It is Saturday morning, and I am having trouble recalling Friday; it was a simple and slow day. I had trouble sleeping, slept until 8, and woke up tired and still disturbed by things I had not finished yet. I did get one hotel reservation done for my trip in September; I still have to pick a hotel in Nashville. I spent the morning writing until 10. I found a flagpole and another Pride flag (a Progress flag, technically); I buy them in packs. The flag on Beaverton First United Methodist Church disappeared a few weeks ago. My memory is that this was the third loss this year. I do not have a count of the number of flags I have replaced. Bill B started this, and we started taking turns replacing the flag and flag holder as needed. I buy plastic-based flags as they are impossible to burn without an accelerant.
Folks have suggested cameras, tracking devices, and reinforcing the flag to make it harder to take. I argue that we are not in the prosecution business (“Nobody expected the Methodist clerical police!”) and are more turn-the-cheek people. Flags are cheap and easily replaced. And there are words like “meek inheriting the earth,” and “blessed are the peace makers,” and of course “don’t steal” in even older texts. Best to just keep replacing them.
I make coffee and take my pills. And I write the blog and finish by 10, to my surprise. Again, I have only coffee, and soon dress and head out with my laptop and the Call of Cthulhu adventure I am running on Tuesday. First, I stop at the church and discover my flag, a cheaper one, needs hooks, and my pole is designed for a more expensive flag slides on the flag pole. Oops. I also meet Brian and Dondrea there, who are on a scouting mission for a church video. Z is there with Brian’s kids and enjoying running around in the quiet church.
I head to lunch and to find another flagpole and clips. I do Pastini’s for lunch and have cream-based pasta with garlic bread and a small Caesar salad. I have iced tea with it. I read the rest of the adventure, which is creepy but not scary. Interestingly, the author comments that there is no usual solution to the adventure; it is up to the players to decide what to do.
I stopped next at Ace Hardware and found a wooden pole and an extra clip ring to make it work. After spending $20, I had a pole and a ring, and I returned to the church. I could hear Brian practicing a majestic organ piece in the church while I assembled the new pole and flag. The flag holder has a pin that locks into the pole to keep the wind from carrying the flag away in a storm, but it is frozen; I will have to replace it next time. I believe I have a spare with the spare flags and pole. In the past, a storm sucked the flag away and threw it on the roof, and later it fell off in another storm and was recovered. We were all amazed.
Deborah and I talked here and there. We try to keep connected on these long breaks from seeing each other. Deborah was having tire issues that were resolved with a free repair at Bell’s Tires in the Midwest. We talked here and there, and I said good night to her later in her time.
I managed to get one piece of paperwork done, but I could not find the other, so I called Kathy to have it resent to me. I will try to resolve that later.
I stopped at Walgreens and got supplies for the colonoscopy party. Broth, little cans of soup, some gas meds (required on the list), and ginger ale in expensive little cans. I would have one of the soups reheated in my cheap microwave, and I felt better then.
I have some figures for the Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game that I ordered from Etsy, and the new Duel of Moloch board game that need painting. I had put away my paints, brushes, glue, and so on. I found the glues; most of the CA was hardened and unusable. I found the remaining brush version of CA, and after retrieving my CA accelerator, I was able to assemble the new figures. I will find paint, inks, and brushes on Saturday.
I was feeling well and maybe a bit sad, and instead laughed through Ted Lasso episodes and loved the one in Amsterdam, a favorite place of mine. I like the museums, food, and odd culture. I priced a trip back, as well as trips to Egypt, since the Cairo Museum is opening (finally), while I made soup. I felt better after some food, got some figures started, and enjoyed season 3 of the show.
I did go to bed early and felt sleep just overwhelm me, like a warm rush of blankets and a summer breeze. I did quickly overheat, wake, uncover, sleep, wake cold, and recover. This process went on for a few hours. I am retired and no longer worry about waking and ruining my day. Instead, I embrace the night and enjoy the waking. Sometimes I think about getting up and writing or something, but then nod off before I can get moving.
Dreams are all forgotten, but the emotion was pleasant tonight. Thanks for reading.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 