shelby Foote’s account in The Stars in Their Courses of Lee’s ordering Picket’s Charge. It seems that everything was moving against Lee that day, though again, it was attacking a reinforced position with strong internal lines.
I reached Portland’s Pioneer Square at it was approaching 2, and then switched to the Green Line for a short one-stop ride to Grits & Gravy for a late lunch and an overdue breakfast. It was marvelous with grits, biscuit (still warm), bacon, and over-easy eggs. I had more coffee and lots of water. The staff was friendly, and an artist was on hand showing his work; I shook his hand and admired his sketches in particular.
From there, I walked back to Pioneer Square and then to the Portland Art Museum (PAM). I missed the Farmer’s Market in the Park across from PAM. Next time, I will get lunch there. The statue of Lincoln is still missing, but the granite base is still in place, and folks were using it as a table for lunch. According to Portland’s government website, the statue was toppled and damaged in October 2020 during the “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage.” The statue has been repaired, and the city expects it to return to the park this year.
I walked into PAM, showed my membership card, and asked what was interesting. I headed downstairs for the local kids’ art display. It was wonderful, and much of it was on transparent film that was mounted on glass. I enjoyed looking at all the different styles and imagination. I was terrible at art (still am) and can’t draw a straight line or a decent curved line either. It was nice to see art still happen with kids.
Next, by accident, I found another display of the printer’s art in the form of the Inkling Studio work, a collaborative space back in 1981-2009, which I vaguely remember. One of the members was a retired machinist, and he made custom printing presses for the group after his wife asked him to make her one. I was interested in reading about Ray Trayle’s machines and saw his only print (he would rather make machines than art), as well as a portrait of him. He made sixty presses, and here is one of them. The prints were colorful and interesting, and I was disappointed that the Inkling Studio is still not running, but I was happy to see that the presses are still in use.
After that lesson in printing and local recent history, I headed upstairs to the French Impressionists and enjoyed the usual pieces and the strange, dark Van Gogh. The two Monets always bring me peace. I did wander into later American art; a piece done for the WPA was strongly Art Deco but reminded me of the O’Keeffe show I saw last year with her city images.
With that done and skipping the modern art and finding nothing in the shop, I headed out to South Park for a glass of wine and a snack. I had the salmon tartar with roe on the top and crackers in a sun-like display. The wine was a red from Europe that the two bartenders (names, I am sorry, forgotten) recommended. It was excellent.
I read more ACW while eating and drinking. The bread, served gratis, was also great with the garlic butter, but the check included a 2% credit card fee and a 20% tip. This is the new payment style that many places have adopted. I was glad the bread was free (it is not at many places now).
I headed back to the MAX and took it back without incident, with someone giving me their seat. I must look the part of a senior citizen, though I don’t feel that old. I have noticed I am getting the senior discount even when I don’t ask for it (I seldom do, as it is usually defined as someone 65+).
I find the EV where I left it and head home. I am not hungry, but there is a slight headache (sulfides in the wine, I am sure), and I rest and surprise when I awaken thirty minutes. I meant to read, not sleep. Later, I see I missed a goodnight call with Deborah, but we texted, and so still ended her day together.
I watch more Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and enjoy more of season 2. Another superpowered, reality-distorting being takes over (one matching someone Kirk meets in the original series). The story and the acting are good, but it is getting hard to believe—yet it is consistent with canonical episodes.
Corwin came by to get his mail, but was delayed, and I went to the local Salt & Straw and had a vegan-style (using coconut milk instead of animal products) Flecked Mint Chocolate Chip. It was my second time for this one, and the mint is overwhelmed by the chocolate, but that is not a bad thing.
Corwin stopped by, finished some of my leftovers, and picked up his mail. We chatted for a while, and he then headed out. He had worked a 27-hour day as a driver and was tired.
I finished more Star Trek, read more ACW, and still did not do the dishes. I soon tried to sleep. I had to rise again, get some ibuprofen as my legs hurt (should not go from almost no steps to 4,000+ in a day), and then sleep came.
Thanks for reading.
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