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I rose early on Monday, but then stayed in bed until I saw the light of morning. It was after 7 when I found the kitchen (it had not moved or been stolen), and thus the programmed coffee machine, the coffee assembled the night before, was filled with hot coffee. More Sleep Monk brand coffee (thanks, AJ and Most Rev Steve) was in my cup while I wrote the blog and watched the sunrise on Monday.

I wrote the blog, but I also had a few items to get moving. The LG Company had promised to buy back The Machine, but I had not heard back from them. I called the CIC (I assume Customer Information Center, but I looked it up and found multiple definitions, and I liked Calculus of Inductive Constructions best), and they then escalated my call and sent me a formal callback form on my iPhone to fill out. I later received another link on my phone to follow. I peeled off the model and serial number sticker, cut it in half, photographed it, and sent the digital picture back to LG. Later, they told me to mail it to them by physical mail. I did not receive, despite their claims, an email with the mailing directions. Likely, CIC will get a call on Tuesday. But progress is good. Just one email to get to finish this.

Update: I got the FedEx mailer today as a PDF in a text and sent the stickers on their way.

I continued to write, but also called Nike and followed a most complex phone tree to reach a person. According to the Social Security Administration’s check sheet on its website, I needed the dates of employment for my last employer within the past 2 years. I reached a customer service representative, and she sent me an email with a link to download their report on my employment. I then downloaded the report and learned that despite my layoff on April 20th, my last day was officially June 28th. I thought it was that way, but it is good to have that information from Nike via something called Worknumbers.com.

I continued to write the blog while waiting for the phone tree or various hold music. I also called Allstate and found myself in a loop, unable to reach my agent’s office. I pay Allstate all that money to have a human agent who can answer my questions, but once I said ‘claim,’ there was no return to my agent. This is all automated, and the phone tree was clear. I really should use the app or website instead of bothering them with a call.

This is the second claim, all in the hundreds-of-dollars range, in 28 years on this house. I am frustrated but not surprised that Allstate is now like all the other Internet-based insurance companies. When I finally reached a customer service representative who could answer my questions, she thanked me for 37 years with Allstate. Well, at least they noticed.  It makes me rethink the need for extra coverage if the service is getting bad.

With the insurance being hard to use and the break-in, selling and moving to an apartment is starting to look like the right option for someone like me who travels. Hmmm.

I finished the blog and showered. While shaving, Jeff showed up. I, in a robe, reviewed the lock changes and updates for the new washers and dryers. We agreed that the old under-the-floor vent was not optimal. Jeff suggested one, like the HVAC folks built into his house, that goes through the roof. I liked that idea.

I also consulted Deborah, who has a thing for locks, and got new laundry and aligned my thinking to the lock she likes for the front door (Jeff uses the same for his house). We got regular locks for the garage doors. The keys will be different (friends on Facebook offered lots of good advice, including a locksmith), but I can live with that.

Jeff went off to acquire the items (I pay for materials and labor for his work). I finally got a text that my prescriptions from Saturday were ready at Walgreens on TV Highway, just a few minutes away by EV. I left the front door unlocked for Jeff (until we get the fancy lock with the push buttons). I was disappointed as they only had one item ready (!?), and the staff at Walgreens were unhappy too, as the weekend prescriptions were already done, except mine!

I stopped by Papa Murphy’s and got a large Chicago stuffed pizza and a salad. I took them home and got the pizza in the oven. Talked to Deborah and Jeff a few times to ensure alignment on locks; all was good.

With the pizza done, I headed out again. Walgreens had my stuff ready, and soon got the same powder I used before (?!) as I was expecting something else. I paid the low co-pay, less than $4, and headed back. Corwin called, surprised to find me missing and the front door unlocked. I told him to have a slice of pizza, and I would be back soon.

We returned to Halo’s second season, and Corwin explained the show’s misalignment with the video game. I enjoyed too many slices. It was soooooo goooood after so many f**ked up days. Jeff appeared and replaced the main door lock, and I learned how to program it. He found the other locks for the other doors to be faulty. He will return on Tuesday while I am out playing games.

Stuffed with pizza and salad, I don’t remember any dinner. The new drug made me dizzy and tired (and is labeled with a warning). I read, did the dishes, and chatted with Deborah here and there. I wished her good night as she went to bed.

I had a United Methodist meeting for the local church’s Lay Leaders. I connected to the meeting and was the only guy there, and I might still be younger than most. This was with DS Karen Hernandez and started with a devotional, followed by a biz meeting. This was more of a devotional meeting than biz and I am less comfortable with this kind of meeting, but I muddled through. This will now be the second Monday of the month. I will try to make some.

This took me into the evening, and I decided to try my hand at coding again. I found my way to the Kaggle.com website and started coding in a Jupyter notebook, a tool for running a mix of text and Python code. The challenge is to translate the Akkadian already transferred from the clay tablets into English. The means working through the idiosyncrasies of retrieving the text from the clay tablets, the Akkadian language, and the scribal shortcut. It is a short contest, and I am not sure I can get beyond a basic production.

I wrote code for an hour, starting with their example, then harvesting code I had written before, and reading some articles and grabbing a few snippets of code generously provided by others. My book can read the data. I will try to create a solution file over the next few days with random results; at least I can see the format working.

When I started to make mistakes, I stopped, put on my PJs, read, and went to sleep without fear. I forgot to lock the front door again, I discovered the next morning!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

I woke on Sunday without fear or scary dreams. I checked the house and found no new break-ins. The thieves have the printer and the UV hardener; they don’t need more things.

I managed to write the blog after getting some coffee. The coffee was assembled the night before and was just waiting for me. I sipped coffee while watching the sunrise and writing the blog. I was happy to get another sunrise with the home invasion and the political news. Apparently, if ICE were operating in Beaverton (and they do), they could just shoot me down, and Trump and the administration would say it was my fault. It is great to see another sunrise, coffee, and a blog.

I enjoy the morning, including an English muffin with orange marmalade (my favorite) and a banana, all purchased from the corner veggie market on 18th and TV Highway. I wrote and told yet another tragic story about thieves stealing from me, and completed the blog with plenty of time to spare.

I texted and talked to Deborah all day. We are both busy, but we still talked and texted. We miss each other, but the new world of iPhone makes it easier to be separated. Deborah found a fun trip in Utah that covers parks and sites in southern Utah. We might do that as an extension to her business trip at the end of March.

I lose focus, then shower and dress for church. Dondrea is giving the sermon, and I get there in Air VW the Gray wearing a puffin tie from Deborah as a memory of our visit to Iceland (and my discovery of cookbooks at the airport that had recipes for puffin, “Don’t eat the tie!”). I have my sweater vest, dress shirt, black shoes, and usher for Dondrea. There was an issue with a door being unlocked. Dondrea tested it, and I finally let her in — not hearing her calls to open the door (the wrong ear was pointed toward the door).  She smiles and says, “You have to let me in; I am preaching!”

Today’s sermon was about happiness and covered Ecclesiastes’ message that there is a time for everything, as well as some of Paul’s comments on bravely facing suffering. Dondrea’s focus was that when we try to define what makes us happy and pursue it, we are often disappointed. Dondrea points out that, for example, New Year’s resolutions seldom make us happy and are usually ignored. That, like Ecclesiastes and Paul’s message, we need to accept the happiness we can find, imperfect as it is, and that may free us. To expand on Dondrea’s words, our modern lifestyle, with social media, drives us to say things like ‘been there, done that’ rather than just enjoying the simpler pleasures.

Aside: I usually take a copy of the church bulletin with me after church to get the scripture right and other details, but I forgot this Sunday. I will have to muddle through.

The Refresh project is done. All the hot water and backsplash are done. We will move some of the old tables back soon. Wendy, the church admin, is now responsible for how spaces are used.

I headed home and reheated the chicken I made the previous night, along with some stuffing. I watched the last of Halo, not caring for the space zombie ending. There is a lot of support for a second season, but so far, it has not happened. I returned to painting my figure for the game that evening at M@’s house. We are playing the 2024 version of Dungeons & Dragons, which seems to be a more simplified version.

Corwin stopped by and grabbed some food (but left me the ribs). He was worried about the break-ins and will stop by more often. It was funny; he was locked out because the front and side doors were locked. He forgot there was a doorbell. I can hear the doorbell. I let him in, and he commented that that was the first time that had happened. I have not locked more doors until now.

We talked for a bit while I finished shading my figure. I use oil paints for that and had to wait for the oils to dry before I could put on the final dull coat (a very light coat, as it does what it says). My process is to, even with a 3D printed figure, to prime them with a spray, this time white, paint the acrylic colors in three main painting rounds, basic colors (including the speed paint), details added, and then fine details and corrections made. I then lock that in with a light gloss coat sprayed on. After that, I added oil paint, flat black mixed with a lot of thinner, to create the shading. Once that dries, I usually base it by adding some miniature gravel and plants (all very expensive), but today I did not have time for that. Lastly, I spray lightly with dull coat. I use the expensive Mr. Super Clear small cans. I use German Gray for black and shade it to black. On this scale, black makes things disappear. Others use dry brushing of grays for the same look, but I like this better.

Often, I find a mistake, a dot of a color, for example, in the wrong place, at the end, and I just paint over the dull coat and do not spray it again. If the metal is too dull, I dry-brush more metal color over the protective coating.

Corwin heads out, and I head to M@’s, but do have to return for my phone, and soon am at M@’s. We are playing a 2024 version of an old AD&D adventure, and it has some of the problems of those times. The ecology of the structure (caverns with tombs) is senseless, but still fun if you just let that go and accept the next thing without question. Scott, who seldom gets hit, was smashed up in a few encounters.

(My new figure is the blue one with the red feather in the hat. The figure is in the paper 2D boat.)

We are not interested in anything other than the goal and do minimal combat. We are not typical D&D ‘murder hobos.’ Mostly, we use role playing, trickery, and staying focused on the goal. We also look for the easiest way in and do more reconnaissance than most groups. M@ let us know that we had found the next level, that it was not prepared, and we then decided to explore more of the current level, but again, avoiding combat when we could.

It was a fun evening. I returned home, had a snack, and read. I did hear a noise outside that startled me. I am still reacting, but I checked everything and all was fine.

I slept without fear and soon began to dream. In my dream world, I was traveling again, with Deborah, and it seemed to be a good time in dream Portland and dream Michigan.

Thanks for reading!

Yes, they came back. They had unlocked the garage’s side door when they were here before; I had not noticed, as the door was behind stuff. The robber(s) walked in, moved some storage bins away from the door, and carried away more parts of the 3D printing. My new UV Hardening Light unit is necessary for working with resin, and they walked it out. I heard a noise, walked through the house, even looked outside, but did not check the garage. Had I done that, I am sure the confrontation would have gone poorly for me. I am lucky to have another day and to have avoided the ER from an attack.

 

(The funnel is quite expensive and must be special-ordered; glad they left it, but the UV Hardener is not here, and they carefully unplugged it and took the transformer with it.)

The police visited later in the morning, provided me with a new case number, and reviewed the photo of the boxes having been moved. The officer and I spoke with my neighbor about the security camera and provided them with a way to notify the police if they see anything on the footage.

For the first time, I think, ever, I locked my doors last night in Beaverton. I waited last night for them to come again. I checked often. The lights were on, but they were on last night, too. They did not come, and I did not face them; I likely would not have survived.

I opened a new claim with Allstate, too. I tried to update the original, but no-go. Not sure if a couple of $100 will be paid to me to replace the device, but I see it as one robbery. Likely, Allstate will decide it is two to save them $.

It is hard to stay in your home when it has been invaded. I have Jeff coming by to update the power for the washer-dryer. I installed an improper old-style plug in my new dryer last time. This time, we will check the vent and update it, as needed. I have asked him now to replace the locks (I don’t know where the keys are) and to see what push-button locks are available (key and button would be perfect; they don’t use power or batteries). I ordered two solar-powered cameras from Costco (might not be enough here in the dark PNW). Jeff may add outside power for cameras for me. We will see what makes sense.

Putting aside the emotion of the invasion and the sadness of the justice issues folks will face, but at least I am here to write about it this morning. Again, I get to watch another sunrise, remembering Dad Wild telling me that he rose early to watch sunrises, “You have only so many left.” I had a 9:45 appointment for a skin rash that is driving me crazy. I could not use my usual clinic (they do not seem to take my insurance—I have not called Regence to work this out), so I tried an American Family Clinic (AFC) nearby (having to drive by the close Providence Urgent Care).

I wrote the blog, published it, showered, and then discovered the break-in when I opened the garage door to get to Air VW the Gray (it was undisturbed). More non-emergency police calls followed, and more paperwork over the phone. I took a picture of the moved storage bins, pushed them out of the way so I could get in the garage, and saw that the UV Hardener device was gone (about $150). Wow! They knew what they wanted, unlocked the door when they stole the 3D Printer, and robbed me again. Scary. They planned to harvest!

I talked to the folks across the street to let them know it happened again. I had to get to my appointment, meaning I drove to Hillsboro quite upset. Got to the AFC on time, then the police called me, and the AFC kindly let me deal with that. The visit was short, prescriptions were supplied (paper ones), and I took them to Wallgreens near the house (not thinking they would not fill them after they said they had the items). All my new insurance was working.

I got home, called Jeff to update him on the need for locks and security cameras, and then called the police when they arrived. I hung up on Jeff and worked with the Washington County Deputy as described. I also talked to my neighbors about the break-in so they could be careful. Mark, two houses down, showed me his 3D printer work (using filament) and produced some excellent 28mm figures (almost 26). We will try to connect more often (they moved in after the pandemic).

Lunch was an appointment with Mariah and BJs Brewhouse, a few minutes away. I was on time (not early, as I had much to do with the break-in). Mariah appeared, and we talked about corporate life (which can be terrible, but can pay well), travel, and the break-in. We ordered ribs and beers. Time to drown my sorrows and depression in beer and ribs!

After lunch, taking our time and I getting ice cream, and us each packing away ribs for later, Mariah and I headed out in our separate ways. I rested, read, and talked to Deborah and others. I binged some of the last of Halo season 2. Did not like the change in the story; it makes no sense to me.

I updated my Dungeons & Dragons character, Carter, to 9th level and added magic items after getting an all-clear from our DM M@ that uncommon items (cheap magic items) were available to purchase. I then applied all the changes for the level and new items. While D&D accounting may seem boring, it is one of the geeky things that brings joy to many players. I printed out all my updates to take them to Sunday’s game.

I reheated some tacos and had them for a light dinner. I said goodnight to Deborah; we are missing each other, but February is not that far away. I read more and started to nod off.

I checked the garage for invaders, knowing that if they were there, it would go poorly for me, but they never came. I checked about every hour until 11. Face your fears and own them. I tried.

The house feels home again on Sunday morning when I write this.

Deciding I needed a new figure for the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 game on Sunday, I took the unpainted one I had 3D printed on the now-lost Resin 3D printer and UV Hardener, and started on it. I bought the STL file and designed it online to represent my character, Carter, with all the new items. I painted the base colors and will do detail on Sunday before the game. I used my glasses for this, but missed the 3X of my usual eyewear. I think I will switch between them. It was nice to add to the figure the colors of life. It also gave me something to do other than read or listen for thieves breaking in.

I went to bed around 11, checking the garage again, and read and slept without fear.

Thanks for reading. I will start locking doors and all that. Sad.

 

 

Friday was a day of challenges and could make a fellow depressed. But I am here on Saturday with fresh coffee (thanks, AJ and Most Rev Steve), some rest, and watching the sunrise, and things are better. But what a f**king nightmare of a day.

No ELEGOO Saturn 16K printer here anymore! The thief did leave the resin and my chair (I set it up while watching a print).

The day ended with me reading and falling asleep. I am reading the published diaries and letters from a young man who recorded his thoughts and feelings, usually brief, from his experience as a navy cadet in 1913 (using the modern terms) to his death at the Battle of Jutland (though his journals of 1916 were lost with him when HMS Invincible exploded). The Complete Scrimgeour was published by a family member. He, Alexander Scrimgeour, was a wealthy, privileged son of the Empire, and his story, often discussing secrets, is a firsthand account of life in the imperial navy. Sometimes history is best in its micro-stories.

Before this, I was making a claim with Allstate and speaking with the Sheriff’s office in Washington County, Oregon. My neighbor told me she had seen someone in my still-open garage (I had planned to go out and left it open by mistake) and had carried something away. That turned out to be my ELEGOO 3D printer ($489), and we did chase them after finding what was missing and getting coats and a flashlight. Nope. I had hoped they had dropped it. They must be local.

Few things put you more on edge than someone breaking in (or walking in) and stealing your stuff with you only twenty feet away. I called the non-emergency police line, and within 20 minutes, a Washington County deputy called and completed the paperwork with me over the phone. A case number was established.

I then stood outside for a while to see if any police or thieves might visit the crime scene for about 20 minutes, returned to the house, entered all the info into Allstate, and filed a claim. Not sure if a deductible will prevent me from getting a recovery for my loss, but I like to get something for all those insurance increases they have been doing to me.

Before this, my colon decided on its own to empty with suddenness and left me a bit woozy. I stayed home, made dinner, and passed on playing games with Corwin at the house. Instead, I read Agatha Christie’s The murder of Roger Ackroyd, which is purported to be the best mystery ever written. I found two anti-semitic remarks disturbing in this 1926 writing, but it is fantastic and, yes, one of the best I have ever read. Another locked door murder that I love so much. I could not remember how it was solved (having seen it on the BBC version), and then remembered it all when Poirot gives it away near the very end. I would recommend the book (despite the two terrible remarks) as the perfect version of polite British Murder from the 1920s.

Dinner was fried and then roasted chicken, split breasts with salsa and cheese. They were a bit tough (next time I will beat them). I made stuffing, leftover from a sale around Thanksgiving this year (everything more than a year old having been tossed). I think I liked the stuffing more than the chicken.

I watched more Halo for the afternoon and read, as I said. I finished another episode of Season 2. It is not going well for the humans. I am enjoying this, but it is endless fighting and running. Much, I imagine, the computer game was like. Hard to recommend given it ended at Season 2 (it reportedly had an insanely high cost to make and got canceled).

I rose early-ish and started with the coffee I had to make. I reheated the last bit and then made more. I was bouncing from too much coffee, and I think this also brought on some of the wooziness. I wrote the blog and drank too much coffee, as I said. I talked to Deborah, and we texted all day between our respective work and events.

After the blog, shower, dressing, and all that, I headed to Providence Ready Care because I could not get an appointment with my usual doctor (he is on leave, and the next available is still in late Feb), but I was turned away. I felt awful and like my money was not good enough from Providence now that I had signed up for Regence as part of ObamaCare. I pay $ 1,100 a month for this basic insurance, but Providence says they will not accept it because it is not through my employer (I am retired). Looks like I need that barista job to have acceptable insurance. I will call Regence later to find out why their stuff is refused, not even out-of-network, outright no to a large amount of service, only minutes away!

This left me angry and depressed. I then had reheated KFC, and I am sure it was not that, then my colon decided it had enough and emptied for hours. I was stuck at home. The results of time changes, flights, and other travel challenges. It happened on my last return.

And that day finally closed, or in this case, is covered. Let us draw a curtain on Jan 9th and the shootings in Portland and other terrible things. Thanks for reading.

I rose early, still not sure what time zone I am in, but definitely not the one I am in! I had not made coffee and went through the process to make local coffee from the Sleepy Monk on the Oregon Coast (thanks, AJ and Most Rev. Steve). The bitterness reminds me (without having to refer to the news) how far we have to go in the USA before Justice with Compassion is the standard. Feeling like we are in a farce based on Orwell, I drink deep and let the bitterness clear my head of the illusion of powerlessness. I return to writing my blog, paying bills, checking my investments (embarrassingly good, even during the wars and federal crackdown in the USA), and keeping on top of my USA-based retired life — not quite a full-time job, but I am busy and happy to be busy.

Leta is home and improving. She had a run-in with what was likely a virus and ended up in the ER and hospital. She is happy to be home.

The mail included the next 2600, and my article and a photo of a phone booth were published in this issue. Excellent. I got a congrats from Savy, a security expert I met at the 2600 convention called Hope_16. Here: 2600 Hackers Quarterly, Winter 2026, page 57 and inside cover. The 2600 website later in the day showed this issue as current. Sadly, Hope is canceled for this year.

Aside: 2600 is an often-banned magazine and represents the Hacker community, an edgy group. It also supports many groups with what many would consider extreme, but violence and organized crime are opposed by 2600 and its supporters. Being a nuisance to those in power (government or corporate) and exposing failures, abuse, and ignoring risks would be close to the 2600’s thesis statement. It is mailed in a plain white envelope.

Bouncing off the walls with so much happiness, I managed to find the focus to finish the blog. I soon showered and dressed. Air VW the Gray, now with an appointment, Jan 26th, for the mothership to update its software (a safety recall about using Tesla chargers and the risk of fire; f**k!) and its first-year check-up and fixes, took me through Beaverton, and I soon arrived, again, at McMenamins Cedar Hills. I was there on Wednesday, arranging for a room for later Thursday evening.

I meet Scott there, and we catch up over beers and McMenamins’ lunch box with 1/2 a sandwich, soup, and salad. The soup was flat this time (missing the sour cream and some spices for Hungarian Mushroom Soup), tasting like mushrooms in colored water. We talked about money, travels, and investments. We are both disturbed by our continued profiting from Wall Street, even with the wars and the federal violence on the streets of the USA. Scott manually rebalanced his investments, while I let mine ride as-is and have them managed by US Bank Wealth Management.

I had also read about the tax implications of The Big Wonderful Bill and discussed them with Scott. I believe my giving may be curtailed by the changes. Some provisions have been updated so that there is some write-off even if you use the standard deduction. It appears I should look for a replacement for Air VW when its lease runs out, with the final assembly point in the USA, to write off the interest on a car loan. Of course, the EV breaks are gone under Trump. Also, in an insane move, Oregon is taxing EV cars because they don’t use gas and are costing the Oregon treasury planned income. Trump would agree with that one. Ugh!

We enjoyed our lunch and talk, and will meet again next week. Scott may join me in the AI stuff I am thinking of starting. We are both watching the market, and our Nike stock options continue to tank and go underwater (some are so underwater they are in a deep trench). My Ford (abandoning EV focus) and L3Harris (makes rocket motors for missiles; they expect a lot of sales, f**k!) stocks are way up, but they do not align with my ethics. Crazy!

We part, and I return home. The beer, food, and time zone change sent me to a nap for a few hours. I felt better, but it was hard to rise; I finally managed it. I did the dishes and read for a while.

I learned that the water problem at the church has been resolved and that the new fridge for the refresh works when plugged in. Hmmm.

Next, I returned again to McMenamins for the Theology Pub meeting. This time, we had 14 folks wedged into a space for about 12 after dragging in extra chairs and a table; I had requested a pessimistic estimate of ten.

Dondrea’s concern and reason for choosing the topic Purpose was that many folks were just working endlessly, with no joy or satisfaction in completing things well. While this purpose movement from Rick Warren seems like useful practices, did he and others take it too far? What say you?

While the subject bounced around among folks, I noticed that older folks sort of defended having a purpose in everything, while younger folks rebelled against it. They think it is wrong to be working all the time. Some of us from IT pointed out that stopping, resting, and thinking are often how solutions are found. The purpose-hardened work did not produce new or imaginative solutions. I also read later in 2600 that some Hackers do their best work when left alone and deeply focused (that, too, I have done). They also said it may be because they have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All interesting to me.

I was tired, and the two Old Fashioneds, while excellent, made thinking even less clear. I had eaten an Italian-style chopped salad with the acidity of the salad and my drink, prompting me add a small order of fries that I shared. I was safe to drive, but 8:30 (or 11:30 on the East Coast) seemed late to me. I left before many, with Z stopping me to catch up for a moment, and then driving home in the dark.

Corwin had wondered about playing LOTR: Fate of the Fellowship board game, but I was tired, and he was busy too. Friday for that, we agreed.

I read and soon was asleep. I woke at 1:30 and thought it was morning. I rolled over and slept more. There were dreams, but they are misty and near forgotten, and I think I debated purpose in dream Portland; at least I did not dream again of being drafted to invade USA cities and small countries.

Thanks for reading!