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So far, no symptoms and tests are negative, so I will be back to work and seeing Susie on Thursday!

The owner of Allegiance Senior Care, the agency running hummingbird house, sent me this picture of Susie and said Susie was doing well. It is a higher resolution than I usually use, so it may take a bit to load.

Leta, Susie’s mom, and Glenda, her aunt, called Susie and had a friendly chat. I called and talked to Vanessa to check that Susie was well. Susie is fabulous.

I also got the tiny RMS Titanic model fixed today. As you might remember from a previous blog, the masts were broken. I made new masts from tiny brass pipes and wires. I primed the brass and then painted. I glued a tiny crow’s nest on the first mast made from a used piece of a plastic model that I need not need (HMS Dreadnought in 1/350 scale–about two feet). Modelers, like me, always keep the spares as they find use in later models. Here is the fixed model; it is a pretty model:

I am tempted to put smoke on the funnels with gray-black colored cotton. I have seen versions where the port holes are drilled out and the model lighted.

I also finished the movie 2010 Space Odyssey (the second movie). Again looking at the model potential and all those colors. HAL-9000 is a hero in this version and gets a few good lines.

I had two poached eggs on toast for breakfast with French press liberal coffee. Lunch was a GrubHub order, the vegetarian plate from the Gyro House adding Baba Ghanoush (cooked garlic and eggplant whipped into a dip loosely translated as “Dad’s Fav”). Dinner I forgot to eat and so had some cheese as a snack.

Work was online, and there were quite a few Zoom meetings starting at 8:05 and ending this evening at 5:05. I tried to work on some crises, but they are hard to solve, and it will be an ongoing challenge.

I slept until 7:30 and followed along all day on email, text, and Slack messages.

I was locked inside. I did water the roses, it was 94F, and Mister Lincoln was still flowering in the heat. The other repeat blooming roses have smaller roses; this is usual for repeating roses in mid-summer.

I started a new brain cookie as the WW2 book made me sad: Death and the Conjuror: A Locked-Room Mystery by Tom Mead. I like it so far, about 1/3 of the way through it. The author has adopted many words I have never seen before–I have so far refused to look them up. A magician consulting detective works for me.

The next model to be repaired is the Nautilus. This is not the Disney version, but a new model that keeps the steampunk look still and comes with internal space to see through the famous window in the side of the fictional submarine. The model I build also includes a lighting kit and sound. I originally had the boat (submarines are always boats, not ships) balanced on the giant squid, but this has caused the model to shake and finally break loose and be damaged.

Here is the model in 2013, finished and sitting on the giant squid with the lighting on. Unfortunately, it is now broken loose and has taken some light damage. I have some clear rod stock and will mount it to the base to make it more stable. The power plug in the base is also broken and needs to be reglued in place. I may order a case for it; it is a stunning model.

Aside: If you want to build one, here is some information on the hit here. Extra brass and lighting kits are available. I enjoyed building this one. I might have to build another one.

Continuing on the Nautilus theme, I have acquired the 3D print files for a Disney-styled version. I thought I would like that better than the figure supplied in my copy of the board game Nemo’s War. So I will get the resin printer going again and see if I can print a small enough one for the game.

Well, it has been an uneventful day, and I will end there. Today I did not go with a narrative as it was a quiet day locked in the house. Soon I will be free.

Some additions…

Today is Leta’s birthday, and I managed to get flowers delivered today. She loved them.

Susie and I will meet our new doctor on the 19th of September at 12:40. We will need to transport Susie. Legacy had Ruth call me, and she had some suggestions to reduce the cost of transporting Susie. I will also chat with Allegiance Senior Care and work out something reasonable.

October is the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and I have another 500-word horror story to write. I am thinking of two possible themes. The experience of a cultist being sacrificed and then being rescued by a healing spell ruining his summoning of an evil god–from a gaming session. Or the story of a person in a nursing home from the damage of having his conscience being copied into a space creature and sharing in dreams of flying through space. I am leading to the second one.

Thank you for reading. I see from the statistics from WordPress about fifty people are reading the blog a day, on average. I also just paid the Grammarly bill of about $150 a year.

I will cover essential topics and summaries and then cover today’s narrative, which was mostly boring me locked down in the Volvo Cave.

Most importantly, I spoke to Hanna at the hummingbird house, where Susie resides, and Hanna reported that Susie was feeling better and ate well. No sign of Covid-19, but everyone is now wearing KN-95, and cleaning and sanitizer are heavily used at hummingbird house. Leta called Susie later and had a friendly chat, and Leta could understand Susie. Good!

Second, I passed my second Covid-19 test, so it is unlikely I will become infected. However, I will still isolate myself for three days (one full day completed). I will test again at the end unless symptoms surface. My asthma is making it hard these days. I start on my long weekends in August with the first long weekend, starting with taking this coming Monday off.

Another important detail is that I am trying to get a new doctor for Susie and me. Ours is retiring. I called the office, was on hold for a long time, and left a message. They called me back, and I tried to pick one, but they wanted an in-person visit for Susie. That means medical transport for a few to many hundreds of dollars, so I strongly suggested they provide a video meeting instead of me having to spend too much money. This meant they would have to call me back. I am still waiting. We will see.

Working at home at the shoe company, I was trying to follow up with previous crises of the moment that were not resolved at work. So I mainly asked for updates, checked issues’ details, and listened to status and staff meetings. So not an exciting narrative.

I did start reading a new book and took a few breaks to read today: Second World War by Anthony Beevor. Would you like a single volume with less than a 1,000-page retelling of the war that is well written and a page-turner (if you love history)? Then Mr. Beevor has done that impossible task. I did not know how terrible, no, I thought I knew, but I learned WWII was more terrible than I ever thought. I might have to take a break a few times from this. This is the war in Asia, Europe, and the rest of the world–a fantastic accomplishment to get it all into a book. I am on page 55.

Lastly, before starting a short narrative, it is hot: about 101F (39F) with low humidity and high air quality (here), and there are no fires nearby. I watered all my roses and will soon have to start with the lawn’s sprinklers.

Returning to a narrative style, I woke up my alarm, decided that would not happen, and reset the iPhone to 7:30. I did my meetings and dressed. Being late for a meeting that was not on my calendar but on my phone (how do you do that!?), but managing OK. I then tried to handle a few issues.

I made a grilled ham and cheddar cheese sandwich and found excellent pickles and had two of those. I fry the sandwich in butter and get the bread to brown a bit. Next, I get some water into the pan and cover it to make the hot steam cook the sandwich. I flip it again to ensure that if the bread gets damp that I cook it to be dry. Cut it on a plate. I used to make these grilled sandwiches for Susie and cut them into quarters for her. I miss cooking for her.

Work went on, and I made baked (microwaved) potatoes (two small ones) with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon for dinner. I set the frozen cooked bacon (I buy precooked frozen bacon and keep it in the freezer) in the sun on the deck. It was almost hot when I retrieved it twenty minutes later! I cut up the bacon with kitchen shears, covered the potato, and added a green olive to each potato–remembering the look from Istanbul’s potato bars. I made and ate dinner listening to the hour-long status meeting at 5:05, as usual.

I finished the movie 2001 Space Odyssey. I have to admit I fast-forwarded the endless psychedelic parts. I wanted to look at the spaceships and shuttles. I also, of course, as you could imagine, love HAL-9000. I was looking at the colors and how the structures worked. I might build some kits someday.

I started the next film, 2010, and stopped after the SAL-9000 asked, “Will I dream?” My favorite part of 2010 is the computers and the creepiness. I will watch it more later in the week.

I did hear a new song that I will share. It is banjo rap, oh my–so good and so wrong: Stick Season.

I was very sad tonight, but I returned to my repairs for my RMS Titanic model and started listening to music, which helped. I might have to find more fun stories to read than WW2! And HMS Victory is calling me. I also have some wooden ones. Hmm, yes, I just need some time off. Next month!

Thank you for reading, and know we are all in this together–even when locked in the Volvo Cave.

Aside: I was looking at websites on the VW’s all-electric new bus, with self-driving, coming to the USA in 2023. Air Volvo might be replaced by The Bus Electic!

Today’s blog will be shorter and to the point. The hummingbird house has an outbreak of Covid. I have tested negative, and so has Susie. Susie was not feeling well, according to the nurses there. I have not gone to visit as this is too fluid of a situation for me to pop into. I will try to get there in a few days.

I have talked to the RN and some of the nursing aids. Unfortunately, my call last call was not returned. I am sure they are busy and will get back to me soon.

The day started with me being tired and my breathing issues coming back. I take my inhaler, but I sometimes feel like drowning in the air. I know that is not happening; it is just your mind playing tricks on you, but it is not a great feeling.

I woke at 6:15 and then decided that 7:30 was better. The extra hour did help. I had breakfast, yogurt, and a pair of small lemon poppy muffins I made yesterday. I listened to the 8:05 status meeting that ran over its time slot. I then got in the shower and dressed, thinking I was headed to hummingbird house today.

I had multiple calls from Michelle Nixon, the owner of the hummingbird house, and a note to listen to my voice mails. I missed the call while getting dressed. The message told me that Covid-19 may have come to the adult foster home.

I tested for Covid-19, and after 15 minutes, I was negative for the virus. I gave permission to test Susie; she was bi-weekly tested at Forest Grove, so this would be a normal process for her. When I got my last update from Brittany, the RN, Susie was negative but not feeling well.

I was not visiting today. I left a message to let Susie know.

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. I managed to mess up my timesheet to my boss’s amusement–it took me three tries to get it right. I did follow along and helped with a crisis of the moment.

Lunch was leftover spaghetti I had delivered a few days with chicken parmesan. I was also using my inhaler a lot. Likely a reaction to the new stress of dealing with this. Also, not visiting Susie leaves me feeling inadequate and alone. I know nothing I can do but let the Covid-19 emergency play out and know that Susie and the folks are all bolstered by the follow-up vaccinations. I have had four shots. We are doing the right thing, but it sucks.

I will self-isolate for the next three days and test every day–I have all these test kits we never needed. Guess it is time to learn how to use them.

Here are my negative results with the verbose instructions with pictures. Yes, I swabbed myself. Sucks.

On instructions, I got a brilliant set of new instructions for the 1/100 HMS Victory plastic model I want to build someday (it is enormous) delivered from the Czech Republic today. The instructions include every rope and block to be constructed and strung, and the instructions create an assembly order that makes each process small steps. It also has clear painting instructions (not cheap at 60 Euros). In addition, I have bought sails, cannons, wood decks, and other components to enhance the model from the same source: HIS Models. I was so happy I sent them an email, and they replied, offering to provide any help when I start the build. In addition, they hope to see photos of the model when completed. Excellent.

During all this chaos, I finished replacing two more outlets in the house. I did cut the power to the house and just did the two replacements. I did slip with the pliers to get the wires out of the old outlets. Back in the 1970s, they had a push in technology for the plugs and lights. Now I am using the old-school stuff that requires creating a loop and placing the loop under a screw. Getting the wires out of the old stuff is a challenge. I finished them in about 15 minutes and tested the plugs; they were all good. One of the plugs I replaced with an expensive wall plug with C-USB power plugs.

Aside: I update the house occasionally, and when the light is bright, it is hard to see with the power out. I replaced almost all the incandescent lights with LED fixtures. Some I have replaced again as the LEDs fixtures can fail as they are both the light and the fixture. The LEDs use much less power, and cost less over time, I do not have to get on a ladder but once now to replace the light (I hope), and the LEDs produce little heat.

I made dinner listening to the last status meeting at 5:05. I defrosted a pork chop by just putting it outside and flipped it after 45 minutes. I found some frozen veggies and microwaved a potato. I was hungry. I made pan gravy for the chop, but I did overcook the chop on the stovetop. I usually use the oven to finish a chop, but it is a hot day, so just the stovetop for dinner today!

I chopped some garlic and fried it in butter with almond slices. I wilted the beans I took from the microwave with the goodness of butter, almonds, and garlic. Frozen green beans need a bit of kick to make them good. To be perfect, frozen corn niblets must be steamed in a basket with pepper and the lightest salt (show it the salt). I like adding butter to the frozen corn before the water gets hot. Sour cream for the potato and a bit of the pan gravy, and I add one green olive as I saw that done in Istanbul’s potato bars.

I finished dinner and finished the book The Club Dumas, trying to relax my breathing. I like the ending and the complexity of this book. The movie made from the book, The Ninth Gate, does a great job of resetting the story in New York and simplifying the insane plot of the book. I love both. But, it is hard going as the author does not make the characters very sympathetic–you have been warned.

I needed to relax, and over the last few years, I have looked at all the fabulous 2001 A Space Odyssey model kits. Some are even 3D printed! Many nice things with lighting kits and movie-matching layouts are available now. Thus, I put on, for free, the movie and watched it about 1/2 way. I did not remember the film very well. I did notice all the colors now, as all of that is reproduced in many models.

I wrote the blog and tried not to panic.

Thanks for reading!

The day started with me getting going at 6:30ish and starting on my blog after having some yogurt for breakfast. I kept writing through the Zoom status meeting at the shoe company at 8:05. I listened while I was writing and even commented on a few status items. I could not write fast while listening, but I did make some progress.

I finished Saturday’s 1,300 words blog by 9:15ish and got ready for church at 10:30. Air Volvo got me to the church on time without incident. Shawn gave the sermon, and the focus was your foundation for your beliefs. He titled it “Good Foundation.” He described how his faith has been strengthened by his experiences in Karate and the pandemic (all the people coming together to help each other). He also expressed that you can find solace in his favorite band’s rock and roll lyrics, whose name I lost (trying to remember it all day). Howard Ashley, our music director, played a fun version of Do Lord, Remember Me before we started the service (arr. Chuck Marohnick). I found a version online that will get you an idea of the start of our service. It was a profitable morning!

I was out of church at about 11:30, headed to lunch near the church, and selected Ur Mediterranean after parking Air Volvo on the street. While the service and dining area were basic–being kind, the food was terrific and had that extra home-cooked goodness that I had not tasted since I was in New York City. So if you stop by Ur Mediterranean, I suggest grabbing some food and taking it out to the nearby park.

Rant: Not related to the story; I saw a bottle on the ground next to a few more of the same type in Beaverton today, not far from where I parked Air Volvo. It is not the littering that makes me angry. These were 200ml booze bottles, and I know that alcoholics buy them when they are begging–their lives ruined by addiction. A 200ml is just a few bucks. The folks that beg for change that are addicted to alcohol use the small amounts they get to buy these tiny bottles–it stops them from getting withdrawal symptoms. When I see them tossed in pairs on the ground, I think of all the pain of addiction. The world seemed so lost to me for a while when I saw these bottles lying on the ground–pure pain. 

With a food-coma from a large gyro with spicy lamb consumed with gusto after a small breakfast trying to take me, I headed to see Susie. I reached, using Hall Boulevard to cross Beaverton, hummingbird house without incident. As usual, I was carefully following all the speed limits–the trip on Hall Boulevard is a tour of different speeds that change with only a white sign warning you to brake. So yes, the delta of legality is from 20 to 30 to 45 back to 35 to 30 to 20, all in a few miles. This requires you to pay attention not just to the fascinating driving traditions of Beaverton, Oregon (slowing for potential green lights, driving slow in the left lane, and slowing abruptly for a turn and then signaling), but to the signs and your speed. Do not even think of touching your phone!

Susie was napping in her chair and woke and smiled when she saw me. Rachel, the nurse today, told me that Susie had slept in late today and seemed more active than what was reported for yesterday. Susie was sleepy yesterday. Susie decided to do the park first today.

Rachel got Susie in her wheelchair, and then we headed outside. It was past noon, and the hot sun was starting to bake Oregon; however, there was a nice cool breeze, and the shade in the park was just perfect.

Metzger Park was full of happy kids enjoying the swings, climbing bars, slides, and spinning manual rides. The parents were at picnic tables eating or just watching. Dogs were also everywhere on leashes and enjoying a walk in the park. Plastic bags are supplied by the park for the pet owners, and trash cans are set in useful places to help folks keep the park clean and safe.

In the park, I watched one group of smaller kids playing miniature soccer against two adults. All of the kids playing against the two men. The adults clearly had the advantage of size and coordination, except the small nets and smaller soccer balls were hard to use for big people. It looked like a close match.

I sat with Susie on a bench and called Leta, Susie’s mother, and we talked for a bit. It was getting hot, and Susie was in a coat and sitting in a black wheelchair, so soon it was best to head back as she was getting warm. I was also getting sleeping from the double-whammy of lunch and the heat–best to get back to hummingbird house!

Rachel got Susie arranged in a recliner in the activity room, and we then played, a bit loud, the movie Rocket Man. This is the music version of Elton John’s life (the music is not arranged in chronological order but by pieces that best fit the mood). Rachel liked the music and checked in on us a few times. Susie was happy singing along and stayed awake the whole time. Here is one of the movie’s best and most potent scenes; enjoy.

After the movie, I headed out with Susie kissing me goodbye. It was a good day.

I was home using Alan Street to avoid the center of Beaverton. Corwin contacted me after I was home for just a few minutes. He came over and picked up more of his stuff. George, the suit of armor named by Susie, was disassembled and put in a box. We did use a dolly to get George-in-the-box into Air Volvo. Corwin managed two boxes of stuff and will get the other items, some tools, buckets, carboy, and blacksmithing items, next time. I drove him and his things to his new house on 214th, not far from the Volvo Cave.

After that, I did some light housework, but I started getting tired and rested for a bit.

My asthma started to make breathing harder. I turned back on the AC and took my inhaler. I am feeling a bit better while writing this blog. It has taken me a few hours to write the blog today, but I must admit I wandered a bit when I wrote it. Thank you for reading.

Apologies to Shawn for not getting the name of the band. Thank you for reading!

As usual, I try to fit a whole weekend into one day; thus, this will be a long blog. But I should start with Friday; after Friday’s blog was published, I went to see the new movie Thor: Love and Thunder. I was laughing through a lot of the film and thought it was consistent with the other Taika Waititi Thor movie. I found it fun and more like mythology and a storyteller’s version, like the new version of Alladin starring Will Smith, than a Marvel comic book-based movie. Although one of the characters has cancer, it hit a bit too close to home for me; not a kids’ movie. I liked it.

Now, flipping the day over and starting in reverse, I got to bed Sunday morning at about 1:30ish. I stopped by Taco Bell on my way home from Portland and got nachos. I wanted a Mexican pizza, but they were out of those. So I had a taco too but did not finish that. I need to eat when I take my pills. At Richard’s, I had some corn chips and, before that, a beer and 1/2 while playing games in Beaverton. So I had nachos, and I will not get them there again.

Before getting home in Air Volvo, I was at Richard’s house in Portland with Shawn playing games. We mostly learned how to play a new game, Mezo and I managed to get ahead of Richard’s score, and Shawn crushed us in the final scoring. Mezo is a dudes-on-board area-control board game much in the same vein as Blood Rage and Rising Sun. Both games that I own. It also has a South American god mechanic like what I see in the newer board game Ankh, with players playing by different rules. Richard’s god, you are mostly managing your god and followers to get control of areas, seemed underpowered, and he was not enjoying being crushed on the board. Like the board game Root, you have to learn the powers of the factions and how to exploit them in the faction you control. Richard was struggling, I had different powers on my god that made me remove a lot of dudes, and Shawn seemed to have a set of overwhelming abilities and ran away with the game. The jury is still out on this game to use some old coinage.

Shawn left, and Richard and I played a short two-person learning game of Istanbul; Richard was unfamiliar with the game. I explained it and was then crushed by Richard. I misplayed a few times, unlike me in this game, and Richard ran away from it. Istanbul is a resource management game in the big-box stage of board games and reprints. All that add-ons and the based game are now offered in a single big-box version, cheaper than buying all the parts separately and fitting into the larger box. Unlike some games, the add-ons can be optional, and we played the base game. Next time we will add in coffee. Despite being crushed by Richard, this often happens when you teach a game, this is a fav of mine.

Before getting to Richard’s house, I hung out with Evan in downtown Beaverton by City Hall. We played Istanbul with me playing better this time, and won. I should mention that Istanbul uses a set of unique mechanics and a board you create out tiles (with a recommended layout and then rules for creating your own arrangement to change the game experience). We played at the tap house, Cental Taps, after having a late lunch at the carts a block away.

Beaverton parking was messy as the free parking was closed off as Saturday was Beaverton’s Nights, and the parking was used for stalls. I was slightly annoyed to park Air Volvo in the parking structure for $1 an hour (which cost me $4 total). So Evan parked on the other side of a parking lot. If you close off the free parking, you really should not be charging for parking or discount it.

Lunch was waffle sandwiches. I have the Cordon Blu version of a waffle sandwich. Delicious. Evan had a sweater delight also waffle styled.

We had some beers and played the board game Vindication (before playing Istanbul). This is a resource and area control game. The game’s theme is that you have landed on this island, a companion finds you on the beach, and you explore and experience the island’s mysteries and slowly redeem yourself with the player who has the highest honor wins. Your character becomes Vindicated. Vindication is a colorful and fast game plus a fav.

Before this, we had a busy morning and early afternoon with Susie. I made it to the hummingbird house before 10AM. Occupational therapy was there when I arrived in Air Volvo without incident, and the gal reviewed Susie’s health with me and then worked with Susie for about 30 minutes. OT managed to get Susie to stand by her bed, and Susie’s legs did not buckle, meaning that it is more about control than strength. That is hopeful. OT determined they will not be needed at this time. Physical Therapy will be there twice a week for about a month.

Aside: Susie cannot stand, walk, or even transfer at this time. The nurses carry her.

After OT left, we headed out into Metzger Park. It was still too cold for Susie, 67F (19.4C). The park was full of people with dogs, and kids were everywhere. It was still a bit early for picnics, so none of the tables were in use. We made a quick FaceTime call to Leta, Susie’s mother, and briefed her on the OT and our day so far. I then got a cold Susie back to warm hummingbird House.

Susie resides at:

Allegiance Senior Care
Adult Foster Care Home
9925 SW 82nd. Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97223

The house phone number: 503 246-4116

Next, I set up a movie in the Activity room. We watched the musical Mama Mia 2, which picks up a few years after the previous film and has most of the original main cast returning. Cher and Andy Garcia play new characters and get to sing a fun duet. Here are the actors playing younger versions of characters from the first movie. Here is my Fav of the new actors’ songs. The second movie is put together better than the first; the music is less a set piece and more set in the story. I like it. Watch the second one only after seeing the first within a few weeks. Mama Mia 2 is not a stand-alone movie.

A good song from the first movie to compare: Christine’s Baranski Song.

Susie was rushed in the morning, two mornings in a row, and had eaten her breakfast (OT had to wait until she was done). Susie fell asleep a few times in the movie and was ready for a bit of lunch and a nap when we were done. Evan came in as we started the movie and watched it with us. Then, with a kiss, I left for Beaverton, as described above, for lunch.

The early morning was a blur of status meetings, breakfast, and getting ready. I also cut some roses for Susie. Mister Lincoln and some of the unknown roses that came with the house.

Reportedly the unknown bush was translated from the previous mother’s house and so could be very old. However, I did have to cut a sucker off that had grown from the roots to be over two feet long and flowered pink. This older bush is a grafted rose and is always in danger of having the graft die and ending up with a plain pink rose. The grafts are usual a pink rose for roots. I am always scared I will lose this would-be red tea Methuselah rose bush and just have the pink graft left.

Well, that is about all I could squeeze in on Saturday. Thank you for reading.