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Thursday started with me rolling over and rising after 7:30, and I thought it would be great to stay in bed. Indeed, it felt very comfortable. But I wanted to discover what today offered, meaning I rose to see it.

Thursday began with me sitting in my family room at my table, writing the previous day’s blog. I spent the morning remembering the essential parts I meant to share. I try to tell a story but leave out personal relationships and other people’s stories; I will not tell another person’s story.

The day was grey, but the sun appeared later, and there was no rain or even Oregon Mist. The sun was hot, and the skies were dark blue with clouds here and there. There was no smoke, and we saw no California bleaching sun. It was an excellent Oregon September day.

Breakfast includes a croissant with my usual liberal coffee from my French press, plus a banana (my potassium was low in my last test).

I wrote the story and forgot to tell the tale of rising late and surprising a three-inch (including the legs) spider in the kitchen. It was one of our local three-inch (including the legs) spiders. I got out a broom and dropped it on it. It was too large to capture and too scary to let live in the house with me. They show up in the fall, and I usually kill three.

My lunch with Scott was canceled; he had home issues that prevented him from joining me. I made a pizza from Trader Joe’s by baking it for a few minutes in the oven. It was not as good as the one I recently had in Chicago, but not bad for a frozen pizza.

I ordered a set of tiny jams because I wanted toast again and was tired of one jam that seemed endless. I wanted different flavors but did not want large jars or bottles that eventually get tossed. These were delivered today from Amazon, but my shelf-stable milk and a small case of baked beans that were supposed to be delivered together were lost in UPS’s maze of processes. Next time, I will find them in the grocery store. This is an experiment (I added the case of beans as they were cheap, and I like them).

I took a long walk and managed 4,600+ steps for the day, returning to exercising. The back pain only slightly returned, and I carried an umbrella as you cannot trust that it will not pour on you when walking in Oregon’s fall.

I rested and read for a while, reading more Candain murder mysteries, and then rose and started back on Kaggle to write more AI Python code. I coded the regular expression to extract the ID number from the directory name and read the files into a Pandas data frame. My existing notebook can transverse the data. Some of the time series data contain more than half a million rows; I am unsure what to do with this data. I found most of the code for the regular expression on Stack Overflow and remade it to meet my needs. I just copied and revised the transversing code I wrote a few years ago for the ICE competition to fit this occasion. The data is arranged in two sets, information about the kid and usually a large drop of instrument data for the kid (some are missing). You have to combine the data, align it to a model, and then train an AI based on the model to produce the child’s risk profile for Internet use. Once you have your AI ready to use, you run the test data through it and submit your results. Your accuracy determines your score.

I received a statement from life insurance for Susie. We discovered that there are two life insurance policies, and the agents for the 1964 policy are sending me the paperwork to make a claim. This one is split between Leta and Barb (Susie’s mother and sister). I remember vaguely of another insurance that Susie bought when she was a dietician, knowing there would be likely few chances for insurance as a cancer survivor. This one paid out, but I convoluted these for years as the same one. More paperwork.

I made a salad for lunch with new croutons and blue cheese bits from more recent Trader Joe’s purchases. I chopped a carrot and a celery stick to add crunch to the salad. I also cut up some of the chicken leftovers and added them to the salad. It was not a bad dinner. I had a croissant with it.

I watched the eighth episode of Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power, and was impressed by how the writers and actors make this rather non-conical story work. The changes explain how Sauron could have convinced the elves to make the rings, especially the nine for “mortal men,” that create the Ring Wraiths. I am enjoying the presentation and always like anything LOTR. The last episode is next week, and season 3 is already promised.

I headed to Salt and Straw in Beaverton for ice cream. There was a line at 9, so I was not the only person for late-night ice cream on a Thursday night. It looked like many dates and date nights decided on ice cream. I tried Essence of Ghost and had that in a cone. I am unsure if I should eat or bathe in it as I ate my cone. It was a strange flavor but something new. Next time, I will stick to regular flavors!

Home, I soon showered and was reading. I was sleepy and soon slept through the night with an alarm early to write the blog before my 9:20 doc appointment.

Thanks for reading.

I slept well, and I woke without an alarm at 6ish. I rolled over and did not rise until after 7. I considered just luxuriating in bed for the whole morning, but I rose as I had a CT scan in Portland at 11 and needed to cut the blog before I did that. I put on my slippers, skipped the robe, and found the kitchen (it is where I left it). The day was back to normal for September; it was grey, wet, and cool.

I made liberal coffee from Equal Exchange, French Roast, in my French press. To make a more complete breakfast, I added yogurt and a banana. I sat before my Apple and wrote while I ate, texted, and watched the news, primarily elections and politics. I was time-boxed and kept my focus on writing, with Wednesday’s story raking up over 1,100 words.

I assembled the story, posted it on Facebook, emailed the link, and headed to the bedroom and bathroom to clean up. Soon, dressed in a Maker shirt with the cat logo of Portland’s Maker community, I headed to Portland and Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital. Traffic was surprisingly light, and I was soon quite early. I parked an Air Volvo in a tiny spot and had to squeeze out of the pilot seat. I managed not to ding any doors and reach the hospital. There was a shooting outside the hospital a few years ago, and now there are security checks and screening. The guards are in heavy vests but unarmed (that I could see). I passed and was sent to the second floor. There, I was checked in and given a wristband. I sat in the waiting room and was summoned to my CT scan before I could open my Kindle.

Even twenty minutes early, they had me change into hospital pants, locked my goods in a locker, and took me to the CT room. I was then IV’d and scanned. I closed my eyes for some of it as it is a small space, but it was not as hard as keeping calm in the MRI–yikes! There are two scans, with and without contrast. The contrast makes you feel warm everywhere; a few places seemed new to me. I have lost count of the CT scans I have had since enjoying colon cancer. I was done before my appointment start time; I squeezed into Air Volvo and returned to Beaverton without traffic.

The results were released in the afternoon. No cancer is spotted. The pre-existing conditions remain unchanged (liver nodules and stones not blocking my kidneys). Still, they detected a thickening of the bladder wall, which can mean I am having trouble passing urine (it comes too often, in my opinion), or, after reading online, I had chemo. Yes, I did. There may be a follow-up with my regular doctor. I meet with my oncologist next month, who may likely know if this is chemo.

Returning to the story, the rain has changed from Oregon Mist to rain. Without a plan, I arrive in Beaverton, stop at Trader Joe’s at Beaverton Town Center, and invest in groceries. I fill the little cart and get five bags for over $200, but I am out of most things. They have many of my favorite items, which are not cheap but high quality and not full of salt. I also grabbed some items for Corwin, Dondrea, and Z. I will get these favorites to them in the next week or so. All are shelf-stable.

The rain comes and soaks me while I load Air Volvo’s cargo hold. Everyone is wet and smiling. Only one umbrella is seen. I see a gal nearly lose her cart; it rolls away on the slight hill as she loads her vehicle; I offer to take her cart back, “I am already soaked,” I tell her. She agrees and surprises me to be a young, blond, pretty American in a head scarf. I was expecting a North African, as they are a new addition to the area. Another lesson on expectations! The rain punishes me for helping by increasing.

Tous Les Jours is in the same area. I purchased a breakfast roll with ham, cheese, garlic, and three croissants for the next few mornings. I ate the roll for lunch while traveling in Air Volvo, and while it was good (and there was enough garlic to stop multiple vampires), the sweat glaze was in sharp contrast with the contents. I would not get it again. The rain increased, and I was damp in the car, but like most Oregonians, I was happy.

After crossing Beaverton and Aloha, I unload the cargo at the Volvo Cave to reach unincorporated Reedville and my HQ, also known as Chateau Wild. I freeze most meat items but reserve the spatchcocked lemon and rosemary chicken to roast today. I get out the new crakers, putting them in a ziplock this time as they turn fast otherwise, and the pub cheese (with horseradish).

I saw some excellent low prices in an online auction for stamps. I tried to get a few old US stamps for gifts as the auction prices were so low. I missed out as I was not following along, and the stamps went for just a few bucks above my bid. It was a “perfect” auction, my name for it, where there were some expensive versions of US stamps to attract the investors and folks who want perfect versions for premium prices and leave the lesser stamps cheap. Prices for a decent stamp were 1/5 the usual price, and damaged versions, called placeholders, were 1/10 or lower. Next time!

This last week, I have not felt like doing much. This lazy feeling is new, and I am not sure I dislike it. I do the housework, but writing, coding, figure work, and board games have languished. Thus, I put Slow Horses, Apple+, on the cable and enjoyed the show. I watch three fast-paced episodes. I also read more Canadian murder stories. I roast the spatchcocked chicken and make wilted fresh green beans by steaming them first and then frying them in butter with fresh garlic and almond slices with some salt (I use unsalted butter). I boil and mash some potatoes (skins on) with just butter.

Aside: I met Martin Yen from the old cooking show “Yen Can Cook” at Nike, and he signed a cookbook for me. Nike cooks prepared some of Martin’s favorites in the cafeteria, including a wilted green bean dish, and he was there directing. The cooking classes at Nike with Martin had filled up, but I was happy to meet him by accident in the cafeteria. I have made a simpler version, but I have been thinking of him for years when I wilt some beans. I treasure the cookbook.

I ate dinner while watching Slow Horses. I had poured some wine to go with dinner. Susie got me a wine glass years ago with “Short Pour, Long Pour, Michael’s Pour” etched on it. I was on the Long Pour (Michael’s pour is near the top of the large wine glass). Sadly, I knocked over the glass onto the carpet. I then cleaned the wine from the brown carpet (the carpet hides dirt and spills). I finished my dinner with lemon, roasted rosemary chicken, wilted green beans with garlic and almonds, and mash. I got a bit more, but most were put away for later leftover meals.

I read and then returned to Kaggle, where I looked more closely at the data and code I had written previously to handle complex file structures. Sadly, I am unsure how my code worked from some years ago. I have forgotten most of Pandas, and this challenge is not straightforward with different data types. A set of describing items and then time series data that may be missing for some. Ugh. I wrote a few more lines and successfully scanned the data files. I restructured the code to match the structure better as I followed my thinking for a different ICE challenge that did not match. I think I will have to use some string extraction expression processing.

I went to bed early and read. I was still lazy and unready to dive fully into Python coding and fighting with Pandas.

Tuesday was bright with California bleaching sunlight, and the temperatures would rise one last time (we think) to over 90F (32C). The heat was on in the house. Thus, no AC would keep the Volvo Cave cool today, but for one hot day, the Volvo Cave did not heat up and reached only 74F (23C) today.

There was no reoccurrence of overwhelming grief today.

I rose after 7, and the house was not warm but not cold. It will take a while for the cold night to affect the house. The orchids do not like warm nights and look a bit unhappy. I mist them often.

This morning, I had liberal coffee, a banana, and yogurt for breakfast while I wrote the blog. It was a quiet Monday, meaning my writing was done by 11. I had cooked bacon for a BLT yesterday and left a kit of bacon, lettuce, and sliced tomato (thanks, Dondrea) for lunch today. I cleaned up (I took a shower today) and was soon shaved and dressed. I continued yesterday’s laundry and completed the shirts and pants load. I stopped The Machine and started it on thirty minutes of drying, which worked better. It was hot and dry now, including some towels, and it was soon all in piles and hanging. The laundry would be put away another day.

I had no plans today but soon was headed out in Air Volvo. I loaded the cargo hold with another bag of Susie’s clothing (I am not sure the bag count for her, but Susie had a lot of clothing), which I found in some drawers. I also put the automated musical Peanut character Christmas set in the car and a phoenix bamboo and painted silk kite in the hold. I added a scarf that I found to the collection.

I crossed Beaverton on a familiar route to hummingbird house without witnessing any extra-legal drive or being invited to help fund the City of Beaverton by Beaverton’s Finest. While there is no auto-driving feature on Air Volvo, the path is so well known that it seemed like I was auto-driving. I followed the various and nearly unpredictable speed changes, including school zones. I soon enjoyed Hall Bouvard’s construction as Beaverton continued to reconstruct the 217 overpasses, but it was not too bad, and soon I arrived at the hummingbird house.

Jennifer and Louis are happy to see me. It has been a few months since the last time I visited. I brought the Christmas Peanut collection and gave it to them. We all enjoyed it a few Christmases ago. I also gave them the kite they had not seen before, which hung in our bedroom for Susie to look at on those tough mornings when it was so hard for her. It is her symbol. Jennifer loved the colorful scarf and was not surprised I was still finding clothing for Susie.

We talked about my travels and a few fun stories about Susie. I retold the story of Susie in Amsterdam and surprised the hash smokers by coming into the bar with a walker, climbing on a stool, and smoking more than anyone else. Susie then, no surprise, found the Bull Dog (the name of the bar) merchandise story and got shirts and coats. They loved the story, and we talked about my trip to Chicago and my upcoming return trip to New Orleans (NOLA).

I promised to stop by after NOLA and share more stories of my trips and Susie. Next, I’m recrossing Beaverton, paying close attention to the speed changes, which can drop as low as twenty in Old Town. I picked up my grey suit from the cleaners and is now ready for NOLA. Next, I cross Aloha to the unincorporated Reedville to reach GoodWill to supply more clothing to their programs.

Most of Susie’s clothing went to Beaverton Closet to help young people. A younger gal helped sort at the church, and those thought wearable by younger gals were sent to the closet. A few months later, I saw Susie’s favorite sweater on a gal. Excellent. The rest of the clothing went to various non-profits or was recycled.

I arrived next at the local Big River Coffee and grabbed a table and an Americano with a shot of caramel for a few bucks. With my laptop, I then returned to Kaggle and my coding for a coding contest. Someone had a book with my usual first code, creating a random but correctly formed entry that properly scored in the negatives. Random should fail to place. I learned that thousands of files, like the ICE challenge, must be processed to have a better answer. From what I saw of the examples, these files are not used by the basic examples. Hmmm. According to some articles, this extra information is time series, incomplete, and contains erroneous data. Hmmm.

I was at a loss for how to proceed and had not done time series-based processing. I also feel that my Pandas skills are weak, as I look at the many examples and can barely understand them. There is a lot of learning to be done. I quit about 4:45.

Feeling a bit defeated, I make dinner. I was considering food to go or sitting down at a restaurant. I am retired and need to economize if I will travel so much and reject these thoughts. I find a can of crushed tomatoes, paste, pasta, and frozen ground beef excellent, and I make a massive pot of scratch-made sauce. It is a bit bright, but it works. I fry ground beef in a pan and add it in. The beef overtakes the sauce, and the pasta sticks even in the sauce. I still have too much.

I enjoyed Murders Only in the Building’s latest episode (it drops on Tuesday) and repeated last week’s Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power episode. Both are excellent, but the LOTR episode was better the second time. I should have put the food away after two bowls…

A nap was needed. I read Louise Penny’s book 11 of her French Canada murder stories, which was the next book, and hopefully not sad. I rose, did the dishes, and looked more at Kaggle, but I still had no go-forward plan. I might reproduce the random or a bare random forest of trees solution by totaling the time series data into a simple model.

I put away the pasta and head to bed. It is warm in the house, 74F (23C), so I take a shower and read. Then my right foot goes into cramps. Ugh! I squeeze and massage the foot, and the problem stops. Hmmm. It takes a while for me to sleep with my head filled with AI thoughts, Canadian crime, and too much pasta. I wake to prove hydration at 3AM.

Thanks for reading.

Sorry, no photos for Monday.

Going backward, I finished Louise Penny’s The Long Way Home: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 10) with the death of a character. The story of the death brought back the last hours of Susie’s life to me. I came apart and was sobbing uncontrollably for ten minutes. The world was colors of black and white, and this new life, after Susie’s passing, seemed hollow and contrived. I did not want this new life without my wife, a dangerous moment. I need to stop this.

I walked out to the pantry, found Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, unwrapped a microwave packet, and made it in the microwave (it burned a bit). Next, I sat in front of my laptop and found the Kaggle website. I looked at contests and read the requirements and code. I calmed down and soon was signed up for something impossible. I love to work on the impossible, even when I don’t win or complete it (I have never placed in coding contests, but I have learned so much, and this is working at the edge of human knowledge and capability). 

Here is the contest description:

Can you predict the level of problematic internet usage exhibited by children and adolescents, based on their physical activity? The goal of this competition is to develop a predictive model that analyzes children’s physical activity and fitness data to identify early signs of problematic internet use. Identifying these patterns can help trigger interventions to encourage healthier digital habits.

While I will not likely win or even come close, I will try and learn. There was a much more complicated and higher-paying contest to build an AI that can think (yes, I discovered there is even a measurement of thinking now used to evaluate AI capabilities against human abilities). Still, I thought I should start with something easier.  I will go with helping kids.

I finished the night brushing up my math by reading a book on Data Analysis. While reading, I put on the best of alternative rock on my Amazon Echo. I soon was back to my coding/math geek self.

Aside: I did work on the Kaggle contest that determined the source of cosmic rays for the Physic ICE project and created new science. My solution’s, a random solution, score placed it near the bottom of the scored solutions (how I beat some solutions is beyond me), but events prevented me (and f**king hard math, such as a least-square distance calculation in three-dimensional space) from building a better one. But I placed in the contest and was excited to see they got a working solution, and now we have published science.

While it is hard to find a life after becoming widowed, I know I have more to do and experience. I am an agent of change, continuing to reinvent myself and join in pushinging the world to its next version. I know that impossible is what we call something we don’t know how to do yet. I am off to New Orleans next month. Other trips and plans are forming. There is so much that I have not done yet!

I am feeling much better now: here. It is hard not to have grief, and other darker emotions overwhelm you. I have learned to let them play out; grief and depression are friends now. I just have to not let the pain and sadness rule me.

Dear reader, I am sharing my story here, and it is not always fun and exciting, but know I am OK. Yes, I am feeling better now! Yes, I will call someone if I can’t stop crying or the darkness gets worse.

Returning to the narrative, before this, I was at The 649 Taphouse in Aloha, Oregon, for the late afternoon and early evening. Natasha was bartending Monday by herself. I had a beer and soup for dinner. I spent the evening planning my trip to New Orleans with Deborah, suggesting Preservation Hall and me finding another cooking class to add. After some texting with Deborah, I said two Jazz shows at Preservation Hall.  I decided next to add a river paddlewheel and dinner tour on my last full day. I will be in NOLA from 17 to 23 October, flying all night on the 16th. I am trying a new hotel: Holiday Inn French Quarter-Chateau Lemoyne, with a room with a non-street facing balcony. I can roll onto my working ear with my hearing issues and hear no noise.

I finished my evening at The 649 with coffee and a shot of amaretto. I was cold. I headed home in Air Volvo and decided to read and warm up with a blanket. I started the laundry.

Moving back further, on Monday, I fried bacon in my non-stick pan (thanks, Steve). On Saturday, Dondrea gave me a few fine tomatoes, which joined the bacon, mayo, toast, and lettuce to make an excellent BLT sandwich. I keep a loaf of bread in the freezer as it is just me, and bread gets furry before I finish it if left out. I also order little packets of milk-like products for Corwin when he visits. He continuously learns that my milk is spoiled. Same story.

Aside: I ordered shelf-stable whole milk for baking to avoid this issue.

While enjoying my sandwich, I watched ShipHappens and tried to find my focus, but I did not get going.

Before this, I boarded Air Volvo and traveled across Beaverton to my hearing surgeon’s office. I parked on what I thought was the third floor of St. V Hospital and Medical Center car park and was relieved to see a yellow and a ‘4’ painted on the wall. Apparently, you enter from one side on floor two, something I did not know, and I would have had trouble finding an Air Volvo on my return to the parking structure if I had not noticed the ‘4.’

I soon found myself waiting in the boringly named waiting room with about one-tenth of the people in masks. I asked a masked person if they wanted me to mask up for them (“No, but thank you for asking”)—I was seated near them. I was trying to keep my distance. I was early and brought my Kindle, but I was surprised that Doc was running ahead (which never happens). Soon, Doc looked at my ear and nose and determined I was good. I was also told that my sister, Linda, was right and that I should not push the metal plate by my ear and make it tick. Wrong. Let it heal. I thanked Doc and shook his hand for his success, and I was happy to be good. My next adventure will be an MRI next year to check that everything is still as expected. If I leave the plate alone, there is no reason to expect any issues. Excellent.

Moving back to the morning, I rose after 7. I found the kitchen still in the same place, located the coffee, and whipped up liberal coffee in a French press. Sticking with the current breakfast, I added a banana and fruited yogurt. I read emails, looked at the news (mostly election news), updated Quicken, wondered why it couldn’t match some things, and started on the blog. I write for a while and try to stay focused. I managed to finish and post it.

And that takes me to waking. Thank you for reading and understanding.

I keep meaning to put this little ad in my story: Here is one of my completed items, Howard’s stories; if you want to read one, they are pay-what-you-want at DrivethruFiction: here. If you like them, please rate them at the site.

 

I rose on Sunday morning around 7 and was writing the blog soon. I was not cold, as the heat was on. I woke around 6:30 instead of my usual 4ish, meaning I was still confused by the time difference between here and Chicago (I woke at 4ish Monday morning). I rolled over and slept until 7ish. Coffee was found and used to execute liberalness in my coffee. There is nothing like the friendly lets-tax-the-rich flavor and increase-child-tax-credit sweetness of liberal coffee. The bitter reminds us how far we have yet to go. A banana, primarily to increase my potassium levels (still low), and yogurt as it is simple and includes fruit to finish my feast of the start.

I am time-boxed, but Saturday was a continuation of resting. It was not that busy. I finished the blog, published it by 9, and soon cleaned up and dressed for church. I am presenting the second unit of the Safe Sanctuary and wanted to be early to ensure that the three slides I had to do were ready. Air Volvo crossed Beaverton without issue or entanglements with Beaverton’s Finest. I arrived with the new church, Emmus, tearing down and our folks setting up. We are renting our building to a non-denominational church who are thrilled to get to use a church building on Sundays.

I wore a green sweater vest over a greyish dress shirt with a pride tie, my usual cotton blue pants, and black leather shoes. I sport a pronoun pin now: He/Him. A suit seemed too much for today, and I included my brown soft wool hat (very Indiana Jones). I had three pages of notes to read in 16 Arial font, which I found easiest to read while speaking. I had printed copies of the questions from the UM Oregon/Idaho Conference website (12-13 copies into my notes) and pictures of the slides, just in case I had to read them.

I was more nervous than usual. Later, I remembered that I had not spoken in a microphone for any presentation in more than five years! Susie’s, my, and the pandemic ended my speaking enhancements. Also, this is not my usual material (preaching or computer stuff), which made it more nerve-racking.

The choir was significantly reduced by illness, and attendance was light this Sunday. September still hosts many events in the Greater Portland Area, such as Octoberfest. The hymns were effortless, and the choir sang from the hymnal, but it was well done. Michael (not me) gave the sermon today on Leviticus 25. Those parts of the Law cover God’s instructions for expanding the Sabbath to the Jubilee years. Michael argued that this idea to reset land ownership and debts and recall families together every 49th year was God celebrating creation with humankind, and the temple was its manifestation. God wanted us to understand that life was not about producing food, goods, and capital but about living (and celebrating) together with God–the world becomes the temple. God even promised that the production of the years before Jubilee years would be enough to carry everyone to the following years of production. The reset and the freedom meant that even the poor would be well cared for during these celebratory years. And with the life expectancy of the times, only one, if that many, of the 49th Jubilee year would be witnessed. It would be new every time. Michael’s point was that God is about celebrating and enjoying the creation, not production.

My presentation followed, and it was short. Michael also read the same Bible verse I selected in his sermon, but I still read it because it matched the subject, Luke 4. I was nervous but smiled and got a few laughs as I worked through the material. I shared that I thought it was my 28th anniversary in Oregon and attending First United Methodist in Beaverton. The service was soon over, and I was drinking more coffee and slowly calmed down. Yes, out of practice doing this.

I left before the usual crowd broke up, and Air Volvo soon had me home without encountering real traffic on a Sunday morning. I removed the tie and leather shoes but kept the sweater, which is a little large for me (somehow, I seem to be getting smaller, but I still weigh 234 every time!). I take the taco meat from two nights ago and make a taco salad (forgetting to add chopped carrots and celery) for lunch. I have no taco chips, but I use old croutons. It is a good lunch, and I catch up on some YouTube channels. ShipHappens finally finished the bow deck replacement. The Discriminating Gamer reviews his top 10 WW2 board games, with Warroom getting the top spot (my copy is gaining dust as it is hard to find six people to play a 6-10 hours simulation of WW2).

I rest most of the day and feel guilty because I don’t walk or do much. I am tired and feeling lazy after a week of 12,000+ step days and so many new experiences and people. It’s time for a book, The Long Way Home: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 10) by Louise Penny, and to decompress. When I saw the clock read 4:40, I boarded Air Volvo and soon arrived early at Matt’s for the Sunday Dungeons and Dragons game. Matt made burgers, and soon everyone arrived; we had four players (including me) and Matt as DM and play 5E with just a few updates from the new version D&D 2024 (not called 5.50E, but D&D 2024). 

We return to our places before. We are in a premade material about the evil Venca once again trying to take control of the multi-verse and twist it to his dark, undead will. We are here to prevent that. Returning to the game, we fight a giant undead at the start of the play, and Matt does not disappoint with his vast supply of figures, color maps, and 3-D terrain. D&D has its own version of horror known as the dread realms, and we are stuck in what is, effect, a black-and-white Dracula movie. We endure various set pieces and traps with entertaining solutions (entertaining our vampire host). I am holding back the same spell I used last time. Our host, played by Matt, getting to rework a famous 007 villain line, when asked if we could do a service for you instead of fighting, says, in an accent and with a fancy shirt on, “I expect you to die, as my service.” The vampire finally gets into a battle with us and starts, as a single target, to be injured and uses up his superpowers, and then I use the spell, which is based on current hit points that make him, even in bat form, easy to take. We defeat our host (we did not destroy him as that requires a quest) and escape the dread realms.

We find the next part of our quest. Our quest is to recover seven related artifacts hidden and lost throughout time and space (rather Doctor Who) and then use them to derail Venca’s terrible plot (please be warned that we don’t always succeed, having failed twice to stop an evil plot). We find a dying giant tree and start negotiating with the locals. We will begin there on two Sundays. 

Scott and I chatted outside about politics and some gaming stuff after the game. Air Volvo got me to the Volvo Cave without issue or loss of paint. I soon read, fell asleep mid-word after showering, and dressed for bed into my PJs. I woke at 4ish with the house still at 71F and me in covers sweating. Hmmm. I adjusted the temperatures and hope to get back to cold for the orchids, but I, like the orchids, prefer a cold night. 

And then I slept. Thanks for reading!