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The day started with waking before 8AM and still having an alarm to prevent me from oversleeping. I was in at midnight the night before from gaming in Portland, so I was tired, but I have things to do, so I am not sleeping until noon! I found the kitchen, put water in the electric kettle, and remembered to turn it on. I had to empty it first as a little raft of ants floated in the water. Ick! I am still committing insecticide in the kitchen and might have to increase my efforts. I then managed to make Bloomberg work, rode the Immobile Scwinn for thirty minutes, and did not travel 6.7 miles–a new no-travel record for me.

Bloomberg discussed the attempt to establish a talent base in Africa and the challenges to that. This includes the usual need for African governments to align to a pro-freedom and pro-biz model–eliminate corruption  (not a word they used). Also, Africans are expecting real salaries for their talent, not deeply discounted third-world payments–this is getting pushed back by Western companies.

Bloomberg next had an interview with Geena Davis and her new book. This was less interesting to me. I finished my ride and did not finish the interview, but the book sounded interesting–but I don’t do biographies very often.

Breakfast was a repeat. I had yogurt and fresh local strawberries from 185th Produce. I next wrote a long blog for Saturday. This took the remainder of the morning. I reheated some Hungarian Beef Goulash–going for smaller portions as Jack suggested. I had a nectarine (also from 185th) for dessert. I watched a video on YouTube from Battleship New Jersey and learned that the ship is too tall to fit under the local bridge and the channel almost too shallow. This means removing the topmast, radar, and other posts to move the ship. Ballasting the front (bow) to trim the ship and being ready to move a ship with only five feet of room under and over–oh my.

I cleaned up and dressed. I boarded Air Volvo and crossed Beaverton in light traffic without difficulties or entanglements with Beaverton’s Finest. I soon arrived at Susie’s place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Susie was resting after waiting in the living room for me. There, she was excited to see me and was awake. I adjusted her bed so she could communicate from a more comfortable position and pushed the crash pad in so I would not trip on it and I could put the overstuffed chair next to her. With that done, I called Leta, Susie’s mother, and Barb, Susie’s sister, on my iPhone using FaceTime, and soon we had a three-way call going. Barb stayed only a few minutes as it was her husband’s birthday, and they were having dinner. We wished him, Gordon, a happy birthday and rang off. Leta and Susie chatted for a while.

After we rang off, Susie and I watched the completion of Season 2 of Only Murders in the Building. We both liked the show, and I thought season two was better than season one. The story and the players seemed to better fit the stories. Next, I played some Jimmy Buffet songs by asking Alexa to play them. I found my other favorite and played it: Bob Roberts Society Band. I often sing along.

After that, Louis, the Sunday evening nursing aide, got Susie back in her wheelchair, and we toured Metzger Park; it was overcast now but still warm–becalmed, actually. We watched the kids and folks in the park and then sat on the porch at the hummingbird house. Soon, it was approaching 5PM, and I left with a kiss and a promise to return on Monday. The drive back to the Volvo Cave took no time in light traffic.

I made a dinner of reheated Jambalaya a few days ago with a freshly made salad (again using veggies from 185th). I finished watching The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition 2001), which is still good and as fresh as when I saw the original version (which I thought was too short). After that, I rested but decided to write the blog tonight at Wildwood Taphouse. There, I got my first drink free as I ended that keg on my glass.

It is a cool night and pleasant at Wildwood. Thanks for reading.

Saturday began slowly for me. I rolled over and did not get started until after 9AM. I had written the blog on Friday, so I was not rushed, and the bed felt so good. I blew off my immobile bike riding and just went to breakfast. Often, I will make a special breakfast on Saturday morning, but not today–no stress morning. I did not need any more stress after the F**ked-up Friday, and I would be traveling and attending a family event in Michigan the following weekend–not exactly a relaxing fly-in and fly-out trip. So, it is best to take this slow and easy, and I did.

I started, though I am not happy with it, an essay for the US Naval Institute on using board games to build critical thinking. I will give it another try, but I suspect it will end up instead in 2600, again–that is what I did last time. I also plan an article for 2600 on why AI works and why it often fails. More on that later.

Aside: A guilt-free plug–my story on AI is included in the latest (Sunner 2023) 2600 Hacker Quarterly.

I also made a little kit for Richard. I connected a fire-like LED (you can find these on the internet) to a coin cell battery holder with a built-in on/off switch (Amazon). Richard wanted to see what it takes to light a building with a fire light. I added a small value resistor to stop the LED from burning out fast–impossible with a coin cell, but it makes me feel safe. I discovered that my heat shrinks are nearly out–I thought I ordered a small set, so I have some coming from Amazon soon. I shrink-wrapped the positive exposed lead and resistor and then used a larger wrap on the wires and the still exposed negative lead. It looks great. Ricard could just hot glue this into a model.

I discovered a bloom on Mister Lincoln; a bit heat-stressed but still lovely.

After all that, I showered, dressed, and remembered to put the newish game Ostia into the hold of Air Volvo. Air Volvo headed to Tigard. There was no real traffic on Saturday late morning in Beaverton. I saw unexpected lane changes and extra-legal driving through non-photo-enforced traffic lights on less busy intersections. I have not seen that here before–that is usually a California or East Coast thing–but some nav systems now inform a driver if the intersection is photo-monitored, allowing new extra-legal choices. Trying to remain legal at all times, I arrived safely at Susie’s place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116.

Susie was happy to see me, and we soon were enjoying the clear, warm day, almost 80F (27C) and still slightly humid. The park was not busy except for the usual dogs walking their humans and a fly that loved Susie and me. It would not go away. I found my favorite bench not in use, and soon, I occupied it with Susie next to me. We called Leta and Susie’s sister (mom and sister, respectively) on the iPhone and soon reached both to form a three-way call. Everyone on the call was cheerful, and we discussed some of my travel planning. Susie was tired and falling asleep in her wheelchair–she was fighting, I could see, to stay with us, but Morpheus could not be resisted. Susie was leaning forward, a hazard, and soon, we ended the call. I made the usual tour of Metzger Park, and we were chased by yellow jackets at one place with the wasps reacting to the spinning black wheel spokes (wasps don’t like things black and moving). We and the wasps were undamaged.

Returning to the hummingbird house, Susie decided to sit longer in her wheelchair–she was fighting against Morpheus again. We watched Only Murders in the Building, Season Two, while we shared a donut, and Susie washed it down with some Ensure–a few more calories for Susie, and she loves donuts. Evan appeared about 3/4 through the episode. Susie decided to move to her bed, and Anassa, the weekend nursing aide, got Susie comfy. We watched the next episode, but Susie nodded off, and I left a bit early. Susie was sorry to see me leave but was sleepy and wanted to rest. I went with a kiss and a promise to return for a more extended stay on Sunday–I usually spend Sunday afternoon in Susie’s room.

Air Volvo faced little traffic this holiday weekend, traveling to Portland from Tigard on Highway 5. I was soon at Rogue’s Ale in SE Portland off 9th Street. Evan joined me there, and we split a burger that was just huge. I had a Dead Guy (beer) and set up the board game Ostia, a Mancala mechanism-driven game (a new word for me). We had to remember how to play and a disk was missing (I think I remember that the game is short and you can use a spare to cover this), which delayed us while we searched for it.

Ostia is a resource and worker placement game with the Mancala driving your turn. You pick an action and then drop your ships around a port; the last ship placed gives you the second action. This means you need to think a few moves ahead. A main board is for exploring and capturing more options and resources. It took a while for this very different process and some anti-intuitive interactions to work into our thinking. I like the game, and it does not play too long, a feature I have begun to appreciate in many complex games. I won, but Evan was still trying to remember the rules so one does not count.

I ordered a hummus plate; it is Portland, so yes, there is always a veggie option with hummus at most bars. We consumed that with Pita bread (not entirely vegan) while playing the new incarnation of the board game Furnace: Interbellum. I like the new features and the setup. We did the quick setup as I was short on time–including randomly 24 original game cards plus all the Interbellum cards. The extra chip dail that you buy the value with coal is a very nice change. I was struggling, and Evan took the lead and beat the automated opponent by ten points–an excellent win.

With Evan’s win, I paid the bill, drove across Portland, sweltering in 85F with humidity (many in Portland adopt a beach-party-like clothing option in the summer), and soon reached Richard’s house. Tonight, another four-person Great Western Trail: New Zealand (GWTNZ) board game. Shawn, Richard, and I were in a rematch from last Saturday, and Kathleen joined us, the only newbie to the game. I described this game last week, so I will lightly cover the game.

I am finding that the games with the deck-building mechanic are becoming my favorite. Other games rely on other mark-driven mechanisms, and I find them fiddly, and we often find we miss something even after a half dozen plays. The clean-up in these games required to keep these markers correct also takes time away from the play and halts the game flow. GWTNZ just flows, and the rules are easy to understand. The iconography still confuses me, and there is a bit of meanness (you remove options from other players when you win them), but I think it is a pleasant game of sheep management and fun to play. Kathleen took the game with a huge score, with me ending at the bottom just below 100, but a good score, I guess.

Richard and I both tried to peanut-butter the game by doing many things. Shawn and Kathleen focused on high-point options that give things to do on each turn. Kathleen bought sheep, and Shawn built buildings, driving huge scores. GWTNZ seemed to want you to specialize to score huge–an important lesson, I think.

I drove Kathleen home after we spent 3:45 to play the game–it is just a bit too long for my taste. I am not sure it would play much faster on the next play with the same players. Still, I liked it.

There was a thunderstorm in Hillsboro when I arrived just after midnight, and I reheated some goulash to eat with my pills. I was soon asleep before 1AM. I slept through the storms.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

September has always been my favorite month in Oregon. It is often warm, even hot, but never the 100s (38c) we see in August. The rains reappeared and put the green back into the Pacific Northwest, ending the fires. A long weekend or weekday in a hotel room on the beach in September is lovely. The attractions, stores, and restaurants are no longer jammed, and the locals are happy to see you and get a few more dollars before the long wait for the tourists to return more than six months away. Time to watch the whales!

The day started with me waking a few minutes before my alarm and knowing, unlike yesterday, that it was Friday and the last working day of the week; we had the weekend off and even the holidays. There was no testing this weekend, and all the data conversions were completed. I was thinking of taking the day off, but someone else had beat me to it, so I stayed with it today. Before starting, I climbed into the Immobile Schwinn and did not travel 6.4 miles for 30 minutes. Today, the day for the release of the job information for the Fed and Wall Street’s consumption, Bloomberg froze and would not start. I asked Alexa and got essential news while I pedaled. The job news was OK, and the Market moved up just a bit.

After that, I found a NYC bagel (thanks, Joyce) in the freezer, still breathing heavily from the exercising, and heated and toasted the bagel. I covered the bagel with cream cheese (salmon flavor), washed the remaining local strawberries I bought at the 185th Market nearby, and had them with the bagel. Liberal coffee made in my French Press finished out breakfast. I took all the food to the in-home office and ate while working. I read emails, Slack channel updates, and the news to start my day.

Work started with a friendly staff meeting, with everyone happy to be free for the weekend. We also are moving to our new building this coming Tuesday. We are a bit disappointed as the pod assigned is a bit dark, and we will be squeezed into a smaller space. I started in a repurposed airless closet on campus the first time I moved to WHQ; this appears to be better.

I was finished with Zoom meetings at about 10AM. I then started to check my flights, hotels, and car reservations for my trip next week. I logged on to the Delta Airlines website, and my hotel and car reservations were gone from My Trip screens–f**k. I checked, and I had no emails of updates and nothing from Delta–more f**k. I then redid the hotel, thinking this was likely a double reservation, and I managed to complete it and was shocked at how cheap the hotel was (not what I expected). This was saved to my Delta-Expedia Itinerary, now showing two reservations–puke. I canceled both and then, again, redid my reservation, and it was even cheaper–oh my! I kept it.

Next, I called US Bank after my test of my Bank Card in Amazon failed to clear–f**k. After ten minutes of security checks, both computer and live, US Bank told me they had killed my card as there was suspicious activity, and they asked me about “ADT Hope” for $20.28, not mine. Yes, that was it. I will get a new card in a week. I must drive to a US Bank branch for a temporary card. Ugh!

While listening to a meeting, I write my usual mail-hold letter to the mail carrier. I just write them a letter each time, and that seems to work better than trying to fill out a card at the mail center. I put that in the mailbox–The mail will be held for Friday, Saturday, and Monday and delivered on Tuesday.

I showered and dressed after that, having three reasons for being sweaty! I was ready to see Susie after visiting the bank. Air Volvo flagged a warning message that the start-stop had a battery issue and needed service–F**K!

Aside: At this point, I imagine Crowley in the Good Omens series, a demon, deciding he needed a break from trying to save humankind from the latest apocalypse, and decided to ruin the faith of some random human to relax–my name came up, “Excellent job with completing the Oh-My-God checklist.”

I called Volvo, connected with service, and told them I was headed in and hoped the battery would hold. I  did not know, until later, that Volvo’s start and stop system has a separate little battery, like a motorcycle battery, that restarts the car and that the vehicle was safe as it had just disabled the start and stop until I got it repaired. I arrived, and Montana, the service person who helped me on Wednesday, listened and agreed that it was strange to break two days after service and would have the folks check the cables and find the issue. They soon learned that it was weird, but it did happen; $220 later and ninety minutes of drinking Volvo coffee and using their WiFi, I was back in Air Volvo with no warnings, headed to US Bank. Better.

US Bank helped without new issues, and all of it could be done at the teller. I tried the new temporary card out after setting the PIN number. All working. Better.

I traveled to Susie’s place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. This is also known as the hummingbird house, as Allegiance has two houses in the area. Susie was happy I finally made it, and we headed out to Metzger Park next door. Susie commented it was not cold today; it was above 80F in the sun and comfortable in the shade. It was a school day, and the kids were missing. The park contained mostly older folks and dogs walking their humans. The park manager was on his tracker pulling up the telephone pole-like wooden barriers they used as edges on the gardens; most were rotten. It must be time to replace and redo the garden edging before the rains become non-stop (late October).

We found the shady bench by the cedars and redwoods free, and I sat there with Susie to call Leta, Susie’s mother, and Barb, Susie’s sister, on my iPhone using FaceTime to form a three-way call. Barb was at Home Depot purchasing new laundry appliances (Labor Day Sale). Leta was at home enjoying her chair and the excellent weather in Michigan. We chatted for a while, but I had to get back to the house and log in to work, so soon we rang off.

Aside: While I don’t blame Barb and Gordon for getting new working laundry, the economists are unhappy with this spending. Many of my friends are buying new appliances as the pandemic delayed replacement, followed by pricing and supply chain issues, and only now do they get what they need. Yes, I know the economy is overheated and inflation is rising, but damn it, we must run our households. So f**k-off economists while we try to get back to normal, sheesh.

I followed along at work, and we debated how dark it would be at Nike next week in the new WHQ building. I sent my usual work picture to describe our new location in WHQ.

Susie and I watched two episodes of season 2 of Only Murders in the Building. Susie nodded off for the second, and it was after 4PM. I pulled out the crash pad, put up the gate for Susie, and left with a kiss. Susie sleepwalks, so it is essential to always have those in place when she is alone. When I go, I tell the nurse aide, Louis, in this case, that I have set this up and ask them to check. They have to know it is safe when I leave.

The traffic was heavy, the school-load traffic in fall-winter Beaverton. I stopped by the 185th farm-direct store at the corner of 185th and TV Highway to get some veggies. I was out of celery and carrots and lovely fruit. There, I passed on the seasonal hatch chilis (fire roasted as you watch) but was tempted (I just don’t know what to do with them).

At home, I made Jambalaya for dinner and re-watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition 2001). The ‘you will not pass’ sequence always fits my computer design process, and the ‘you don’t just walk into Mordor’ launched a thousand Memes. I do love that movie. I had too many bowls of Jambalaya, but it was good–I included some Trader Joe’s seafood mix besides the two types of spice sausage and some ham. I also included a can of Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, chopped celery, and carrots.

I took a nap, a food and stress-induced coma, and woke before 9 to write the blog.

Thanks for reading, and it is nice to get this done on Friday night.

 

Oregon ended the hot month of August in a cold downpour. Tonight, the puddles are on the roadways again, and tree frogs are hanging on the side of the house as if to say, “Yes, we made it.” The rain feels and sounds terrific. The rain-bearing front has pushed all the smoke away, and this is Oregon mist, so there is no fire-starting thunder; it is a glorious, heavy mist embracing us like an old, damp friend. It is also dark as the clouds are heavy and gray, hiding the super blue moon–there is no hint of it.

Going backward and briefly, I have just driven across Portland from the PDX airport area where the IKEA is located. I went there to look at cabinets and shelving. I did tour the whole store as a shopper’s easy workout. It is a long trip. I found a replacement pillow I needed, some Swedish Meatballs and sauce, and the lingonberry jelly. I also found some Halloween lights that would work in Susie’s tree.

After spending an hour in traffic, I arrived there, abandoning the highways and driving through Portland. The drive, which I have not made in years, was revealing. Portland is a mess of closed shops and graffiti intermixed with shops and food joints I wanted to stop at. Portland is now two cities at the same time. PDX is a rundown, crime-ridden, declining town and a Phoenix-like city showcasing new talent and imaginative shops and ideas.

After a fun drive through the parts of Sandy Boulevard, I reached the airport area and IKEA. Before shopping, I had meatballs for dinner and, with little guilt (it was delicious), a sweat cake dessert.

The price, like everything, has gone up to $14.99. It was beautiful as usual.

Before this, I spent the afternoon with Susie until 5ish. My boss called a meeting at 4:30, thus putting my trip to IKEA on the first rainy Thursday after school starts traffic mess. It was not his fault; it was a good meeting. Before that, I was hanging out in Susie’s room while she napped and pretended to watch M.A.S.H. Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide, said everyone stayed up late last night. Jennifer had a quiet afternoon; everyone was asleep!

So, I did reviews and meetings and followed along at work while sitting next to Susie. I have the Nike and my Apple computer on a table while sitting in the overstuffed chair. I had meetings at 1PM, so I was in the social room doing those while Jennifer got Susie ready to rest in her room and watch M.A.S.H.

Going back a bit, I arrived via Air Volvo at 12:30ish after crossing Beaverton in the damp. The heavy mist had already covered the roads, and puddles were returning, unseen since June’s thunderstorms. Air Volvo had all new windshield wipers and cleaned windshields from Wednesday’s visit to the Mothership–timely. The Volvo seemed more stable with the replaced engine holder, and it was also timely.

Susie was pleased to see me, and Jennifer popped her into her wheelchair with envious nonchalance. Susie had a blanket, and with no wind, the porch was an excellent place to enjoy watching the rain. We also called Leta and Barb, Susie’s mother and sister, respectively, on my iPhone via FaceTime. Barb and Leta both answered, forming a three-way video call. The chat had to be brief, as I received a message that I needed to attend the 1PM video call mentioned above. The ten minutes just disappeared, and soon I was ringing off and headed to my call and giving Susie to Jennifer, as I said above.

Before this, I rose at 7AM, wondering why it was not Friday; I think it should have been a Friday. I found the kitchen without much searching, filled the electric kettle with water, and remembered to turn it on. Next, I made Bloomberg work by restarting the app from the Firestick menu and just playing today. I watched for thirty minutes I spent on the Immobile Schwinn bike and did not travel 6.4 miles. It is still a challenging workout for me–but it is part of the retirement plan. I must lose some weight and be able to walk (or pedal) for hours–time to reverse what two years of sitting for the pandemic and cancer did. I am excited to have this opportunity to improve–some folks can’t.

Bloomberg is still focusing on the Fed and interest rates. They are asking where the inflection point is when yields switch back. Yes, we could reverse the signal for a recession, a yield curve reversal returning to normal (oh my). Or, in other words, are the Fed and other institutions done raising interest rates, and when will they reverse and start cutting. The other interesting observation is that the rates are not returning to zero, so what does that mean? Mostly questions without answers.

After that, I had oatmeal (two packs) doctored with some dried cranberries and walnuts, plus a banana. Of course, I made liberal coffee in the French Press to go with it. I ate this while getting caught up at work, on my own stuff, and more news. I spent the morning in Zoom meetings and managed to shower and dress mid-morning. I made soup, adding more egg noodles to a canned soup to make it so much better, and ate that for lunch, watching a few YouTube videos and commenting on the gaming reviews on the internet.

I am still doing my Quicken daily update of every dollar (other than cash). I avoid having the work stack up by doing the daily updates, which takes discipline. I will close August once I return from Linda’s Wedding (10 September 2023). I am ready for the 2023 Tax paperwork.

Again, we are happy to see the rain. We have a lovely September in the Pacific Northwest (don’t tell anyone).

 

 

It is 9PM, and I am tired, so I will cover the good moments and forego my usual story form.

I did not make it to Susie’s place today as Air Volvo was at mothership. This was the full service for 50K miles and a repair of the dog-bone torque arm that supports the motor. It helps to keep the engine still and reduce vibrations. The dealership detected the issue, and I agreed to have them repair it. This is all done online–no phone calls. I received the message and then responded by requesting to fix the issue–all online. I did not get the car back until the late afternoon. The Lift driver who took me back to the Volvo Dealership had decorated his vehicle in Star Wars items and was happy to see I had a Star Wars t-shirt. We talked about films, TV shows, and the animated canon while he took me to the Mothership for Air Volvo. Fun and unexpected, as most Lift drivers are boring.

I felt I got off light with a bill below $1000, and then learned to use my debit card or pay a 2.5% handling fee for credit cards–they don’t take checks–cash would work. US Bank covered it. I had brought my checkbook as I had used that before–not now. They also did not rotate the tires as the front tires were the best–hmm. I suspect new tires for next year.

I returned home as I received a request to approve some software changes in our ticketing systems. I was home, logged on to work, and cleared the issue, but I received further requests and did those, too. Next, I popped out to a barber shop I saw off of 198th; a small one-room addition to a house. For $12, she quickly returned me to my precancer and per-Covid-19 hairstyle–short biz look. It was fun to have long hair, but it was starting to get in the way, and frankly, I was shedding. Ick!

Bouncing out of order, I did make Alexa work and contacted Susie at 1PM for a video call. It worked perfectly, but Susie was not used to it. Soon, she got used to it, and we had a nice short video call. Excellent, I wanted to test that–excellent.

Dinner was with Dondrea and Z at the Mexican on Hall Boulevard place not far from their house. I had to cross Beaverton to reach it, and I loaded the games into Air Volvo (I unloaded when getting serviced). I also took a quick shower after the haircut–I hate the itchy feel after a haircut. Thus, I was clean-cut and clean on reaching the Mexican joint. I had a drink and mole on chicken enchiladas–excellent.

Air Volvo was quieter and seemed to run better. The seals in the back doors were repaired, besides the motor holder. I followed Dondrea and Z to First United Methodist Church after dinner.

Z and I set up Architect of the West Kingdoms, and Z immediately started to execute a plan. She collected all the resources to build the cathedral and then just built every level earning twenty victory points. I built all the levels left and some more buildings, but I could not catch Z. Z got a few more buildings built and crushed me by about ten points.

We were both happy to play the unique resource and worker placement game. We had not played it for a few months. There are so many good games it is hard to get everything on the gaming table.

We waited for the church band to finish their rehearsal sitting outside looking at the fountain. We shared some music videos, and Z liked the “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton.

I think I will stop there; thank you for reading.