Author: alohawild

Friday was a cooler day, but the hot fall sun was still striking. The yellow jackets are out, annoying everyone as they search, with some desperation — it is their nature — for food to complete their cycle in their buried dens. They rush to form the queens they need to participate in next year’s summer. From my reading and experience, there seem to be more now, and it is unwise to step into unfamiliar bushes or other plantings off the main paths without looking for wasps. I was one of those children who stepped in a nest and was stung over and over with them in my clothing. I do not love wasps, or fear them, but I treat them with respect.

No wasps that I saw in my backyard as I rose at 7:30ish and reheated my coffee in my new microwave (remembering to push the “Open Door” button before I pull the door handle). I found my focus and wrote the blog. I had lunch planned with Brad J and Scott W, my fellow retired Nike colleagues. I got a message from Scott W that he would be early, and I started to rush. I managed to publish the blog, shower, shave, and dress. Air VW the Gray got me there before Scott W had reached 1/4 of his beer. Brad and Scott greeted me, and we enjoyed an hour and some change talking about travel, and Scott W and Brad J sharing notes on various hikes. Both Scott W and Brad J hike and enjoy the changes in altitude, sometimes climbing boulders to reach lovely places on this earth. Brad J and Scott W might hike some places together when they are in the same area.

We did not talk about money, as the market seems to be rising inexplicably in both yields and equities. Junk bonds are over 7.5%, and while the markets are flat, I made enough to crack my nut of expenses, including my travel. I have not planned my year-end yet and may give some capital away to church and other non-profits (in ways less efficient than just paying the taxes; it is definitely more satisfying and fun).

We broke up and will meet again — just Scott and I in September, and Brad J, back from Eastern Oregon, in October. I travel for over 1/4 of the remaining year. We are enjoying our traveling years (let’s not call it retired years).

I drive around Beaverton, find a muffin-and-coffee place, and add to my Friday calorie load with an almond-and-poppy muffin and coffee. I read more about quantum computing. They are closing in an hour, and I take a break as I finish the first introduction, using a playing-card computer as a metaphor for quantum processes. I am tempted to try to code the example, as suggested in the book, to better understand it. Maybe in Rust. Thinking.

I hear from Dondrea; she is running Hood-to-Coast in the team, Super Delegates: “How Can We Make This Suck More,” and has safely completed her first run. Dondrea is also preaching this weekend. Last I heard, she was revising her words to include a remembrance of Dolly Parton in the sermon.

I find my way to Cosmic Monkey Comics by taking the slower, non-highway route, which is slower but more fun. The sun is bright, and I squint often as I turn, and the sun is once again blazing in my windshield. I park within a block of the store and realize I missed out and should have been here sooner. Doomquest #4 is sold out, and I am told, “It is quite popular.” I order #3 in error and take a Doctor Who and a Solomon Kane #2 (#1 is sitting unread at home), and later regret ordering the wrong comic.

I am already running out of time; I agreed to dinner with Mariah at Nudi (a noodle house with fantastic mixed drinks) and to head across Portland again, this time in the other direction, to reach that area in SE. Hollywood, Laurelhurst, and Reed College are passed by. I sit in the EV and read Short Circuit comic about the Fugitive Doctor in the Doctor Who universe. I enjoy the story and the return of the hand mines and Daleks.

Mariah appears after I sit down (having finished my comic), and we order insane fruit and tequila drinks. We have fried pickles to start, and then a new noodle dish. I liked it, but I think their soup-based items are more my style. Still, it was wonderful, and I ate most of it. We talked about plans, and I was still distracted and unclear in my thinking, so I kept much of it on the surface. I did whine about all the church emails, texts, and the misadventures that came with them, and my frustration that this is not what I want to do. We ordered the house flan, another caloric mistake, but it was sooooo good. It was cold, and the flan was cooked into a squash. Wow!

With all of that, I spun the EV around and headed back to the house and talked to Deborah while I took the well-worn path home. We are both missing each other and must focus on the usual mundane things of modern life, like buying groceries and organizing the house.  We talk often. We will see each other again on 15th Oct and then again on Christmas.

I return home and watch For All Mankind on Apple TV. This is the American story from the same people who made the alternative-history Star City show as a prequel. I finish the first episode and find the fun mix of Nixon and his tapes and Senator Ted Kennedy, who misses a trip that would have been a disaster for him, when the Soviets beat the West to the moon. All interesting.

I complete the first chapter and stop there, as the next chapter is filled with mathematics. No reason to start that at night. Not bedtime reading. Instead, I return to my figures and seal the colors with a gloss coat. Once that’s dried, I brush them with oil paint to shade them black. The Army Painter inks tend to change the colors of the underlying acrylics. Also, their Anti-Shine spray seems to dull too much and change colors. Instead, I use Mr. Clean brands.

With this undercoat of gloss, the figures’ shine becomes uniform, and some colors stand out more; the oil paint flows well, and I can fill in all the details, making the figures “pop” into 3D. I soak the figures in a black wash. When it dries, it can be wiped off to bring back some metallic shine. I will also check if I need to brighten any areas with dry brushing a mix of the base colors with some white, but this can be wiped off if overdone before it dries (the oil paint can always be wiped off).

The final coat of dull must be a light coat, or the figure will wash out the colors and metallics will turn to grays and shades of yellow. The purpose is to lock in the new work and remove the shine. Only the lightest spray is needed. But tonight, I just let the oil shading dry. I will finish them tomorrow.

I talk to a sleepy Deborah, to whom I wish a good night. It is always wonderful to end and start our days together.

I am tired, but I feel less frustrated because I got some reading done and my figures are nearly finished. I also got my printer to work. With a new, expensive black ink cartridge, it now prints well. Hmmm.

I read the Solomon Kane comics, #1-2, which take Solomon Kane to pre-British-conquest India. I know the history and the areas (having been to the ruins of the palace featured in the story). It is interesting to add magic, mysticism, and Kane to these stories. I like it. There is a published version of the early story, and I might acquire that.

With that done, and not wanting to dive into more quantum or a spy story. I calm my breathing and drift off. I am having breathing issues again and feel like I am drowning again in the air. I know it is stress and pollen. The chemo also gives me this feeling and is one of the side effects. My 02 levels are good. My inhaler gets more use in the fall. Love all those pines and the pine smell, but it does make it harder for me.

I sleep and only wake to check hydration, then find my way back to my remade bed. The sheets always are so inviting when newly replaced. I snuggle in, and the world fades to black. Dreams fill the night, but all are forgotten; I suspect there was quantum India with Kane from the flashes I can sort of remember.

Thanks for reading!

Thursday was full of items. I rose after 7 and soon made coffee. This is the Equal Exchange brand from the Portland, Oregon warehouse, already ground. I have a huge bag of Starbucks beans, but this one was open, so I will use it up. Ever since Trump was elected the first time, I have changed my coffee to liberal. Every morning, I am reminded that we liberals are always seeking Justice with Compassion with every sip of that dark, bitter drink.

Let me pause and note the shocking anti-Muslim statement I have seen of late on social media, accusing a whole religion of the sins of a vocal minority; it has saddened me. I thought we were past such simple manipulations, but once again I see this is not true.

Just in case we all need a reminder of our agreement as a people, please consider the following. Please notice that the order is: first, we are in this together, Union, and that Justice is our first priority:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

And

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Lastly

“Justice” defined by Noah Webster in 1828: “The virtue which consists in giving to every one what is his due; practical conformity to the laws and to principles of rectitude in the dealings of men.”

Note: And a reminder that English traditions of this time used the masculine pronoun and the masculine form for groups. Webster means everyone. It is an inclusive word and has nothing to do with revenge. And for those reading Bible translations that use the word “Justice,” this is what it means in that context too. 

Returning to the story, I wrote the blog and did my usual morning tasks of updating Quicken with transactions and reading the news. Mostly, less about the President and more about wars, costs, and disasters. I have noticed a change over the last few months. I read my emails, mostly deleting them.  I had an 11 meeting at the church, and I managed to get the blog posted (and yesterday’s that I failed to send out by email and post) and showered and dressed. I reached the Beaverton First United Methodist Church on time in Air VW the Gray.

The meeting, I will skip the details, went for an hour and then I talked to Jack and Wendy on some other items. I later called Jeff A to do some work for us. I ended up calling Wendy twice to cover other items. I have a long list of items to get completed at the church.

Lunch was a bust; Scott W was not able to make it, and I had missed his text. I had lunch alone and got Theology Pub booked for next month. Another item completed. Next, it was a day full of sadness; I drove over to the local gaming store, Rune and Board, to cancel my Tuesday night games. We never got anyone to join us, other than Nic, the store owner, and it was best to bring the experiment to an end. Again, I have noticed that the store’s focus, rightfully, is on items that generate excitement and revenue: Collectible Card Games and Warhammer 20K. I talked to a customer, McCloud, who had finished some huge, wonderfully awful demons for Warhammer. We talked about painting for a while. I was amazed to see cards for sale priced at $850. I headed out.

Next was buying too much for too much at Costco. I selected meats and dinners for me for the next couple of weeks. I also got a few items for the church, including ‘hot’ cups. Costco has no boxes. I just pile the stuff into the EV cargo hold from the cart. It takes a while to unload at the house, and I split up the heavy purchase of meats and call Corwin to get about 1/2. It was $300+ of items, and he and I are not set with food for the next month. I put most of it in the freezer, as it is just me. I put most of it in separate bags. I usually cook one steak, a pork chop, or make a batch of goulash for multiple meals.

I have Costco chicken for dinner, and they’re not good, ready-to-reheat scalloped potatoes. Corwin is running late, and I eat and finish the last episode of Star City. It is an anti-ending, as it leaves many arcs unfinished, much like the Cold War disappeared one day. I enjoyed it, and though it is dark, I would recommend it.

Corwin appears, harvests some Costco chicken and scalloped potatoes with Hank the Dog (“Pee dog,” as I call him), whom I watch with care. The dog seemed delighted to be back at the house and ran around the house. We finished the first season of Slow Horses.

Corwin and I then watched the lunar eclipse, with Corwin managing an excellent photo by using video, selecting a frame, and then taking a screenshot. I could not reproduce his photo, but I must admit, I did not try too hard. Corwin then headed home with Hank the Dog, who managed not to pee on anything (that I am aware of, but the bedroom doors were closed). I returned to painting my Scythe Sultan figures and finished up the base painting. As usual with model building, figure painting, and assembly, they often finish suddenly. I will follow with shading and final finishing steps. I use a column pawn, not the usual pawn supplied in my version of Scythe, to mark actions. I bought a spare set, painted one gray (it was green from another faction I already have) with primer, then copied the faction board, cut out the faction symbol from the copy, and glued it to the column. Later, I painted it with transparent anti-shine from a bottle. I will try to update the other Scythe markers to match my updated version.

(Hank the Dog watching us watch the moon)

Next, feeling out of sorts, I nodded off, then woke up wide awake. I picked up my book on Quantum Computing, finished the introduction, and started the first chapter. I read past 11 and stopped as the material got complex. Not the time for that. But I felt better about making some progress on something I wanted to do. I also looked at my final hotel reservation in Nashville for my 15Sept trip, but was not happy with the Studio 154 Lux Hotel rooms, as they were expensive and seemed to lack windows when I went to its website to book a few days. It seemed like a repurposing of a commercial building into rooms, but without windows. Hmmm. More to follow. Also, they wanted an extra $30 to book, with a chance of cancellation. Double Hmmmm.

I ordered some printer ink cartridges because I am getting terrible results with my new Canon 4720 Printer. I have found this replacement printer a disappointment. The scanner is no longer usable on my Apple after a software update, and now it cannot print. I have always had a disdain for printers; they always seem to be more dust collectors than printers.

I returned to bed, slept, and woke with terrible leg cramps. I drank more water, and that stopped it. I managed to sleep until 7ish. There were dreams, but none stayed with me, not even a flash of a memory.

Thanks for reading!

I rose on Wednesday without much of a plan. I did have two bagels from Emma, and one was soon toasted and covered in cream cheese. They are still a work in progress, according to Emma, and while not a bagel-like bread product, they were still not the same as the ones I got in NYC; they are still better than most here in the Pacific Northwest (thanks, Emma), and clearly a bagel. Thus fortified, and adding the last OP Bean coffee from Portland Coffee Roasters (so liberal that a few bucks from each bag is sent to Oregon Public Broadcasting), I began my morning.

It was another sunny morning, and I saw the hummingbirds searching the roses this time for pollen. I spotted the local squirrels carrying materials to hide or something. The grasshoppers are back. The dragonflies and damselflies often pass through. No cat patrols of late, and I have not seen a rodent running along the fence again. I am not sure if it is a mouse, rat, or something else, as it is fast.

Despite the desert conditions, the roses are blooming, with Mister Lincoln not wanting to disappoint anyone. The Herbalist, an impossible-to-find David Austin variety from 1991, is smaller but looks good. The other roses, while sporting smaller flowers, are all growing.

(Mister Lincoln)

(A David Austin Herbalist now only available in Europe, if there)

I was dragging after running the Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game on Tuesday night, playing the same game the next morning, and having the colonoscopy on Monday. It felt like it was time to slow down for a bit. With the blog done and published, I strangely missed emailing it or posting it to Facebook (I did get it to Facebook on my phone), so I showered and dressed.

I painted my new Sultan Scythe figures. I am getting them further. The colors are gray, but I added more brass and silver shades to make them more 3D. I am still using diluted paints.

I was not sure what to do for lunch, but decided on BJ’s Brewhouse. I sat and was surprised that prices were now in the $25 range, but inflation is still above 2%, and the service industry had to endure huge increases (“surging profits” is the word that I read when looking at non-health insurance companies); it was not a real surprise. But what did surprise me was the $13 lunch offered on weekdays, which was 1/2 the size of the $26 version. Excellent. It was a suggestion from Chris, my soft-spoken bartender. I had sat at the bar.

With lunch inside me and having mostly read and skimmed the rulebook for the board game Brass for the newer Birmingham version, I returned home. I took a nap until 4ish. I picked up (having boarded Air VW the Gray and crossed Beaverton in our first after-school traffic this fall) Emma, and we enjoyed the Beaverton Carts for a 5ish dinner. I gave the rules to Emma and tried to explain Brass, but it is best to just dive in and experience it in a practice game (the practice game is highly recommended in the rules).

We arrive too early; today I am running early, and we wait at the church, but Emma gets to read more rules. Z, Dondrea, and the rest arrive about 6:30-ish, and soon we are about it. We assemble the board game, which takes some effort, as Brass: Birmingham has complex rules, many components, and lots of cardboard pieces to manage. The Praise Band practices and even plays the hymns for Sunday, as Brian, the organist and choir director, is out this Sunday, and thus they need to play all the music for Sunday’s service. We manage to get through the turns. Z struggles, as our last time playing Brass was a year ago, but soon Z gets it. Emma surges ahead, having read the rules and asking questions over and over that I can mostly answer. Z listens, and soon we are flying.

I was reading, as I was preparing to play Brass, that some universities use the game as an example of how capital is used to enable even more capital. How to use borrowing to enable progress, but also not to drown in debt and misspending. Capital cannot be held; it must be spent to increase income, cover borrowing costs, and enable more capital and even more borrowing.

We did not finish the first Epic or the practice game, but Emma and Z voted that it was fun and that we should play it again. We will get it out again. Next time, we should be able to finish the Epic. Also, practice will be longer when the choir returns in the next few weeks.

I dropped off Emma at her apartment, where the cats — she has two — are likely plotting. I understand the cats are of questionable sanity. I headed home, watched the depressing after-events Star City episode; I have only one left. I found it an interesting show, and the hour-long episodes fascinating, though dark. The word dystopian does not cover it; more like it is steeped in Orwellian anti-Justice and Stalinist terror.

I soon read in bed, but made no progress. I put aside my current book and tried something I found in Michigan, which better fit my mood, but soon nodded off. I closed the book, took off my glasses, managed not to drop them on the floor, and soon slept. I dreamed bright dreams of playing Brass, but this time, when you built something, it came into existence. Z and Emma were busy with their Empires too. Karen, the church treasurer, reminded me in my dream to increase my liquidity by taking out loans. I woke to prove hydration, but then returned to my dreams. I think I then toured my empire, which matched some of the features of Star City and rockets. As Chief Designer (dream logic can easily allow for a normally illogical change), I reduced the repression, but this lowered my liquidity. Morning came, and I woke. I do not remember if I improved my cash flow.

Thanks for reading.

 

I rose on Tuesday to my alarm at 6:30, made coffee, and was soon in the office writing the blog. I had a game at Richard’s at 9:30, but I wanted to finish the blog before heading there. I pushed through writing the story of Monday and the colonoscopy (a word I have now learned to spell), the prep, and the recovery. Again, thanks to Joan S for taking me and bringing me back. I also edited the transactions in Quicken to keep my view of my assets clear and available every day. This is for my information and to ensure nothing disappears due to an unexpected transfer.

I read my email (mostly deleting the ones I should unsubscribe from) and read the New York Times. Again, it is not that I am politically liberal; I just find the writing and the way the paper assembles a story educational.  Their stories, cooking information, and editorials are excellent.

I find my focus and complete the story in a few minutes, take a shower with some care, as I am only a day away from my procedure, and then do the usual shave and so on. I am running ten minutes late. Beaverton traffic is returning to the pile-on of back-to-school, and I add another five minutes to my tardiness.

The rest of the trip was unmemorable and the usual end-of-rush-hour slowdown. I arrived fifteen minutes late, and James and Richard had the game ready. We talked and knew something was wrong. We missed something in the play. We do not have the proper setting to play on. We discovered that others had made the same error, and we found that we had missed a log on some of the planets we sent way missions to. Oops. We replay the log and discover a story arc that allows us to reach a sector we could not reach in our current state. We make updates and corrections.

The app that runs the game, ISS Vanguard, informs us that we need to set aside extra time, that the mission will be casualty-laden, and that failure will be devastating. Rather dramatic. I have to leave at 2, and we start at 11:20, only to discover that we have a battle to fight and that we are playing under alternative rules to allow it. In this game, we have to make decisions and then apply the results. We make mostly good ones and lose two crew members. I cannot describe the material here, but it was a very immersive experience, and we did not know if we would win.

I managed to leave at 2, then enjoyed the early-afternoon traffic, made it to Office Depot to get some supplies and make copies of the character sheets for my Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game (CoC), and picked up some double-sided tape to build some 3D props. With that, I headed home and tried to build some of the props. I managed to get the sword built. The buildings I was hopeless on (I missed the instructions in the box).

I finished the food I had delivered from The Cheesecake Factory last night for a late lunch. I started another episode of Star City and tried to relax. It is always hard for me before performing as Game Master or Keeper; I can usually find my way once we get started. I pick up Emma, and we make it to Rune & Board by 5:15, since Beaverton traffic isn’t on the back roads Apple navigation uses to get us there. Emma assembles the room for me and then even most of the buildings. We skip the island one as it is complex and a video is recommended. Yikes!

It is just M@ and Emma again. The store focuses on collectible card games and figure-based wargaming, such as Warhammer 20K. This is where the money is, and the staff are card folks. All good.

Eternity at Sea is the adventure from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, featuring amazing props (assuming you buy the prop box and game from them), some 3D elements, and even audio to play. It is set in 1920s Astoria, Oregon, and is creepy and a slow burn. It is good for a slow two-session or a rushed one-session play. It creates a building horror or creepiness that you don’t find in the more grab-your-Tommy-gun of some 1920s CoC adventure or the run-and-hide. This is, and I have played with Sean Branney before, the author, a more indirect cosmic horror play. It is a stand-alone story and perfect for this one-time play I am doing.

Emma and M@ slowly unwound the story, explored it, and learned the terrible secret and fate of its characters. They enjoyed the experience, and I did manage to run it without too many mistakes. I think I would need some notes next time. CoC stories, props, and story arcs are complex, and it can be hard for me to keep all that straight, keep the game moving, answer questions, and play various characters. Still, it was fun.

With that done, we packed up, and M@ headed out. Emma and I went for drinks and a snack at The 649. Kyle was bartending, and the place had few customers. We each had a beer, shared some nachos, and talked about the game and about family. Emma is curious about the stories. We chatted about Ben and weddings, but I tried not to tell stories that were embarrassing to her Mother, Barb C, and Ben was a good neutral topic.

Emma let me know that Tuesdays are out for her games. I have not prepared any material yet for next Tuesday, and I think that with us not getting any other players, it would be good to stop anyway. More to come on that.

I returned home, finished the Star City episode, and then read and fell asleep. I dreamed brightly, but nothing I can recall now. I remember waking, unsure when the dream and reality started and ended, then returning to sleep and the busy dream.

I woke with the sunrise. I regret not taking any photos of the CoC game. Thanks for reading!

I always cover the scenario that the colonoscopy will find a tumor of cancer, and I have only a few years then to enjoy my IRA money. That world cruise becomes a likely choice as I try to close out this life with nothing left for my estate. But only six polyps were found and removed. Nothing to be too concerned about, and it is unlikely to require concern anymore. Next, I have a CT scan including my neck, and if that shows no changes like the last two (the MRI of my head showed no change, and thus the tumor there seems to be gone), then that brings a close to this adventure with cancer and brain tumors.

Rising at 4:30 to drink the potion and then exit it, and whatever it carried, was the early and later morning. Just as annoying as before and left my lower end uncomfortable. In 2029, at the next colonoscopy prep, I will buy softer toilet paper! I had gotten into the habit of buying the cheaper, thinner stuff. I will splurge from here on!

I was tired and dizzy but still functional. The figures and some Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing material I put out to work on got no attention, and I made no progress. I finished my Japanese novel, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, and was less happy with its second half. I cannot recommend it, but I would suggest it is still a good entry point to new Japanese stories.

I also finished Season 3 of Ted Lasso, which is also the end of the stories based on the original show. Season 4 starts new stories, from what I can tell. I am not ready to start the new arc. Deborah has started the next season and said they pulled off a new start. Excellent.

Winter is coming. I am waking later and later as the sunrise moves to 6 and sunset to 8 in Oregon. It is still desert August, with cold mornings and hot 90+ Monday afternoons. I stayed in the cold, with the AC on, at the facility and at home.

Next, at 9:40 or so, Joan S picked me up, and we made a quick trip to NW Portland near Good Samaritan Hospital. We parked on the street, but the door would not open as the curb was too high. Interesting. I had not noticed that the curbs are too high in part of Portland. Some go back to the Great Depression, when the government, like during the Great Recession, undertook many shovel-ready projects. A few are even older, with horse hitches. I thought that horses don’t have doors, and cars and wagons were higher then, I guess. With some maneuvering, I was able to get out (and later back in). It was a short walk to the office; this was not in the hospital.

We went to the wrong office, and Joan S spotted the note to send us to the sixth floor. At the correct location, I checked in and was soon in the hands of Ben, an RN, who had me IV’d, put me in a gown, and put me in a bed. I met Ann, the anesthesiologist, who checked my answers to questions and then rolled me to another room with another nurse and Doctor H. I was happy to discuss my medical past, and Doctor H was able to recall that I had colon cancer and was up to date on my history. I was then happy to proceed. Ann got a huge plastic syringe, and what I soon realized was propofol (it can be quite painful), and she asked me where I wanted to dream about as a vacation: “Rome, the Dan Brown tour.” The pain in my hand was quite intense as she did a full push. She squeezed my hand as I did not enjoy the process; that helped, and the pain–or more correctly–I stopped.

I awoke to another nurse or nurse aide; I never read her badge and decided to rest a bit more, as I was not quite myself. Likely ten minutes later, quite happy to be over this and reading the report (six and no concerns), I returned to my swimsuit, sneakers, and Kolchak T-Shirt and was soon out. The T-Shirt, part of the swag from a Kickstarter to republish the original book that started it all (here is the amazing opening credits scene of the TV series). I explained the shirt to some folks who had not heard of it. I have been tempted to write a fan story, but the material is still copyrighted and would have to remain within fair use and fan-level guidelines.

Joan S was able to drive me home (she had a misadventure, but that is her story to tell), and we stopped at Gyro House to get me a to-go lunch. I thanked her (THANKS, JOAN S!!!!!!), and she headed home. I ate too much food, but I was still flaky and should have stuck to just the soup. Joan had reminded me to text Deborah, and that was about as far as I got (I forgot to send a note to Linda, my sister, and others later, too). Deborah found it fun that I was still high on propofol, and we had a silly chat. All good. It was good to be silly again after recent events.

I slept until 5. I woke up, and I was dragging and slightly nauseated, and things were still adjusting post-procedure, and again I regretted my toilet paper choices. I started the alternative history Star City on Apple and found it an interesting retelling of the successful Soviet space race in the 1960s-70s, with the horror stories of the Gulag and state-led surveillance. The show tells the story of the cosmonauts, scientists, and engineers through recordings from the bugged rooms (which give the audience an explanation of how we know so much about the characters). I find myself cheering the Chief Designer and hoping they can stop whatever nefarious plans the US has to stop them or to steal their secrets. While dark and awful, the story arcs are interesting, and I love a good spy story, and this had rockets and space travel. I really enjoyed it and binged through four hour-long episodes. It is, from what I read, a one-season show and related to For All Mankind, which I might have to watch too.

I was still not feeling that well. As I said above, I skipped any meaningful work and did brain cookies like Star City instead. I looked at various DoorDash offerings, and nothing worked for me. At one funny moment, I found all these new places to order from and realized I was delivering this to the hotel I stayed at in St. Louis. Hmmm. Yes, propofol leaves you less capable than you realize!

I finally decided I was hungry, ordered from The Cheesecake Factory for too much money, and had their most excellent Chinese-style salad delivered with a banana cream cheesecake and two scoops of ice cream. It was lovely, and I felt much better. I had 1/2 of it, and the ice cream was delivered still frozen! The rest is in the fridge/freezer for Tuesday’s quick dinner.

Fed, and it was now past 10:30; after another Star City episode, I headed to bed. I read some more of The Yellow King by Richard W. Chambers, an acquaintance of H.P. Lovecraft, finding stories I do not recognize in this special (and expensive) annotated version I purchased from Subterranean Press. 

Thanks for reading.