Author: alohawild

I rose from bed, sending Deborah a ‘good morning’ text to start at 7ish. I can usually finish the blog before church on Sunday now that the First United Methodist Church Sunday service begins at 11:00. But I must admit that Deborah and I spent some time texting back and forth, and I could not find focus for a while. I had to rush the last bit. I forgot to include that I got sort of out of sorts and made cookies to feel better on Friday night. I had a box of Trader Joe’s Pfeffernüsse mix, which I had never tried before. It was easy and fun, and a favorite holiday cookie for me. I will have to learn to make them from scratch.

Returning to the narrative, I wrote and wrote, and time was flying. I had to rush the finish and publication of Saturday’s story. I cleaned up, shaved, and dressed in slacks but with a festive gold vest over a dress shirt, a watch chain, and a green Santa tie. Black shoes with dark socks finished the outfit.

Air Ford (Escape) crossed Beaverton to the church without issue or traffic. No active agents of the City of Beaverton were tracking alignment to traffic laws that I saw. I arrived with ten minutes to spare. The service was filled with the usual members and no guests. The once-a-year guests start arriving as we approach Christmas Eve.

Michael R gave the sermon, and another person, an adult, was baptized. An unusual event for an older congregation and well received. It was Joy Sunday of Advent, and the advent candles were lit without the usual stressful difficulty of using a four-foot brass candle lighter being done by a child.

An easier disposable long-necked lighter made short work of the task. As the senior usher, I miss the past misadventures, having done this for years from 1990 to about 2015, but I agree that the point is to light the candle and not create a fuss, but still, I miss the old ways and the fun of watching some use the oversized candle lighter.

A newish script was also used for the baptism, but while I knew the words from the hymnal, the usual version, I thought the newish words were better. While the process is being done, I also think the trick is that the water is warm; if the pastor only sprinkles the water, then someone puts cold water out. There is no reason to make a child scream from cold water! Also, adults need not be dampened with cold water, making them even more nervous and self-conscious. As a trained usher, I know the water needs to be fresh and warm, even hot, from the tap in a Methodist Church.

Watching from the pews, the service ran well, with the choir and the congregation singing the familiar pre-Christmas songs. Michael R promised a ‘fire and brimstone’ sermon but was more direct than scary. ‘Mercy, No Sacrifice’ on Micah. Michael R points out that the Hebrew text tells the story that God wished not endless sacrifice to be appeased but the practice of mercy by God’s people. No amount of sacrifice or work would stay God’s punishment except the one thing the people would not do, showing mercy to each other and themselves. Michael R warns us directly that no amount of sacrifice or good work can pay off the debts of injustice. Michael points out that the translation for the Hebrew word is also kindness. Without kindness, a sacrifice or other works are counted worthless by the Lord. God warns us through many prophets that no amount of sacrifice, no matter how great, will pay the debt. Michael R, in a firm voice, reminds us that we Christians must remember to bring mercy with our works and gifts at the peril of facing God’s anger when we fail.

After the service, I handed out to a few men the three-wise men gifts I got in small bottle sets. My usual gift from the ‘wiseguy.’ I soon headed out, wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I rushed home. Corwin ran late for a 2PM movie, RRR, at the Hollywood Theater in NE Portland. I stopped at the house and then waited for Corwin in Air Ford (Escape). Traffic was unusually messy (a warning for my travels to PDX for my flight on Thursday). I had to park in the same ramp parking that I got a ticket from. Growl. I waited until I saw the app clear my payment (what got me last time), responded that I was finished, and ‘Yes, send me an email receipt.’ I was covered. We got a seat near the front. RRR is a modern film, and this is a digital copy from India that uses the entire screen with an insane level of detail and eye-water bright colors (we could see every muscle to the delight of many fans yelling behind us, “F**k, yes’).

We had to do without pizza and drinks as the usual slow line promised, missing the movie’s start. The show starts with a violent crowd fight. No spoilers, but if you think my favorite John Wick movie is too much, this makes that look like a kid’s movie. But it is so fun. Then there are the three dance routines that rock, with the last one in the credits with the audience clapping along.

The movie experience is from 2 until about 6 with an intermission. The line was long again, and food and drinks were not acquired. The storyline changes and comes to an excellent, if not predictable, ending. It felt like the stars and directors tried to make multiple movies and put them together in RRR. Fun. Violent. Dancing. Perfect if you don’t mind reading words.

We found Laughing Planet for dinner. Good food for dinner. We had the special with pork. It is my favorite chain for reasonably good food at a good price. I had an IPA, which seemed the right beer after RRR. Corwin had a kombucha. We boarded Air Ford (Escape), and I could not get the iPhone to connect with sound to the entertainment center. I restarted the car a few times but forgot to open the door (yes, really) to cause the entertainment center to restart. That got it. Yes, it is a strange ritual to summon the iPhone, but as a cultist, I know it is unwise to question the procedure and to just always follow it.

My colon, without warning, made the drive home more desperate than usual. The removal of 25 cm of the descending colon for colon cancer means the loss of those nerves that inform you that it is time to find a restroom soon. Instead, it feels more like a rush to the finish now that the last part of the descending colon is connected to the mid-colon, thus providing little feedback. The lymph nodes, twenty-three removed, I think that was the count, showed cancer, and therefore, chemo was also included in my treatment. I am living a mostly everyday life with no signs of the cancer spreading. I arrived home safely and without losing control. I left Corwin in the kitchen while I found a release.

Corwin got his last Christmas gifts, and I took him home. I returned to Air Ford (Escape) and felt tired, rested, and slept after talking to Deborah and wishing her a good ending for her evening. I relaxed and napped, too.

I rose again, checked some travel details, and surfed the web, spending some time on the new surprising findings on the Hubble Tension–One of the physics assumptions may be wrong as the measurements show a discrepancy that cannot be explained by errors in the readings. The assumption that the basic properties of the universe, the Hubble Constant, are unchanged over time appears to be failing. Nothing in our understanding of the universe would account for a change over time in the Hubble Constant. It is not the usual Internet noise but actual published and reviewed science with years of effort.

Soon, I took a shower and climbed into bed. I am still reading SciFi and science stories in the previous issue of Analog. I have a subscription and carried this issue to New Orleans and Michigan, but I did not find time to read it except on planes. I finished a good story about the history of our understanding of the rise of humanity, how it has changed over time, and how it has been written about in SciFi. The following short story, proudly stereotypical, was about a cop in the future who did not enforce the artificial intelligence work permit rules because the AI makes incredible donuts in Philly, with a comment from the donut-loving, admittedly fat cop that stereotypes exist for a reason, and maybe not bad reasons.

With that wisdom bouncing around in my head, I fell asleep, turning up the music to cover the rain (preventing me from worrying about the yet-to-be-cleared eavestroughs). I woke up a few times as I was cold, and the music woke me a few times when it got loud.

Thanks for reading.

It is unusual for me to have a Saturday without games. Richard offered a game in the morning (he is busy doing holiday stuff on Saturday night), but I decided to shop the Portland Saturday Morning and could not make it. I wrote the blog the evening before to enable an early departure in Air Ford (Escape). I made coffee, read, spoke to Deborah briefly, and dressed. A t-shirt, floppy sweater, coat, and hat; it is wet out there.

The Portland Saturday Market opens at 10, and I arrived at the parking lot a few blocks away twenty minutes after opening (some stands were getting a slow start–tourists don’t show until about lunchtime). I was disappointed that there was a liquor-tasting tent instead of a place to eat. Just two small tables. I was unwilling to eat breakfast/lunch (which I skipped) while standing in the rain. I bought some Tibetian Chai and tipped well as I always just get chai there and was happy to see them. They used to serve sweet yak butter tea, but chai seemed better to fit today’s selective customers. Only a few food carts were left, and the rows had many open spaces. Apparently, the two weeks before Christmas is not quite the Christmas rush. The market opens for the week of Christmas in ‘The Festival of the Last Minute.’  The marker closes on Christmas Eve and reopens in March.

I found a few light and easy-to-pack Portland-style (weird) gifts for Deborah there. The usual items I buy for Dungeons and Dragons folks were not there that Saturday. The vendors, customers, and food carts were not ready for Christmas on two Wednesdays. Since I had to travel, I had to plan and prepare everything ahead.

I left early, but I had more plans. Next, I walk four blocks to the Lan Su Chinese Garden on the edge of the faded remains of Portland’s Chinatown. There were only a few other visitors, and my entrance was free; I am a member. I know the history and style of this garden and have been to a few in China. I have answered visitor questions and added some welcome details to tour guide talks. Should I be unable to travel, I suspect I would volunteer here. Even as I walked the garden loop, I remembered the spiels of tour guides (and made up my own name for some locations, such as ‘The Unreachable Corner Garden of Noisy Traffic’), and thought I would write a story of each look including the translation of the Chinese characters (sometimes in different styles) and the stories the guide tell to explain the area. Yes, my actual retirement may be here. It was peaceful in the rain. A few tours started.

But my retirement for traveling, I plan to be in the distant future. I remember Scott, Matt, Dondrea, and Deborah (and others) telling me to take better care of myself in the garden’s peace; I make two more loops. It is a pleasant walk, and I leave something I have not done on each walk to make it include a ‘surprise.’ The uneven stones help me practice my balance without much risk. All good.

I spoke to a young gal at the entrance about traveling and Chicago. She plans to be there at Chicago in the spring. I go over everything I would recommend, including the veggie version of the pan pizza there. She takes my biz card with my blog on it. Maybe another reader.

Next, I will waste a few minutes (and dollars) on the pinball machines at Ground Kontrol. I keep my card in my wallet below my driver’s license. I score terribly on the new version of The Addams Family, but I like the play. Even a magnet in the middle of the machine throws the ball in strange directions. I also played The Doctor Who machine and did far better. A gentleman was playing The Dracula machine (Based on the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula), scoring 23 million (ten times my scores), and even playing the video play. These machines are on the back second floor, are older, and are set to play at a lower price. My style.

I played for a while, and my scores improved as my reactions, sight, and eye coordination improved. Yes, I tell myself, this is good exercise for someone recovering from brain surgery and chemo. It is medicine! But still, I stopped after thirty minutes (I did not bother to look at how reduced my card was); it was time for lunch.

I stopped at Deschutes Public House in the Pearl District near Powell’s and the theater. There, I had a Chris Kringle Ale from Deschutes Brewery and their chorizo hash recommended by my waiter and bartender, Kevin. It was covered with four poached eggs and was the perfect mix of spicy and starch from the potatoes. I ate slow, unusual for me, read my email, texted, and drank my beer.

I decided I could not fit The Twelfth Night playing next door and walked over to Powell’s. There, I found a gift for Deborah but ordered it for the reduced shipping costs through Amazon. Sad, but it would have cost me another $10 to ship.

I walked back across Portland. Seeing my Carhartt coat and hat, the homeless accepted me as a friend and addressed me. “Merry Christmas,” “The hat is great,” “Look, I have the same coat,” or “I want that hat,” from a more direct guy. They were happy to be seen and treated as equals. I smile, nod, and tip my hat.

Rushing as I have to finish this…

Soon, after investing ten bucks in parking and checking that the payment went through, I had a record of payment. There was no ticket, and I reached home. I did the boring things there: laundry, dishes, and a snack. David and Michelle called, and we will meet soon for a late-ish dinner. I gave them the New Orleans cooking kit. We talked about my cooking classes and got caught up. It was lovely to see them again, but I am sorry to miss their daughter, Cat and Tash, and Jason (Natasha’s husband).

I got The Machine to work well for my shirts and pants. Hmmm. I finished the laundry around 11. I read Analog Magazine SciFi stories for a while. Soon, I fell asleep, turned off the light, and listened to sleep music in the background. My legs were cramping and sore in the night. Deborah woke up early in the morning (her time) and sent me a ‘good night’ text, which I replied to. I woke up a few times and had to prove hydration.

Thanks for reading!

 

I rose at 5:20 because I wanted to talk with Deborah, which would have been more likely if I had started earlier. We did chat for a while in the morning. Eventually, I returned to writing and creating a blog about what had happened the day before. I found the IKEA coffee and combined it with hot water in my French Press to make a drinkable liquid. I also had a croissant and a banana for breakfast. I wrote all morning.

I discovered that I missed a day on my trip and called my hotel in Michigan. We added a new one-day reservation without having to change rooms to cover the missing night. I updated my trip plan in Tripit with the information. I also checked in my Hertz rental car reservation at Detroit Airport; my trip to Michigan and New Hampshire is just a week away.

Steve let me know that a second fruitcake arrived at his house. I told him to enjoy it. With two fruitcakes, he agreed with me that he and AJ are set for any disaster–a fruitcake will survive just about anything. I was worried that all the fruitcakes went to Steve, but one was reported delivered to the planned recipient, so it appears just one was a repeat.

I reheated my leftover IKEA meatballs, potatoes, and IKEA gravy for lunch. I had lingonberry jam with the meatballs. Wonderful. I watched another Battleship New Jersey video discussing another set of updates done to Battleship Wisconsin but did not get applied to NJ. I found the crane installed to move goods to the ship while at sea interesting. The crane system is still in use and can be spotted on more modern US Navy ships, but it was not added to the NJ. Also, the command center and admiral areas were rebuilt in Battleship Wisconsin with a Cold War look but not NJ; NJ was reactivated in the 1980s and served longer than the other US Fast Battleships and seemed to have gotten minimal updates to be brought back into service.

I also watched ShipHappens for more videos on repairing and rebuilding their WW2 wooden ship. While I watched the videos, I ran towels in The Machine. I made a mistake and did not set them to dry. I ran them for a few hours. The drying seems to be not working that well. I am concerned there is a lint blockage. I will have to check the instructions.

I heard about the Volvo. The news is expensive. The seal in the sunroof had failed, and the insides were flooded. F**k. The electronics are damaged, and the cable harness is failing. The computer is underwater, flooded, and failing. The interior has mold from the dampness. It is about $3000 to fix the damage, with luck that the cables can be repaired, and another $2500 to clean and dry out the Volvo. This is before we get to the 70,000-mile check, which will likely involve brakes and tires for another pile of money. F**k. I asked them to contact me if the repairs (not the whole thing) cost over $8,000 (or half of the value of the 2018 XC60).

The repairs will not be done before next year. Yes, the Volvo will be at the spa for a month! I will keep my Ford until I leave for Michigan now. If the car is not finished by my return, which is possible given the holidays and the complexity of the repairs, they will provide me with a loaner. While upsetting, I have had no major repairs on the Volvo until now. When I saw six warning lights, I knew it would be expensive (I estimated correctly at $1000 a light). Instead of buying a new car, I will fix this one.

I had traveled to Volvo to discuss the spend-a-thon on the Volvo, as it seemed to be an in-person discussion. The videos from the technician (yes, I have paid for videos) explaining the water damage were shown to me. I agreed and headed out.

I parked Air Ford (Escape) near the Beaverton Food Carts and walked a few wet blocks to Central Taps. I got a beer, a Harp–a favorite from Ireland, and set up the Decision Games’ Siege of Jerusalem 70AD wargame. I am playing this with Michael R on Monday and still trying to understand the setup and tactics. I also wanted to see if the place would work for gaming. The dark rainy sky and mood lighting meant the place was too dark for me to read the tiny print on the pieces. I used my phone light to see the pieces.

Even with the lighting issue, I sorted the rebels first (my word for the Jewish side) and soon began understanding the troop structure and some game mechanics. The rebels are divided into two sets of forces, colored green and blue, that operate independently. The setup restricts the rebels to their sections of Jerusalem, but they share the New City. I set them up first as they are less and their placement is more demanding.

The Roman forces comprised five legions, supporting troops, and allies (including Josephus, whose account survived). The setup is the classic placement near the map edge, which fits Titus’s historical camp locations. I assembled the Romans into their legions and assigned four to Titus and one to his son, fitting the original attack in 70 AD. With the Romans in place, I revised the rebel placement, who would set up second according to the rules to better defend the city against the apparent threat of Titus’s four legions. I better defended the Temple Mount as Titus’s son was on the Mount of Olives, threatening the East with one legion and powerful allied cavalry.

Aside: I remember from my tour in Israel that the Romans would have torn out all the olives for a clear view of the city, but some may have regrown from the roots and may still be there today. Unlikely, but possible.

I began understanding how to play the game with the troop makers on the board. The players, two with one representing the Romans and the other the rebel defenders, draw chits most with a number and activate leaders or stacks to that number. A count of three, for example, would allow Titus to activate all his legions and supporting troops. As in antiquity, losing a leader would be devastating, but risking them provides advantages you need to beat your enemy. Rebels, clearly stretched, are facing a considerable Roman force with a large city to defend. I suspect the New City will fall quickly, as it did in 70 AD in the first battles.

With the game ready but using my iPhone light to see the writing on the pieces, I studied the board and estimated the best tactics for the Romans and the rebel reactions. The Romans had the initiative, but siege weapons must be acquired and walls smashed. It will be hard to take the city. The rebels must snipe and waste the only resource the Romans don’t have, time. But facing five whole legions, plus supporting troops and allies, is harsh.

I put the game away, paid my bill for two beers, a second small red ale, and some peanuts, and walked in the rain to the food carts. I ordered noodles and walked around the carts to get some steps and to help my stiff legs and back work better while I waited. I was cold.

I took the spicy hot soup back to Air Ford (Escape), traveled on the wet roads with large puddles, and soon arrived home. Once in the kitchen, I assembled the soup, called Deborah, and slurped noodles while chatting with Deborah, who was headed to bed. The spiciness caused me to choke once, but I recovered and was more careful. It was delicious. Deborah said good night, and soon I was resting, too. I was freezing. The house was at a damp 66F (19C).

I adjusted the programming for the heat and will now keep the house warmer until 11PM. I wrote this blog.

Thanks for reading.

I rose again late. It seems like a new habit, but the previous night contained some disturbed sleep, and I decided to invest some of Thursday’s morning in sleep. I felt better, and the breathing and racing heart issues seemed less. I did have some breathing issues and started to use more of my inhaler, and that helped.

I started my late morning by texting Deborah, ‘Good morning,’ and connecting with her when she drove from work to her house. We often talk when we are driving. Deborah is still working.

I wrote an extra-long blog that took until the early afternoon to complete; my Wednesday was busy (as was the Thursday I am covering now). I reheated the chicken and root veggies I made a few days ago for lunch. I caught up on my YouTube channels as Battleship New Jersey had a fascinating visit to Battleship Wisconsin with a list of updates done to Wisconsin but never done to NJ, including replacing the butcher shop with a donut-making area. Less funny, but more interesting to me, was the update in Wisconsin to liquid flooring replacing the old school square cut laminate. The tiles caused rust issues to the underlying metal with water intrusion, but the update did not have that problem (I heard it was used now universally in the US Navy). One of the interesting things I noticed on WW2 ships is the lack of modern materials (let’s not even dwell on the lead paint and asbestos) and old power plants with pipes going every whichaway. There are good reasons to scrap old warships; you cannot update what they are made of.

I did dishes, showered, and dressed (colon issue and other things made it a good idea to shower again, for those wondering). I ordered more items delivered from The Swiss Colony, trying not to wince at the shipping cost to the West Coast.

I found an aged box of cake mix in the pantry and made German Chocolate Cake by mostly following the directions. Mom Wild used to make fabulous cakes from store-bought mixes by replacing the oil with melted butter, and I did that. While I started this, Corwin dropped by, and we chatted for a while I loaded him up with some Christmas items, including a set of IKEA meatball supplies (including the lingonberry sauce, gravy packet, and even a wisk from IKEA). Corwin wants a clutch for his truck for Christmas and has agreed to get him that.

Deborah and I talked for a while while I made the cake. I combined the wet ingredients, added the dry ones to my mixer, and let it mix for a few minutes. I then poured the mix into a sprayed castle cake mold. I let it bake. Sadly, the spray was ineffective (or I did not wait long enough), and the cake stuck and broke, but I could reassemble it without issue, and it looked good.

I took Air Ford (Escape) to Safeway to get some supplies. I was making a salad and needed more veggies, canned items (beets and little corn), and dressings. I brought that home, chopped and assembled a salad, and then collected everything to load into Air Ford. The castle cake was given a snow-like look with the powdered sugar. I heated the IKEA VINTERSAGA and poured the hot liquid into my new Grinch Thermal Carafe. It would be hot for our party. I put on my red vest and green Christmas Tie (from Barb, Susie’s sister, years ago–“You need a holiday tie”) with a gold-colored chain pocket watch and black shoes.

Ready, I took Air Ford (Escape) in building holiday traffic across Aloha into Old Town Beaverton to First United Methodist Church while chatting with Deborah while I drove. Soon, Dondrea and Z appeared, and we carried the items to the church. Costco makes inexpensive and excellent pizzas that Dondrea picked up. We got out tables and chairs and set out a spread. The food was good, and the Vintersaga was excellent.

(dressing at home)

The meeting was the ad hoc Christmas Party for Theology Pub; there was “no room at the inn” as the holiday parties had filled the usual location. We have reservations for January. The topic was “Following the Star” and the Three Wisemen and their decisions and how we need, like the story, to accept new ideas and focus on making moral decisions. The magi appear, give their gifts, recognize the fulfillment of prophecies, and then head home “by another road.” They don’t lead the authorities to do harm; instead, they accept the moment and do what is best, leaving. We concluded that we need to accept new ideas and events, but we need to not do harm or lead others to do harm. We must do our best with these new ideas and events, even nothing.

We cleaned up, loaded up, and I soon was headed home. Air Ford was soon home, and the rains were restarting tonight. I unloaded and soon put away everything (lots of cake and salad to eat this week). I changed out of my vest, did the dishes, and got some semblance of order in the kitchen.

Somewhere in the day, I sent a decorated tree to Mom Wild. I send them once in a while. She enjoys them.

After all the day’s events, I showered and started reading in my PJs in bed. I soon nodded off, turned off the light, and put on the music on the Echo for sleeping.

Thanks for reading!

It is Thursday morning, and I am up late trying to remember yesterday’s events. They are slowly returning to me as a disorganized virtual bag of images—a puzzle that does not quite fit together. Let me try to bring this misty memory into focus and assemble a story out of it.

I rose late as that is the habit, and I seem to be doing of last. I vowed to do more today as I fought off sleep, found my slippers, and located the kitchen. It still has not moved. There, I assembled IKEA coffee, selected a croissant for breakfast–one I acquired yesterday at the bakery in Portland, and found an expired yogurt that was fine (it is yogurt). I put this on a plate and added some orange marmalade, my favorite, for the croissant.

I turned on the light for the orchids; the timer stopped working, and I have yet to diagnose the problem or purchase a replacement. Something I need to fix or replace before next Thursday when I am away for three weeks. The orchids need to be kept damp and require 14 hours of light.

I wrote the blog after Deborah, in Michigan, with a three-hour time difference, and I texted good mornings. It took the morning to write, and I read the usual emails and news and updated my Quicken transactions. I have every credit card and bank connected to keep a watchful eye on the accounts via Quicken.

I finished the blog in the early afternoon. For lunch, I had IKEA meatballs heated in the oven with some Costco potatoes. I also had the IKEA gravy packet and made it (adding some butter and milk as I had no cream). I cooked enough to have leftovers and extra gravy. I had the lingonberry sauce from IKEA, which went well with the meatballs. It was an excellent repast.

I cleaned up and dressed. My colon was resisting, and it would take focus from my day as it required attention. It would not decide to finally empty without massive effort until 3AM Thursday morning, with multiple trips lasting until beyond 4:30AM with me sleeping between exits. But finally, the ‘cork’ was out, and things started to flow more normally. Remember, dear reader, I am missing 25cm of my colon from treatment for colon cancer (plus chemo), so things work a little differently than before. I include the descriptions for others who might be reading and facing colon cancer or similar issues. It is part of my life, and I embrace it.

I have also noticed that my balance is suddenly off. I have to catch myself at least once a day. My doctors had suggested it would get worse, and I, while not surprised, had hoped I was through most of it. Nope. I now sway when my eyes are closed or not seeing the horizon for my eyes to help me keep my balance. Also, the loss of hearing on my left side means I cannot track sounds. Having a rental car means I cannot spot it as quickly as the Volvo (it’s some grayish Ford out there), and if I use the fob to make it honk unless I see the lights, it is always on my right (my only working ear). Unhelpful. I walked up and down the rows of cars until I spotted the lights on Air Ford (Escape)!

And as I am covering challenges, the Volvo return has no estimated cost or time. I sent a text (this Thursday) that I am running out of time as I travel on 19 December to Michigan for a three-week trip. I am tempted to ask the dealership if they want to buy it. I am thinking of donating it, but I am running out of time to do that. Enterprise Car Sales will likely sell me a Ford Escape with 20K miles for $20K next year. I like it.

Returning to the narrative, I love the mall at Christmas, but it makes me miss Susie, who loved Christmas and malls. Santa in his chair and folks dressed as elves (never mind that they are too tall) seem to bring the season to reality for me. I headed to the local Washington Square Mall in Air Ford (Escape), and with a few weeks to Christmas, the rush is not on yet (the kids are still in school). Beaverton and Washington Country have relented, and the endless road construction is over, and there is no traffic. The drivers, going slow, exhibit no extra-legal driving, and Beaverton’s Finest is nowhere to be seen. I did see a car speed through a well-guarded intersection, and the lights flashed. I did not know they did speeding tickets, too! Inventive, and the Porche owner will get a portrait from the City of Beaverton without Seasons Greetings or Santa and a bill (virtual coal).

I park at Macy’s and enjoy their specials but resist walking through the cooking section. There is usually something so well discounted that I must have it. It’s best not to even look! Macy’s has a distinctive smell from all the scents sold, which I think is excellent. Ode de Macy’s makes me willing to spend, and those new sheets were at a special discount. Maybe when I return.

I am soon happy as I let the retail Christmas love fill me. The mall is in holiday mode, with public space-safe artificial greenery tastefully added everywhere. I am here to get steps, gain 4,000+ on Wednesday, and enjoy the spectacle that is American Malls in December. There are more booths with unusual items, including Middle Eastern lights, which I had nearly bought in Istanbul. I am sorely tempted to get one but manage to walk by. The Dungeons and Dragons Official Waffle Maker, really, got a laugh and was nothing I needed.

A school orchestra was loudly playing holiday favorites near Nordstrums, which was surprisingly undressed for the holidays. Not even the $2,000 Christmas trees there a few years ago. But the store was busy.

I wished Santa a Merry Christmas when I walked by his seat. He returned the wish and then complimented my wool hat. I found the Airline Crew giving table and gave them twenty bucks as gifts for the holidays for kids. Williams Sonoma was dressed out for the holidays. It is an expensive addiction of mine. Nicholas, a sales associate, no longer young and looking marvelous in an off-white sweater, saw me and offered to wrap one of everything for me. We agreed it would be costly, but yes, I would enjoy that, but I demurred. I promised him I would return to the store after I finished my look.

I saw Stanely Tucci’s image on a banner for his cookware (I did not know he had a line of cookware), and I did not even eye the price. Nicholas listened as I told him I had a dream with Stanely Tucci last night. Deborah and I were on a tour of Italy with Mr. Tucci. Stanely said, “It is only a dream but good. You should really try this,” in his famous nonchalant voice, having his hands at Italy and a fabulous array of pasta. Nicholas laughed as we both could just hear Stanley Tucci saying that.

I saw that my colossal snowman cake mold, which was about two feet tall when assembled, was still on sale at Williams Sonoma. I made it only a few times. Susie had to hold it once when delivering it to a Christmas party, and it rocked as I braked in Air Volvo. Susie did not think it was funny. I then looked at her and said that if the airbags went off in Air Volvo, she would be covered in cake. This did not make her happier with me. A funny holiday memory that made me smile. I the cake and Susie arrived safe.

I walked more, listened to the live music, and enjoyed the holiday retail spirit of the place. The mall folks were all ready, but the rush was not yet. Wednesday was more a practice for the busy days to come. I made a full circle and returned to Williams Sonoma, which was busy now (its products are needed primarily for parties and preparations, so they sell now). I collected the items I saw in a basket and got in line to purchase them. I did get help once, as I wanted an item from the display and thought it best to ask for one from the backroom, which they were happy to deliver. Who does not need a Grinch-themed hot/cold beverage dispenser? Nicholas, now at cash/wrap, checked me out and was disappointed that I picked less than one of everything and jokingly told me they had a minimum purchase (my small amount of items totaled over $100) and that I needed to try harder. Soon, paying for a bag to hold my few goods, I wished him and the staff a good holiday (meaning sales), and they said they were on a good start; I know I did my bit.

Next, I headed out and wished Santa a Merry Christmas, and that got a smile. I stopped by to purchase flowers, but the person was on break, so I found more items I needed at the Made In Oregon store and then picked flowers. Susie and I always brought flowers from the mall to the hummingbird house.

Despite the alluring spending-now scent, I left Macy’s without a purchase. The up escalator is still not working, so I had to trudge up it. I managed to do that without balance or strength issues. Better. I eventually found Air Escape hidden behind a BMW so big that I think it threw out an anchor when it parked.

Next, I drove to the nearby hummingbird house. They had a Christmas Party today. I brought the flowers and Williams Sonoma Peppermint Hot Chocolate to Jennifer, Louis, and the facility. Michelle, the owner, was there, and many hugs and photos were taken. I told them briefly about my trip to New Orleans and other events. We all remembered Susie’s love of flowers and hot chocolate.

After a short visit, I left as they continued to prepare for the party; I was not staying (too sad for me). I returned to the mall for dinner at The Cheese Cake Factory. I managed a seat at the bar at the end and enjoyed a glass of the house red for happy hour prices. I had their famous Asian-styled salad and was hungry enough to finish it and some of the bread. I passed on dessert (plenty of cookies and other goodies in December), though I could hear the Keylime Cheesecake call to me. I turned my left ear to the siren call of the creamy baked goods, paid the bill, and quickly exited the establishment, dodging food and waiters as my chair backed the main travel lane from the kitchen to the bar area. Yikes!

Z and I planned to play games this Wednesday night, and we soon met at First United Methodist Church. We were down Andrew, who was traveling. I picked a map for Concordia’s board game that we had not played before. There are Fish Market rules for the Balearica map that go on for four pages but are not required to use the map. There is an alternative setup with the ships (called colonists in the game) starting this island-based setup. We learned that land-based colonists could only reach some cities, which could only be placed with a colonist card. We played, as usual, with the Forum add-on. This gave my Senator card the same power as a Consul card, which would give me the game.

Z and I played to win, though I made a few comments when Z played something that could be in a better order, and we found a better plan for Z. I misplayed terribly at first, paying too much for the Farmer card (which would also help me win) when I could have used my Forum power. Z’s Forum ability could sell wine for 8 coins, which was a significant reason for the high-scoring game Z completed. We found the map challenging and stressful as we both pushed the limits to win. I won, but Z was charging at me throughout the game. A very immersive match; we had a blast.

Furnace was our next game, and we were only playing the base game. We managed to play a single game for two players (using the two-person rules, which include a third artificial player), and I was only four coins ahead. This is another favorite fast and small footprint game. I recommend only the base game, but the add-on can be fun. It adds many new production types, and the winner often has learned those rules the best. I upgraded my version with Scythe realistic-styled oil and metal replacement for the wooden parts, metal coins, and metal gears from Esty.com.

Choir practice finished, and I headed out. I watched some more of Doctor Who’s 1970s classic versions. This is the last episode for the original actor playing the Master (he is killed in a car accident). While embarrassingly dated, I still like the story.

Soon, I will be reading and in my PJs after showering. I managed to sleep for a while. I start Thursday late.

Thanks for reading.