Author: alohawild

I rise with the sunrise at 6. I slept until 2 on Wednesday morning, couldn’t get back to sleep for an hour or so, finally fell back asleep at 3-ish, woke at 4-ish, slept again, and then had an unpleasant dream. But at least I woke up not tired. I started the blog and arranged the various Quicken transactions, mostly from this trip or visa expenses. My Social Security income is on the middle Wednesday, and I learned it is next week. My decision to pay off my credit cards with IRA money (with 10% withholding) was sound. I am still getting used to this timing.

I spent most of the time in my room watching the sun brighten NYC while I wrote the blog for Tuesday’s travel day. The room seemed cool in the morning, with clear skies, and up here, 33 stories (or so), it got cooler, so I ran the slightly clunky AC. Everything works in the room, and the walls are not too thin, but the hall noise wakes me when I’m falling asleep. There is a loud thud sometimes.

I shower, and the water is hot enough, and the tub isn’t too slippery, but it is cramped, and I tapped my head on the sink in the tub while scrubbing. I smiled and was more careful. I was soon dressed in an Oregon UFO Festival T-shirt, which got lots of questions all day. Locals wanted to know where that is and what it is like.

I find Tick-Tock, the 24-hour diner at the hotel, and use my Breakfast Voucher for coffee, a small juice, and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. I tip three dollars. I respond to a church item on my laptop. I decide not to order anything else and enjoy NYC. I return the laptop to my room and stash it. I take my battery with me, as the iPhone will run out of power, and I need it for navigation and for my tickets.

I walk to Times Square, about ten blocks, and then five more as I find the theater for tonight’s Oh, Mary! show. I nearly miss it, and then there it was. I notice The Public House: Bar & Restaurant on the next block. It is not even 10, and I look at the Complete Strategist location, one of the best war game stores in NYC,  and start to walk towards it, but then I realize it opens at 10:30, and I need to be at the Frick Collection Museum at 11. I can’t do both.

My back hurts from the walk, and I stop at Bryant Park to sit for a while until the New York Public Library opens. I am a member. The huge bronze door opens, and the guard/staffer is amazed by the long line. I walk right to the Treasures of the Library display (disappointed that Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence is a facsimile, and I learn the original is shown every July 4th). But the NY copy of the Declaration of Rights is presented (hand copies were sent to each state to consider), and also the call sheet for approving the 13th Amendment is simply tacked up in a civil rights display. I pointed it out to someone and said, “It should be presented wtih gold around it; this is it and what ended slavery.” There is an exception to slavery; incarcerated people are excluded, and many states, including Oregon, have passed state constitutional amendments banning slavery in any form. Tears, again, came to my eyes as I looked at the call sheet.

I find the facilities but not the exit. Two sets of steps down and then a door to the street. Funny that it is easy to get in, but getting out requires asking for help!

Somewhere I saw the large inflated rat and people striking at a luxury store. I had last seen that rat in California. I tipped my hat to them.

I managed to get to uptown and near the Frick without issue on the subway. I walked some well-heeled blocks and saw it was the consultant area. I heard a lot of Italian and saw folks with FedEx mailers. I then noticed many folks with them, as this is the area where visas and other important documents are made.

I reached the Frick, went in, already had a ticket for the time, and went right in after heading to ticketing first, only to be pointed back to where I started. This is a Gilded Age mansion re-formatted as a museum and contains lots of furniture you cannot sit on (and some that you can). The paintings of El Greco, Rembrandt, Van Dykes, and other Dutch masters were excellent examples, and many were huge. There were plenty of security folks watching (and many folks had to be reminded that no photographs were allowed), and I moved quickly to see the interesting paintings. I am not the read-and-study-everything person. I look for what I like. I really enjoyed even a painting by a student of Rembrandt. Endless portraits, but still all of excellent quality and a certain match to the others and the setting. A catered experience, if you like.

There is a cafe on the second floor, and I needed lunch. The prices were high, with a $31 club sandwich, but it was the Frick, so it seemed OK. I ordered a drink, the Saint, for $ 19, which was sweet and maybe was a poor choice for the sandwich, but I liked the name. The second floor has the gift shop that has a waiting line to get in; I never made it in. The French Impressionists are on the second floor, along with some medieval pieces.

I believe I have seen these pictures in my college textbook, which must have paid the Frick for the images. It was interesting to see them. All very well lit with no glare or protective glass. You can get within inches of some. Other paintings are high on the wall above fireplaces and like. I find it fun to look at them close up and then from a distance. It often seems like two different paintings.

I got a call about church items, and my room key fell, but mostly I just marveled at and enjoyed the place. Two basements below is the coffee. I got some. I watched their films in the sub-basement theater (I saw there is a third basement!). The second floor, gift shop, and extra stairs are additions. Also, the research has moved to another building. I knew it was a huge revision, but wow! The 1940s-built vault was now the theater. I walked out and was told by one of the staff that she looked up the Oregon UFO Festival and area and can’t wait to visit. I smiled. She directed me to the exit, another place without a clear way out.

With that, I reversed my walk and again enjoyed the area. Lots of folks walking around fast with FedEx clasped in their hands.

More friendly questions about my shirt on the Local 6 Train and off at 33rd. I backtrack as my navigation gets confused about where I am, but soon the source of many gaming hours in NYC is located: The Complete Strategist. They have everything new and often multiple copies. I also see collectible Dungeons & Dragons items, including a few I still play with. My Gods and Demigod book is the first edition and in good shape. Mine is worth about $150+. I did find something: Death Test and Death Test 2 from the Fantasy Trip, a newer boxed edition, and decided to buy them for $20. I still remember James G running us through Death Test and later Death Test 2.

I was five long blocks from the hotel and walked them. It was just getting to the point where I had to push through when I saw the hotel. I did enjoy walking by the Empire State Building. I showered; it was hot and sticky, and took a short break with likely a 30 min nap.

I redressed and walked to the theater and The Public House. There I spent a few hours at the bar having some beers and Irish-style starters. I watched the Finance news while eating, drinking, and chatting here and there with the bartender. The bar was busy, but the restaurant was empty. There were lots of staff with nothing to do.

Oh, Mary! was OK. I think it might even be rated great from the audience’s reaction. I have hearing issues, and I missed many of the jokes from Meg Stalter as Mary Todd Lincoln. There were also some uses of words and gestures I did not know. I would recommend the show as it is imaginative and an irreverent retelling of the historical story. My seat, D2 in the balcony, was excellent. I am not good with comedy. The show is traveling now, and I recommend it if you like comedy.

With that I done, I stopped by the Irish place near by for a porkchop and a drink. I think the mashed potatoes were the highlight of that meal. So let’s not dwell on it.

I headed back to the hotel, walking the ten blocks. I was asleep by midnight (even though it seemed early) and slept through the night. It could have been the 7 1/2 miles I walked that got me to sleep.

Thanks for reading.

 

Because Hank the Dog had marked my bed, we (Corwin and I) had scrubbed and steam-cleaned my bed, and it was still damp. I woke at 2:45 before my alarm and climbed out of the guest bed. I might have slept a few hours.

I had multiple alarms on to remind me to wake and to call Joan S, who was kind enough to rise too early with me so I could arrive in NYC around 3 in the afternoon. I took a quick shower and was soon dressed in a T-shirt to go under my floppy sweater. I had, forgetting to put that in the blog yesterday, packed and used my smaller bag for a week’s clothing, which is 1/2 a folded suit carrier. The smaller one works for short trips.

I was ready early, texted Deborah, who rises around 6, and we talked and texted. Joan S appeared, and I loaded my bag, my red Nike gym bag, and my carry-on into her car. I remembered to turn off the AC and turn down the water heater. The mail hold was in place via their website. Joan and I headed across Beaverton with no traffic and soon took the usual ways, none busy, to PDX.

The usual drop of chaos even at 5 on a Tuesday (it is summer), and I grabbed my stuff and headed into PDX with a wave and a thanks to Joan S (thanks again, Joan S!). I headed to Delta’s bag drop and remembered to take my phone back after putting on my bag tag. There are long lines, but not for what I need. There are a lot of folks with issues who need a Delta agent. Never saw that before.

Security lines are short, but something is strange again: the line seems slow, and the number of bag scanners is low. I hear the woman with “Lead” on her TSA shirt thank other agents for “doing a solid.” I suspect they are understaffed and people are staying over their shift. I manage to complete the process in ten minutes or less, but I worry that it will be a mess soon.

My gym bag is selected from a more thorough search, and my snack box of chicken salad is flagged, found, tested, and returned. The agent tells me that round metal items, like a can of chicken salad, look like something more insidious without naming the threat; I was told this as an explanation. I thanked the agent for keeping us safe from chicken salad, which got a smile, and left.

Grasso is my go-to for breakfast. The woman at the counter called me a regular, and we agreed that, as I was going to JFK, I should get their “PDX to JFK” breakfast sandwich. I had that with coffee, found a seat there, and started on yesterday’s blog. I wrote until 6-ish and then packed up, thanked her and the cooks, and found my gate.

Bob P called out my name, and I turned, and we walked together to our gates. We had worked together at Nike under Aboo years ago. He was off to see some family in Boston while I was headed to NYC for Hope 2026, a Hacker’s Convention. Bob P has followed me on Facebook, and we checked in and were happy to hear that we were staying well and enjoying retirement. He went on to his gate, while I sat at mine.

Boarding was the usual process at Delta, and I was soon in my Comfort seat and on an emergency row. I agreed to help and to follow crew directions. I asked how to open the door and was told my understanding was correct, but that I should not do it without explicit instructions. I smiled and said, “Certainly.”

I talked to Deborah, and I booked my Christmas trip to Michigan while we taxied on my phone. The choices are reducing and the costs increasing. I need to lock that flight in soon. I managed a direct flight on Christmas Day, my usual travel day. Returning the first Tuesday in 2027.

I watched a movie, The Devil Wears Prada 2, which I had seen in theaters, and then nodded off a few times. The middle seat remained empty for the flight to my and the other passenger in the aisle seat’s delight. I paid for cheese and fruit after hearing that the sandwiches were running out. I ate that a few hours later. First class gets a meal, but for $500 and more for that nice chair, I enjoy my package instead. That is a lot for those chairs and the meal.

I watch a foodie NY Times show on local food. It is stopped by landing. JFK is usually a long walk, and I soon found my way to my bag and got directions to the AirTrain. I got the wrong one, I thought, but corrected that and soon arrived at Jamaica Station, paying in confused, long lines. My first NYC jostling. I asked for help at the train and bought my ticket for just under $8. I ended up on the stairs carrying my bags while being knocked around a bit by folks running up the stairs, and the person behind me hitting me with her bag. We both made it to the train with our bags. Welcome to NYC!

Sweating, I took off my sweater. I enjoyed the train and gave my ticket to the conductor, who put holes in it and took it. Next, we arrived, and everyone piled out. More staircases. Also, the gap is large enough to mess up my bag. I have to force it over that. I wait and am near last when I carry my two bags up the stairs.

Penn Station has escalators, and I managed to take the wrong exit and enter the momentary confusion of NYC. I head and walk around the block. I spot the hotel, finally, and I remember how to move and manage in NYC. I have not been in these blocks before, as far as I remember.

Check-in is complex, as I have two reservations, and the effort to merge them costs me another $30 (for a room with a view for my first two days), but it is managed with the proviso that I must get my room key again on Thursday. Later, I thanked the desk person, and that got a smile.

I took a shower, the reservations were merged, and I unpacked, and I will keep the room all week. Feeling more human, I headed outside. It is hot and muggy, or, in other words, NYC in August, and I walked the blocks nearby to see what there is for food.

Cat S will join me around 7:30 after work. I notice a few places. The New Yorker Hotel, from 1929, is near The Garden, and many places are bars that fill up before and after an event and have the same bar food. I am intrigued by Lady Wilde’s Libations, but alas, the menu is limited, and the prices seem unlimited. Now just a maybe. An Irish Pub, or something like that, gets my attention as the better option.

I return to the hotel, which has options too: a 24-hour Diner, a pasta joint, and a steak place offering a porterhouse for $159. Hmmm. Maybe a pub. Cat appears on time, and she agrees to chat, walk, and look for a place. She does not know this block either. The NYC Stout is busy and seems to have a decent set of choices. It is too loud and packed, but outside there is a QR code for delivery. Nice!

But there is a waiter too, and she helps us get water and later food. We thought we ordered sliders, but they did not appear, and we got our food: an excellent club sandwich for Cat, a deconstructed pot pie for me, and a beer. The travel starts to wear on me. We talk and enjoy each other’s company, even with the jet lag taking over some.

We headed out with Cat only a few blocks from her train back to Roosevelt Island. I was soon back in my room on the 33rd floor, too tired to do much more. Sleep came quickly, though I woke at 2 and had trouble sleeping, but I finally slept through a bad dream and woke just before sunrise at 5:45.

Thanks for reading

I was tired, having been all over Beaverton buying shoes, getting supplies, and running laundry. I had washed the sheets, and it was now closer to 11 than I wished, and I had to make my bed. I do the pillow cases first. I then put my hand on the bed. Soaked! Hank the Dog has marked a large puddle 3/4 down the bed. “F**k!” just does not describe that. Dawn dishwashing and sponges (all tossed) are applied to remove the yellow stain beginning on my newish, expensive, wonderful mattress!

Corwin drives over with spray and a steamer he owns. The steamer pulls out the pee and the soap but leaves the room smelling of cleaner, and the bed is, well, not available. I make the bed in the guest room, Leta’s room, as we called it. Leta’s picture from retirement is on the wall. I can’t believe I used to sleep on this bed. Wow, I am spoiled by my lovely new bed. I manage a few hours of sleep at best before waking at 2:45 to shower and dress.

Ugh!

The day started without dog pee or me being tired out. I make a list of the things I need as I write the blog. I am excited, as I have too much to do, but there is hope I will get through the list. This includes Brazil visa items. I wrote a short blog on Sunday, while the main events were a church service, a church Revival planning meeting, and then Dungeons & Dragons. The former is not that interesting to most, and the latter contains copyright items and cannot be covered. I managed to typo out 700 words or so and one photo.

I called the help desk and discovered that for $35 I could get some help from the visa service. I did not know that this was a paid help desk and that I was not hearing from Brazil. Later, I would get clarity that my photo image was too blurry (a lack of clarity) and, after talking to Deborah (who keeps being right about sooooo many things) there are digital options. I called another help line. FedEx helpdesk (who then asked me to rank their service; I did five stars) was happy to help after I connected, after two buttons, with services, and yes, they can do that, and gave me the address and local phone to call (I thought I had called the local one). A local-accented person picks up (after I selected, as I was told, 8), and yes, and after a moment, and yes, we can do a special Brazil version.

Laundry is in process while all this is going on. I get to the last load in the washer, and then connect with Emma, Susie’s niece who moved to Beaverton from Michigan, and pick her up for lunch. Happy Panda is a new experience for Emma: industrial Chinese-style food and old school, with a cup of soup and a spring roll or dumpling on the side. And portion sizes enough to feed two. Matty is our waiter; I am there once a week, and he puts up with my extra water chestnuts and bamboo request. This time, no veggies. Just piles and piles of water chestnuts and slices of bamboo. Emma enjoys her broccoli beef, and I have a strange cashew chicken.

Emma next tours our Trader Joe’s while I am photoed and charged for a pic (extra large for official Brazil standards) and told to use the plain digital photo when requested (and then to use the provided software to adjust it; do not use the processed ones). A new USB stick and photos in hand, I find Emma resisting all the products and wanting to save some of the plants. We escape without purchase.

Emma’s turn and I take her to US Bank near her apartments. This, no surprise, becomes an hour-plus odyssey as she gets checking, savings, and other services called in. I was proud that she mischievously let them think she was some kid in a T-shirt and shorts, and I noticed she was treated with respect. A typo also delayed her.

I traveled to AAA while Emma played with bankers, met Holly who booked our tickets, and found a good luggage tag for my bag. I have the silver Delta tag, but I wanted something I could slide my biz card into to add to the bag. I found one for $3.99 and a small first aid kit for travel. Next, I stopped by Target (heading back in Emma’s direction) and got more items on my checklist done. Emma was soon done after me.

REI supplied new shoes with their experts covering five different shoes to upgrade my footwear. Emma enjoyed the store while I explored shoes. I selected the Saucony Max Cushion version.

Next, we crossed the street in Air VW the Gray and went to the bar at Lake Oswego Grill and had happy hour items. We had drinks and split some happy hour items. It was a good ending. I dropped off Emma and was soon at a church meeting while also getting all the visa stuff fixed. I was multitasking full out and on a Zoom meeting like I was working again. Kathy, taking Missions from me as I was filling in, handled it well.

And now I am in NYC and just checked into my room. I think I will stop there. Thanks for reading.

I safely arrived at The New Yorker Hotel on Tuesday evening.

 

Returning to the older linear format, I rose after 7 and opened a bag of OPBeans, which are supplied by Portland Roasters, and every bag supports Oregon Public Broadcasting, OPB. I added that to the last of the beans from California and made coffee. I had some Palmers and a banana to go with it.

I got 80% of the blog done until I got a note from Pastor Ken that he needed color copies of his presentation for the meeting after church. I jumped in the shower, after saving my work, and soon was in a tie from Deborah, and my usual dress shirts, sweater vest, and black shoes. Today I picked the cheaper loafers, as the dress shoes are tight. I printed out Ken’s item, two copies, and headed to the UPS store nearby. For $1 a page, I made nine copies of the color work (the $42 receipt will be in my 2026 taxes). I collected cheapish mechanical pencils I use for gaming, but left them in the house by mistake. I did have my laptop and Ken’s item on a USB drive (on a converter from A to C USB).

The service was busy for me as I had visitors and had to walk through the church a few times after folks used the restrooms and left another door. We need to ensure nobody is still in the church, and I had to walk the first floor. Ken introduced the new Revival for the church and said he felt the drive to have people believe they needed to feel Christ in their hearts was missing something; this is a focus of many American church movements. More was to adopt Christ’s mantle and to work in the community. It should not be about the self but about the community and us. My words: pick up your cross, not to feel better. Thus, Ken calls us not to the altar but to the community here in our church since 1943 and about the church, the community of Beaverton, and further out. A revival of service.

I rushed out after drinking even more coffee. The meeting was scheduled for 12:30 at McMenamins Cedar Hills, our go-to place. I had a double local gin and tonic. Everyone else stuck to lamer drinks. We talked about plans and tasks were assigned. Mine is just money. I had the three sliders for lunch. Excellent.

With that done and the group broken up (I paid for the pastors and Dondreas’ lunch), I got a seat at the bar, got iced tea this time, and focused on my blog. The bartenders were chatting, and another man at the bar was, I believe, a former cook. They chatted about the food and the drinks. They were kind enough to include me in their conversation while I wrote and ordered a dessert. A cookie still hot in an iron baking pan with a scoop of ice cream. I should have done the cheesecake instead, but I will be in NYC soon, and nothing is as good as a natively grown NYC cheesecake.

I did talk to Deborah a few times as we both traveled and at her house. It is good to start our day together and try to end one of our days together. We miss each other’s company.

I drove home, took off the tie, and soon was headed back. Dungeons & Dragons at M@’s place tonight. We all were there this time (Jack, who was going to be a bonus player, could not get back from Idaho in time to play). We had a plan to use the D&D spell Wall of Stone and create stalactites that could be released with just some damage to fall on the would-be-god we were facing. The bad guy generates an anti-magic field, but boulders are boulders even when created by magic. We dropped them on it to various levels of success.

Later, starting a new high-level campaign, our group of adventurers headed to hell to destroy the evil artifact. Off to see the Wizard, or in this case, the ruler of D&D hell (since the 1970s original mention of him), Asmodeus. Kind of like going back to the old games.

I returned home, read more Civil War, and soon slept.

Thanks for reading…and sorry if this seemed rushed. It is 😉

 

My usual Saturday night gaming was out because Richard was traveling.

At The 649, Corwin and I tried out my new game from Orange Nebula, Vestige. While it lifts its structure from their older game, Vindication, it shows growth in game design and thinking since Vindication’s successful Kickstarter, as I felt I had more choices, there was no wasted space in the components, and there were few exception rules. It fits in a small box that would be more what I would expect to be an add-on and not a whole game. The small roll-up maps that fit in the box really cut the required space. The cards are small but, again, enough to make the game work and fit in a slot in the box organizer. I have the “wretched” version, which uses wooden tokens (quite nice for wood) and no “swanky” organizer or card separator (add-ons). It fits in the box well, and there is a bit of room for some add-ons.

I checked their website, and the add-ons and improvements are all sold out for the moment (I see as I write this that they are now available). I would enjoy the Chop Bot small mat (used in every play) and maybe a few more locations, but my experience in Vindication was that I left most of those things in the box. There is an optional Nemesis in the game, and I have two packs that come with the game and two from the Kickstarter; I have not learned the rules for the Nemesis addition. There is a treachery pack for the game too, like Vindication, which I always played with, as it is fun that not all random items are just good for you. It changes the emotion of a random draw! More to come as I decide whether to invest in some updates.

Corwin and I agreed it was an excellent game, with your decisions based on what you start with, the layout of the map, and options you acquire as you play. The game does end suddenly, using the same random end game conditions, but this time two conditions are required to end the game. I ended the last game (having been crushed as I misplayed while teaching the game and watching) and won by one point.

The cook at The 649, whose name I did not get, and our Lesley bartender were interested in the game, and I explained what I knew about the style of play and showed them the components. As it is from Washington State and across the river in Vancouver, everyone is happy to see the local game company’s stuff.

Before this, Corwin appeared while I was still writing the blog and not dressed. He grabbed some coffee and some cornbread while I dressed. I also talked to Deborah, who had some events I cannot share here. She is doing OK now. Dressed, we headed to Costco in Corwin’s car, Air Viking!, and there Corwin got a Costco card from my account, as he uses my address for his mailings and IDs. We then collected groceries; I got a few items, and we split a few (I grabbed a set of rolls of toilet paper from his mountain) later. I bought the full basket for just under $300, and then we got gas at Costco, showing Corwin the process. He was happy to see the lower price, but was aware this is a credit card place (and no AMEX). Air Viking! was ready for the next raid.

Corwin took his stuff home after sharing a few items and dropping me at the house. Later we would take Air VW the Gray to the 649 and see Crystal and Matt, whom I shared my plans with. It was good to see everyone.

After all this, even with two beers and two games, I turned to OCR scanning the First United Methodist History text. I have a copy of some scrapbook history. It has a few updates to 1999 but covers to 1985. Deborah was clear I did this the hard way. I was especially frustrated when my Canon TR4720 printer/fax/scanner forgot how to scan, and nothing I could find would restore this ability. I finally managed to photograph the pages wtih my phone, send the image into Adobe Acrobat on my Apple computer, and use the AI to OCR the text, though it was slightly scrambled. I captured this without corrections to a Word document (using special pasting each time to only extract the text).

Aside: Deborah was clear in the morning that she was unimpressed with my skill set and suggested that Notes and my phone would do this faster and better. I will explore that when I do the next pages and articles. Deborah is a former Apple employee and knows all the tricks!

Still with my mangled OCR’d text, I sent that off (I will fix it later), and went to bed and read about the American Civil War and found Bruce Catton’s The Civil War, willing to call the Southern generals brilliant, but their cause doomed and their efforts in vain. I am in 1862, and soon the Confederates will reach, according to the book, their high-water mark. Already, U.S. Grant in the West (the Ohio Valley was west then) has ended the expansion of the Confederacy and forced them at the Battle of Shiloh (and, according to many, taught Grant what warfare would be now).

Aside: After my visit to the South last year, I believe if you remove the pageantry and mysticism of the Confederate generals and army to a lesser degree, it is more of a desperate grasp of men trying to justify the loss of men and treasury for a cause that was impossible. I would point out that while his army froze and starved and was then thrown against reinforced positions to die, Confederate General Hood in 1864 was eating well with his staff, who, according to their own account, were amazingly comfortable. Look at these actions more as a better-organized insurgency on the Confederate side, and it would remind you of headlines from today. And the officers and elites living well while the people of the Confederacy and its army suffered. Not the story I learned in school.

I got too tired to finish the wonderful chapter on navy stuff. I soon slept and seemed to sleep without dreams.

Starting at 7ish, I made coffee from the Hidden House coffee, the last. I had a banana and cornbread I made a few nights before with that. I wrote the blog and also sent some Howard, my SciFi/horror character, to Emma. I then read part of one, spotted some typos from years ago, but liked the story. I added some lines and even a start of a Howard story to the blog. It was fun to write that morning. Nice to find my voice again.

And I think I can stop there. Thanks for reading!