Author: alohawild

I was not as tired as the days before, but I had some sugar issues with my face turning red and feeling warm. I had fruit with my dinner and forgot that it’s just simple sugar. I will avoid it from now on. I can just have a little bit.

Returning to the story, I rose after 7, surprised by how late, and made coffee, toast with peanut butter, and found a banana (that I had later in the morning). I had put away the laundry over the day yesterday, grabbing something to put away each time I walked by, and the dishes were in the dishwasher. Things seemed more orderly this morning. Excellent.

Deborah has a party with friends today, but we did manage to talk to each other all through the days between chores and driving. I also did church paperwork and paid bills. A boring morning and afternoon, but once in a while, you need one of those.

The rains came on heavy, and one of my gutters did overflow, but a different one than before. I will think about it and watch it. I may have Jeff run this one to the backyard French Drain. But it was only with hefty rain that I had an issue. I might be able to dam part of the gutter to stop extra water from going to this downspout. I was happy that none of the gutters overflowed like a waterfall. It may have been too much water in one place. I was soaked, and my walking shoes were soaked. I should have gone with my hiking boots.

I made an India-style dinner from a frozen. I was surprised that you had to take the food out of the plastic tray and bake it. I broke out the food blobs and put them in a glass casserole with a glass top. I baked my frozen lunch and then removed the lid, and let it finish. I watched the animated TRON series on Disney+, which I like. It was good —chicken tikka masala, with the rice slightly crunchy from the baking; I liked it that way.

I read more polite British Murder and really like how Cat Among the Pigeons is put together as a story. Hercule Poirot, Christie’s detective, does not appear until half the short novel, about 250 pages, is over. I am baffled so far. M. Poirot seems already smug in the story, but he, I think, has the same guess I have, more pages to follow!

I also wrote and organized more of my new Dungeons & Dragons adventure for Thanksgiving, harvesting from one I wrote back in 2012, shortening it, and amping up the danger to 9th level. I have focused on one of the insidious plans I created back in 2013 and the “ah ha” moment in the adventure. As this is a one-shot, one-evening adventure, it should feature a good story and a surprise for the players, evil DM laugh here.

I found my copy of the board game Grand Hotel Austria and the Let’s Waltz add-on. I opened them and then dropped them on the floor (!). No loss; discovered that the base game is missing one color and found it in the add-on. I fixed that. I reviewed the rules and set up, and checked all components. I then carefully reviewed the Waltz update and worked out how to play that and include it in the base game. The new rules, iconography, and extra components were deep, but seemed well incorporated into the base game.

I cooked chicken breasts, breaded and baked, for dinner. I used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper, and the breading on one side stuck to the foil. My sister, Linda, called while I was cooking and reminded me that I had told her to use slightly oiled parchment paper to avoid this mess. I had forgotten! It took forever for the chicken to defrost, and it was still partially frozen when I started baking. It was still good. Had I put a slice of ham and cheese on each, it would have been excellent with some mustard. Next time! I made couscous to go with it, and then had fruit. But this was too much sugar. Not again!

With boots on, I headed to Portland under the dark, boiling, wet skies. National Guard, are you sure you want to deploy in this! Bring extra socks and rain gear —maybe something borrowed from the navy! Travel was an hour, more than usual for a Saturday night, but folks were being careful, and the local flooding was in the future. Air VW the Gray found it was safe and easy, if not slow.

We set up a four-person game of Grand Hotel Austria. Please note that it is published in multiple languages and relies on rulebooks, lists, and iconography to function. This meant we had to refer back to the rules and charts to understand what some cards meant. We made one mistake that we corrected with sequencing.

Kathleen nearly lapped us. I was behind Richard with a few mistakes. I managed to salvage my turn after making a mistake that turned out to work out. Laura was last but played well. We agreed to play it again next week, which shows how much we liked the game.

Now this is a blood-from-your-ears kind of complexity, with the cute 3D-printed desserts and drinks and pretty boards, making you think it is a light game. This dessert-centric hotel game is heavy! I have even printed a turn marker that closely matches the game images. Also, as Kathleen showed, if you keep all the complexity working together, you can fly with huge points. Kathleen is a master engine builder and loves the look and feel of this game. The addition of the Dancers made the game more pleasant. The game no longer halts for you, as you have multiple options for your customers. Have no rooms ready in the hotel, give the customer some champagne and show them to the ballrooms! But do not approach Grand Hotel Austria unless you are ready for rules and sub-systems all combined into a menu of desserts, drinks, and dancing that is more complex and subtle than most board games. I was happy that I got The Phantom of the Opera as a customer (-2 points for dealing with the spook) and then sent him to waltz! Gaining 10 points for a goal. It was fun!

We tried a party game, but I failed to recall the name. I then returned home in the EV after missing my turn, reflecting on my mistakes and circling as the bridge I was taking was down for repairs. Light flooding and large puddles covered one lane, with an engine-flooded lane at some exits. The usual hazards here (again, Guard, please be careful).

I arrived home without issue, had a slice of bread with peanut butter with my meds, and soon was asleep.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

I did not dress until after noon on Friday. I started and completed the Friday laundry. I was out in my robe and slippers, looking at the drains from the gutters. Jeff had cleared them and repaired them, and now it was pretty boring; the water just flows out to the street. There is no backup, so there are no fountains where the gutters slide into the pipes now, and waterfalls in the gutters. It just flows.  I called Jeff and thanked him.

The soft girgle in the downspouts and distant pounding on the roof no longer concern me, and I like the sound again. It is strange how much weight this was on me. The new ceiling fans in the bedrooms are also marvelous. The new inset lights are great, too.

I rise later—just being lazy — at about 8, and have to make coffee because I again forgot to assemble it for the morning. The coffee is ground, and I purchased it from Winco, which claims to be a family business. Not certified anything, and I will have to order some more certified Fair Exchange later. I am out again on November 5 for almost two weeks. Back for a week and then out for another ten days. So fitting an order into my schedule is difficult.

I see that Jeff removed the special Michigan map power plate I found on one of my trips to Michigan, as it was for one switch. I moved to an even more prominent place on the hall plate. The tapestry of the grandfather clock is put away now that it covers the switch. I will be framing and putting the Gorey print on that wall.

I wrote for a while, published the blog, finished the laundry, and made lunch. I had baked beans and toast and talked to Deborah, who works from home on Fridays. I wrote the weekly report on the refresh for the church and all of my meetings. I also did some SPRC Committee paperwork (for those who don’t speak Methodist, this is HR work). I replied to some questions and suggestions after folks read my report all day. I also received the first invoice, reviewed it, printed and signed it, wrote a memo requesting payment, and sent it to the church council (I will carry the hard copies to the church).

Somewhere in all of this, I showered, dressed, and remembered to take my meds. I had remembered to charge the EV, and it was happy at 100%. It is best for the world to charge at night, when electricity demand is low. It uses about the same power as a run-of-the-mill American-style electric dryer. Not a heavy drain on the grid, despite calls from the anti-green movement that EVs will crash the electrical system. Nope. But I agree that charging an EV from a coal-powered grid is paying twice the environmental impact for the same charge. Our grid here in Oregon, when not stressed, is primarily wind and water-sourced. I think the effects of lithium and wind need to be understood better. Still, it is clearly less than coal (“Why is the Grand Canyon full of gray clouds? Well, that is from the coal power plant just a few miles away, and the pollution is heavier than the air and literally fills the canyon.”).

Time seems, as often happens to me, to disappear, and soon I was in Air VW the Gray headed in the pouring rain (yet-another-river-of-rain, YARR) to Portland. Yes, Portland. It is lovely in the rain as I put on boots and not my walking shoes for the puddles (I dreamed last night I was walking in foot-deep water to get into my car, just a usual day in Portland).

The National Guard had better bring their rain gear if they are coming here! Only true Oregonians love the outdoors in our wet fall-winter-spring-start-of-summer rain festival! Gardeners are made of tough stuff here (or have a greenhouse). Our protestors love the rain, and it cuts the effectiveness of the tear gas! Welcome, everyone, to rainy and moss-covered Portland!

I parked the car near a park. I later learned there is a sign for only certain vehicles. I will park further next time. Schillings Cidar House opened as I walked, in my boots and coats, with my hat already soaking in the wet, to a short distance to their front door. I was their first customer, and they were still setting up. I told them not to rush for me (happy to have a dry seat).

Soon, Kathleen showed up with a massive umbrella that she had put away before I hugged her. We talked for a bit, got some food (all non-gluten), and some cider. We mostly caught up and talked about gaming and politics after I covered all the fun Deborah and I had together in Michigan.

We managed to write some. I put away my novel and started reworking an old adventure I wrote in 2012 for the now-defunct 4E Dungeons & Dragons version. I wrote two of my best stories, I think, for the start of our 4E campaign back when 4E was newly released (and still being reworked with errata taped into my 4E books). I picked the second one, as it is an old-school dungeon crawl with dragons, undead, and the usual stuff in a tight package. I will revise it to 5E, move it up to about 9th level, and turn it into a one-shot adventure for my New Hampshire trip for Thanksgiving.

We decided to head to the quieter bakery and got more writing done there. Tea and non-gluten baked goods seem more conducive to writing. We got more writing done, and I managed to get the beginning of my text started for “When Stairs Lead Down” for 5E.

We walked back in the dark and wet and found our cars. I was able to leave Portland without incident, following the usual route: Powell Street (not the bookstore), across a bridge into Highway 26, through the tunnel, and then to Beaverton. The wind and rain had yet to cause local flooding, and the puddles were still small.

It is a second wetting and the ground still drinks some of the water. Also, the leaves have yet to block some of the drains. With some luck, the streams of rain rivers will be more spaced out. Otherwise, the poor National Guard, especially Texans, who will find it a new experience, will have to clear drains during heavy rains by removing leaf blocks. The ICE building in Portland is not on the high ground and is only a parking lot or two away from the river.

Hmmm. It may be nice that the Guard is pre-placed to help with flooding! And the frog and shark costumes of the protesters may be a harbinger of what is to come! The wet is here.

Home, I read more polite British murder, and another victim falls in the story. I am completely baffled by who the Cat Among the Pigeons is (and the title of the book). It is a fun story, and I recommend it. I will watch the DVD version of it once I finish the book.

I also write a bit more about the adventure and look in the 5E Monster Manual for appropriate-level bad guys and creatures to spring on the players. I will try to use standard content (SRD for those who speak D&D).

With that and once again forgetting to assemble the coffee, I soon fall asleep and dream about the rain and seem to be enjoying Dream Portland with deep water in its streets on dark fall days. Food and drink are always available at Dream Portland, and you won’t gain weight from enjoying them there! In the dream, at Powell’s Bookstore, I give the story to friends of my adventure, as apparently, you deposit your stories there by reciting them in this dream store.

Thanks for reading. See you in Dream Portland, dear reader. I will be the guy in boots and a wool hat, enjoying the rain, and splashing in the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I find myself mourning the loss of the East Wing of the White House this Friday morning as I write this blog. It is an unexpected reaction, but in all my years living in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore Corridor, I always meant to visit the White House but never managed it. I am surprised by my reaction, as I did not realize how deeply ingrained the image of the existing White House and its wings is in my identity as an American.  Now that White House wing, from Teddy Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhour, and the Cold War, is gone. Not even, from what I have heard, was a window or door saved. And while I have little hope for this, maybe Trump’s structure will work.

Going deeper, like most hotelers, Trump announced a plan, said the historic building would be protected, then destroyed it and put up a new building before anyone could do anything. It is an old trick. “We have a better appliance and I have a dented one for just a bit more than this basic model?” he says, looking innocent and helpful. Yes, a form of the old bait-and-switch con.

Leaving behind my anger and disappointment (and surprised by how many of us were fooled by the con), I rose early —6ish —having slept well. I made instant coffee and made peanut butter toast from bread I keep in the freezer. I do not eat bread fast enough to finish it before the mold starts. I am time-boxed as the construction company was again meeting at the church with the demolition folks. Sort of a destruction meeting. I wrote the story of the day before, slowly recalling and assembling the day in my mind and in text, and getting it down in a few hours of work. I also drank coffee, read the news (depressing as I said above), and looked at my transactions from the days before as they loaded in Quicken.

The trip for Deborah’s Birthday is officially over, as the last bills have arrived. It was a great time and we miss each other. We do call and text often and try to start and end our days together.

I dress and all of that, and make it just at 10 to discover that Pinepoint was already there. I find them and we talk a while. Blake from Pinepoint suggests they will remove the carpets last, making the areas safer on Sunday. The placement of the trash and other tools was resolved, as Pinepoint, our church, being the Heart of Beaverton, will take the trash containers and tools back with them every night. This will prevent all sorts of issues.

Jack and I moved a table —my first furniture move since the brain surgery (it was fine) —and that gets the point across that nothing can be left in the spaces to be demo’d, as it will be trashed too. I talk to Wendy for a bit. I am her representative for the SPRC Committee (for those who don’t speak Methodist, that means her HR representative): Paperwork and things.

I head to Powell’s and find a used trade paperback of Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which is getting a special printing because it is considered the greatest detective story. The introduction is by Louise Penny, one of my favorite authors.  I also spotted the first in a series of translated murder mysteries set in pre-WW2 Japan, The Honjin Murders, highly recommended by a note from Powell’s staff, also in a trade paperback. I resist my urge to get it on my Kindle and instead buy a physical copy. I suspect one of these will be on my trips to New Orleans and later to New Hampshire. I also cannot get past the Ritter candies, thinking of “Elric,” who loved them and introduced them to me. I miss you, “Elric.”

With my plunder, I met Scott at our usual Thursday lunch, McMenamins Cedar Hills. We have the “lunch box” and beers; I just have one. We talk about travel, investments, and politics. Scott and I review future plans, and Scott thinks the idea of Portugal in March is an excellent idea for Deborah’s spring break. Scott also suggested I give Miami a check if I head to Florida for a prelude to Christmas and New Year’s. I would meet him and his daughters for some dinners, and I can explore glass-bottom boats and similar activities (I don’t dive).

We had a nice lunch, and we then headed our separate ways. I went home and the travel and time change and beer caught up with me and a nap happened. Rising after an hour, I paid bills, put away some of the accumulated paper blob. And connected with Joan S. She is still facing mobility issues, and I met her at her house. Air VW flew us to BJ’s Brewhouse for appetizers, and she bought (thanks!). We chatted and got caught up. We then did some shopping, and I even bought some coffee and bananas for breakfast. Excellent.

I dropped Joan S off at her home and helped her put away her stuff and do some recycling. I returned home, plugged in the EV, which was down to 47%, and tried to read more of Agatha Christie’s Cat Among the Pigeons. Instead, I slept and woke with a terrible nightmare where I needed to escape from a bed after being hurt by the bad people, who were returning to hurt me more. I was made of lead, and it was difficult. I partially woke, got out of bed a bit, then fell back asleep and found myself still trying to escape. Now I was frightened; my dreams are good at creating something scary! I finally woke, glad I hadn’t fallen out of bed or returned to the nightmare. I had one leg out. I was still safe. I rose. Yikes!

I took my meds, I bought bread earlier, and made toast with peanut butter. I find food helps with the pills. I return to my laptop and start on my new adventure. I need to write an adventure for a Thanksgiving play in New Hampshire. I am revising a 2012 4E story to fit 5E and a one-sitting play, and at a higher level. It is one of my favorites, and I will see if we can bring it back.

It was after midnight when I closed the laptop. I managed to sleep, but I woke between dreams, all vivid, and I remember the one when I agreed to return to IT at Nike or a consulting company working for Nike; it was confusing. A new version of the college dream: learning you have a Final for a class you did not know you were supposed to be in. This was a job I did not really want and apparently had started without me knowing. Yikes!

And with that, I woke early this Friday morning.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

I managed to sleep, rising around 6:30, despite the time changes. I slept well and started my day with instant coffee from Trader Joe’s, since I have not been to a grocery store.  I collected the remaining protein waffles, popped them in the toaster twice (slightly burned), added butter, and lastly covered them with non-sugar syrup. I was somewhat time-boxed with a 10 AM meeting at the church on the Refresh project. Demolition starts next week. It will be a dusty odyssey for three months for our congregation and others who use the church.

I write about my travels back from Michigan and a busy Tuesday in the blog. The time change, the walking, flying, and endless, so it seems, laundry leave me tired. Just a reminder, dear reader, that this blog is written in WordPress’s ‘Classic Editor,’ and the site and updates are managed by their impressive software. I pay about $150 annually for my site. I use Grammarly to keep the basics correct, since this is often stream-of-consciousness writing and never gets beyond a first draft when posted. More investment would require not delivering this every day. I use my tools to load photos and videos and to manage comments, which must be done with someone with an account, thus preventing bots from ruining mine and your dear reader’s experience.

Returning to my story, I quickly finish the blog. Jeff arrives after I am dressed and finishes up the painting; it looks marvelous. Jeff Ashley is the owner of AllInOne Construction and is licensed, bonded, and insured. Jeff can be reached at (503) 896-8040 here in Oregon if you need some work done. He is not very busy in the winter, so I thought it was good to include his information here.

I left with my laptop and met the PinePoint Construction at the church. We went over the work starting next week and connected with Jack, the trustee for the church property, and covered what we need to complete before the work begins.

With that done, I return to the house, get the mail, which includes ten days of held mail, toss much of it, and open the stuff I need, including some bills to pay. I am exhausted, but I managed to finish the laundry and got Chinese-style lunch to go. I pay Jeff, and we talk about a few possible improvements, but it is hard for me to repaint and remove old wallpaper, as I do not see the changes as adding much to the house compared to removing something I can ignore. I would rather spend the cash on travel with Deborah.

I was tired; I had some tea to wake up. I still napped and tried to complete a few tasks, but I could not focus on them. I watched a recent Doctor Who episode and fell asleep in my chair for half of it. I reheated the leftover gyro meat from yesterday and had some bread and hummus with it, too. I tried to read the rules for a game I thought Z and I could try, but I could not focus. I made more tea.

By 5:45ish, I was awake again and ready. I boarded Air VW the Gray, still mixing up the controls with the rental, and soon reached the church. Z and Dondrea were happy to meet me there around 6. Z was finishing a fast-food dinner, and we started on our favorite version of Concordia using the Roma board with the Forum add-on. Z played an excellent game and used the new ship-based colonist features in the Roma board better than I did. I only gave Z advice a few times, as Z might have missed something. I scored the five-point Forum card and ended the game, getting me 12 points, but Z ship-based colonist landed her 18 points, and the six-point difference I had predicted would give her the game — after a mangled count we corrected — Z won by that many points. A most excellent game. I would also say that Z’s play with her Forum cards and card purchases kept her ahead of me as I slipped in using my usual tricks. Z played a near-perfect game. It was an excellent night!

(This is before we counted the end-of-game points, and Z’s red counter is ahead and would stay the same distance for the final count)

Deborah, tired too, back to work, and even having to do some fill-in for a night class, sent me a good-night text, and we sent back a picture. It is good to start and end our days together.

I shared the Raiders of Scythia (here)with Z, our next game to try. I

I took the EV home and am soon in my PJs. I do read the Raiders‘ rules and now remember how to play. It is another efficiency-based deck-building game like Concordia. It is a reskin of a Viking game, and I love the artwork in this version, though some iconography could be clearer, I think. You build a crew to raid, and I like that role-playing-like structure. There are elements of push-your-luck as dice are rolled, too.

I am looking forward to trying it out again with Z.

After that, I turned off the light and soon fell asleep. I did wake up too early, as is usual on my second day back in this time zone.

Thanks for reading!

It is Wednesday morning, and I am home in Oregon in my office writing this blog. I woke early, but managed to sleep. It is an overcast gray morning with fog and the sunrise being less of an orb and more of a lessening of darkness. In other words, October in Beaverton here in the Pacific Northwest, my home.

Returning to Tuesday, I woke up with my first alarm. I now know to set two on my phone, as I have missed the first one before. Then, I quickly showered, shaved, and got ready. As there is no in-room coffee, I did not first make coffee and then get ready. Not liking this change. A nice cup of coffee while I wake up is just what I do.

I stuffed my last dirty clothes in my bag, found a shirt I had missed packing during my final check, and added it to my carry-on before I was off. Deborah and I are both putting on a brave face today — I will be back for Christmas — as she showed up in her mini. I supplied, using the coffee machines in the lobby (Kieth had to empty the used grounds for one to work), a cup of coffee for both of us.

The trip to Detroit at 5:45 was busier than you would expect for so early in the morning, but only once did it slow down. Detroit people are driving to work like all the car plants are still running (many still are). We make the trip in about an hour, including getting inside the airport and dropping me off at Delta. A quick kiss with sad eyes, and I am off to find my way. Deborah heads off to work.

(The video was muted)

The lines are longer than I would expect for 6ish, but soon my bag is dropped off. A TSA guy sends me to the Weston Hotel (?). I soon find signs to TSA and a tiny one-machine security check that is not too busy. My bag and I, still with the security-questionable chicken salad in a box lunch kit, pass. My suspenders get me checked, but I’m soon finished without any further checks.

This hotel check opens Terminal A already, and I step out and see my gate only a few steps away. There is a PF Chang’s open for breakfast, so I think, “Why not?” and, after some waiting, enjoy a rice scramble. The hostess notices the waiter is busy discussing the weekend with the manager and takes my order. I do not see the waiter until I am ready to pay. I gave a reasonable tip, despite waiting ten minutes for my order. I walked across the terminal to my gate and heard the usual spiel about rollerbag checking and a nearly full plane.

DTW is always good for steps, and I find that I need to walk about ten gates to reach the men’s room. They are upgrading every other one, and that makes it quite a walk to the ‘facilities.’ You need to plan. With that ten gate and ten gate back walk, I was ready to sit for a while. I met a lovely British couple who were meeting friends in Portland. They are traveling all over the USA and send reports back to friends and family about how nice it is here. Excellent!

The flight is only four hours and a fraction, and soon I am in my window seat with my deaf ear pointed at the wall (‘A’ seats are best for me). I have wired noise-reducing earbuds that work on Delta flights. I watched the rest of CIA: The Agency, an excellent American-based (but in London) spy story, available on the screens (I will have to find it at home). Recommended! I watched a high-stress cooking show, and I found it fascinating. I guessed each time who was “chopped” each time. None of the main ingredients I had ever cooked with. Wow!

Soon the plane landed, I made the long trek through the lovely PDX terminals, found my bag, and boarded the MAX. A couple is upset because their cards aren’t working correctly. I agreed with them that TriMet hasn’t done this as well as NYC and other places, but they plan to get this to just “tap” soon. My trip was pleasant, and I mostly read stuff on my phone and relaxed. I sent updates to Deborah and others.

I met a TriMet poll taker, and he gave me his survey once we were on the 57 bus. I soon had that done, and my step showed. A person boarded the bus about halfway through, engaged in an animated discussion with someone we could not see, yet she remained calm and appeared content to be listened to by her invisible friend. I thanked the bus driver (and all the TSA folks who weren’t too busy at the airports) and rolled my now heavy bags to the house.

Jeff, my fix-it guy, had the fans installed in the bedrooms and new lights, too. There was some ‘mud’ work, and that was still drying. He has some painting and other final touches left. I unloaded my bags, separated the laundry, and started the wash. I also retrieved the wine, still intact, and the books from my bag. That was taking up the space and making it hard to roll.

Corwin still had my car, which he needed for work and to get parts to repair his truck. I ordered from Grubhub, but soon, too much gyro arrived from Gyro House, and I couldn’t finish it. I did laundry and announced my return by text to many. The mail still has not restarted.

I watched Slow Horses and reworked a mangled transaction in my Quicken. A transfer was doubled as it was partially loaded on one side and not the other. Generally, Quicken spots the connection, but this time it failed.

Corwin returned my car, and we went to Golden Valley Brewery for dinner. I had a snack from the happy hour menu at the bar, Corwin had a burger, and I enjoyed a beer on my last vacation day, which marked a return to one a week.

I had spaced a church meeting, and Corwin got to hear some of it on Zoom while I drove. I had it just on voice and mostly muted. I returned home and finished the meeting on Zoom in my office. I continued to do laundry and managed to get three large loads done. Another episode of Slow Horses dropped, and I did nod off a few times as the time change, travel, and lack of sleep accumulated for me.

I found my clean PJs, curled up in my own bed, tried to read, and soon fell asleep.

Thanks for reading!