The blog will not tell another person’s story. There are events from yesterday that I cannot share, but they deeply affected me.

I rose before my alarm at 6:30 on Tuesday. I had to head to Richard’s to play board games. And I hoped, though it was a forlorn hope, that I could finish the blog before I needed to head out. I started, but didn’t finish. I did get 2/3 of it done. I finished the last banana and made coffee that I enjoyed while I wrote.

Chaos is coming to Portland because Highway 5 will be closed for about six weeks to repair some ramps. Traffic is expected to spill everywhere with the closure of the main North-South highway, slowing Portland driving to a crawl. Many folks are returning to work-from-home models for this period. I did not run into this mess; it starts Friday, but I was looking at my trip and trying to guess what I need to do differently. I think I will get off after the river, cross Portland, and avoid the possible backups.

I arrived at Richard’s, brought in some games, and learned that I missed Richard’s selection of Anachrony as our game. Something I never win at, but I find it interesting to play. Robin joined me with Richard again (she has joined the Tuesday morning gaming group), and she owns a copy of Anachrony and watched some videos. I was back to relearning at the moment. And while I scored at the bottom (Robin is a skilled gamer), it was my highest score. I was less than ten points away from her, with Richard smoking us.

This is one of the more expensive and complex games, with endless add-ons and an extra-large box sold to hold all the parts. Richard has all the expensive component upgrades, and I painted the figures for him. His copy of the game is maximum bling.

The board game is a worker-placement game that blocks others and involves resource management. A race to the top. What makes it different is a time track and time travel. Players borrow resources from the future and must pay them back or face penalties. There are also risks, and Richard had to remove three anomalies to avoid more negative points from using future resources. I played conservatively because I had to remember the rules, which caused me to miss some scoring opportunities at the end. I did enjoy the game. Next time!

Because of the huge cost and giant unpainted minis, I cannot recommend the game as a purchase. I do not own a copy. But if you have a friend with it, or find the basic game at your local gaming store to borrow or play there, I do recommend it. Playing with a time machine makes for a fun game.

I headed out and stopped by Broadway Grill for a late lunch; we had finished after 1. There, I finished the blog. I also worked out with Jeff how to get him paid and get receipts for the new light bulbs for the church. Emmaus, the other church that uses our space, and others want to cover the cost of the bulbs. I had their salad and chili special. I also had a Mr. Toad’s Wild Red beer.

After that, I headed home and got stuck in slow traffic on the bridge. Finally home after 3, I took the afternoon off and watched more For All Mankind, talked to Deborah and friends, and nursed my sore throat. I read more newly published Sherlock Holmes, and later edited one of my Dungeons and Dragons adventures, 20,000+ words, which I hope to use in October. I wrote it for 4E D&D in 2009 (we are now on the 5.5e version). I miss the 4E skill challenge, which, when done well, could move a story forward and allowed for some fun cinematic devices. A concept now abandoned by the new version, but adopted in Lord of the Rings and other role-playing games. My adventure will bring some of that back as skill tests and some directed storytelling, but without 4E’s artificial mechanisms. A compromise that I think works.

I stop with the introduction edited. I will start on the encounters next. I change into PJs and read.

I soon sleep. My sleep is disturbed by nightmares. Thanks for reading!

I rose at 6:30 to see the 6:45 sunrise at Jot’s Resort on the Rogue River at the entrance to the Pacific. I closed the sliding glass door around 3 because I was getting cold, and the horn went off forever for reasons I don’t know, invading my dreams. I later learned it is a foghorn, but it runs all the time because fog comes without warning. Locals don’t hear it anymore.

I later learned the low growl I heard was whale song from humpbacks off the coast. Mostly, I heard loud boats. It was a lovely, if cold, sleep.

There were no mosquitoes up yet, and the breeze was likely keeping them low, and I could see the seas were breaking higher on the breakers and beaches. The sun rose behind the hills. I had written the blog the night before and was free to enjoy the morning. I made coffee in the coffee machine using the cup that it would fill to measure, and not any measuring mark on the coffee machine, a lesson from previous use at many hotels (and soon, I understand, to be learned by Mariah).

I enjoyed the coffee, watched the morning start, saw a few boats board and start out to fish (I would always start while it is dark when I start to drown-my-worm to catch), and saw a few seals eyeing the boats for an easy meal. Soon, a slow patrol of folks trolling for salmon passed by. One guy, alone, with a lot of smoke, started fishing with bait, I think, and then spent a few minutes trying to start his outboard again when it was time to move on. He was having trouble starting it! I would never go out on our rivers and the Pacific without two ways to get safe, usually two outboards. I could not watch (he was OK; I saw later); I took my shower, dressed, packed, and loaded the EV.

Aside: On some trip, Dad took a smaller boat and me and Linda fishing. Mostly for a boat trip. I was driving and hit a sandbar, snapping the safety pin on the motor. We learned then why Dad always put the oars in the boat. He bent to the oars and got us to the dock. I felt bad (but Dad said he could have done it just as easily, since it was getting dark), but we stopped by the local bait and tackle shop and got a replacement pin. No harm, and I learned you always need a way back — two ways. A few years later, I remember pulling out the centerboard and paddling, to Dad’s surprise, when all the wind died as the sun set on Lake Victoria, and the sailboat becalmed. “Always two ways to get to the dock,” I reminded him.

I put my shells in an ice bag and put them on the Biz-Class seats. I put my laptop in my pocket and my red bag, now reloaded with my stuff, on the floor. I was still wearing boots in case we had time for a beach.

The “Buffalo Gals,” as they called themselves, were still getting organized, and I walked the dock and said good morning to the later boaters still getting organized. The number of cool boating fishfinders and comfy seats suggested these were vacation-investment fishing boats. One sported a 200-horsepower engine on a 24-foot boat, with a lesser engine for more mundane things, I imagine. That one was perfectly clean, startlingly white with white seats, and even had a windshield for a standing captain with a wheel. I thought it needed a harpoon gun or a mermaid on the front.

I met the gals, and they were ready for breakfast. I had learned since it was Labor Day that breakfast was “across the bridge,” and that Indian Creek Cafe was open and not the one across the street. We took separate cars and soon were sitting and having an American breakfast of pancakes and other griddle items at the Indian Creek Cafe. I had corned beef hash, clearly cut from a canned version and fried into a perfectly round patty. Just like Dad used to make. They did take five minutes or more to notice more customers, as they had a load of food to deliver to tables. Later, we noticed the line was nearly out the door. We timed our arrival perfectly just before 9 and headed the crowd instead of following it. Even when we finished, there was a line.

Emma and Mariah headed in her car North to Honeyman Park on the dunes near Florence, Oregon. For me, this is the holy ground where Frank Herbert thought up Dune and the planet Arrakis. I stopped in North Bend for a thirty-minute charge so I could return home without another charge. I met the Buffalo Gals on the Dunes. I managed to climb higher, but my balance made the steep last section better to admire than to experience. We all paid a $10 parking and day-use charge, but I suspect that turned into 50 cents a minute for me, since I didn’t stay long. We didn’t bring swimming gear or paddling stuff, but maybe on another trip. Still, it was worth it, and I dreamed of Arrakis and maybe writing a fan piece about a spy on Arrakis sending in a report. I have only read the first book and seen the movies, plus the made-for-TV versions (surprisingly good). I find the other books unapproachable and ignore the statements that they get better after the third one. And I only like the first half of the book. I love Empires and space opera.

With “Arrakis” in the rear-view mirror, we head towards Newport and the Oregon Aquarium. We get there around 3, and it closes at 6, but I find two to three hours is a lot of standing and looking. We rush first to the otters, the Californian ones, as it is their last feeding. They are cute and look cuddly. We then did the smaller pavilions first, with the tidal pools ready to touch a few things and marvel at little crabs and other animals that we saw in various forms of disassembly. I did try to reassemble one crab, and that became a sort of altar on the sand that we left for others to marvel at or fear.

My lighter shoes were full of dune leftovers, but I decided to leave it there to avoid filling the car with “Spice.” We enjoyed the displays, countless aquariums, and many jellies also in various forms of disassembly in the displays. The sharks are around you in a tunnel through their tank and other tanks. The halibut looked quite different than the usual breaded or baked versions I usually see. I also saw lots of large shrimp, scallops, lobsters, and other items that I usually see on a plate. They looked happy and undercooked.

We did witness one grab and reach into a hole and pull out what we believe were the remains of a former tankmate and eat it as a meal. We just watched in disbelief. The circle of life is a bit close in a tank!

We circled back and ended our visit hanging out with the otters, who were still swimming even after feeding time. We thought it was time for us to eat. We had skipped lunch. I only sang a few bars of “Under the Sea” about fish in the bowl are lucky they’re not on the plate or something like that.

To that end, we first tried Tidal Raves after driving north for thirty minutes, but there were no seats for 45 minutes; then we drove to Debot Bay and got immediate seating at the Pelican Brewery. There, I ordered fish and chips (hot enough to burn me). Emma had a steak and Mariah a burger. Beers were added to this. Key lime pie finished the meal. It was an excellent meal. No crustaceans were harmed (but the fish and cow were delicious).

That was followed by Emma joining me for a drive back home, over two hours. The EV was charged and would not require a stop. We took the Salmon Highway and then switched to crossing Chehalem Mountain. We did this in the dark, and it was full of curves; it is more interesting (and scary) during the day. We then crossed a lower Coopers Mountain to reach Beaverton. I dropped Emma off and returned home.

I had forgotten to run the dishwasher before I headed out and to take out the trash. The house smelled a bit funny when I arrived, but wtih those corrections, it was back to normal. I headed to bed soon. It was a great Holiday.

Thanks for reading.

 

I do not usually mix two days, but with Saturday being a six-hour drive (one way), it was over with before I got to writing a blog for Saturday.

Saturday

Starting with Saturday and going from end to start, I finished the night about 11, climbing into my bed wtih a pastiche or fanwork of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. The original characters and works have entered the public domain, and I have even published a story based on them. I later discussed with Deborah that I prefer the writing to echo the original in word usage and word choice. We disagreed on this, but as we agreed, it is a matter of taste, expectations, and clarity. Still, I like a good story, and I like where this author, Tim Major, is taking the stories.

Before this, I was, despite a sore throat, at the theater for a screening of the 1944 film Double Indemnity, which set the standard for film noir. I enjoyed the film and found myself at first cheering the murders and then cheering their defeat. It is, as one would expect, a dark film. I read that the original ending had the protagonist’s last view from the gas chamber! That was removed. Still, I recommend it, with a box of popcorn.

Before this, returning home, I wrote Python code, drank Sleepy Time tea with sugar and lemon, and tried to capture and apply some of my learning in quantum computing. I have installed JupyterLab and use it to mix Python and markup to make a demo of what I have learned. In this tool, you can save a notebook that has markup and code. You can run both, and the run is in a container controlled from the notebook. I have, as I have covered in previous days, installed QuTiP to simulate Qubits and other related Matrix operations. I have also learned that Python uses a ‘j’ and not an ‘i’ for complex numbers. It can use them. Slowly learning all of this.

As I suggested, I was at the Washington Square Mall in the late afternoon and early evening. I felt I needed to move and be with people. I was feeling off, and I wanted to walk. It was good to see people and look at things. I did not buy any new cooking items or machines, but I was tempted. But the high prices drove me off. Yikes!

Dinner was their Chinese-style salad and a cheesecake. I ordered coconut cream cheese cake, but I meant banana. Still, it was good, but I will stick to the absolutely mind-blowingly good banana cream cheese cake next time. I had a pleasant bartender and staff, and I orchestrated that young couple got a seat when we moved folks around to make two in a row available. I took one on the absolute end, sort of the last not-so-good seat that looks into a glass wall, but I managed. Women’s tennis was on, and I could lean to see it. I watched some amazing shots. Tennis scoring is still a mystery to me (I do not know how many times Susie explained it to me).

The early afternoon included a nap. I was feeling off, watched some For All Mankind, and reached the third episode of season 2. It is improving. I was on the edge of my seat for some of it. I then went to get a haircut and then to the mall.

Earlier, lunch was reheated pizza again. I packed for my trip on Sunday morning and folded and put away my laundry. I remembered to charge the EV overnight so I would start with a 100% charge. I have to override the charge to 100%. It is more polite to do 80%, as the last 20% takes as much power as the first 80%. It is a feature of these batteries (and capacitors too).

I learned from Richard that we lost our crew for a 3-person game over the holiday, and we canceled. No game on Saturday. With me traveling on Sunday, I thought it best to take the break to rest and organize.

I spent the morning writing the blog and organizing my digital life with Quicken, the NY Times, and email. The day started damp, but the sun showed a few times. By the end, there was some hope of a less damp day on Sunday.

And that takes me to Sunday.

Sunday

Sunday began with me waking at 4:30 after a few awakenings at night; I seldom sleep through the night, but I am retired and don’t care. Really. Returning to the alarm, I did wonder at first why I was starting so early. I then remembered I was taking the EV to Jot’s Resort on the southern Oregon Coast (closer to California than Portland). I showered and grabbed the rest of my gear (forgetting a hat, but I have two different hooded coats). I was showered, shaved, and so on. Next, I had everything ready in Air VW the Gray (forgetting a notepad to write down places I might want to return to and my Oregon Geology book) and headed out.

Soon, navigation had me charging once and arriving in Gold Beach with a low charge. I prefer to have more charge, as there is no fast charging in Gold Beach. I updated the path to include two charges and changed them to Circle J and Safeway in North Bend (the one on the Coast, not in Eastern Oregon) to ensure a good level. I have to use the built-in Nav instead of Apple’s, which I trust more, because it connects to charging stations and my EV’s charge levels.

I also bought the audiobook Lincoln Lawyer, which I have always wanted to read. This is Unabridged and 14 hours. I have two six-hour drives and thought it would be great. Also, I can listen to it on the bus and train for my next trip. Motion sickness can thus be avoided by using small screens. I listen to five hours of the audio while driving. Emma responds to my text; she is up early and waiting for Mariah, who is picking her up. They will drive down together. Mariah has some doggie drama.

The drive is long and starts in the dark. The audiobook makes the time fly by. I also spend some time chatting with Deborah. I call her three or four times. The rain pelts the car, and I have to pause the book as the EV anti-slip takes over on the water-filled roads. The VW handles well, and soon the slipping stops. I listen some more.

I charge 29-100 at the Circle J but am surprised at the $40 charge. This is the highest I have ever paid. If I traveled in the EV, I might have to find a lower-priced charger or buy a discount program. Later, in North Bend, I pay less per unit. Hmmm.

I park at Coos Bay, but Mariah and Emma miss my plan to have lunch there. Bandan is next, and I meet them there, and we have beers and lunch at a local brewery. It works. We then travel the 90 minutes to Jot’s Resort near Gold Beach, check in, and then drive over to the beach.

We walk the jetty on the Rogue River to the point where it meets the Pacific. It is full of small fishing boats, a boring parade of folks trolling with small electric motors, poles out, trying to harvest salmon. It looks crowded and boring. I am glad I did not pay for a fishing trip. I see nothing getting caught. I would fish in the wee hours of the morning or near sundown (the biggest fish I ever caught was in the dark after sundown). But folks are busy at it. We see many flashes of fish, but we did not see one take the bait from a boat. Hmmm. Later, I saw an eagle flying off with a fish in its talons and was glad someone caught one (I also suggested to Emma that her dinner might be late when pointing that out from the restaurant).

We walked the beach, having climbed down off the jetty, and collected some shells and seaweed, with the mussels and barnacles still alive and attached. It was relaxing and fun to just walk the beach. I had switched to boots and was steadier on the rocks and sand with them. We walked until the jetty looked small and then walked back, still searching for shells and other items. We found a fierce-looking fish jaw of cartilage full of wicked teeth. We kept that and a few shells. Emma collected smooth stones too.

We returned to the hotel. I set a timer and napped. I woke, picked up Emma and Mariah in the Air VW the Gray, and we headed to a high-end local steak and seafood place, Spinners Seafood and Steak. It was expensive. I had the local salmon, as did Emma. It was fresh (caught over the weekend as the salmon are running now). Mariah had a steak. We also split a bottle of wine, Bonanza (like the show) Cabernet. It was good (made by the same people who make Cadmus). Brian, our waiter, was helpful and friendly as we worked our way through the menu.

We did not make it to the beach for sunset. But we did watch it from our table, and we all let out that little gasp as that last bit of sun disappeared. Sunsets on the West Coast are a must-see.

With that and dessert done, we had a shared tiramisu that had a ladyfinger sticking out of a pile of fresh whipped cream. We tried not to giggle (after all that wine) as it looked wrong. Inside was more traditional and delicious tiramisu.

Stuffed and with the sundown finished, and while I stopped my wine for coffee, we were getting a bit happy. It was a great day, but we took the EV back to the hotel. We headed to our rooms.

I watched the seals in the river from my second-floor balcony. It appeared that the seals were hoping to steal fish from the returning boats and the dock anglers. They were cute and enjoying the salmon run and the human presence.

Here is Emma’s photo of one.

I changed into my PJs and wrote this blog.

Thanks for reading.

 

Last night I finished my Nero Wolfe, which became a sad story about a desperate man. Some Buried Caesar was an enjoyable story, though a bit dated (published in 1939 and originally serialized in an abridged form). I also completed the first episode of For All Mankind season 2 (set about ten years after season 1’s completion). I also watched the alternative history provided by Year Also. It took me a while to recognize some of the season 1 characters now in new roles and with different makeup and clothing. Many are in leadership roles or have moved on. I like this new season so far.

Next, waiting until 9 before I start any heads-down items, returning to my office and exploring various means to run Python to support simulated quantum computing. I plan to work in notebooks in JupyterLab. This is a mix of running code and using markup language to make a robust document of my work.

While I have done this before, somehow years ago, I did not remember how to get it going. I spent time searching for how to make these books work again. Next, I had to update my Apple with the current versions of all of this. Last time, I used a special Kaggle set of notebook capabilities that included access to supercomputers. I issued command after command to update my Apple with the newer updates. I also saw that the Intel issues have been handled in Python (special code that only worked on Intel hardware is now controlled by checking the hardware at runtime—I do not have Intel hardware).

I looked for tutorials, but they were all outdated, and I eventually discovered that Wikipedia has a page on using markup language. And with that, I then turned to quantum computing. The open-source Python library QuTiP looks like the best fit for my work (IBM and other players in building quantum computers have their own options, but I like starting with open-source, and Python is easy for me). This requires other moving parts, and I install them too (Cython, the C version of Python for speed, graphics libraries, and testing processes). I ran the test and later saw that one of 12,000+ tests failed. Close enough, I think.

With that done, I was getting tired and felt I had just managed to get started. I did declare a QBit and was happy to see that it fits the structures I had learned in the book, Quantum Computing. I did my usual version printing (often helpful when something suddenly stopped working). I managed one markup section too. Better. I saved the book on my laptop.

I soon went to bed after folding and putting away the last of the laundry (Friday is laundry day) and finishing the dishes. I did make some peanut butter toast while I was doing all of this, cut into squares, not triangles. I found an old loaf of high-grain-content bread in the back of the freezer, used it, and moved it to the front so it can get used up. With the basic tasks done, my coding done, and me getting sleepy, I turned to a new book. Deborah picked out a beach town in California bookstore, The Madman’s Guide to Stamp Collecting by Robert Irin.

The book, in the first person, is a collection of thoughts and quotes about the madness of collecting. It was fun to read, and I think I will enjoy it. Thank you, Deborah! I reached page 23 before I was nodding off.

I was coughing, and my lungs were catching something, which made breathing suddenly uncomfortable. I am hoping the switch to heat has not caused any issues at the house (mold or something). But the AC was running for a month and would have had that problem, no. I think it is just the season change and the dryness of the heat. I will be careful.

Moving back to the morning, I rose to rain and Oregon Mist later than I will admit here. Let’s call it before 8. It is now dark in the house all day, and lights are turned on during the day. My desk light is full spectrum, and I sit under it while I write to help reduce any seasonal effects (depression). It also helps with model building and painting figures, as the colors are not changed by warm lighting.

I write the blog after making fresh coffee and toast (again cut in squares with peanut butter). I write the story of the previous day and validate the transactions in Quicken, and yields for high-quality corporate bonds are headed to 6%, with mid-term junk around 7.25% (sorry, I had to wipe some drool). Yes, soon, for nothing, one can likely get 7-8% on your money, and some of it is not taxed in my state.

Aside: One is tempted to dump the whole IRA balance into Treasuries at this rate and let the interest earned float in a high-yield (junk) low-expense index fund (Vanguard), withdrawing as needed. No- or low-risk and highly liquid is my favorite flavor of liquidity; getting it at 7-8% would be like chocolate syrup with a cherry added. Wow!

Please note: If this is possible, it is very, very, very… bad for Wall Street and the U.S. economy. But I would cash in still; I am still, despite my liberal soul, a capitalist. I am already at a 60/40 stocks-to-bonds split. Also, the Treasury is paying 4.66% for I-Savings Bonds already. The max is $10K purchase a year, so not an IRA investment. But it is telling that this is paying so well and is deferred interest

With the blog published and laundry done, I decided to get out of the house and try BJ’s Brewhouse for lunch. They have a good $13 lunch special. I sit at the bar, and Tateyana is my bartender. Eric and Mo, my usual waiters, have tables elsewhere, but they say hello. I have a beer with my lunch, which later leaves me with leg cramps and other issues (no more beer for a while). I read another chapter of my quantum computing book and decide I need to get some coding going, as it will be hard to retain all of this without using it. There, I decide on QuTip and the notebooks for some coding. I regret the beer and switch to coffee and a scoop of ice cream (a small pazookie comes with it, but I just wanted a single scoop of vanilla).

With more stuff spinning in my head, I return home and read and fall deeply asleep in the chair (food, beer, and reading). I wake with pain. My legs are cramping, as are my feet. My usual reaction to beer. I climb out of the chair and try to get going again. Laundry, reheating pizza for dinner, and more reading.

And I think that covers Friday. Thanks for reading!

I will also note that the cats are missing. I used to watch the “cat patrol” as different cats walked along my fence at different times. I learned that Hawkeye, the cute cat across the street that often came to me for petting, was taken by a predator and is gone. Please do be careful, dear reader, with those pets! They are not at the top of the food chain here in the Pacific Northwest (nor are humans, too, when in the Ocean or in the woods).

It was overcast and raining, not just Oregon Mist, all day. I wore a coat or a sweater for most of the day. I could not put on the heat for one more day (I woke up to 65°F, snuggled deep in my blankets on Friday, and turned the heat on; the AC will likely not be used until 2027). The weather forecast has one warm day next week. September is full of this back-and-forth of sunny days and then days of rain. The sun breaks become shorter and shorter until they disappear in mid-October.  I can see the impact of extended shade on the roses. They have suddenly slowed their growth and blooming.

My alarm wakes me at 3:30, and I call Deborah. On the second call, she answers and is surprised that her boyfriend has called her in the morning. We enjoy a short chat before Deborah gets her day going. I had missed her for a goodnight call, and I decided to get in a good morning before she headed to work. Deborah was thrilled, and I slept until 8 once I nodded off again.

Watching the rain and the squirrels hide filberts in the yard, I write the blog. The wind, another sign of winter’s return, whips the trees into their winter dances, and old dead limbs fall. Once again, I imagine the squirrels wearing seatbelts in their dreys, squeaking out a yee-haw as the trees swing many squirrels’ lengths.
I write the blog, check the news, and take my usual steps to ensure my finances are sensible. On Thursday, Wall Street decides to reverse all its drops and climbs again. But this does not change the yield rate, so I am now making money twice as fast in my IRA. Betting on debt and boring, low-expense indexes seems like a good Trump strategy. Thanks, US Bank Wealth Management.

Coffee, made fresh, and a banana join the toast from the bread maker with peanut butter (cut into squares, not triangles) while I write. I manage to finish the blog with a few interruptions around 11. I dressed after making lunch.

I got out a NY Strip steak that I had soaking in Teriyaki sauce for a day. I grabbed a cast-iron pan and fried it in avocado oil (less smoke) until it was crusted on both sides. I then finished it in the oven at 350°F (425°F, I think, would have been better), checking the internal temperature, and stopped after about 12 minutes (turning it once) once it hit 135-40. I made a salad by chopping some veggies and tearing lettuce (still safe here in Oregon when buying a head). I let the steak rest, then thinly sliced it, and put about 1/2 on the salad. Excellent.

More For All Mankind was watched while I ate the whole salad. It was good, better than what I get at most restaurants (almonds stuffed into olives are unusual but good). The show is losing its charm for me. It has become predictable to me, and I find few of the characters sympathetic, which I understand makes it more real, but it makes it hard for me to be more than a witness to mistakes and violence.

I had a church meeting at 2 and finally showered and got ready for the rest of my day. I spent an hour in the church SPRC Zoom call. For those who do not speak Methodist, this is the HR committee. We covered many items and finished our agenda in just over an hour; the details are confidential and cannot be discussed here. We do use Zoom’s built-in AI to compose meeting minutes, review and revise them, and then publish our human version. It works well.

Mariah and Emma had asked me where I wanted to go for a trip. I had suggested the dunes and Gold Beach about six hours away by car on Thursday at dinner. I was surprised that they wanted to give it a whirl this weekend. I found Jot’s Resort (I stayed there with M@ a few years ago and loved it), booked a Sunday-Monday stay, and I plan to fly the EV there early Sunday morning (missing church).

I read for a while and discovered that Thursday had disappeared, and started on dinner. I boiled the remains of a bag of pasta, parboiled some broccoli florets, sliced up the cold steak, and sliced an heirloom tomato. The finished pasta was heated, mixed with butter, and combined in a bowl. I added parmesan cheese and the juice of 1/2 lemon. It was excellent. I ate almost all of it.

I collected my books, including Quantum Computing from No Starch Press, and headed to Insomnia Coffee at Reed Crossing in Air VW the Gray. There I ordered a London Fog and read the rest of the long mathematics chapter. I learned what are ket’s and bra‘s, and yes, used together, they are a braket (eye roll for math terms that are also a joke). I am having trouble getting it all back in my head, and reusing symbols for vectors is difficult for me. Also, some of the shortcuts involve linear functions, and I am not used to playing loose with functions when they are known to be linear. So more homework is needed. I did flip back a few times to start to understand.

I thought they closed at 8, not 9 like I thought, and they have to tell me they are closing. Yes, I closed the coffee bar while reading linear algebra processes. I finished the mathematics section just as they closed, yay!

The EV gets me home, and I do the dishes and think about how the house is really just a base for me. But an excellent, warm, and friendly base. I am tired, and my brain is spinning on vectors and complex numbers. I head to bed, snuggle in, and read more Nero Wolfe. It is early. I get a chapter read before I nod off.

I save my place, turn off the light, and roll over. I wake every couple of hours, have to prove that I was well hydrated three times, and wake around 5. I managed to roll over and slide into a light sleep. My phone pings at 6 with texts from Deborah. She starts my Friday morning — an excellent start!

Thanks for reading!