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Today, I met Susie’s nephew, Misha, with his wife, Hope, and daughters, Lorelei and Anneliese. Also, Z now has school soccer practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, so the days of game playing on Wednesday night are over. I also woke at 4:30 and rose before 6 as I could not get back to sleep. But this worked, and soon, I was having the last of the local ground and roasted coffee from Hillsboro, two peach halves from a jar, and a NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) with cream cheese and writing about a quiet Tuesday. I was done before 8 and soon dressed.

I packed my overnight bag, meds, and a spare towel, as you never know when traveling to the coast if you will need to spend the night, an event will happen, or you will need a towel (all travelers who read Douglas Adams have a towel). Oregon is still quite new and wild; if you don’t respect it, it will kill you. We lose a few people every year to the ocean, getting lost, cars disappearing over an edge, and elk, beer, and other animals getting to unexpected places. I put my heavy coat in the cargo hold, but it is still too early (a month or two away) before traction devices (cloth sock-like covers for tires in Air Volvo case) must be carried. Air Volvo always has a toolbox and First Aid kit, and the board game Scythe is usually in the cargo hold in case of the need for gaming. Always Available!

I boarded Air Volvo, put on the navigation, and headed across Aloha to Sherwood. I was headed to Depot Bay as Misha and family were still south on the Oregon Coast. They had started on 101 in San Fransico and have driven up the West Coast. We had not set a meeting time, and I was happy to travel across Oregon Wine Country and then take the easy pass over the Coastal Mountains on Salmon River Highway.

There was plenty of gas, and the Engine Check Light was on as the gas flap was leaking air, but it was not dangerous and would not affect Air Volvo’s trip. Which was good, as this trip would drink 1/2 a tank and be about seven hours of driving there and back. I would only get 4500+ steps and somehow gain back five pounds (235), but the trip was a workout with the driving. Wednesday’s weather in Beaverton was overcast and cold. I was surprised to drive into the sunny and warm weather, with me only wearing my sweater in the morning on the coast (on the coast, the nights are cold with cold winds). That is why you will often see fires on the beaches at night with adult beverages and other biologicals being exchanged.

The trip, which I have recently taken one or two times a month, was familiar and was lovely, uneventful, and mostly already forgotten. There were lots of hay and hay trucks. It is approaching fall, and rain will come. Time to get the hay out. Air Volvo complained once about my handling of the car at the end of the trip, and I agreed with it; I needed a break. A polite bell rings thrice, and a coffee cup is displayed with a note that the driver must take a break. Soon I was out of the pass and the Pacific was visible. I stopped at my favorite state park and beach, D-River, in Lincoln City. It is a free park with a nice parking lot, a slightly run-down public bathroom, and a wonderful beach. It is always my first stop, and my first sand in my sand-in-my shoes walk. I try to find a crab shell or a pretty muscle shell to remember the trip.

I walked the beach as it was still early, not even noon, but the wind was comfortable and not even kite strength. I had a kite in the car, remembering it this time, but alas, the winds were weak. I walked the beach and soon walked about a football field to get to the wet sand. It was low tide, and also the King Tides were over until the winter. There I found a crab shell and some young people were picking up the jellies and playing with them, ick. Our waters are cold, and the deadly stuff is not usual on our beaches, unlike what you find on the East Coast and warmer areas. The waves break up the jellies, and only goey bits make it onshore. With my crab, now in the co-pilot seat and coving Air Volvo in Oregon beach sand, I headed south.

There are no events, and it is always a lovely drive. I resisted all the different Mo’s locations for West Coast-style clam chowder—a local chain that makes a decent soup. I reached Depot Bay and was happy to get a parking place looking out into the greater bay and Pacific. I looked out; the sea was calm, and sea kyaks were out in the low tide harvesting from the kelp forest. The last time I was here, there were some unusual high seas with the crashing on the sea wall, sending tourists running or soaked. Today was a perfect day to pay for a Whale Watching. I did that with Susie and Leta right after we moved here, and the memory was happy. Leta has a picture of a whale’s tail on her wall from one of these trips. It was a near-perfect day, and while I had time to take a boat, my balance issues and whether my loss of balance on the left side would make my seasickness better or worse would make it unwise to take a trip today. I will remain on the land. I looked out and saw no whales, taking time to let my eyes adjust to searching (it takes a while to get used to spotting the little dots and tiny spouts of distant whales).

I headed to the Sea Hag for an early lunch (breakfast was early for me). I was allowed to take one of two seats that could see the Pacific and ordered local (if Alaska and Washington’s waters are local) halibut and chips. These serve only three pieces for the price ($23), but all perfectly cooked (yes, I know about the worms as I am local) white fish, and the fries were OK but better with malt vinegar and some lemon. I was reading the news and looking out the window the whole time. The place fills up, and it takes a while for me to pay my bill.

It was time to head out and then reconnect with Misha and family (they were looking at the Sea Lions a few hours away) later. I stopped by and supplied Crabbie (the name for the shell) with saltwater taffy; yes, the crab ate those, not me. I got an extra bag for Z; I always bring her some.

I am just headed south and stopping by some viewpoints. The view is nice, but the boats are here. I watch for thirty minutes and see some dots, and the boats slowly move north towards us. Yes, there were four whales by the boats! I tell the various folks that come to stop and look where to look for the spouts. The whales slowly work north in the kelp forest, and the paid whale watcher gets an excellent view of some whales next to the boats.

Aside: My memory is that a boat can motor only so close and then float in the current. If the boat gets close, that is the whale’s choice, and the whales seem happy to see the crowd and the boats.

I watch the whales and then move back North to a larger park, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint. There, the whales (and boats) are soon only off the shore as the whales explore towards the north for dinner. These are grey whales. Generally, the orcas are further out, if at all, in our area. Our top predictor is the cold-loving Jaws, when the orcas are not around, that is, great white sharks with smaller 15-foot ones than usual here (yes, that is a small one). Sea lions and seals are plentiful, and so are great white sharks.

Aside: The water is freezing cold, and the sharks generally like their targets in deeper water. Our surfers often look like seals from deep down, and we have a shark incident every few years, often believed to be a mistake on the shark’s part. Sometimes, the shark only bites the surfboard for exciting moments, excellent photos of the results, and bragging rights for the surviving surfer!

I got out my shark kite and managed to fly it on the large grass area in the scenic viewpoint, but the winds were still unreliable, and the kite fell to the ground. It was still good to fly it, and I watched a few more whales before seeing that Misha and his family were headed north.

We met in Depot Bay and decided to stay on 101 (I forgot how crazy and slow it is between Depot Bay and Cannon Beach) and stop at the Wreck of the Peter Iredale in Fort Stephen Park, three hours away. To fortify, locally-made ice cream was acquired and consumed in Depot Bay. We then headed north, with Nav being ignored, leaving 101 for an alternative path into the mountains to gain some time (the view is not as good, and you can find unexpected issues in the mountains). The twisty drive had me slamming the brakes with Air Volvo, helping with a bell, extra braking, and locking the seatbelts when someone stopped unexpectedly. I managed to drive around the cars that also dived for safety rather than slam brakes and hope for the best.

I arrived a few minutes after Misha and family arrived, and the beach was cold and windy. The overcast skies and the cold water from the nearby glacier-fed Columbia make the area cold. I took a picture and we headed on to the nearby Astoria for pizza. I nearly went the wrong way and almost pulled in front of a car, but I managed to reach the pizza place a few minutes after Misha, Hope, Lorelei, and Anneliese found a seat and were looking at the menu.

We ordered too much pizza, as the sizes are about 20% larger than reported. I had an olive and meatball pizza that I only ate (I have lots left), while Misha had a gluten-free pizza. We chatted, but the night was here, and we had hours yet to drive and said our temporary goodbyes. I will not join them for the trip to Evergreen on Thursday, but I will be available as needed.

Misha and I headed down the Columbia River on Highway 30, coming down the 7% incline to an incredible night view of Longview, Washington—looking more like some lighted space station in the darkened skies than a riverport. We then took the bridge and drove through Longview to Highway 5. The Columbia River dives south here, and Portland is thirty miles south-southeast from here. We take Highway 5, which follows the river to Portland. Misha finds their hotel while I continue to cross Portland over all the bridges (having crossed many in the dark in Washington). I managed to reach The Volvo Cave intact with my recently acquired crab shell unbroken but definitely shaken once by 10:20. I unloaded the car and was soon ready for some rest.

I finished The Last of Mr. Norris, set in 1930s Berlin, just a few pages. The end was abrupt as the Nazi takeover seemed to end the parties and the mad-cap feeling of post-WW1 Berlin. The Call of Cthulhu role-playing game has a book, The Wickedest City, about 1920s Berlin, adding cultists and H.P. Lovecraft-style events and dangers. Having read this short book (and the history of New Orleans Smallville), it is an interesting change in the world.

I showered, changed into my PJs, got under the covers, and soon fell asleep. I slept in.

I slowly ramped up on Tuesday. I remember that in the series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe, Arthur Dent admits he could never figure Thursday: see here. I am finding Tuesday to be like that for me. I just can’t seem to transition to the work week. I am always starting late on Tuesdays and writing all morning on Tuesdays. I was up late and did not start serious writing until after 9. I found the last banana and a NYC bagel with cream cheese worked for breakfast with locally roasted and ground coffee made in my French press. I wrote all morning. I also read the news, mostly political but with strange, happy notes about the economy and all happy news for us liberals. My Quicken updates took longer; Tuesday seems to have accumulated the changes for the weekend and Monday.

I was not done until about 11 and then showered, shaved, and so on. By noon, I was dressed and ready for the rest of Tuesday. My lawn service started to make noise with leaf blowers and mowers. One of the folks was trimming a holy bush that Glenda tried to kill years ago. We exchanged some words, including Muerte, and the bush is finally gone. Until I stepped on a few holy bush leaves, I liked them. Ouch! 

Our weather is cool and dry with overcast skies, and we Oregonians are happy and all but dancing. The morning smelled of the sea, and the smoke drove back to the east again. No more being bleached by the California Sun! Maybe it will rain soon! That would make our week!

I got out a jar of pasta sauce, something I had not used before, Trader Joe’s Bolognese Style: Tomato and Beef Pasta Sauce. I found a pound of good ground beef in the freezer and used the LG microwave to defrost it (without cooking it in the microwave). I boiled water and heated the sauce in a pan, got out a non-stick frying pan (thanks, Steve), and was ready to make a heavy lunch. I found some mushrooms, also from Trader Joe’s and also in the freezer, and added them to the ground beef. I got the beef to start getting brownish, and the mushrooms added a bit more beef-like flavor. I then carefully poured the sauce into the frying pan and stirred and cooked it on low heat. I undercooked the rigatoni pasta. Which always sounds like an opera to me, which was perfect for this meal: here.

I might have had three bowls. I called Corwin and invited him, who is just over Covid, to enjoy a free meal. He was there about 3, and he chatted for a while until 4ish. The day already vanishing for me. I headed to Big River Coffee in Air Volvo. There, I wrote up some events at our church involving why we have elected to have opioid overdose drugs and training. I shared a first draft and then headed home.

Instead of reheating some pasta, I wanted fried chicken (which I don’t cook because of the mess) and got a spicy meal at Popeye’s. I had one piece of chicken (I could not eat more), mashed potatoes, and a little pie (I received that for giving $1 to Popeye’s Fund to help people). While eating, I watched another episode of last year’s episodes for Sandman, episode four. This is one of the best episodes, with Dream having to fight a battle of wits with Lucifer Morningstar and setting up for the darkest episode, number five. I was not ready to do five again.

It is still bright outside. I walk my long walk to the creek and back, getting my count up to 3,500+ steps for the day. My left foot complains some, but I am not winded, and my back pain is not bad. Many folks are out walking in the cool overcast day.

Back inside, I returned to SMS Derrflinger 1916 and continued with the near-impossible task of putting pinhead-sized coal lids on the model’s main decks. This time, I only lost one when I cut it, and it disappeared when it flipped away. I am getting better and can balance the one-millimeter circle of etched brass on the scalpel, place it on the glue on the deck, and move it into the circle where it goes. I take a stressful thirty minutes of putting on all the rest on the main deck. Another bunch of coal lids go on the higher deck, but I have yet to mount that as I have to replace gun barrels and mount the guns first. I am happy to let the glue dry.

I return to reading and Berlin in the 1930s after a shower, The Last of Mr. Norris. In the story I am reading, which seems so real, the drunken parties in Berlin are now revealed to be spies spying on spies and passing on false information. Everyone is a communist or a sympathizer or at least professes that alignment in the author’s Berlin. I tried to finish and read until late but still did not finish. At the end of the story, the Nazi takeover has happened now. The leader of the communists has been murdered, and others are on the run or imprisoned, starved, and beaten. The teller of the story notes how different his street now looks, decorated in red, white, and black. Fear is constant. Christopher Isherwood’s story is strange, and his storyteller is somewhat cruel in his depictions, but it is still excellent once it gets going.

I soon fell asleep, waking twice to prove hydration and then up at 5:30 because I was cold even in a 71F house.

Thanks for reading!

Sunday was such a disappointment with nausea and colon issues that Monday, I decided to go slow and avoid any chance of repeating Sunday. I rose before 8, soon found the kitchen (it is still in the same place), and started on coffee. Today, I used locally ground and roasted coffee from Hillsboro. I did start breakfast.

I sat in my chair in my work area, started my blog, and then called the TV Highway Automotive. We agreed I would be there in thirty minutes. I quickly poured the coffee into a travel cup and headed to the bathroom. There, I washed, shaved, and got ready for the day. Next, I unloaded all the games in Air Volvo. The cargo hold had four loads of games to carry, including some of the heaviest games, such as Scythe and Lisboa. With nothing to steal, as it is best not to tempt folks if the Air Volvo needs to stay at the repair place, I headed the few miles to TV Highway Automotive, which is so close that I drove right by it and had to turn around.

There is barely room to park in their lot, and all the bays are in use. I wrote the blog with the laptop on my lap while I saw them run the codes, look under the hood, and do other diagnostic steps. After I published the blog, a smiling technician informed me that the Air Volvo Check Engine Light has three codes this time, and they all point to the gas fill flap. Apparently, after 70K miles, the flap can no longer seal and provide the proper vacuum for drawing gas from the tank. It is not dangerous. He said it could be from the gas person; we have full service, and he reset the code, oiled the flag, and told me to drive it for a while and hope the code does not come back. No charge.

I am happy to drive an Air Volvo home, but it codes again. I called TV Highway Automotive, and they will order the hard-to-get part to replace the refueling flap for Air Volvo. Then, we can schedule a repair day. The Volvo is not at risk.

I stop at The Volvo Cave and grab my laptop. I head to Tom’s Pancake House to have breakfast that I did not make. It is now nearly noon, and the place is busy, but there is no waiting. I order ham, hash browns, poached eggs, and toast to go with their endless coffee. The ham was sliced as thin as bacon, fried, and had the right amount of salty and meaty flavors. I was happy my mouth could taste breakfast; it may have been the first breakfast I enjoyed since the surgery in May!

While there were many tempting things to do on Monday, I was going to rest the day away. Air Volvo returned me to The Volvo Cave. I rested and read. More Berlin in the 1930s with more drunken parties and then sudden loss as a friend in the story runs from his debts. I next read some of the rules for the newish Kickstarter board game Crisis 1914. I am having trouble understanding how to play, and the game was delivered right after the surgery, so I have not had a chance to play it. I nodded off, and my tummy seemed fine.

I rose, and Dondrea and I texted, but I was needed. Z had soccer practice, and I would take her to Garden Home Park at 6. I had plenty of time. I decided to try to do some work on SMS Derrflinger 1916 for the later afternoon. This work consists of cutting out a pinhead-sized etched brass and gluing it to the deck over the round coal circle representing the coal bin lid. I also scrapped some of the paint in the process, so I used The Pycho The Army Painter Brush to fix the paint. I lost four lids so far, but I have the stern port side lids done, and plenty of spares exist. It requires me to balance the tiny lid on a scalpel blade and drop it on the decking. Take another scalpel, tab it in some resin-based glue, tap the tiny circle with the glue, and then slide the part into the glue and push it down with the still-clean scalpel. I was able to do the last three without losing another tiny coal bunker lid.

Soon, it was time to board Air Volvo, and I crossed Beaverton without any issues or witnessing any extra-legal driving. I stopped by Chevron to refuel as I was early (the trip is +/- ten minutes for traffic) and told the gas jockey (it is full service still in Oregon, but not mandatory anymore) to hit the gas flap hard.

I was soon at Dondrea’s house, 15 minutes early. I texted my arrival and said not to hurry as I was early. Z appeared on time, and we then followed Volvo Nav to a point in a street (!) and soon discovered we were lost. I used the maps on my iPhone after heading to a large green area on Nav, which was a golf course, which obviously was not the park. It was just a short distraction, and soon, Z was delivered to soccer practice on time at the correct park.

I left and crossed Beaverton to The 649, but the tap house was full, and there was not even parking; strange for a Monday night. Remembering that 209th was now open, I headed back towards The Volvo Cave. I was thrilled to try the revised 209th (still with a few bits being finished) and cross TV Highway and 209th junction. I then headed to the nearby Aloha Mall and the local sushi place.

This is a track place and a favorite. I used to order from here on hard days in the pandemic. Monday’s track had no fish eggs, and I had to order some eel, but it was still all good and fresh. I had Miso soup with hot tea to finish out my light dinner. I stuck, with the exception of the eel, to the track. I was tempted to order a spice tuna roll, but that is best for two, and I found a Smoky Philadelphia roll with three pieces on the track that covered that need.

After paying my bill, I returned home and decided to return to growing orchids. Susie knows I love orchids and wanted me to grow them, but I never felt I had the time, and I felt the process was too complex in the past to be successful with my limited time and space. The Internet allows materials, plants, and information to be easily accessed, and small spaces may work. The main issue is to create cool temperatures at night for some Orchids that grow in mountains. That is a technical challenge I will work on once I get everything set up. Orchids like hot days and cold nights (50F).

I head to WildWood Taphouse with my laptop and Crisis 1914. There, I have one beer, read, and try to play the game, taking turns for the two-player set-up. The game takes me a while to start playing it. I do fail to understand the tension and card removal process. But the game is about brinksmanship. The major leaders who faced the start of WW1 are recreated in the game and given a chance to build prestige (victory points in this game) by using proper levels of diplomatic pressure by playing cards while not taking tension over a limit and losing by starting WW1. This is a mix of card play and deck management with a push-you-luck model and a need to outscore your opponents to get the most points. Each week, there are five weeks, is a round of play followed by scoring.

I am looking forward to trying this out once I learn the rules. I have a video released yesterday (!) to see what I missed. More to come.

I watch very little cable and no regular TV. I do like series, and I started rewatching one of my favorites, Sandman. I will be happy to finally get season two at the end of August. This series is violent and deals with disturbing subjects, but it surprises me. The protagonist, Dream the Endless, learns and grows and tells the story while, like a nightmare, never compromising on what he is.

I went to take my pills and decided to try some peach halves to accompany them. It is good to have some light food with these pills. I tried to open the Trader Joe’s jar, and it spilled all over me–you are warned. I pulled off the soaked and sticky shirt, tossed it towards The Machine, and cleaned up at the kitchen sink. I then had two hard-fought-for peach halves.

After that, I showered and crawled into bed. I read to find out what I got wrong in my attempt to play Crisis 1914. I also read some more of Berlin’s 1930s. My legs hurt, and proof of hydration repeated.

After that, I slept until 4ish. Thanks for reading.

I woke at 4ish and rolled over, but I started my day before 6. I had church today and wanted to finish the blog without rushing. With summer running towards fall now, it was dark when I rose, and I turned on a light. Soon, it will be dark and raining. The rains start in September but now do not fill the days with Oregon mist (and worse) until November. We have seen our first often lovely dry Halloween these past years to the delight of those in costumes. Before Halloween, it was an affair of soaked jackets over costumes, with only small kids able to ignore the cold for candy and show excitement.

I started off on my task of writing, but first, as it was early, I made a scramble of eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, and cooked potato. And while it was delicious and took no time, my tummy was upset all day after. I had to take rest and managed not to throw up. Not a happy day.

Air Volvo has a Check Engine light and so Monday morning will be at the repair place to see if they can fix this. Last time, just a few weeks ago, it was an air leak in the engine from a bad oil fill cap (?!). So lets hope for something easy and cheap.

I was able to finish the blog by 9ish, get dressed for church, and rest, as my tummy was already giving me issues. I boarded Air Volvo and reached Old Town Beaverton and First United Methodist Church in light traffic. There was an India-styled event at the park that adjoins the church parking. The police had closed off all parking at the church; we had no warning. I found a space near the congregational church just a block away and walked through the park and the event to reach the church. It looked like quite a nice event, and the smell of spicy food would usually get my attention.

I arrived at the church to the usual suspects who did not let the lack of parking stop them from going. There were some angry words for the City of Beaverton as we had no official warning that we were aware that the Police would shut down the parking near our church. We are, by nature, a forgiving bunch, and as we moved on with the church service, Pastor Ken was surprised by our attendance—the count was the usual number.

Ken was preaching today. He explained that it was a “between-day” (no set plan or scripture of the sermon), so he picked Psalm 34 for the topic. It is, he explained, a Psalm of David and from a time of great distress for David. The time the Psalm covers was when David lost everything, was a beggar, and went insane from his losses; Pastor Ken explained this to help with the context of Psalm 34. The Psalm celebrates God’s protection of his people and how God comforts them. David wrote about how, despite his losses, his face showed no shame as the Lord delivered him from his fears. Powerful stuff, especially when understood in the context.

I was happy to not be sick and made it through the sermon! I did stand and sing as the nausea faded for a while in the background. There was an after-church meeting, and I decided I was not staying for it, I walked past the event, which looked wonderful, and found Air Volvo. I returned to The Volvo Cave via McDonald’s and got a chocolate shake and fries, which sometimes work.

Today was our 34th Wedding Anniversary, and I was missing Susie most of the day. The day hurt more than I expected. I was sad all day.

I spent most of the afternoon resting. I managed to paint some parts on my model of SMS Derfflinger 1916 so that I would make some progress. I also watched the last episode of this season of The House of Dragons. The show still surprised me, and I liked it. The episode set up for a bloody next season of war but resolved nothing.

At about 4:45, I headed to Matt V’s house across Beaverton and to Portland’s mailing address. Portland really starts on the other side of the large hills. Matt makes grilled burgers with different buns for different diets, I had the usual ones. Today’s Dungeon and Dragon game was finding a new plane, the plane of the living machines, and finding the next part of a relic. As usual, my character, a newly minted good cleric of the light and 15th level (which means very powerful), still failed most of my attempts to resist falls and traps. I am in magical metal armor and cast spells most of the time–not a trap voiding guy. If I am close to our combat players (Karen and Mackers), I can also reverse the various effects caused by bad guys on them. Unlike older Dungeon and Dragon versions where cleric mostly healed the characters, I am mostly about blasting and protecting, I heal once in a while.

We tried to tiptoe through the complexes, as I, being a good cleric, did not want to fight our way through when we could just slide in and take things with our stealthy guy (Scott). We did manage to take one set of items with only a small fight that we actually ran away from, as we had what we needed (plus a little bit more to pay the bills).

We found the main search area and again tried to be quiet. In the end, the bad guys made us pay for that by waking creatures we had slipped by. This led to a harsh battle, and I was using my best spells. Players will often hold back until the final battle, but I find you never use the spells. Instead, I play my cleric, always casting spells. We managed to not lose anyone and found the next part of the adventure, but then ran out of time just as my cleric of light was going to turn some nasty undead we just found. I also have some spells left that drive out ghostly possessions.

With that, I headed home after a chat with Scott about how our tactics worked (and did not work). Air Volvo soon had me home. I read some more and considered some orchid-growing items (to celebrate our 34th and my bonus), but I made no decisions. I punched out the pieces for another planet for the board game Unsettled. I soon showered and read about 1930s Berlin until I started to nod off. I slept.

Thanks for reading.

Sleep was wrecked the previous night, and I finally slept about 5, waking a few times and rolling over. At 8:30ish, I finally rose, feeling the mopping and vacuuming in my back, legs, and arms. I found the kitchen and my usual chair in front of my Apple M2 Air Macbook 2023 24G memory 2T solid-state storage (called out if you are wondering, dear reader, what I use now); nothing moved. I made breakfast and started to write. The NYC bagel from Zabar’s on 79th (thanks, Joyce) was split and then toasted before cream cheese was applied. Coffee was again locally ground and roasted from Hillsboro. A banana was forgotten while I spent hours writing.

Yesterday’s blog was over 2,000 words, and I started to write it after nine, late. I also read the news (all good for liberals like me), downloaded my financial transactions into Quicken, and corrected the stock to show 500 newly purchased shares of Ford (which promptly went down). Ford currently pays a 6% dividend but failed to pay that during the Great Depression, making investors wary that Ford would cut or stop the dividend. While I believe the people running Ford are not crazy, others are less sure.

I wrote until the afternoon when I used the last of the Pine-sol cleaner in the mopping bucket and mopped the second large section of tiles that lead into the kitchen (which looks much better now). I had to do the dishes to clear the kitchen sink to run water for the bucket, and to dump dirty water when mopping. I also mopped the entranceway, leaving just the section of my work table and writing area to be mopped. The water was dark when I finished just those sections. Yes, I need to do this more often.

Air Quality was rated to green, but the smell, Mount Hood missing in the smoke, and irritates in the smoke kept me inside all day. I was sneezing and coughing inside the filtered air-conditioned safety of The Volvo Cave. I stripped the bed and washed the sheets. I risked a short trip to Safeway and acquired more Pine-sol, dishwasher soap squares, and paper towels (all things I missed in the last two trips). I was coughing, and my eyes burned from the air. I unloaded Air Volvo and retreated to my sanctum, The Volvo Cave.

Lunch was delayed, so it would also fill in as an early dinner. I made a grilled cheese (gouda) and ham. This is fried in butter, and a lid is used with water in a section of the hot pan towards the end of browning the bread, not near the sandwich, to heat the sandwich through. I cut the sandwich into squares so each is a little sandwich. Susie used to save one of the little sandwiches for later. I would hear her yelling at Corwin if he found her tiny square and thought it was up for grabs.

There was a tear as I looked at dinner, but it was a good memory. It is a blessing to remember those you have lost at a meal; meals have always been holy in human experiences, even when we don’t have time to remember them. I had some coleslaw (another Susie fav) with the sandwich.

I returned to SMS Derfflinger and started to paint the parts still on the plastic holders, sprue, and some of the etched brass. I used the hull color XF-66 Light Grey for some items and then went back and painted them the correct color, XF-19 Sky Grey. The Imperial German Navy, which lasted until 1919, painted their ships generally in two colors: a sea grey that matched the North Sea and a lighter grey that matched the mist. There was limited air use, so the decks were still bright wood and dark Linoleum (XF-79) for raised areas. When I corrected the grey color, the second lighter coat became easier and looked good.

I also looked into cutting a rifle from one of the unused parts of my American Civil War figures (yes, another unfinished project) for Scott to use in Dungeons and Dragons (his composite character uses a magic gun-like weapon). When I cut the rifle free from the holding arm (I have plenty of spares as Perry’s models are composed of various parts and poses, leaving lots of spares), but broke it. The plastic is too thin at the stock to cut free. I will bring spare arms and see if we can use the arm and rifle together on the figure (Matt V and I are good at bashing figures and models). We play D&D on Sunday night.

With some modeling done, I wish to make some progress every day. I headed out to Richard’s in Portland. The traffic was moderate, but the driving was not moderate. I witnessed more fascinating lane changes and desperation driving. I arrived early.

Air Volvo was just recently repaired after an Engine Check light appeared. I was disappointed to see the light back today after crossing Portland. Air Volvo will need to be back to the repair shop and with some family visiting next week, this is quite poorly timed. As my sister said, buying a new Volvo would be easier than getting an appointment to repair it. Last time, the dealership could not fit me in for two months, so I will return to the local mechanic who almost fixed it last time.

Richard was taking a walk, so I waited outside. The air seemed better in Portland, but soon, I started coughing, and my asthma would become uncontrolled later. F**k.

It was just the two of us as everyone else was busy with visitors or other reasons. We tried a new game, Aquatica, that Richard purchased after hearing good things about it. This is a fast deck-building and card-collecting game with some clever and easy-to-learn techniques for running your play area. We played two games, with the second game being more intense as I was ahead until Richard found a way to pull ahead using a card we had not seen before. The game ends abruptly and is quite short, and I found myself ten or more points behind Richard, but I enjoyed the game and would play it again. I might have to purchase this one as it is fast and easy to learn.

We got out the cooperative board game Unsettled from Air Volvo’s cargo hold. In this game, your ship has landed (crashed) on an unexplored planet. You need to do tasks to escape/survive. We played the Grakkis planet, which plays much differently than the first easy planet, and introduced some new mechanics. There are many planets, and each one resets the game to give it a new experience. The base box has two planets; I have a pile of extra planets and some add-ons from the last two Kickstarters. More fun and exploration; “try not to die” is the game motto.

My plan to stay together was wrong, and the risks on this planet were defined by the storm and not by random events of nodes (locations). We could have been more efficient and less risk-averse; we failed mission A (we died) by three moves. We had some other options that could have given us more time, and we could have split up. Next time. It took us two stressful hours of desperate trying to survive Grakkis. We had a few rules issues as I had not played the game in about six months.

Richard was already plotting the next game of Unsettled with Grakkis; I look forward to playing again. I headed home after chatting for a while with Richard. My coughing worsened, and I did not want to take a broken Air Volvo across the Portland bridges late, so I headed out before 11. Air Volvo had no issues and crossed the high-flying on-ramp and the tunnel as usual.

At home, the cough was worse, and I was pumping in my emergency inhaler, and my breathing soon stabilized. I showered and made the bed. I am reading The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood, which is the basis for the musical Carberet. These stories are dark and strange, and the writing is almost cruel to the characters. More to follow. I started to dream of Berlin instead of reading, put the book away, turned off the light, and crawled into my covers.

With the breathing issues gone, I was exhausted (likely the cause of some of the coughing). I soon fell deeply asleep and did not wake until after 5 a.m.

Thanks for reading!