Author: alohawild

Note this should be Day 5…

We are now at the Red Lion Inn on the River in Portland with a view of I-5 just as it starts across the Columbia River. The pre-events ended just as we got here. Just painting figures. Gaming starts about 1PM Thursday.

We have loaded 11 games into the hotel room and are now ready for Thursday’s gaming.

I spent the day finishing up all of my work for the game, loading, packing, and fretting. I have all the pre-made characters for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. I have it all here now. Figures, dice, paints, and lots of board games.

This morning I started at 8:30 again. Yes, I could not sleep in until I had everything ready.   I even painted a lava field for “Destroying Paradise.” All the characters are done. I then went back and fixed them up again. All clean and ready now.

I drove to Portland this morning after I finished the game set-ups. I decided to try the pick-up for Amazon. Well, I had to find parking and pay for it to pick-up an item. But I did get to eat at a Lebanese place that had great desserts! You go in and scan your code, and the door pops open. Neat! Maybe not worth the drive and the cost of parking, but interesting.

 

Karam Lebanese Deli and Catering, Portland

I then finished all the work and off to Burgers at our usual place Cruise in Diner.

I am tired and all ready to start.

Schedule for me on Thursday:

Vindication 1 PM

Village Attacks 5PM

Star Trek Panic Panic: Star Trek 7PM

Call of Cthulhu: Destroying Paradise 9:30PM until 2AM or so.

I have just finished skimming the “Destroying Paradise” adventure I am running in a few days at Gamestorm 21 from Atomic-Age Cthulhu. I still have to make six 1950s pre-made characters to use. I have been busy all day trying to get ready. I am preparing for two long roleplaying games. I have done “Destroying Paradise” four times so that one just needs some props. I have the paint drying on some mini-surf boards. I need a lava field that I will paint in the coming morning. Very very busy!

The other adventure I am running is “Istanbul Discovery 1926” which is my own creation. I like to write adventures and it is fun to play one from Chaosium and once from myself. That one I got some old tiles from a horror game and can use them to make the map. I put printed copies of each with all the props in binders so I do not forget something. The needed game tiles are in a large envelope. Get there!

I started the morning at 8:30 again. I started a new book on my Kindel, House of the Shattered Wings. This is by another author I have been reading: Aliette de Bodard. I like her style of fantasy and SciFi. I did not sleep until late as I started yet another really dark novel.

I wrote my summary of yesterday and then took Susie to her hair appointment. I edited my Istanbul adventure for two hours waiting for Susie. I also stopped by the candy store and bought a lot of candy cigarettes for my players. It fits the 1950s and 1920s theme to pass around some smokes. After we got home, I then cut out the boat layout and later attached it to a backing to make it more usable. This is a prop for “Destroying Paradise.” I made dinner and got back to work finding figures and monsters to make all this work. I totally spaced the meet-up tonight on Machine Learning: Hillsboro Python Machine Learning Meetup. I feel terrible that I missed it, but I am really buried trying to get everything ready for Thursday. Forgive me, Ernest!

I have to make the pre-made characters, collecting figures for the adventures and bring them. Here they are as I am sorting on and have them even all over my chess set.

I found my Hitler and Stalin figures from a WW2 leader set–not going to need those. Churchhill is in the police bag as he has a blue coat. That is the third Doctor in the front and back a bit is the editor of Spiderman’s paper (I did not paint the Marvel Universe figure–it comes painted). They will be part of the crowd in one set-up. Found my toy cars (thank you, Cory, for leaving them with me) to use also for some dressing up of the riot scene I have to put on.

So almost ready. Continued with laundry. Located suitcases. Two games already in the car. Paints and paint brushes are in new painting case. I will try to find time for the figure painting contest at Gamestorm!

Rushing like a crazy person.

 

Monday is a workday. Even on my day off, I work. According to the Greeks, we were created to strive. Hesiod, a well known ancient Greek poet, says we are of the Iron Age and tells us the story of how we are here to work. I like that. Now with the advances in Physics, Material Sciences, Computers, Artifical Intelligence with Machine Learning, the fantastic information available in Social Media (I heart Stack Over Flow), it is just impossible for me not to be doing something. I remember years ago in college having to look up facts in a library and reading arcane computer textbooks poorly explained algorithms. Not anymore! I can just find the newest or best-rated youtube video on the subject or read about it on various websites. I recently watched a video on a hundred-year-old radio I purchased on eBay that explained how the radio worked and what all the mystery parts did. I discovered that mine was older than the one in the video and that it was missing a part. I sent a thank you to the author and he a few weeks replied back. Yes, the world is just full of striving. I love it!

I spent the morning working. I connected to Nike and put on my out-of-office notification emails and then worked part of an upgrade until I got stuck. I sent out a message for some help. I took all my editing notes and applied changes to my adventures for Call of Cthulhu. That took hours and more time than I planned. I also printed out material for the adventure and found some more items I needed.

I was happy to get in the mail my smells. I have ordered smells from Jennifer Howlett. She calls her little packets of scent: Adventure Scents. She makes packets of smells that I purchased with names like Alchemist’s Lab, New Spaceship, Smoking Room, and Tea Party. All available for purchase at Oddfish Games. I want to have the players of my Istanbul 1926 setting get to smell some of the adventures. The New Spaceship smell will be for the invisible creature that they need to run from, drive off, or stop in more violent ways. Alchemist Lab scent will be the paints for the artist studio.

Why stop there. The dread Necronomicon (yes there is a spell check–that was unintentional–for that word) also shows up in my story. I have acquired some pages from The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. Yes, there is a website that sells props for the 1920s and 1930s for role-playing in the horror-filled stories of H.P. Lovecraft and when you write about H.P. Lovecraft you are allowed to use run-on sentences and uses three words where just a single and clear word could be selected by the writer, if he (using the older style of pronouns now) so select to follow H.P. Lovecraft’s style. Anyone that has read Lovecraft understands. So getting the props ready and smells.

The rest of Monday was a blur. I forgot I was hosting Dungeon and Dragons 5th Edition on the website Roll20. So had to prep and then run an adventure in an hour! We also forgot one of our players is out. I picked a side-quest. The players worked-out that the adventure that was suggested, locals say there is evil goings-on over there, was where they should head to, forgiving the DM for rail-roading (usually they get some choices).

Undead everywhere, perfect! It is so easy to just say “brains” when one is rushed.

Roll20 is an online game website we use for playing Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (yes there are now different versions of Dungeons and Dragons). They have created a website that allows the players to have a character sheet that they maintain, just like in the paper version. The play just clicks on a weapon, ability, spell, skill, or item and the website performs the dice rolls and so on in the shared chat window. The players control icons on a screen that looks like a gaming table. The Dungeon Master (DM) has control of the website and runs the adventure. The content can be created by the DM or purchased. I have purchased many adventures and campaigns. This one is the Princes of the Apocalypse featuring the Evil Elementalists doing what they do, “Trying to take over the world!” This adventure was originally published in a book of 255 pages. Quite a campaign that usually lasts a year. All the maps, stories, creatures, treasures, and so on have all been translated into the website’s software and is quite easy and flashy to use. I am not sure I can go back to paper and pen Dungeon and Dragons.

No texting here. We use video chat as part of the gaming experience. We do have issues with slow Internet and having to reset here and there, but mostly it is a positive experience. So most Monday nights I am in Roll20 running a game. Bill Butler is in Minnesota, so we play until 10:30PM his time. Bill also hosts a game that is often once or twice a month on Tuesday.

Dinner (Copper River) was after the game that went to the normal 8:30 which corresponds to the time that the bad guy ran away and sneaked past them. He will be involved in a chase next game. After that, I finished the previous blog just before midnight. I finished my book which ended much darker than I expected for Ann Lackie. I still liked it–not all stories should end in bright, happy endings.

So rushing this morning to finish this. So much to do. Games start on Thursday for Gamestorm! There is so much out there…”It is full of stars!”

(assuming fair use of image 2001 A Space Odyssey)

 

As usual, I start Sunday morning missing church. I mean this in many ways. I miss the service as in not actually attending. I also miss the service and the people who are the church to me. It makes me sad. I listened to the hymn that best describes my feelings (I always cry now when I hear this song): Lift Every Voice and Sing.

I did not oversleep, but I could have. I was starting my morning at 8:30. I read past 1 am as I cannot put down a new book: Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. I use my Kindle to read, and I am happy with electronic books. I am trying to give up paper books. But I must admit that two more “dented and returned” books from Subterranean Press arrived today. Subterranean Press is a book publisher in Michigan that produces special editions of SciFi and Horror. I own quite a few special versions signed by the author from Subterranean Press. They had a sale, so just a few more should be OK…

Today Susie is too tired to get going to attend church. I will always take her to the Methodist church in Beaverton if she wants. Instead, I watch an old SciFi show, Babylon 5, with a story about “Earth First” and racism against space-based aliens and how humans need to fight to stop losing their place in the universe–1994 and yet so current. I am slowly re-watching this old show.

I spend some time with my newest hardware. I purchased a 1T drive that resists damage and water (a good thing in Oregon!)–these cost about $140 with shipping. It takes me a few hours to work out how to make it safe. I had to erase it three times! Finally, I read on a post–there is always someone else that had the same problem and recorded the answer nowadays (social media does work for computer folks!)–that I had not displayed “all devices” on my Apple Disk Utility. Once I did this everything was clear. The new drive is now encrypted and thus safe if lost.  I did store the password in my keychain on my Apple just in case I forget.

I need a 1T drive. I am beginning an exploration of using Artifical Intelligence (Machine Learning) to understand images. I did not want to fill-up my Apple computer with all the images, so I got a reasonably fast and likely long-lasting drive to hold all the data. I loaded up a dataset of famous art paintings and images, already 5G of data. I will try to write something to tell a Jackson Pollock from a Rembrandt. That will be after the gaming convention this week. Time to learn new skills!

I then headed out to lunch. I did not know where I wanted to go, but something new was on my mind. The Orenco Station Grill was a place I had not been to in years. I went to the bar as I had a Call of Cthulhu adventure to edit that I am running at Gamestorm 21. I sat down, and I found Kesli behind the bar. She and I both talked about how we learned about the demise of Chevy’s (see Chevy’s bankruptcy ). Kelsi came into work, and there was no more work. I had gone to Chevy’s, and a sign said they were closed. Kesli now works at Orenco Station Grill and let me take this photo of her for my blog (I also tweeted it so she could snag it if she wants it).

It was really nice to see her back to work. I had been going to the same Chevy’s since I moved here in 1996. We were both sorry to see Chevy’s go.

While I was eating and editing, my phone rang. It was one of the members of my former Methodist church, Rev. Orville Nilsen. They had missed us at church. I explained that I had resigned after the vote in the Methodist General Conference to continue to ban gay marriage and gay preachers and to even tighten the ban. I reassured him that Susie was doing well and that I was doing better despite newly diagnosed diabetes.

Aside: I happened to be home and watched the vote. I took a picture of the tally as the final vote was taken. I sent in my resignation by email within an hour of the vote.

That is right 438 Methodist officials voted to take my domination from me and transform it into a force of repression. Tough words–that is what I believe happened.

Well, that is not what I said on the phone, as you can imagine. Instead, I told Orville that yes we missed them and that I am also going to cook pancakes for Easter and help on Good Friday like every year. I am not a Methodist anymore, but I still believe, and I miss my church. He was glad to know we would be back for Easter.

I spent another hour with Kesli editing. I finished the first half of my work. I promised to return to Orenco for brunch again. It was so good to know that she was OK and that many people found a job after the debacle that closed Chevy’s.

I returned home and finished the laundry and cleaned the kitchen. I also cleaned up houseplants I have killed. Yes, quite dead. Seems watering once a year is not a plan for success for houseplants. I have killed cactus before. My mother, who I call most days, told me she has the same issue. I may get more plants. I will have to see if a terrarium might work, they do not need to be watered much.

Almost forgot, I am returning to playing chess. Today I unwrapped my silicone chess set from the US Chess Federation. I got the pieces in flexible silicone–a new standard, a regulation North American clock, folding board, and carrying case. I hope to try out a chess club in the summer. So cool. Does not matter if you drop them.

I made baked ziti with meatballs for dinner and baked and frosted a cake. I tried a tiny piece to check it. This was a new organic cake mix with matching organic chocolate frosting and the little bit from the corner was a bit dry. I was hoping the rest was better. Alas, I set it down on the corner of the counter, and the cake got bumped. Instead of landing pan first the cake flipped and fell frosting side down. The cake was still warm. The tiny piece I had was the only piece every consumed. It was quite a mess. I cleaned the floor.

I then applied my editing to my copy of the adventure until midnight. Finally, going to bed–still smelling chocolate. The cake seems to be haunting me. I might have to make cupcakes, yellow cake this time.

 

So after finishing the blog I then started my day and got Susie, my wife, up and going. Today we were to see the new movie Captain Marvel, have lunch, and maybe play some game at Scott’s and Jess’ house. We have been doing this for years for these Marvel movies.

I will say that we got there on time and watched the movie. Captain Marvel is a surprisingly entertaining movie. Not wishing to do any spoilers I will stop there.

More information about the movie (no promises about spoilers on these websites–You have been warned!): Rotten Tomatoes Captain Marvel

Late lunch was a chicken salad, Scott frying the chicken in a pan right after the movie as we watched. Rolls were made from scratch and from Cooks’ Illustrated January-February 2019 issue recipe: Cooks (requires a subscription to get the recipe). Susie wants the recipe. I will look around; I think I have that month’s issue. I get the annual cookbook at the end of the year. I have the last four or five years. I like their recipes and reviews, but Milk Street is getting my attention now: Milk Street.

We then played one of the best new games I have acquired in the past year: Vindication. Find it here: Vindication

This game is about your hero trying to rebuild his/herself from a wretch to a true hero. It is quite a positive-themed game as you can imagine. No war. No complex tactics to defeat your opponents. Explore and improve by hiring fellow travelers and acquiring relics and learn valuable traits and fight monsters for glory. Do this by using your influence and releasing your potential and using your conviction to lock-in important resources (all represented by little blocks in your color on a board). I taught the game–only I had played it before. I am playing it in Gamestorm 21 (Gamestorm) and need a bit more practice teaching it. It took folks a bit to understand the mechanics, but once they got it they enjoyed it. It is a beautiful and colorful game.

I did not win. The game was close with a point variance of less than ten from first to the last place.

So a nice day for Day 1.