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Going backward, I was home about 11 from Portland. There, I did my usual Saturday night gaming at Richard’s place, but this time, we played board games that I had brought. We had three players, me, Richard, and Chris. Chris and Richard are hard to beat as they get games fast. Richard had watched videos on how-to-play and had one video ready on an iPad to help with questions.

We tried for the first time the new game from Worthington Published, a favorite game maker, Crises: 1914. This is a game of brinksmanship closer to Twilight Struggle than the usual Euro stuff we play. Richard was worried it was another Pax game; we have not loved these strange political negotiation games. Instead, it is a non-intuitive card game with complex constraints, many of which are not apparent to us until we play a few turns. We played with three players: Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. This is pre-WW1, meaning all of these are imperial countries, and the cards describe events many I have not heard of (there is a separate book that describes each one and even footnoted sources). Chris thought more text should be on the cards to make you feel more connected.

Playing Russia, Richard ran a highly aggressive first turn and soon had his tension markers moved up, but scored high on the first round (a week of the original crisis timeline). Chris (Austria-Hungary) was close behind him, raising his tension. I was at the bottom. Germany, which I had not played in my practices, had many weak cards and was confused during the first week (the game simulated the crisis, and Germany was quite messy during these first weeks).

Chris soon had plenty of cards and began, on the second round, starting to catch Richard. Richard pointed out that Chris had interesting cards as the game simulates his country forcing many issues and events—like the historical crisis. I thought it was fun; as an amateur historian, I enjoyed reconstructing the crisis. Richard played more conservatively, and we checked the rules all the time. The game needs a playing aid describing all the player options, as I constantly reminded Chris and Richard what their play options were. I will make one.

We all started to grasp the game about the third week. Chris started the beginning of WWI by playing the Ultimatum (which, when played early, gives him more victory points), and all of us got a War card. I was behind and began to play aggressively, but soon, I nearly lost by starting WWI!

In the fifth week, I had only three cards in the draw pile, and we learned that all arrow cards are dropped even from your playing hand and reshuffled into the draw pile. I had drawn the War card into my hand, terrible luck, and now had to shuffle the card into my draw pile. I then, as usual, drew three cards to start the turn. F**k. The War card was on the top of my draw pile and was played to start the round. I started the war and lost the game automatically! Richard and Chris fought the last week and played the maximum number of cards, with both having to draw a random card. No War cards, unlike me; they survived to the final scoring. Richard beat Chris by one point and turned down Chris’s offer for a peace conference (and thus giving Chris the game). Richard enjoyed yelling, “There will be no peace in our time.” The wrong war, but it still seemed to fit.

Crisis: 1914 is a game for history lovers. I thought playing brinksmanship was exciting and intense, a new game experience for me. Once you understand this game, it is a function of luck and pushing maybe too far. I think the rules are not bad, but it is hard to play without a player’s aid, which must be fixed to play again. Richard thought it was a faster and more manageable version of Twilight Struggle, not dull or strange like a Pax game. I see us playing the game again.

Next, we played Unsettled, a cooperative game designed here in the Greater Portland area. We played the same planet as before, the second one with the initial game: 002 Grakkis. This sci-fi game simulates a group of scientists forced to explore a planet, Grakkis, find resources, and perform tasks to escape the planet without dying. It is cooperative and allows you to play certain science discoveries on your own turn, constantly making the game a debate about who is doing what and not burning down resources too fast. The motto of the game is “Space is dangerous; try not to die!”

(Just as we escape and survive in Unsettled)

We all enjoyed the three-person play, and Richard and I knew enough about this challenge, A, to make it work. We all survived and enjoyed the game. We must try ‘B’ or even do another ‘B’ on the first planet, 001 Wenora. I have six (maybe more) planets to try.

Before this, I decided to get some walking in and writing done. I need a 500-word horror story for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival PDX micro-fiction contest. Thus, I am headed to Barnes and Noble for a cookie and coffee and will spend the mid- to late afternoon writing this story. I had an idea about silver and mirrors, but I could not complete something in the three hours of writing. I deleted much of what I wrote (a consequence of the 500-word limit). I walked the strip mall to get some steps in (only 3,000+ for today) and enjoyed opening a Halloween mega-store with substantial scary displays (though I did not see how to buy one). One was a spider that jumped. The trigger is on the floor, but there is a delay, so it jumps after you are sure it is not working or tripped, which scares you. It made me jump three times. Even knowing the timing change did not help; it still scared me!

(I am sitting with all the lovely people on the covers. None of them moved, I think)

Here is a preview (still with typos of what I am trying):

Early in my life, I learned chemistry, focusing on metallurgy. I read, learned, and practiced. I updated the alchemists’ ways, which I found in the old text, with the most secret text now available online. I avoid mercury poisoning and many inconvenient deaths as I practice these ancient and dangerous mixtures, but now with perfect execution and safety, using silver, not cinnabar, and clean, pure materials.

In my lab, the fumes from my test tubes dance like fairies, but don’t be fooled—deadly. A face twisted and angry appears through the glass in boiling liquids and fades away; a momentary golem. Colors burn in my fires I have never seen nor can describe being somehow all and none of our worldly colors. I combine silver, arcane chants, and pure chemicals at temperatures and pressures unreachable by long-ago alchemists.

I am Alchemist 2.0!

Returning to chemistry, I dissolved my special, unworldly silver ally metal into a mist and applied it to glass. The mirrors provided a view into the true world. I learned that our world often avoids conflicting with the true world, and structures that conflicted seemed to age, be haunted, or failed in unexpected ways. There is a true feng shui to our world but based on avoiding conflict with the true world.
            There are many terrible metal creatures and soon I see them often in the mirror. They seem to notice me. Somehow my viewing creates a connection to the true world and the awful reforming things move towards me. Later, I notice that my lab coat has tiny burn marks. While I see them, they can see me! They can just reach me, if I am careless.

I decided to try Mod Pizza again. Mistake. $25 and very average pizza. Not recommended. I seldom call out food joints, but this one was expensive and corporate. Ugh!

Before this, I was home, wrote the blog after rising later, and did some work on SMS Derfflinger 1916. My lunch was leftover pasta and a pork chop.

I am skipping a few boiler plates and just covering interesting things today. I hope, dear reader, you enjoyed my highlights.

It is an overcast, grey, winter-like day in the Greater Portland Area with rain (which never happens in August). I rise early, 6:30, and write the blog. It is Hood-to-Coast weekend, and I get an occasional update from Dondrea, who is running with three others as the “Super Delegates” team. I updated Quicken by downloading all the transactions including all my payments clearing.

I fight with Grammarly, which constantly changes my sentences to mean something different but more straightforward. The AI part of Grammarly (some of it is rules and pattern matching, not really AI as most people understand it) seems to want me to experience the world in a simpler and easy-to-follow way. It also has no grasp of transactions and gaming terms. It wants to make my life less complex. I resist being simplified, but I appreciate the correct use of commas and the spelling and plurals corrections.

I turned on the heat as it was freezing, but the orchids looked happy. I let the heat run all day and night. This visit from winter is supposed to only last a few days.

For breakfast, I had locally ground and roasted coffee from Hillsboro. I also had a NYC bagel toasted and smeared with cream cheese. I finished with a banana. My weight has popped up to 338.

After publishing the blog, I returned to the SMS Derfflinger 1916 model. I cut the thin poles representing the torpedo nets deployed when these capital ships were in the harbor before and into most WW1. It was believed that the risk of a torpedo attack at anchor was so high that building these net systems into large ships was thought necessary. I understand they can be used when moving at a cost of speed from the drag. Derfflinger’s net system was damaged in Jutland (I believe it was this ship, but an Imperial German capital ship did have this issue), nearly tangled the propellers, and would have made the battle cruiser an easy kill for the British. The nets as a protective system were abandoned by the Imperial German Navy and were removed during her repairs after Jutland (and her masts were revised to tripods, creating her distinctive post-Jutland look–my model is Jutland look with the nets and pole masts). For the model, each boom for the net system has to be cut from the sprue, I broke two, and there are no spares provided (always my complaint with ship model plastic kits–can’t you put in a few spares!).

I painted the hull first, and the holes to set the poles at an angle, creating that unique WW1 look, are too small–likely the paint caused the issue. I have to drill each one. I have a pin drill for these challenges. I redrill all the holes: thirty. I managed to cut off all the parts without losing any.  I mounted 13 on the port side without losing, dropping, or breaking anything. I carefully put the model aside and let all the glue dry. I am using CA glue as it will freeze the parts in place. I use a fresh bottle I bought yesterday. This is a Max-Cure version of CA, and it allows me to dip a part in the CA, place it in the drilled hole, move it to the correct angle, and let it dry. It will be locked in a minute, and then I cannot accidentally move it while installing other parts.

After putting the model aside, I made a terrible lunch. Instead of boiling the pasta, I decided to bake it with extra water and sauce. When done, tt tasted of starch, but it did cook–I will not do this again. I added 1/4 pound of fresh mushrooms I sliced (from the produce stand at 185th and TV Highway) and mixed in torn mozzarella cheese. This added lots of flavor but could not cover the starch flavor. Next, I poured on a jar of pasta sauce on the uncooked pasta. Returning to an old family recipe, I brown two pork chops in a pan and put them on top after searing them. I added more cheese on top. I baked it covered with tin foil (sprayed so it would not stick to the cheese). I finished the baking uncovered for another fifteen minutes. As I said, the flavor was off for the pasta, but the chops were good. I saved the pasta and a chop for a later meal. I will check if the pasta gets better over a day.

The day continued to be cold and grey, almost dark, and sprinkles were evident. I tried more of the Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power series. The story jumps around strangely in these early episodes, and Galadriel is driven nearly insane by her desire to find and destroy Sauron. Knowing the ending, it is fascinating to see her miss what is obvious now.

I look forward to the release of season 2 of the Tolkien-inspired show next week, and Sandman, too, is returning next week. I did the other side of SMS Derfflinger and dropped one of the plastic pieces. I will find it and lose it again.

I did the usual Friday laundry, which ran in The Machine. The Machine finished in a few hours, but I thought the laundry was damp. I didn’t mind and set it out to dry more in piles, hangers, and folded, depending on what it was. I had run the light mixed load. Towels should be run alone, I believe. I should try the AI option to see whether it can help guess the drying time better: Better laundry through technology!

Aside: I did find the lost piece this morning while writing the blog. It was lying on the floor, exactly where I looked last night. I have not decided whether to remove the piece I made and try to use this part. For me, at least, part of the process of building a ship model is to drop and lose something.

I decided I needed to get some steps in, so I took Air Volvo with my laptop and a new board game, Crisis 1914, in the cargo hold and headed to Reedville Creek Park, only a few minutes away. The sky was full of dark clouds in the usual lines we see in the fall, but I had my wool hat and started to walk my loop. The parking lot was nearly full, and the park was busy despite the cold and sprinkles. The tennis courts were full, and a crowd was at the skate park. The pavilion was packed with a party that knew better to stand outside of the roof. Nobody was in the damp grass fields for soccer or other field sports.

I managed three loops before the wind picked up and the light became more fall-dark. I checked my weather app, which suggested a heavy shower was inbound to my location. The initial wetness would be followed by the tell-tale red color—a heavy downpour—but I had minutes, so I took my fourth loop. I made it halfway and watched a wall of rain slowly move towards me. Soon, I was walking in the rain, but the trees were deflecting most of the rain—quite pleasant.

(Me after seeing the weather map while walking on the loop–and forgot my eye protection)

Air Volvo was parked in the back of the parking lot; it was a brief, wet walk. I could not run as I still have balance issues and am not risking slipping in a puddle in a parking lot in the pouring rain. It is still early, 4ish, and I head to the nearby Wildwood Taphouse. There, while calmly walking in the pouring rain, I remembered that excellent waterproof jacket I had nearly bought when walking by REI’s window last night. F**k.

The rain went from wet to a roaring downpour. I was talking to Leta on the car phone system, and she could barely hear me over the sound of the water-pounding Air Volvo. The walk from Air Volvo to the taphouse was damp and again done without running and with all care.

Soon, the newest Octoberfest beer (the good beers were arriving now, I was told by the bartender) and some pub mix were helping me forget the rain and concentrate on Crisis 1914. I set up a two-person game and played both, trying to get the rules right. The game is a card game with unique cards representing people and events that led to the start of WWI. You represent one of the European politicians for a major power and try to gain prestige for your country while not igniting the war. You do this by playing cards to create diplomatic pressure for one of the original crisis’s five weeks (a week is a complete round). While doing this, you can raise the chance of war. The play is a balance of power, risk, and luck. Also, the cards from other countries can change things for you. Win by having the most prestige and not starting the war. I got most of it right and avoided starting the war.

My play revealed that it is easy to rack up points, but the more belligerence you gain, the fewer options you have in the later weeks. Drawing the card for war but putting it in my hand startled me.

I am not sure it is a great game, but I am glad to have it.

I had a second beer, read, and surfed the Internet. I was getting hungry (despite the pasta for a late lunch), so I paid my bill and crossed the drying parking lot to an Indian-style place, Biryani Express PDX. I got an order of butter chicken to go.

The Indian food and the naan with fresh garlic (undercooked but fresh-tasting) went well with the rice and butter chicken. I had 1/3 of it and most of the naan while watching more Rings of Power. It was delicious, and the spices had enough heat to make me remember India, where this was the tourist level (bland to the locals). Now I have leftovers for lunch and dinner on Saturday!

I picked up working on SMS Derfflinger and mounted the rest of the torpedo net booms. I lost one, made a replacement, and fixed one. I discovered I had mounted one of the special booms on the bow too far forward and managed to pull it off, taking the paint with it and correcting the mistake. I am always worried about painting plastic models first as the glue is holding to just the paint. It is hard to paint this scale of model ships, 1/700, later without making a mess of it or breaking parts.

With all the torpedo net booms on the model, I was ready to let that rest. I could not find the lost part. I knew it had to be somewhere. I checked a few times. As I said, I found it while writing the blog Saturday morning on the floor exactly where I looked. I did the dishes and ran them overnight.

I showered, and the house seemed warm to me—not a bad feeling. I read more of The Orchid Thief and soon became sleepy. I slept the whole night warmer than it should have been for the orchids, but it was nice.

Thanks for reading.

I was surprised to sleep before 7 and wake up after 8! I had woken at 4ish and thought I would not get back to sleep, and then I returned to a dark, dreamless sleep until after 7. I blinked, I swear, and it was after 8. I rose before any more of Thursday’s morning disappeared. I found the kitchen and made locally ground and roasted coffee with strawberry yogurt. I spent the morning distracted by texts, searching the Internet, and paying bills. I did the usual transfers from my checking to Amex and my Alaska Airlines Visa.

I did try to reach customer service for the air miles part of my Visa, but after twenty minutes, I did not get an answer. I will try again later. My experience with the credit card these last couple of months has made me love my American Express again and wonder if this is worth the trouble. The funny part is that both charge an annual fee, and Amex has a lower cost. Yes, I am beginning to love Amex again.

I finally finished the often-interrupted blog just after noon local time. I’m sorry to you, dear readers, on the East Coast, as it would have been after 3. I reheated the chicken and pasta from a few days ago for lunch. It was good a second time, and the pasta sauce, as often happens, was better balanced when reheated after a day in the frig. I dressed and was ready to face the afternoon.

I returned to working on the SMS Derfflinger 1916 model. I first replaced the blade in my scalpel, as I felt I would need a sharp and clean edge for this work. I often break the blade when I do this, but I kept the sharp bits under control, taped them to cover the blade, and then tossed them. The new blade clicked into the holder after a few tries.

The glue was set from the day before. I then began the steps to finish the area in a tiny section of the model, which I had to build entirely from tiny etched brass bits–replacing the plastic parts. I folded a door and built a ladder to mount on a wall. Next, I folded and dropped the central wall part. This tore the part, but I could recover all the parts as it stuck to my shirt. I got a loop for reading the fine print in board games (yes, I have one from Stonemaier Games) to see how some parts connected. I used jewelry cement that slowly locks a part in place while using the finest tweezers and scalpel blade edge to adjust the parts. The torn bits fit together and look fine. The whole construction took an hour of work. By the end of the hour, my back hurt, my eyes were blurry, and my hands hurt, but it was done. I decided to stop there for now.

The day was vanishing, but I decided to try the first episode of the Lord of the Rings show, Rings of Power. This would be my third or more time watching, but the series continues next week, and I wanted to remember it better. I forgot how much action was in the first episode and how strange it was with maps and introducing all the storylines. I enjoyed it again. I would watch the second episode later in the evening. It presents the dwarves, some of the best parts of the series.

The day was vanishing, but I returned to SMS Derfflinger and put on some plastic parts for the bow area. The deck overlay lost a pin-like piece connection. I could barely handle the part and was scared to use tweezers as they tend to make tiny parts fly and disappear to where socks and Tupperware lids go. I have to drill a hole for it; multiple of these exist. I will think about it. The capstans were mounted, but I did not paint them black before gluing them. Painting them without ruining the deck overlay will be tricky. There is an etched brass part to put on to finish the capstans, too, which will have to be black, too. I looked at the anchor chain. It is gold and must be painted black or dark grey (to be visible). It would be hard to make it look good as it has to be pulled straight. A brass-etched version will lay flat and straight, which I lean toward as it will not need to be stretched. I will paint it dark grey so it stands out. Again, I decided to think about this.

I took two plant tables to GoodWill, just a few miles away. Both have feet that stick out, and I am constantly kicking them. It is time for them to find a new home. Less clutter is good. I make it a there-and-back trip.

The Reedville Presbyterian Church, just down the street, put on a block party today. I got an invitation on a door handle. I head there after 5:30 and find a smallish party with some local groups there to talk. I talked to the recycling folks for Washington County (my county in Oregon), and they commented on my T-shirt from Sparkfun, which has a lithium battery. It is one of their most significant issues now, with folks unknowingly throwing in the trash items that contain a flammable battery that often explodes/burns when exposed to water.

A reserve fire truck with firemen was there (the engine is used for events as it is past its service life, I learned). I also. I discovered there is a shared community garden at the back of the church. I had a slider-sized sandwich, potato salad (very plain), and a slice of seedless watermelon (I tried it again–yes, I still don’t like it much). I sat with young folks I did not know, who mostly ignored me. I tried to be friendly. It was nice, but I soon was dodging wasps and decided, with sprinkles and the cold air, it was time to return to the Volvo Cave.

I wanted over 5,000 steps today. Air Volvo was available to take me to Salt and Straw in Beaverton for ice cream, even with the dark grey sky filled with fall-like clouds. Summer had abruptly ended! I was soon enjoying a vegan peanut butter brittle coconut alternative to ice cream; it was delicious. I walked the Cedar Hills Crossing outdoor mall. There, I was spotted by a former co-worker who still works in master data at the shoe company. A few hugs and pictures followed. Some pics were shared at the shoe company. I continued my walk until I hit 5,000.

I grabbed my laptop and decided to try a beer at WildFin, a new place for me. Rachel was the barkeeper, and soon, I had a nice beer and was looking at things to do in Chicago. I also looked at seeing Santana in Las Vegas (for too much money, with standing tickets over $100 and a chair costing an additional $200-300). I was looking at the U2 movie at The Sphere, too, but the costs are outsized compared to nice restaurants and museums. I will just listen to my Santana albums, a sunk cost.

Rachel suggested I order food as the kitchen would close (they close at 9), and thus prompted, I tried the “drummies” appetizer of dry rub smallish chicken legs. They were OK but not as nearly hot, the temperature and the spice level, that I like. They were put over a puddle of sauce on a wooden board, which I thought would be better in a bowl. My bill was surprisingly high at $36 for a beer and one appetizer. I noticed many couples in the bar getting to know each other, so maybe I am not the target audience for WildFin. I had the pleasure of closing a bar.

Air Volvo took me home, and, as I said, I watched more LOTR Rings of Power and soon read more of The Orchid Thief, which is now telling various histories of Florida’s corrupt real estate practices and stories of orchid growers not necessarily unrelated stories. I enjoy the book’s style of telling the story from the author’s point of view and am about halfway through it.

I showered as the house started to get cold. I closed my bedroom door to let the shower warm up my bedroom and went to bed with the covers pulled up (I put on the heat on Friday morning as it was not going over 70F outside today–not time for AC). Summer returns next week. I read until I nodded off. I then turned off the light and slept. I slept another dark, dreamless night.

Thanks for reading!

I rose early on Wednesday again, around 6, woke at 4 and 5, and finally gave in at 6. I am keeping the house colder at night by air conditioning to help with the new orchids. The house retains heat, and so the AC quickly cools the place down. This will not be required in the winter as the house cools then. I find my slippers, the work table, and the kitchen (they have not moved). I make liberal, Equal Exchange, coffee, and yogurt for breakfast. I find the last two peach halves in a jar and finish those.

I wrote Tuesday’s blog for a couple of hours. I have an SMS Derfflinger 1916 model next to me and plan to work on it this morning. I have to assemble the air venting for the original ship’s engine room from three etched brass pieces—not easy. I finished the blog mid-morning and then cleaned up and dressed.

I returned to the model, and after some failed dry-fitting (putting in the model pieces but not gluing them in), I used a very sharp scalpel to cut the deck overlay a millimeter at a time. It took a few tries as I did not want to damage the overlay or remove too much. The directions on the brass parts are unclear, and I decided not to add the doors and window covers until later, leaving this just using jewelry cement to attach the metal to the plastic. This bit overlaps the superstructure and will be in the viewer’s eye, so it needs to be near perfect. I must put cement inside the open section and replace a large plastic part to get the brass to cleanly reach the deck and cover the superstructure. The above deck plate is something I planned for later, and I am attaching it now (using the cement as I have it readily available) to complete the fit. All the big gun placements are now on the model, and it is beginning to look more like a warship. I decided I was done for the day as all the cement was 24-hour glue (allowing for last-minute fixes).

My trays and mist sprayer arrived from Amazon. I looked at local stores and even big-box stores—no luck. I had to get them from Amazon (or other online offers). The orchid dendrobium scared me by popping out of its orchid mix and throwing stuff everywhere. I was able to catch it before it crashed and broke off its roots. I re-potted it and re-watered it slightly deeper in the material. I watered the vandas the day before, and they still looked damp. I sprayed the plants with the mist sprayer, and it worked well. I discovered I had misted some board games and moved them away from the plants!

Regarding the ship model, I might want to do some rigging on the WW1 Battlecruiser, but the thread looks wrong and does not have the correct scale. I have seen examples of melting left-over plastic pulled into a thin line. This is cut to size and glued in for rigging. I looked today for an alcohol lamp at hobby stores, but nobody sells them (few people would trust them now, and certainly not with children). I ordered one from Amazon, though I found one on a site that sells educational material (with lots of add-on shipping).

I had lunch with Scott and made it on time at Elephants Delicatessen at Cedar Mills Crossing at noon (I had to return to the house to get my phone). Scott and I discussed various topics, including politics and the human fallacy of ignoring evidence that conflicts with our worldview—we want to live in an echo chamber, to use my words. This is why, dear readers, I welcome all readers with different political beliefs, and Trump supporters are most welcome. I actually understand.

For both sides:

One always picks
The easy fight
One praises fools
One smothers light
one shifts left to right
It’s part of the art of the possible

“The Art of the Possible,” Evita. Here is a live version I found from a playhouse: Here. It is usually done as rocking chairs with one chair lost each time, but I like this betting version in this recording, which seems more fitting.

We chatted nicely, and Scott and I tried different sandwiches today. The Hot Italian (so many jokes) was too large to fit in my mouth (don’t go there), but I managed to enjoy it. My tastes are still off, and I think I will stick to tuna or soup. We will continue to chat every week, often on Thursdays, though this one was on Wednesday.

I stopped by Tammy’s Hobby Store and was invited to next week’s RC Ship Modeller club meeting. I bought some replacement CA glue, as it ages poorly. I got the fast and slow versions and some CA instant-cure spray; it, too, ages. As I said earlier, there is no alcohol lamp for sale.

Air Volvo returned me home. I forgot my phone on the last walk, so yesterday’s steps were reported short. I decided to head to Hillsboro, see the antiques, and find dinner there. Parking is difficult—a surprise on Wednesday late afternoon—and I must walk back to Old Town, a few blocks away. I am soon doing my usual spin through the town and hitting the local place for their locally roasted and ground coffee, pasta sauces, and artisan pasta. I find no antiques except for a standing old 1930-40s radio for only $25, which I resist (I have two that I have not finished). I have always wanted to replace the insides with blue-tooth speakers and self-charging batteries, but I have enough projects and need to finish SMS Derfflinger 1916 (with the glue still drying). Resist!

I returned all my goodies to Air Volvo (resisting baking goods) and discovered I had not taken that many steps. I have also not done the Sequoia redwoods at the courthouse, so I returned to walking. I managed to find the redwoods; they have not moved. They are still fabulous. There, I noticed a rooftop bar and headed there.

The rooftop bar was excellent. I had chips and guac and then a burger with a beer while connected to the Internet. The wind died, and the temperature was mid-70s. I did some finance things and checked flights to Chicago. It was a pleasant evening. I managed 4,600+ steps on Thursday and saw that the app had caught up, and Tuesday was now rated over 5,000 steps. I walked back to Air Volvo and returned home.

There, I decided, again, to leave the model alone and let all the glue become solid. Next, I checked the cheap cost for a week in Chicago at a nice hotel and learned that the air cost was a thousand dollars more for first class and went cheap. I kept the Palmer House, which is comfortable two blocks from the art museum. I booked a red-eye to Chicago, arriving early on Friday the 13th (which seems an excellent day) with a night flight back on Wednesday, 18 Sept. Just a short week to try out my balance and staying power in Chicago. I then could not help but surf for an hour for things to do in Chicago, and there were many things, including an opera and oldie rock concert (for lots of $$$).

I sent a copy to Linda, my sister, to see if she wanted to overlap my visit and sent notes to others who might want to join in. More on that later. I looked at a second trip to Vegas and to see The Sphere. So far, the price point is amazing, and there is little to do in Vegas that interests me. I am waiting for the U2 tickets to be available. The Eagles tickets were available at the price of a car or house.

I headed to bed and read The Orchid Thief (which covered more of Florida’s madcap history) as the house quickly cooled to orchid-loving night temperatures. Soon, I was nodding off, climbing into the covers, and sleeping.

Thanks for reading!

I have not been able to sleep in the morning, even with the darkness of overcast and the shortening of the days. I wake at 4 and have trouble falling back to sleep, and I continuously keep waking. I was headed to bed earlier, and I think this is causing this. Being a former IT guy, I am used to staying up until midnight for various reasons and then having to rise at 6ish or even earlier. I am not used to extra time to sleep. I am now up around 6, which is a change as I was rising at 8-9 a few weeks ago.

I rose, found the kitchen, eventually remembered to turn on the lights for the Orchids (I don’t have the automatic controls running yet), and made coffee. I started on the blog, trying to remember what happened on Monday. My lack of structure (or work-based day) means that I often cannot remember all the things I did during the day. I often find myself with free time and unsure what to do, and I like this feeling after working in a corporate environment for someone else since I was in high school. I do find a slight hint of loneliness as many of my friends do work, but that I think is just a function of getting used to this lack of structure and being widowed.

I am also avoiding eating out and having too many beers at the wonderful taphouses in the area. I am still hopeful of reaching 220 pounds (I am still at 234), and I managed another 5,000+ steps yesterday. I am on the last loop of my belt (again) with my new one-size smaller pants that barely stay on. Yesterday, I skipped a Kickstarter for a book as I am retired and can’t buy books. I will only use it as a prop for €100. I am feeling better and trying to be a responsible retired person.

It is 90 days on Tuesday since my brain surgery, and it seems so long ago and just yesterday at the same time. Doctor G told me it is a year to recover, and I am experiencing a slowing down of my recovery. My Bells Palsy is nearly undetectable. My left eye is closing correctly, but it still blinks slower (only I can tell, and I still use eye protection outside when there is any wind). My taste has returned chiefly, but there is still a part of my mouth that does not taste well. Part of my lips on the left side of my face are still hard to control.

Returning to the narrative, I continued to write the Monday blog. While writing, I was surprised to see that the orchids had shifted in their pots, with one orchid leaning into another, roots headed into the air, or reaching for another orchid’s pot. Orchids are pets and plants.

Coffee was liberal, and breakfast was a change to yogurt and blueberries. Susie had a strong aversion to blueberries, so I always ate them first and found blueberries an exotic treat. I tried to remember Monday and published a blog, but an hour later, I added more to the story. I remembered my trip to the taphouse and recounted some of it in a short addition.

I putted around the house and surfed the Internet. I cleaned up, shaved, and all that, concluding that I was dressed and ready to start my day before noon. I left as the lawn service, about $220 a month, appeared and was unloading their mowers and other various loud gardening items. I am the late morning, early afternoon Tuesday appointment with no lawn work before 11 as a kindness to my neighbors. It is an old Mid-West and East Coast tradition of no mowing until late morning and never on a Sunday; if you can get it done days before Saturday, it is even better to enjoy the lawn on weekends (no damp lawn cuttings).

I headed to Wet Pets and Ernestos (next door) off Farmington and on Beaverton’s other side. I arrived with no entanglements with Beaverton’s Finest or construction delays. I walked through the four rows of fish tanks and admired the marine, brackish, and African fish (which follow you when you walk by). There were giant Angels and fast, tiny zebras and neons. A collection of small tanks held various fancy tiny live shrimp for sale for, I believe, for small desktop-sized marine (salt water) tanks, a new fashion in aquariums I learned post-pandemic. I resisted rejoining another hobby I knew well from my younger days. I am sticking to a no-pets policy if I wish to travel (the orchids will survive for a few weeks without me).

Next, I celebrated my 90 days out with lunch at Ernesto’s. I was disappointed that there was no hot food in their salad bar. I ordered from the menu and had an overly cheesy pasta dish with a meatball. The salad bar was the highlight of the meal. The pasta was cooked well, and the red sauce buried in the cheese sauce was superb. While I could not make the meatball, which was excellent, the rest was too much cheese for me. More Italian-styled mac and cheese than I was prepared for. Next time, I will ask for no cheese or a sprinkle only.

Stuffed, I returned in Air Volvo to the Volvo Cave. I watched the rest of the episodes for “Midnight Mass” and concluded, no spoilers, that the ending was a moral tale about humanity about good and evil and our perception of each other in the light of terror. I did cry at the end. While there was some eye-rolling for some of the set-pieces of movie horror, I thought the writing and acting were excellent, and some of the long speeches were poetry or even sermons on humanity. While not something I recommend to everyone, it was well worth the time, and I am considering another short series from the same director (more scary, according to Mariah) on Mariah’s recommendation: House on Haunted Hill. Enjoy, but yea are warned.

I read and nodded off (pasta effects) but soon rallied. I was going to head to the park to walk, but instead, I walked in the neighborhood. It was still an hour before sunset, and it was warm (75F), and there was no wind. The clouds often blocked the sun and stopped it from striking hard. There was no California bleaching sun today.

The stone fruit trees are overflowing this year, and while walking, I saw a couple having pulled up a pickup truck on the sidewalk underneath a plum tree in a public drainage area and climbing on top of the cab roof to get at some of the fruit. They were getting baskets of fruit. I could see they were concerned that I would yell at them, but instead congratulated them on finding a new use for a pick-up. They offered me some of their bounty, but I demurred. I instead found some pears and apples lying on the ground on my street and took them home. I have to look at my own tree and see if any of those hard green apples from a previous century are usable. I believe the apple trees (many in backyards arranged in lines from the original orchard) were planted as part of the original farm for cider (likely fermented) and winter storage.

I could not resist Make Magazine’s new math books (Geometry, Trig, and Calc), so I ordered the four physical books (plus the teacher’s book). You may purchase the books in PDF format for a separate payment (I think they should give you both, or at least a discount for buying both). I am thinking about sharpening my mathematics skills for my AI work and also teaching math in a Meet-Up. More to follow.

I made dinner. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are defrosted in the microwave—mostly—cut in half and roasted in the oven with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I heat arrabbiata sauce from a jar. I boil water with salt (nowhere near what most folks use). The chicken takes about an hour to cook and is not dried out. I use garlic and black pepper, artisan linguine-style pasta, to go with the spicy sauce and the plain chicken. I have made too much food (again) and have a few bowls of pasta and some chicken. I call Corwin and invite him to share in dinner. He was still delivering food for one of the online food services but showed up about an hour later and had a bowl.

Corwin heads out after a nice meal and chat, and I return to SMS Derfflinger 1916, which I skipped working on yesterday. I cut out one of the larger etched brass bits, which covers a whole section of the stern lower superstructure. The overlay wood deck may have to be cut to allow it to fit properly (the deck overlay is not part of the etched brass kit and can conflict). This overlay comprises three complex folded and glued etched brass pieces and is large enough to be seen. It needs to be nearly perfect. The sequence of a model like SMS Derfflinger is disorganized by these kits of brass and wood deck overlays. The plastic kit instructions cannot be followed. Instead, you must build from the center out and bottom-up; otherwise, your hands will hit the newly installed pieces. This is true of wood shop builds, too, which often have you add the little details last, but then you need to place the items without breaking a mast or rigging. It is best to reconsider the directions and build and place fragile bits while they are easier to handle.

I am tired, so I decided not to glue these down this evening and to think more about it. I am uncertain of the build sequence. I put SMS Derfflinger aside, placing the new parts in a spare OcCre part container. OcCre supplies these containers with each wooden model ship to keep parts organized. I love them.

I shower and read, go to bed, and soon sleep too early, but I did get my 5,000+ steps in. Thanks for reading.