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I spent most of Friday playing. I started early, even on my day off, and had to be in Portland by 11AM to play an adventure using the Call of Cthulhu Role Playing Game (CoC) with H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s Sean, one of its founders. The HPLHS has made a movie (not surprisingly, The Call of Cthulhu), still sells props for role-playing games, and even gives classes on prop creation. I am a happy customer. Before that, I had a rushed breakfast, wrote the blog, and assembled my look for today: a suit and vest with a Homburg. Friday mid-morning, traffic was slow, even when crossing Beaverton to reach Highway 217. I crawled to NE Portland, taking nearly an hour to get there–I usually twenty-five minutes. I arrived just on time, 11AM.

The game was packed into a small room in a bed-and-breakfast with five of us. I have been playing CoC since it was published, and I know the current system (7th Edition) and role-played my preacher–a premade character supplied by Sean. Sean’s story was a theater-of-the-mind with excellent props, and soon, the other players caught on and started to role-play and work through the puzzle and hazards. The stuff Sean prepared was excellent; even our biographies of our premade characters included a news clipping describing our character to role-play.

It was five hours of play. An excellent adventure which we solved–details cannot be shared. You have to play it with Sean to learn this one–most excellent.

After the game, I headed out immediately, moved Air Volvo to a better location, paid for it, and discovered there was a meet-and-greet at the Billard’s place nearby (a pool hall near the Hollywood Theater). There, I met the designer of the event’s poster and a designer of role-playing who wrote one of the books I still use occasionally. I added to the crackers a tiny bit of lunch meat and a banana I had eaten so far. A Chicago Dog and two beers (plus 1/2 order of french fries) were lunch and dinner.

After paying for my repast and finding some writers selling their books (I bought two hard copies from the various writers), I headed to the Hollywood Theater. I soon had my left side, three rows back, with a perfect view for this showing. Placing my Homburg on my seat, I got my goodies for the Kickstarter. Found beer and popcorn and set that safe in my seat and the next seat. Ready. It is a polite group of cultists, and just putting your hat on the seat is good enough (it will be there when you get back, and nobody will take your seat).

I tried to reach Susie, but service was poor. I went outside (the show had not started yet) and tried to reach Susie’s place. I had to leave a message.

Brian and Gwen started the show with the usual cheering, and soon, I was watching the first set of short movies. They were a mix of funny and creepy. Nothing was disturbing. The cosmic stories that make you fear open skies, the unseen, and what is on the beach or sea scare me the most.

The feature was the recent horror and sexy movie Suitable Flesh, part of a set of films dealing with the reanimation of the dead and possession. While fun, it is not that scary or disturbing. I finished my beer and popcorn.

I found Air Volvo and returned with only a few minor missteps in Portland. I was in the wrong lane to get to Highway I-84 and had to get turned around. After that, there were no issues, and soon, Air Volvo had me back at the Volvo Cave. I disassembled more than undressed. My new vest is not quite fitting, and I pulled some buttons–I will see what can be done for the blue suit. Or lose that weight. To paraphrase Hercule Poirot, my tailor’s bill and recommendations are less painful than my doctors.

I, taking taking my pills, soon was in bed. I fell immediately to sleep.

Thanks for reading. No dreams–that I remember.

Last night, Gwen told me her requirements for an excellent 500-word micro-fiction horror story. It must tell a complete story and must make her shiver. Next year!

I am writing this on another clear and soon-to-be-hot sunny Oregon fall day. The weather pattern is that we have lovely days and then gray and damp days. The length of the sunny days becomes smaller until it vanishes in November, and we start the rains that end in July (or now ending in early June from climate change). So 54F (12C) in the morning and 82F (28C) in the afternoon. The clear skies fall means sneezing and burning eyes for me from the pollen as the trees and plants send out that last burst before the seemingly endless gray days start.

Thursday, I was rushing. I had a 7:30 meeting, so I was up at 6AM, dressed, out the door by 7AM, and in the office in time for the meeting. The meeting was a bust and was rescheduled to fit other people’s schedules. Before this, I had managed to organize liberal coffee and an NYC bagel and to read some emails and updates before heading out. Somehow, even thirty minutes earlier, I found a school bus to slow me down.

Work was the usual Zoom meetings for hours. The usual place for me to hang out and do the calls was being painted. New giant 85″ screens are going up as part of the building refresh for us new tenants. I found a couch and did my meetings. My hearing is failing, and my left ear garbles sound, so headphones don’t work well for me. Now, I just talk into the screen and try to listen without headphones (the conversation would disturb others, so I find a place in the atrium that won’t bother anyone). I had hours of Zoom meetings.

Lunch was a lunch meeting with Scott. This is my chance to walk the Nike WHQ. Our building, Swift, is on the extreme side, and Serena Williams (the building, not the person) is on the other side. I use the hidden path at Nike WHQ through the parking lots to make the line straight (Scott showed that to me last time). The walk is lovely and encompasses the new campus and the recent campus (Nike WHQ was built in three steps about ten years apart, with the last one finishing up now with the remodeling of some of the existing buildings). I was twenty minutes early, but now, knowing the walk time of 25 minutes, I can plan better next time. I followed along on my iPhone while waiting.

Lunch was from the salad bar–healthy, and Scott and I chatted about work and the cool stuff he is getting done. I will admit I was a bit grumpy, but the project is in the final testing and is tedious and stressful at the same time. After over a year of coding, building systems, and testing, I want to install it and move on–makes me grumpy to wait. But we still had a nice lunch and chat.

I walked back to Swift, and it was now hot, and my coat made me warm. It was needed when I started, but the hot sun had jumped the temperatures by ten degrees! I got to Air Volvo, removed the hat and coat, and boarded. Next, Susie’s place at Susie at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. The traffic was light, and The City of Beaverton was installing holes elsewhere, so the construction delays were short.

Susie was happy to see me. I brought the eclipse glasses kits I found on Amazon for 14 Oct 80% eclipse and gave them to Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide. I received a musical Advent Calendar from the catalog company Bas Bleu that plays 24 different Christmas songs, one for each day, and showed it to Susie. I put it in her room for later use. It is a German product, and some of the songs I don’t recognize, but it should be fun.

Sorry about the finger in the pic!

It was a hot day now, and Susie enjoyed a trip to Metzger Park next door to the hummingbird house. The park was filled with children with their parents and dogs walking their humans. I could see Susie enjoying all the positive energy bubbling off of everyone. We did a three-way video call with Susie’s family members, Leta (mom) and Barb (sister). Susie was thrilled to talk to Barb and Leta. We were at my favorite bench in the shade of the redwoods and cedars. The crows were back and were calling out. It was a pleasant, short visit.

Soon, I had Susie back at hummingbird house, and Michelle Nixon was busy cutting folks’ hair. I kissed Susie goodbye. I will not make it there on Friday; my annual attendance at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival starts today. I returned to work and worked until about 4ish as I was tired from the early calls and had trouble sleeping this week.

I returned to the Volvo Cave via Air Volvo in light traffic, but I did have to circle back as I forgot that our main access road, 209th, is now closed as they rebuilt it (again!). At the house, I got the mail and rested for a bit. I then dressed in my suit, which included suspenders. The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival VIP party and summon ceremony was tonight.

Suspenders are like a reverse bra for men, except it is connected to your pants. So I have to button the unit into the pants and then redo it when I discover it is twisted (since most of it is on your back, it is hard to know it is wrong). The suspenders are under my vest, too, and I find myself, like some gals, discreetly adjusting my straps. I am also aware that my pants are held up by this, so if I pull on the straps too hard, I will unsnap the connection. This mistake will soon be exposed unless I get to the men’s room fast! I learned that at my sister’s wedding, early in the evening, I was quickly in the men’s room to discover the cause of the sudden lightness and corrected it before the problem was exposed to all the guests.

It took me thirty minutes to get ready and leave after 6PM to the usual parking lot, Highway 26, 405, I-84, arriving precisely on time, parking three blocks away in a residential area. The Lift Off Lounge is a dive bar with excellent food, imaginative cocktails, and an Art Deco theme–perfect for us cultists. One free drink was offered, and finger food and even BBQ on a bun (excellent) were free for the taking.

A gal was singing 1920s and 1930s music on a tiny stage. It was crowded and crazy, but we were a friendly audience. Many of us were trying to remember the names of the folks we met last year and before. I became reacquainted with folks and had two Call of Cthuhlu drinks (gin and something). “We Lurk,” and the chanting was done to “bless” and “summon” the festival into being.

I left after 9 and arrived home at about 10ish. I was tired. I disassembled more than I undressed and got everything put away and safe. My blue suit for Friday! I woke up a few times and forgot to put out the trash. I had terrible leg cramps at 6ish.

But it’s still a great day.

Thanks for reading.

It is now a clear sky evening in Oregon. We watched the weather change from cold and rainy to Oregon mist to clear. We are headed back to 80F highs (27C) this week. The eclipse is 14 Oct 2023, with mixed clouds and sun; Tigard will be 80% dark, and I have special glasses for a party at the hummingbird house. If we are overcast, we can use the pinhole eclipse-watching method–it does not need direct sunlight to work.

I got home at 9ish and then unloaded all the games from Air Volvo, as this weekend is the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and then I started writing the blog (and planning my Festival). I have a VIP event on Thursday night, a Call of Cthulu Role Playing Game on Friday morning with the HPLHS (the folks that make some of the best props), and then the Festival starts at 7PM Friday. I am excited. I had my suits cleaned and will look more 1920s in a suit with a vest. I have a Homburg to wear with them.

Going backward, Z and I played the board game Z’s suggestion, Brass: Lancashire, a mean economic game with a complex resource usage model. We both love it, but this time, I did take some resources that Z planned on–mean games continue to limit options as they are played, and it is often to your advantage to take something the other player wanted. I got Z a few times, but she blocked me too. I recommend the game but be ready to be frustrated by your friends.

It took us the whole time to play with a delay for Z to do homework. I was not sure who had won until I totaled the score. Z was ahead in the first epoch, but I managed to build lots of level 2 coal mines in the first epoch that were ready to build my trains and network. Again, it is a harsh game, and I planned three turns out and across epochs. I was ahead by 13 at the end; I just managed to slide by Z.

Before this, I had my new standard Wednesday order at Shake Shack: an avocado, bacon, cheese, beef burger. All the food groups! The fries, while nothing great, are fresh and slightly crunchy. I was tempted to do the double patty as it is a smallish burger, but I think that is unwise if I want to lose ten pounds in six months!

Moving back in the day, I was at Nike WHQ, supporting the data conversions and reading and approving fixes and designs. I did talk to my boss about Susie’s status, as I like Brad to know what is happening.

Before this, I was at Susie’s place at Susie at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Susie was feeling more talkative and awake today, and we had a friendly chat with Leta, Susie’s mother, on a FaceTime video call. I usually only stay a short time, but I could stay a little longer today. I then stopped by Panera and had soup and a chicken almond 1/2 sandwich. I am coughing again and very tired. I thought some chicken soup and a small but good sandwich would be perfect. I was not overly sleepy from it later.

I had forgotten that lunch was provided in Swift today. I did get some chips later as a snack.

Moving back to the start of the day, I was not happy to be awakened from a deep sleep by my alarm. I then set it thirty minutes out, and seconds later, well, it seemed like that, it went off again. I rushed and managed to have cereal with milk and sliced banana with my liberal coffee. I did the usual things, and soon, I headed to the office and got there before my first meeting at 8.

I am tired and just had a 10PM meeting with India. Time to close this, and again, dear reader, thanks for being here with me.

 

The US House of Representatives removed the Speaker today and left Washington agog.

Here in Oregon, we are slowly moving from the rain to warm and sunny days. It was a bit humid in the early evening. The next couple of days should be superb. We are doing our usual October pattern of rain and then some sun, with the length of rain increasing as the month ages and the sun finally disappearing as November is reached, leaving us with grey, wet days for six months.

It was a work-from-the-office day, so I started at 6:30 with some sleep. I had a 10PM meeting with India and had trouble sleeping until 1ish. It made the morning a difficult start. I slept until my alarm with dreams I don’t remember. I climbed out of bed and made a breakfast of liberal coffee and cereal with milk. I read the basic emails and text while eating. Next, I showered, dressed, collected my Nike laptop, and boarded Air Volvo. I made the quick trip to the office, but I did notice that 209th is now closed to through traffic, and TV Highway is now unreachable from our side of 209th.

I reached the office with speed and was ahead enough on the time that I met no school buses. I then started my usual and predictable day of two hours of Zoom meetings. Another breakfast was supplied by the project to welcome another week of 7/24 support–Bacon! I enjoyed that while doing more meetings. Jim, our VP, stopped by when I was on a call. I stopped my attendance and talked to him a bit. We had a friendly chat. I returned to my meetings.

At 10ish, I got some water and started to watch the spectacle of the US House of Representatives removing a speaker for the first time in history. As a liberal, I am not upset to see all this noise for the extreme right, but I am also saddened as we have more important issues to work on. But I understand that the currency of the US House is power, and this was about that. Thus, this kerfuffle would have to be played out.

Warning: Grammarly is unstable, so the edits are incomplete.

Next, I saw Susie at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116. Air Volvo arrived without issue, and the construction traffic seemed reduced today. Susie was just finishing a late breakfast when I arrived. Jennifer, the weekday nursing aide, said Susie ate well today. But Susie lost another 1/2 pound and shows signs of fat loss that may require careful padding. We discussed hospice with Leta and Susie, but are not ready to commit. It is where we are headed if Susie continues to weaken.

Aside: I know this will make some of the readers sad or even upset. Susie is eating well. She is not gaining weight. This directs us to another issue, but we are not interested in starting tests and X-rays to see the challenge. Susie says, “No,” and I respect that. We will do our best.

Returning to the story, Susie was happy to talk to Leta on the phone. Leta was still at Panera Bread in Lansing, Michigan, but she found a place to do the iPhone two-way video call. We had an excellent call.

As it is a work day, I have to leave soon. I went with a kiss. I was disquieted by Susie’s condition. I find myself in a cycle that is first sadness changing to wanting to take some action to not wanting to make things worse, repeat.

I returned to work after getting a Western Burger at Carl’s Jr.–A guilty pleasure. I ate it in the parking lot, reading news on the vote to remove the Speaker of the House. Work was a blur of meetings, updates, reading and approving some items, and a retirement party. Jenny, a 25+ year employee, retired today. She will be riding her horses and camping more. I suspect some trail rides are being planned by her. I signed her retirement wall hanging, “A Trail Ride into the Future.”

From work, ACN folks Spandan and David decided it would be good to meet for dinner and drinks. So I spent the evening talking about software, family, and enjoying each other’s company. It was a lovely evening.

Well, I am getting tired. Please forgive me for stopping there. Sorry, there are typos.

Thanks for reading! I am sorry I did not take any pictures today. It was just a rushed, busy day.

The day started with me dreaming about traveling and trying to get to the airport in time for my flight home from distant lands for work. I managed it in the dream and woke up on time, just before my alarm. I was thrilled to wake up rested without any COVID-19 and flu side effects. I had the vaccines on Saturday, and they made Sunday a tough day. I managed to get started and make an NYC bagel for breakfast, adding capers this time to the cream cheese. I was in the home office by 7PM with my bagel and liberal coffee summoned into existence by boiling water poured into my French Press.

I started my shift and enjoyed hours and hours of Zoom meetings on status. I captured issues for the master data engineering team and shared them. I approved some designs and some installs of software. After the Zoom meetings ended, I kept a close eye on the emails and Slack updates from the project. I did manage to slide in a shower and getting dressed between a few meetings.

While watching work on email and channels, I cut up a green pepper, sliced up spicy sausage into little squares (I cut it length-wise to make squares instead of across to make coin-like slices), and added in a can of Mexican-style stewed tomatoes after the frying sausage and green peppers started to stick to the pan. I then broke up the tomatoes with a spoon while stirring the frying items. I reduced the heat and let that all cook for a while. Next, I added in my favorite boxed Jambalaya mix (spices and rice), added enough water to make it look like soup, brought the mixture to a boil, reduced the heat, and covered. This cooks for 15 minutes. I then add a mix of seafood, all frozen, from Trader Joe’s. I add some more hot water and recover for ten more minutes. Done!

I started the laundry, as Monday is my usual laundry day.

I pulled out the ice maker and dumped the ice into a large bowl. I let the frozen solid ice maker melt outside. I did stop the ice maker after I heard the first dump into the frig. Oops.

Lunch was excellent! I watched more videos on YouTube, one from Nerd of the Rings and another from Battleship New Jersey’s channel, while eating. Both shows were nerdy, and I will not recount them here. I recommend these YouTube channels.

I put the Jambalaya pan on the ice and thus cooled down the food to store as leftovers. Ready now, I boarded Air Volvo with my two computers and the shoe company’s laptop. It is a wet and overcast Oregon day that becomes one of a parade of endless wet, gray days we see starting in November that some years only ends in July. The depression and suicide rates should not rise this week as we all want to see Wednesday and high 70F sunny days later this week. Enjoying and welcoming the rains (yes, I am one of those), Air Volvo quickly got me to Susie’s place at Allegiance Senior Care LLC, 9925 SW 82nd. Ave. Portland (Tigard), OR 97223; phone (503) 246-4116.

Susie is already in bed, and I bring in the purchases at Safeway I made on the way in. Two cases of Ensure, Extra Protean, and two bunches of flowers. One bouquet has a wooden owl, and Susie picks that for her room. The other one will be for the main table to share. The Safeway brand grocery store in Aloha is near our house; they have great flowers. Also, boxes of pasta were a buck (up to ten) today, and I got some fresh fruit for breakfast (bananas) and snacks (applies). That remains in the Volvo Cargo Storage.

Returning to Susie, Susie was resting and watching M.A.S.H. but was happy to have me visit. Using FaceTime to form a three-way call, we called Leta and Barb (her mother and sister, respectively) on my iPhone. Barb was sitting on her deck in Michigan relaxing on the hot, 80F (27C), and humid Michigan fall day. Leta was inside, sitting in a chair and relaxing in the AC. We talked briefly, with Susie “resting her eyes” a few times. We soon rang off. I stayed the afternoon with Susie.

I left as I was falling asleep, with a kiss at 4PM. The side effects of the vaccines are returning, and I am again feeling exhausted. I headed to Barnes and Noble (B&N) in messy traffic. The rain has slowed folks, and there were many back-ups. I soon was at B&N and bought my usual magazines: Electronic and model building periodicals.

Next, I headed to The Rock: Wood Fired Pizza and ordered a large red ale and an all-meat pizza. I love their pizza. I had this, as usual, with a side salad. Excellent this time. I will have a few slices left for breakfast–excellent for mornings.

And that takes us to now. I am writing the blog and will get a coffee in The Rock bar before I leave (or hot tea if they have no coffee).

Thanks for reading!

FYI: I was notified I did not place in the 500-word horror story this year. That makes it twice I was passed by after winning in 2021. Next year!