Wednesday Another Hump Day

The caughing and sore throat are worse on Wednesday. This puts a drowsiness on the day, like an extra scratchy blanket while trying to stay warm, that makes it run with little joy, and it seems to drag instead of the usual passing quickly. My days usually disappear in a burst of repeated tasks, learning, and cooking. As I wrote in the previous blog, I was up at 3:30, wrote the blog, and published it before sunrise.

A sudden sleepiness overcame my burst of energy, even with a cup of reheated coffee leftover from the day before. I crawled back into bed and soon, to my surprise, I was out again. Thankfully, I didn’t repeat or enter the nightmare that drove sleep away, and this time I embraced the waking dreams that filled the morning. While the dreams have left my memory, they were about traveling and visiting people. Maybe this time it was a dream of Morocco, and I bought a dream carpet. I do not remember well, just flashes, but the idea of installing a dream carpet in the dreaming house appeals to me. I often swim in my dream pool in my dream backyard.

I woke after 9 and tried to restart my day. The coughing was, as I said, worse, and I dragged myself through the day. I need supplies! I found the mail and got a note reminding me that my membership in the National Civil War Naval Museum had expired. I spent the tax-deductible $30 to re-up. I cannot recommend a better naval history experience in the US. Please consider, dear reader, a $30 membership and a visit if you can make it there in Columbus, Georgia: here. The museum covers the US Navy’s role in breaking the Confederacy’s economy and the local final battles of the war well. The museum has two shipwrecks and unique items I didn’t know existed.

Lunch was at Panera Bread: chicken soup and a 1/2 sandwich of chicken salad was my first excursion. I got some cold pills and liquid for my battle, staying with the Civil War theme, with the cough. I know from years of experience that, despite me feeling sure, the cough stays clear of my lungs, and it is just the drip-drip from my nose that is the issue. A skirmish, not even a battle. I just have to get sleep and not spiral into exhaustion.

I already got my flu shots, and it doesn’t feel like anything more than drip-drip. I drink hot tea with honey with my soup, and that helps. I stop by Walgreens, get shocked by the cost of cold remedies (which haven’t changed in years), and buy only the Walgreens brand for 1/2 the price. Wow, over-the-counter remedies cost as much as a prescription now. I get the no-sugar, high-blood-pressure versions (with less stuff, so it costs more!). I take two gel caps, then head home for more tea.

Another nap happens, and I edit more of my Dungeons & Dragons, Finding a Broken Sword, adventure I wrote in 2009 for the newer version (bringing it up to version 5 to 5.5). I published this one on Amazon in the 4E format, sold maybe four copies, and earned about $20. Someone out there is still playing the old version of D&D and bought one.

I connected with Emma, and it seemed that the day dragged on again until 5ish. I picked up Emma, the cold meds holding back the worst of the coughing issues, and headed to beers and appetizers for dinner at The 649. Crystal and then Matthew were our bartenders, and we stuck to beers this time.

The game is an old 2009 favorite (in the days before Kickstarter) that started on tiles that were English on one side and German on the other. Older versions have rulebooks in both languages. My Big Box version is in English, uses cardboard not card stock) for the tiles, and is in English. I replace the Fountain card with the Kebab Store instead, with the special rules that let you send your “uncle” to another location for a fee.

Emma enjoyed learning a new game, and we ate nachos while setting up and then played our first game. I had Emma advise as she moved. She soon had it down cold. It is a deceptively easy game to play, but you need to plan two or three turns ahead to get ahead and win. These plans need to be flexible when your opponents move into the same areas. I won the first game by one gem.

Istanbul is a race to collect gems. When the last gem is put in a cart, the other players get to finish their turns. If there is a tie, money makes the difference. It uses some unique movement rules, and the cards, shops, and mosques you visit give you more options and resources. It is easy to learn and play, but hard to beat someone who’s learned the game and understands the Grand Bazaar. I won the second time by two gems; I focused on showing an excellent game to Emma. Emma wants to play again, seeing all the little tricks I used, and is ready to add coffee to the game. More to come.

It is a cheapish game, and I have plastic overlays for that that sort of work for your wheelbarrow. This game’s wheelbarrow needs a two-layer cardboard solution, but when it was published, those things were not used. The two-layer solution had warping issues, and they were costly in the early Kickstarter campaigns, often offered at a premium. Now it is just standard. I also changed to pictures that include women by printing off a file I found on BoardGameGeek. I have stuck with the paper coins and left the game mostly unchanged. Most of it is now in plastic bags, so you can easily add or remove expansions. I enjoy it every time and marvel at its low buy-in price. The Kebab add-on is hard to find, but one could just make a card for it from an online picture. I recommend the game as it is my favorite type: a race with easy turns but hard strategy.

With the game done, I am fading as time is finally running normally and my 3:30 start is impacting me.  I pay Mathew, and the bill surprises me; the prices are higher than I remember. I take Emma home and soon am reading in bed, more modern versions of Sherlock Holmes, and despite using modern usage, the story is excellent and one I could imagine Doyle thinking up. I fall asleep after turning off the light.

But the night is not done for me. I am up every two hours to show where the tea goes when it is used. Wow, I am superhydrated! I also wake up coughing, which is unpleasant. Sleep comes between breaks, and I sleep until 8ish, waking at one point every ten minutes as, once again, the clock runs slow for me.