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Today I will just do events and skip the usual narration. Something different for today.

I took the day off and was surprised that I was so tired that I did not get going until 8ish. I never sleep that long. I was right that I was not feeling myself and should take the day off.

I had breakfast, the last frozen bagel. I put frozen bagels in the microwave for 30 seconds and then toast the now mostly defrosted bread. Sometimes I toast them twice.

I wrote more Dungeons and Dragons adventures. I was happy that I could find my groove today. I was worried I could not write them anymore–just needed more sleep.

I had some issues that required long stays in the bathroom. Something I am acutely aware of since having colon cancer and losing 27cm of my colon. I am happy when no accidents happen. But, again, today was a good day to be home in the morning!

Tracy from Physical Therapy sent a text that she would be at the hummingbird house at 12:30. I called Jennifer at the home and shared this with her. I was informed that Susie was up all night and the nursing aide stayed with her for some of the night. Susie was talking to people who were not there and could not rest. Susie finally slept at 5AM.

I recall that Corwin, who used to live with us, told me that Susie talks to her dad at night some evening, who she sees. It alarmed Corwin a few times. Apparently, Ben spends time with her reassuring her that things will be OK. They talk about her day and how she misses him. While it is hard to imagine the Ben I knew doing this, Susie remembers her dad with kindness and seems to enjoy his presence some night. Who are we to question this?

Susie showed signs of exhaustion when I reached hummingbird house, the trip being lovely and uneventful. Tracy arrived soon after me and had Susie do some standing, and Susie managed to stand on her own with just balancing help from Tracy. Tracy did some exercises for Susie and then showed us how to use the elastic bands for daily workouts for Susie.

Painkillers are working, and a less stressful day seemed to help. I took Susie to the park after the workout with Tracy with less pain in my right leg. We enjoyed the park. The smoke is more pronounced today, but the air quality is still at the green level. We called Leta, and she and Susie were delighted to chat for a bit.

I took Susie back to the house, and Jennifer was getting Susie her lunch. I left with a kiss.

I next, risking Beaverton, stopped by Salt and Straw for ice cream. They recommended the Pear and Blue Cheese ice cream. It was good.

I then went to the bakery nearby, Paris Baguette (PB), a chain I used in New York City. I got croissants and something called croissant loaf. Next, I got dessert (another one) there and coffee. I spent hours writing part of a Dungeons and Dragons adventure I plan to play in late October. I texted Cat in NYC–thinking of her at PB–and we then texted about the story and came up with some ideas. I made progress today on the story.

Next, after Mariah turned me down to join me, I headed to Von Ebert in Beaverton. I love the wings in Portland and was excited to hear we had a Von Ebert in Beaverton. I was disappointed as it is just a tap house of Von Ebert beer, pizza, and other appetizers, including wings. Not the smoked chicken giant wings in Portland, just the same (or maybe below average) you get in any place. These are baked in the pizza oven too. Nothing I would recommend. The beer was good.

The Black Dog in Forest Grove wings are recommended by me. The Von Ebert in Portland wings are so good the chickens volunteer–the best. Skip the Beaverton Von Ebert wings.

I returned home after the wings, watched some Lucifer, and started writing this blog.

Feel free to call or send cards. Susie resides at:

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

The house phone number: 503 246-4116

Thank you for reading.

All day I have been tired and could just nod off. So I have decided to take off Tuesday from the shoe company and see if a lazier day can help. The pain is still going in my leg but has moved to the hip; progress?

The morning started with me sleeping until 7:30ish. It was Monday, and I did not have to drive into the office, so I could start slower. I had a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast with liberal coffee made in a French Press.

I spent the morning in status meetings and some planning meetings. I also create a server for a co-worker with some example Python code in my Amazon AWS account. The tiny RedHat Linux system is free on AWS, and I installed NumPy for their use.

I use IAM in AWS to give them their own access and ownership of the server. I never share my own access, and I even have an IAM for myself for everyday use. I seldom use the account level user and password.

I made a nice salad for lunch. I boiled some eggs in their shells during some of the meetings. I had a nice pair of hard-boiled eggs for my salad, but alas, no eggs slicer. I tried the pastry cutter, which was unsuccessful (slightly explosive). I vowed to get the correct tool, shocked that I did not have that one gadget.

I finished Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power’s newest episode while eating and then started on the 10-year later episode of the House of Dragons. I only finished 1/2 of the dragons.

I then drove over Cooper’s Mountain and the farm area to reach Susie at the hummingbird house. It is near perfect day with a cold morning at about 55F (12.78C) and finishing in the later afternoon with a sunny 85F (29.4C). The sky is nearly cloud-free with just a misty smoke visible when looking at distance hills. The Cedar Creek fire is filling the valley with smoke–it is north of Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountains, not quite to California.

Susie was happy to see me, and we rushed out to the Park and called Susie’s mother, Leta, on my iPhone using FaceTime. Leta had been busy with the local food giveaway programs in the morning. She was home now. Susie and Leta spoke for a while. It was warm in the sun, and I could see Susie getting sleepy in the sun. Susie loves the warm sun.

I returned Susie, I could only stay a short time on a working day, to Jennifer, the nurse aide for today, and then kissed Susie goodbye. Jennifer had a snack of apple sauce and some water for Susie. Jennifer knows that Susie gets easily dehydrated. After that, I was back in Air Volvo.

I have not been back to Kitchen Kaboodle since the pandemic. I was looking for an overpriced egg slicer, and yes, they had one (maybe you, dear reader, think I should look for a cheap one–but you might as well look for an expensive one if in this store). I also found a paella pan at a not-high markup. I bought some beautiful chocolates at the desk and cupcake cups. I should keep out of kitchen stores–There were cookbooks I don’t have!

The trip back included beautiful views of the valley, even with the misty smoke covering the coastal mountains. I did watch one construction vehicle miss part of a turn on a steep climb, and one of the double tires travel without road. However, it had enough tires on the road to pull the load up the hill without incident. It is always fun to live in the Pacific Northwest–unexpected risks. Finally, I reached home in Air Volvo, and my tires all stayed on the road the whole way.

Back to work and some rest. I am still tired and feel the stress eating away at my mind. I am pushing back tears often that surface for no reason. But, I did follow along at work and tried to stay focused.

I made a pork roast from Schwann’s that has been in the freezer for a long time. It is a long process. I made Caribbean coconut rice to go with it from a box. I added chopped green pepper and raises to kick it up a bit.

I watched the rest of the House of Dragons and a few more episodes of Lucifer’s second season, and I still like both.

I paid the medical and supplies for Susie today, over $8000 a month, plus other bills, including paying for Mom Wild’s grass mowing (something I picked up after we found a service that would take a remote payment). Most are physical checks with stamps and all that.

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival 2022 Kickstarter was completed today. I am looking forward to that in a few weekends.

Dondrea got her own copy of World War Two by Anthony Beevor and was excited to start it. I am about 1/2 done now, on page 357, and in 1942. I love the style and narration that somehow covers so much in so few words. I recommend this huge book to anyone that wants to understand WW2 better.

Thank you for reading!

The morning started with slight pain in my right leg and me sleeping into 7ish. I had slept well and started writing the blog with cottage cheese and peaches for breakfast. I also made liberal coffee via French Press. As this was the Saturday blog, it is long, and I was writing until just after 10.

I rushed a shower, dressed quickly, skipped shaving, and got to the online church service on time. Then the sound was not turned on, and I soon wandered to writing my Dungeons and Dragon adventure I will need in late October. I got a text from Dondrea, and the sound was back, and our new preacher was giving a sermon (with sound) about the temptation of Christ. I listened to the sermon while I worked.

Next, I got a note from Mariah to meet her in Forest Grove for lunch. I headed over and then waited for a while. I miscommunicated and had to wait for her to get ready. We had wings at the Black Dog, a local place in Forest Grove, with smoked chicken wings. While great, I think Von Ebert (replacing Fat Heads) in the Pearl District in Portland still has the most incredible wings I have ever found.

Aside: I just learned there is a Von Ebert in Beaverton. I will have to make a pilgrimage and check that the wings are still so good that chickens ask to be included in today’s wings.

Mariah and I chatted about her housing purchase and the complexity. We headed out at nearly 2PM, and I drove back to find Susie in Tigard. It is a fourteen-mile drive, and I redirected the navigation into the hills and to circle around Cooper’s Mountain. I drove the twisty two-lane Tile Flats Road that was apparently popular with bicycles on Sunday. It was a lovely drive in the hills and farms.

Soon I reached Susie’s place, the hummingbird house. Vanessa, the nurse aide for today, had Susie in her chair, and Susie was ready to enjoy the park outside. It was warm, about 85F (29.4C), and the park was busy. Susie was sleepy in the afternoons and soon was nodding off in the warm comfy sun, even after we called Leta, Susie’s mother.

We also opened the door to Air Volvo, and I demonstrated how I thought she could get into the back seat. I am hopeful we can make a go of that in the next couple of weeks. It would be great to take Susie on short trips.

We set up a recliner to watch the next Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power episode. Susie was falling asleep soon and leaning to the left. Vanessa said Susie was leaning today; something to watch for. She can fall out of the chair or wheelchair when this starts. Susie woke a few times, and I finished the episode; Susie saw some of it. She was ready for a nap. I left Susie to take a nap with a kiss.

Next, I drove across Beaverton, taking a risk, and headed to Cory’s house to play Dungeons and Dragons. I started at 5:30 on Sunday, about every two weeks or twice a month. This adventure is a campaign, and one of the monsters is lifted from a Lewis Carrol poem: Jabberwocky. We finally faced it, and for those who know Dungeons and Dragons or the poem, “Why yes did have a vorpal blade and it did go snicker-snack!” Also, we faced the burble from the Jabberwocky, which was terrible. Matt, our DM, had bought all the monsters in painted 28mm scale. The Jabberwocky figure was eight inches tall. Impressive.

We also faced one of my favorite monsters earlier in the night, animated stained glass windows. Matt had made little transparent stained glass figures. It was wonderful.

We played characters tonight that are less combat efficient, and that makes us cautious (cowardly?), and we managed to avoid getting crushed tonight. We jump in and out and force the bad guys to bunch up so we can make our attacks more effective. We also deliver many attacks, which makes it possible to roll more critical attacks. More efficient combat characters often have a few great attacks. We just attack more.

It was a fun night with the DM having a great time and nearly overwhelming us with the stained glass monsters and a wizard. We had fun getting a legendary sword in Dungeons and Dragons and taking on the Jabberwocky, “Beware of the Jabberwocky.”

I returned home, chatted with a friend in India, and texted others that I could not call tonight as it was late when I got home.

I finally wrote the blog.

The pain in my right leg on Saturday morning was much reduced. However, it worsened as I overused it in the morning and early afternoon. So this Sunday–I write the Saturday blog lazily on Sunday mornings–I am being more restrained.

I forgot to take photos for most of the day, sorry.

I slept in until 7:30ish on Saturday. I was in a writing mood, so I wrote a lot more and was not ready to leave in Air Volvo until 10:30ish. I had only a small yogurt with fruit for breakfast, still feeling overfed from Friday. I made French press liberal coffee, and that helped me get going.

The drive to Susie at hummingbird house was through the hills and Cooper’s Mountain. This is to avoid Beaverton and takes fifteen minutes longer. I had called, and Vanessa, the nursing aide for Saturday, had Susie ready in her wheelchair, but then, as I was so late, Susie went back in her recliner. Then I show up!

On my iPhone, we spoke on FaceTime to Leta, Susie’s mother. Leta and Barb, Susie’s sister, were at Bronner’s in Michigan looking for Thanksgiving items for Leta’s tree; we got to see on the tiny screen all the Christmas decorations–Bronner’s is a year-long Christmas store. Leta tires quickly, and Barb had borrowed a wheelchair from Bronner’s and was wheeling Leta around in the store.

Aside: Leta, instead of taking down her artificial Christmas tree, just changes the decorations to match the season. They were looking at Bronner’s for some more Thanksgiving theme items for the tree (Leta told us that she has plenty of stuff for Halloween). This seasonal tree started during the pandemic as it was a lot of work to take down the tree, and Leta found it fun to keep decorating the tree during the lonely parts of the pandemic.

Leta and Barb rang off and continued their shopping. Susie was ready to visit the park. So we headed out, and the park was quieter today, Saturday. I suspect families were during sporting events at various schools, and there were plenty of beer-loaded Octoberfest parties starting this afternoon. Also, college football (American football) has begun, and I have to admit I might have cheered on the Ducks while playing a board game today.

Evan found us in the park just enjoying the warm, clear, nearly perfect Oregon fall day. We are between the melt-down hot summer and the soggy winter here in Oregon. The wine is being made, the Ducks are playing football (and the Beavers), and we have cold mornings and hot sun. The best time in Oregon.

I was starting to limp again, so Evan pushed Susie, and we made the full circle and went off to see the magnolia tree, but it had finished blooming. Soon, Susie was yawning, and we decided to let her take a nap. So I kissed her goodbye, and Evan and me–in separate cars–risked Beaverton and headed directly to The 649 Taphouse.

Air Volvo has me there without incident or raising the crime rate. I was a bit nervous with the traffic lights now. Instead of starting with the bar, we headed to the Mexican place nearby, Tapatio: Mexican Restaurant. I had the platter with a taco, a small burrito, and an enchilada. I also had a large beer.

Next, we went to The 649, which also needed us to buy a beer; I had a lower alcohol product. Next, we played the board game The Lost Ruins of Arnak with the Leaders add-on. I tried out The Mystic leader, and Evan played the Falconer. I enjoyed playing The Mystic from the Leaders add-on as I had many options that play the Fear cards as a resource and not as something you need to thin from your deck. I lost by seven points as Evan managed to run up to the top of the research track. We matched nearly 1 to 1 on all the other points.

The game uses a deck-building mechanism with resource management. It is themed to a 1920s Hollywood version of lost treasure and archeologists. There are guardian monsters to defeat and great treasures to discover. It has replaced Architect of the West Kingdom as my favorite, as I like the theme better in The Lost Ruins of Arnak.

I grabbed a quick sandwich at The 649 while we watched the Ducks crush the Wild Cats by scoring 20+ points in the last minute. I thought fans of the Ducks must have made an unholy pack to pull that off! The Wild Cats quarterback actually threw the pass to a Duck player. Congrats Oregon!

We headed out, and I stopped by Shell to pay too much for gas. I did not notice that I was paying more than anywhere else! Surprised, I grumbled and headed into Portland in light traffic.

I was soon at Richard’s house, getting a nice few of Mount Hood on the way. Richard carried the heavy and huge game War Room 2nd Edition to his game room.

We looked at it and discussed the game and some historical items that control the play. Richard was surprised to learn that in the 1930s, the Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan signed an independent non-aggression pact. This freed both countries to ignore each other during the war and leave their flank uncovered. Stalin, the Soviet leader throughout the war, did not declare war on Japan until the very end of the war. I explained to Richard that before WW2 started, there was a war between the Soviet Union and Japan, and the Soviet army was crushed in China. This convinced Stalin to sign treaties with Nazi Germany and Japan. Stalin could see the embers of WW1 were catching fire again, and he wanted no part. Hitler completely bamboozled Stalin.

As fascinating as the game appeared, we decided not to try it with just two players. We also discovered that the hour-glass styled timer, an add-on I purchased, runs for about 11 minutes. Instead, we agreed to try Brass: Birmingham. I have never played this version of the Brass system. Rather, I have Brass: Lancashire. I picked up my copy when I saw it at the Rune and Bone gaming store in Hillsboro. I had not seen it on a shelf before and gobbled it up.

The Birmingham version, named for the area in the UK the game map covers, plays with some more straightforward mechanics and is, frankly, easier and less mean than Lancashire. You also have to pay an extra resource, beer, for building trains and delivering. This means you have to build breweries to get points. This counts double as you deliver and use your beer up, a kinder and sudden income and points for the player. The Lancashire version does not have that mechanism. The Birmingham version is more straightforward to understand than Lancashire.

The games are resource management, area control, and production-styled game. My fav and I was surprised to beat Richard by building trains and blocking his train lines, sort of mean. I did not do that on purpose but to give me access to more places to build and connect. Richard had not played a two-person game before, and his usual approach to the game was less efficient than mine.

Aside: I like Brass: Lancashire more than Birmingham. There is more happening in the Lancashire version. Also, I thought the beer mechanism was too artificial for me–why do you need beer to build two trains? I have only played two-player count, and it may be that three and four players are better in the Birmingham version.

We next played a train game, also new for me, Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails. I have never played a Ticket to Ride game as I find the train games more of party games for me and I like then Save Doctor Lucky and The Forbidden Island or, for the game-friendly crowd, Azul. Richard is on a quest to play all his games in a year, and this one got missed. We gave it a try and learned it and played it. Again this is a resource management and area control game, more my strength, and I had some lucky draws on the routes (tickets) and somehow won. I liked the game, again very light, and would play it as a filler game.

After that, we chatted for a bit, but soon Richard put War Room 2nd Edition back in my car, and we said goodnight. Air Volvo got me home without any issue, and I did not wince when I used the tall bridge with a taller on-ramp (I call it the Space Shuttle ramp).

I found the mail and left the games in the car for another day to put them back.

I went to bed and was asleep before 1AM. I had a pleasant sleep.

Feel free to call or send cards. Susie resides at:

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

The house phone number: 503 246-4116

Thank you for reading.

Before I start with the narrative, I wanted to write a bit; I hope, dear reader, you will not think this is a conceit.

Firstly, the pain is fading in my right leg, and I started the Saturday morning–Friday’s blog is written at a relaxed pace on Saturday morning–surprised that the sharp pain combined with stiffness is gone. There are still motion control issues as I need to relearn how to use my right leg again. The usual cure, just Advil and time, and waiting for someone to say, “you should see a doctor,” and the fading begins.

Next, I read a short article that the New York Times emailed me (I have an Internet subscription and get the physical paper on Sundays). The article described how the writer took an art class to learn to sketch and then found that you had to look with intensity and time at a landscape instead of just taking a photo. That the writer had a desire to freeze the view so it would not be forgotten–this desire was hard to fight against. The writer discussed in the piece that it would be a pleasant memory if you just enjoyed it, but it would fade, as all memories do. Was that bad?

I write this blog to remember every day. The last couple of years have been filled with events, many terrible and personally a disaster, but I want to remember them all. I return to them to understand what is happening to me (and indirectly to you, reader). I keep it focused, laser-focused, on my experiences during the day I am recording and my feelings. When I return to a day, say fourteen months ago, I can, while reading, recall most of that day, and I see in my words the viewpoint at that time. I can feel my memories fading and changing to match the current me, but I can return now to my previous self and reset.

I have changed the style and format over time. I do not regret the original formats or the new versions; it fits with the place I am at. I am no longer sad and frightened and no longer actively grieving for the millions we lost to the pandemic; thus, I no longer cry and find a hymn at the end of the blog. I grieve still, but not that way.

Well, just a few thoughts to record here. But, first, let’s return to my narrative.

Friday morning is not a rush, and I delayed getting dressed until late morning. I have a few Zoom meetings and a lot to read, and I follow along. I slept into the luxurious time of 7:30. Work was going fine, and then I got a request to talk to my boss.

A change at work impacted some folks that I can not discuss here; it left me sad and stunned. The rest of my work day was a blur after that. I am heartbroken for the friends impacted. Again, no details here, just tears.

Lunch was reheated goulash, the last of it. It was so good!

My new board game, War Room 2nd Edition, was to be delivered today. So I had to wait for that. With the sad news and the pain–which was quite bad on Friday–I was tired and rested for a while. So I had to put off my visit to Susie too. The vast package arrived at 4ish, and I had the delivery guy, not masked, put it in the house.

Aside: I am still trying to get used to our post-pandemic world while science says the pandemic is still burning. Violet Blue is still fully isolated in San Fransico, as are others waiting for a more scientific conclusion to Covid-19. I have my newest shot, keep my distance, and often wear a mask in crowds and small conference room meetings. I mostly fear the latest flu and colds more than Covid-19 and like the mask for that. I find at the shoe company that most folks still isolate themselves when they have symptoms and test for Covid-19.

I crossed over Cooper’s Mountain, avoiding the ticket-giving Beaverton area. Still sparkling and smelling clean, Air Volvo reached the hummingbird house without incident or raising the crime rate. Susie was excited to see me, and we called her mother, Leta, from her recliner in the living room. They had a friendly chat with Leta describing her day as it was late; usually, we call in the middle of Leta’s day and get to see what Leta is doing. Susie was ready for the park; it was still warm as sunset was still an hour away. Friday night is a time to hit the park, which is filled with the sounds of children. We stopped at the first bench and chatted with a parent who was happy for a polite distraction. Soon, some kids and his spouse ran toward him, and we moved on to the other end of the park.

We called Dondrea and Zophia while sitting in the park in the cedars. We had a nice chat with them. The sun was setting, and it was starting to cool. We next called Dan and Janet, who were happy to talk to Susie. Dan and Janet invited me to dinner at the Golden Valley Brewery (GVB). After that, the sun was moving to set, and the cool breeze that announced the sunset (when I used to sail and fish, I noticed that just as the sun went down, the air was disturbed by the change–it was our last chance to get that sailboat in before the wind dies completely) and headed inside.

Vanessa had dinner ready, and everyone was already having dinner. Susie was ready for dinner too. I headed to the GVB after getting a goodbye kiss from Susie. I risked 217 on a Friday night to reach the GVB. No incidents and no police presence.

I was ahead of Dan and Janet and ordered the day’s wine, pickles, and onion rings. I usually avoid cabernet sauvignon as they are too acid and boozy for me, but it was Intrinsic, a cheap one, and I wanted to see if it was worth it. It was not bad, but not as good as a malbec they serve from Argentina and indeed not as good as our local wines.

Aside: Grape names are lowercase when used in a sentence–I had to look that up. But wine regions are place names that must be capitalized, and the grape names are also capitalized. Thus I could have done this: Argentian Malbec. Also, you do not italicize the French names of grapes as they are not a phrase but words. For you grammar nuts and wine crazies out there…

For dinner, I had the meatloaf, which was better last time. We had to get some help from a waiter, and Dan asked very nicely with his usual smile that says, “Now!” to folks of a certain age. I then re-asked using direct words just short of being rude, and the waiter was not offended and quickly acted. Younger folks expect to be told directly with some force when they need to do something. They appreciate the directness. People my age and older would be insulted.

Dinner was excellent, and I was soon headed home. I then sat in the living room with the huge boxes and assembled my new board game, War Room 2nd Edition. I had to put labels on pieces and organize some items into different countries. War Room 2nd Edition is the masterpiece work of the guy who made the well-known Axis and Allies board games. It is a game recreation of WW2 at a slightly higher-level seen in the Axis and Allies series and dares to have more rules and a long game time of six hours (or more) for the grand six-person game. It starts in the 1942 setting of WW2 and, like the previous game by the same group, eliminates the insane number of paper troop counters and break-through rules of other games covering this same material.

The game is highly recommended, and we have waited years for it. Richard, Kathleen, and I will try it out on Saturday night (likely using the six-turn short game rule). However, I am not sure I can carry it into Richard’s house it is so big!

I put the stickers on and arranged the game while watching Lucifer season 2 and was laughing through the jokes and watching the writers and actors struggling with the new themes. Not sure the addition of a mother character was a success. I often do mindless tasks while the TV runs. It makes the process go easier.

The game, including most add-ons, is in its vast box. I ordered from the maker some more dice (in matching War Room bags) and some extra parts (likely something will get lost) before they sell-out. I am resisting the rolled-up map, but that might fit better in the box (another $85). I want to play it and set it up once before buying that!

I went to bed taking more painkillers. That seemed to work as I am better this Saturday morning.