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I rose later after waking a few times at night. I started with coffee from the previous day and just reheated that. I had that with a banana and started my usual process. Yes, it is boring and mechanical, but it keeps me safe (including even my retirement cash) and well-informed. Sadly, the news is filled with more Trump-I-Must-Have-The-Headlines statements (“Yes, taxpayers, we want a billion bucks for the ballroom and security updates for the White House”). Updated my transactions and noted that US Bank still does not show my IRA’s daily balance on its website (only the evaluation of the moment balance). I found the month-end balances on another screen and used them to update Quicken.

I started the blog, but then showered and dressed to make my 9:30 ISS Vanguard board game at Richard’s. Air VW the Gray got me there only a few minutes late. The school year is wrapping up, and traffic is already becoming less. I give the trip about 45 minutes, and in the winter it is often an hour, but today the timing was back to 45. James, the owner of this fully maxed-out Gamefound (much the same as Kickstarter) board game (over $500 in 2022), was excited to finally play it. I had done an hour of videos on how to play.

We ran through the ISS Vanguard tutorial scenario, which, with its rules ignored to make it easier to understand, almost broke our first play. We managed to understand that we had a spare crew after all (we had to find an exception for the tutorial with a Google search that was in some obscure place), and after the planet-side adventure (no spoilers), we transferred the ship. We are off, now, to our next adventure. We spent the morning and part of the afternoon assembling, playing, and then ‘saving’ the game for next Tuesday. More confusion: We stopped midway, which is not usual for the ‘save’ process, as we did not have time for another planet-side adventure, which the game starts without much ado.

Unlike Tainted Grail and other horror-based games, there is no elaborate combat system or health/sanity rules. There are no traitor rules (so far). It is a process and flow, with characters as your connection on how you interact with the story, represented by process and flow. Dice are rolled for attempts (using strangely marked dice you find in most games now), and, like another cooperative game, Unsettled, other players can help on your turn (if their character is with you). ISS Vanguard uses four characters (in non-solo mode), and this time Richard was playing the spare one (we will likely rotate that). We leveled up our characters (there are three levels, but you can only have one third level in each of the four areas) from the tutorial and, rule-breaking, can use them without having them rest or recover, in the next planet-side mission.

Aside: Rules cannot be protected from reuse (copyrights do not apply), but art and shapes can be protected. Games now use special dice symbols, rules on cards (with art), and on boards (with lots of art). This prevents copying. You need to license the whole game or make one from scratch that will not resemble the original (and what would be the point then); I see this more in wargames, as basic rules are often the same across publishers (but often with tables and maps combined, which is protected).

The game was ready for the next play by 2ish, and I found street parking near Broadway Grill, where I wrote the rest of the blog while having a steak salad (mostly salad) with a Mr. Toad’s Wild Red beer (just one). I got the blog out, then returned to my Sunday School work and wrote for another twenty minutes or more (I lost track) while drinking water and finding the text and structure for my next class.

With that done, I returned to the house via the EV without issue. I read and go slow as it has been many early mornings in a row. I watch more DS9 and read. I avoid a nap by making some instant coffee and dinner. I use my mandoline slicer (no fingertips were lost) to reduce a potato to a greater surface area, and then bake it with some salt and oil (avocado oil for high-temperature use). I sliced up and deboned the ham (tossing the bone, as I had not prepared to make bean soup). I froze most of it and put small bits in a glass dish that has held the ham for these weeks. Later, I would add slices of cheese and milk, then bake them all together. I got close, but it looks like I need to make a cream cheese sauce next time. Dinner was 3/4 of one potato with some ham and cheese. I would eat a raw carrot for dessert. I put the small remains for lunch on Wednesday.

I returned to Sunday School work, wrote more for the class, and sent an update for the next class as I added to it. I have completed the first draft of the 3rd class’s plan; that class is in a week and a half. I will review it again on Wednesday, find any mistakes or updates, and then send it out. I have a draft in my mind for the fourth class and will start that soon.

Time went by fast, and I put away the Greek and class work after 11 and read for a while. I am unwinding with a finance history book, Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises, Fourth Edition. The author, Charles P. Kindleberger, has a basic premise: despite various denials that the markets are not irrational but perfect, these things keep happening, and, from his point of view, in the same ways. It is then important to know this history to avoid repeating it. Also, the rise of the “Funder of Last Resort” in our modern systems does not seem to improve the situation. I am over 30-pages in and enjoying it, though it was a difficult start (boring).

And maybe, dear reader, if you read and studied John’s Apocalypse and then read about financial history for failures, you might have trouble sleeping; I slept late. The truth gives me comfort.

Thanks for reading!

Monday started to f**king early when my iPhone alarm rang at 3:45. I threw on clothing, having organized them before I went to sleep, which was good as simple tasks are not at 3-4. I made coffee and tea for Emma, who was also awake. With some go-juice in car-safe cups and Emma carrying everything in her short-visit carry-on, we board Air VW the Gray and head to PDX. Kink.FM is playing softly, and I use the Navigation. I, or the car (at 4 it is hard to know who is really driving), can drive to PDX without thinking, but if there is an unexpectedly closed highway or bridge (i.e., construction, running, biking, protests — right-wing likes to close the roads — and other Portland weekend weird), I can quickly find alternative ways to PDX. I have had to do this before. Today we get to PDX in a fast 35 minutes. Emma is surprised by how much traffic I have, and I am not surprised that even with nearly clear streets, they are going slowly. One porche rushes and dives in and out of cars, and frustratingly, usual slow-going-drivers have to brake to avoid it (making all of us go even slower than slow for empty streets).

The end is always sudden. We pop in, and I cut over three lanes to get to the curb to ‘unload’ without any horns or any complaints. Yup, sleepy Portland. Emma is gone with a few waves, on her way to find her flight to Chicago and then to Flint, Michigan. Emma will arrive at a long-ish wait in Chicago and a slightly delayed flight. She makes it to Flint in the evening. I took the EV back through traffic that was building, but it was a trip without any memory; the coffee helped to drive, but I did not really wake up.

I reach the house, take off my shoes, and curl up in my bed again and wake with a fuzzy head at 8ish. I manage to rise, find more coffee (still warm), and begin writing the blog and doing the usual things. I manage to enjoy the liberal coffee, Fair Trade, and read the news (depressing), check my email (a few interesting electronic items, but most I delete), and pay a few bills. I see that my IRA daily balance is no longer available at US Bank. I call their helpdesk, and they put me on hold for 30 minutes while they try to connect me to someone to help (yes, the helpdesk can’t get through their own phone tree); they get no answer, and I tell them I will watch it and hope they fix it (not so far). Hmmmm.

I do the laundry; it is Monday, my day for using the washer and dryer. I strip the beds and wash the sheets. I did not realize I had bunched up the sheets, and they turned into a twisted mess, and the yellow sheets tore in the dryer. Ugh! I did wash everything, including the towels. Not everything is folded yet and put away.

I finally showered about 3, as I kept finding things that needed to be done. Now dressed and clean, I continue my chats with Deborah. We have connected here and there as a family member is sworn in as a citizen. Excellent.

Dinner on Monday is from Gyro House and take-out. I pick it up. I am tired, watch some Star Trek: DS9, and try to find some focus. None is available.

The Lay Leader meeting, the last one with the outgoing District Superintendent Karen H, is at 6:30 and runs over to after 8. We talk about church items, but we also share some experiences, and Karen seems reluctant to stay on topic or to end. One last meeting with her church leaders.

With that done, I find my way to bed early, read for a while, but soon fall asleep. I wake at 1 and manage to roll over (after proving hydration). I sleep until sunrise.

Thanks for reading!

Emma and I finished our day playing the now older board game Scythe. I cannot believe that it has been ten years since the Kickstarter, my first big one. We played at The 649, a taphouse and bar with good food, and Kyle and Crystal were bartending on Sunday night. As we were playing two-person, more like a duel than the crazy back-and-forth play with four or more, and Emma did not know the game, I picked her the plainly aggressive Saxon (black), and I picked the mobbing but simple Nordic (blue), which, while boring, can slide a win in before anyone notices (especially if nobody is playing green, Albion). I played unmolested and started the usual Nordic production swarming by using my swim ability to move my workers past the rivers early. I then rushed the center with my Mechs, but later, Emma, who understood combat well, slammed into me, pushed me back to my homebase, and sat on the center. I used my character to visit many Encounters (getting a Mech, Popular, Military Power, and Combat Cards that kept Emma from turning me into a punching bag). I had the Innovation card, and Emma had the Engineering (which is good for Saxon). I started pushing out stars by building and improving. I ended the game and scored just ten points before Emma could use Saxon and cover the board. Emma’s verdict is that she liked Scythe (my copy is the most bling version with painted Mechs, special meeples, and stored in a special box system), but it is complex, and the asymmetrical nature takes more play to understand.

We returned home, after I paid the bill, which was small as we had just the humus plate and smaller beers. I shared some of my painted figures for Scythe’s campaign game, Bloodrage, and Cthulhu Wars. We then decided to get to bed early. Emma’s flight is at 7, which means an early start to travel to PDX to be at the airport at 5.

Before this, we tried a few places in Portland, and I wanted Emma to see some of the edgy places in Portland, so we did the Albion area and the Portland Gaming Store, whose staff welcomed us and explained their game renting process ($10 a week to rent a board game or free if played at the store). There I found a copy of Pendragon Core Rulebook for 1/2 off. I had skipped this one, but might someday want to give it a try. I bought it for $25.

Before that, we crossed the Oz like St. John Bridge and found a strange mix of beer, food, axe throwing, and a rage room place, Stormbraker, and had small beers and shared a pretzel. We found no restrooms in the bridge park, Cathedral Park, but a later search said there were some (and the crowd suggested it), and we headed for a snack, drink, and restroom. Ben, our bartender, saw Emma was sporting a mushroom T-shirt, and Ben, also a forager, talked about mushroom foraging (not what Grammarly let me keep ‘forging’) in Forest Park and the local area. 

Cathedral Park, which includes a sandy swimming area (glacier-fed rivers, not necessarily always polluted), had collected quite a crowd, but only a few swimmers were out enjoying our first hot and sunny day on towels, getting some sun.

I always find St. John Bridge and Cathedral Park almost a mystical place, and it has, to me, a strange, unworldly feeling. Emma said, “I can see why this is your favorite bridge.” The Arbritum has the same feel; we did not get to that on this trip.

Before this, I met Emma at Powell’s City of Books. I had gone to church, taught Sunday School, and then traveled to Portland and parked in the Pearl District. I dropped Emma off at the MAX before church, and she explored Portland by taking various MAX trains to visit some craft and tea stores before meeting me at Powell’s. We then walked, it was hot already, to Deschutes Brewery’s Public House nearby for beer and a light lunch. We both went for soup.

Before this, I taught The Book of Revelation after church service. There was also an interview about the South Trip for the Methodist Church Conference. I was not needed for that, but that made things a bit more chaotic. I focused on the transmission and the first part of the book, Letters and Introduction, and the underlying issues in the Greek text. I did not get many questions and I was concerned that I my material was not working. I also discussed whether the John in this text is the traditional John the Apostle and the author of the Gospel According to John. I also covered a few of the Roman Emperors who are often mentioned in the text. I heard later that my approach was unexpected, and folks were happy with it. I finished a bit early as I had fewer questions than I expected. But still, with the chaos and having to meet Emma, it was a good day to be early.

Church parking was complex as I was early (Emmaus had many spots) and the City was using the parking lot for a bike safety event (it was packed when I headed out around 1:40). I had to get some painkillers from my car for a congregation member (it was hot and my glasses steamed up when I was cooling down in the church). I missed most of Ken’s sermon on Jeremiah, but it was about leaders of the old temple ignoring their failures as called out by the prophet, and letting ‘wounds’ of the people worsen. Ken talked about how this often fits our times, and especially preachers and church leaders who find they cannot call out social failures or political problems in many churches. God in the Old Testament measures the health of the land by how it treats the widow, orphan, and the stranger (reminding us that we, or our forefathers, were once strangers in a strange land).

Before this, I rose around 6:45, and Emma and I had a quiet morning. I had time to write the blog.

And that takes me full circle. Thanks for reading.

I set the alarm for 6:45, but woke with the sunrise at 6 and tried to sleep, but finally rose about 6:30. I made coffee and tea for Emma, who soon rose (being still on Michigan time, and experience I am familiar with for guests). I put away doing the blog until the evening and instead rushed to get my shower and all that done. While Emma enjoyed her tea (Russian Caravan from the Upton Tea Company), I got all that done, and soon we were in Air VW the Gray and headed to La Provence off of Cedar Hills Boulevard. We would often circle on this street today. There Emma had the hash and I their version of an Eggs Benedict (which I think is better on an English muffin than a croissant). Breakfast was grand, as always, and priced high, but I find it close in price to other places that serve food, trying to rise to La Provence’s quality.

It is cooler, grayer, and we will get some light rain. Emma has her coat and me my hat and coat. It is never more than sprinkles where we are. We do hear on large thunder that we thought might have been something worse, but nope, thunder.

Next, we tour apartments that fit Emma’s price and location (near the Max, near service, and walkable). We park the car and look at the area (the offices were closed on the weekend at all the places we visited, if they had an office). Air Conditioning was not included, and only one of the high-cost places advertised covered utilities, not really in a walkable location. I spotted an AC window unit that was quite telling. You need to bring your own!

We parked in Hillsboro to look at another apartment near the end of the Blue Line MAX, then walked through the Saturday Market. There was plenty to tempt us, and had we not been stuffed with La Provence goodness and had we not many more circles to make (Emma’s leftover hash was soon a science experiment and disposed of), we might have gotten more goodies. These apartments, rather urban, checked all of Emma’s boxes.

(Saturday Market)

We connected with more apartments and continued to cross Beaverton. Baseline Road became almost a joke as we drove it often, “Guess which road we are on, Emma?” Swagat’s huge dinner/lunch, with various small bits that added up to a nap-inducing meal, was my choice after Emma mentioned Indian-style as a favorite. On the way, I let a car, I am an Oregonian, cut in, and then, to the surprise of all of us, did a U-turn in the intersection. But as this is Oregon, no horns, and everyone seemed to just take a sip of their coffee and let it happen. It is different here. I explained, and Emma adopted my belief that many people are assured in their soul and their God or gods. They know either that they believe they are blessed or that the next life, or the afterlife, will be positive. Only that describes, in my mind, the driving and here. Not bad or careless driving, but faithful driving. Literally “go with God.”

We eschew the highways into Portland (and, for most of the circles, as Emma wants to see the area, not the five- or six-lane highways, which are going slow anyway). Navigation informs us that the back ways today are only a few minutes slower. We climb over the hills on the local roads; often, it is just green plants (and moss) everywhere, and a street. I make a few misses and get rerouted in crazy ways that amuse Emma (and this is an EV; there is no $5.65 gas for me). We get to Guardian Games, but first we do City Liquidators, and Emma cannot believe that all this crazy stuff (including full-sized airplanes, furniture, office stuff, and so on) is available. I have not been in this one before, and there are two floors! Delivery is not cheap, but available. The number of stuffed deer and elk heads (there is a full-sized elk) and other items (none for sale) is ridiculous.

Guardian Games’ main store is huge and provides a massive play area that is mostly in use. Emma is impressed, and I let her find her way. They have out Draw-7 and, when we reconnect, I show her how to play. It is a simple-to-understand but challenging card game. I get Emma the Player’s Survival Guide for Mothership (just a pamphlet and available for free as a PDF, I believe). We take another climb over the hill and return to Beaverton.

Emma enjoys our local Powell’s again at Cedar Hills Blvd. We both find some things we need and then head home. After a short break there, we select Lost Ruins of Arnak (now a massive box), to learn and play. We head to Wildwood Taphouse and discover that someone parked a car in front, and now the place, which had enjoyed natural light for most of its life, feels more cave-like, but there is still one table that is bright and available.

Emma finds her way in the sour beers, and I stick to lighter summer ones. I teach Emma the game, and the Emma I knew as a small person appears, and at times, I must play my best to win wtih Emma. Emma quickly learns and spots my engine-building and picks up some of the tricks. I do help her, like I would any player, when she misses a combination (they are easy to miss). I manage to reach the top of the research, but she matches me on it, giving me two points ahead. I had a pile of compasses and used them to buy artifact cards, which often gave me more and more resources. Emma missed this on her turn, but came back and got it in the last round. With the extra resources, I manage to squeak by with a win of about 12 points. Close, and very close, for a first-time player.

We had tried some bowls of crackers, but we needed real food. Emma is still going, it is late for her, and we did Mongolian Grill, which was exciting, and stuck with our “let ‘s-do-crazy” day. We got bowls of raw food, mixed in sauces (there is a suggestion board), and then they cook it on the big flaming grill. They provide rice pancakes and rice to go with it. I show Emma how to wrap it. We finished with ice cream, and now Emma, very late for her (we closed the Mongolian Grill), we headed home, and soon she was showered and sleeping. I stayed up late, finished the blog post, and did other house chores. I soon fell asleep.

Thanks for reading.

I rose with the sunrise for another clear and sunny day. It would be hot. I had vacuumed and cleaned the night before. Instead of cleaning, I started on the blog and got my day started. I made coffee, started reading emails, and loaded transactions into Quicken. It logs into my bank, credit card, and mortgage accounts, retrieves market data, and assembles all this into a clear view of my balances after applying any new income and expenses. This is how I keep my future safe by reviewing every day what is happening to my money.

I enjoy fresh coffee, Fair Trade, and writing the blog for Thursday. I try to remember what happened, and it comes in sudden bursts as my mind reconnects the threads. I assemble a narrative from the flashes and often add some observations here and there.

I also wrote a card to Mom Wild. She has been more confused of late, and I get panicked calls from her. I hope a pleasant card or postcard will help her find peace.

Steve Wolff-Lynne texted me that he is in the area, and we connected and will meet at BJ’s Brewhouse at 11:30. I have to hop into the shower and do all that to make that time. I also hear from Emma C, my niece (Barb C’s daughter), has made her connection and is inbound to PDX (our airport here in the Greater Portland Area, which is unimaginably named after its call letters, PDX). I am time-boxed, but I expect I can meet Emma on time (and likely early) by reaching a MAX train around 1. Plenty of time to have lunch with Steve.

Steve and I avail ourselves of the lunch specials recommended by my often-bartending Rachel. I have a red ale, but a regular-sized one, as I don’t want to nap on the train and lose my way. We chat about a few subjects, including how I got myself, totally unplanned, back into church positions. It was a great lunch.

I drove home, had a few spare moments, to get my Apple Watch and my hat, both of which I forgot this morning, and then retraced my trip to the MAX and ran to catch a train. But it was the wrong one. I get off and wait for the next one. While there, I notice that the cement railroad ties are spaced differently for the two tracks. A train operator greets me, and I ask him. He was just as surprised as I was to see them mismatched and told me he now has to figure this out. “Why are they different? That is so weird!”

I finally get the Red train thirty minutes later and ride it in and back out of Portland. One traveler asks me about my book, then discusses AI and mathematics with me until someone comes on with a dog, and suddenly he thanks me and heads out. Next, a homeless man clutches a bag and slowly sneaks bits of his lunch from it (eating on the train is forbidden), but the bag falls, and he seems helpless, crying out. I collect his items into the bag, hand them back to him again in the bag, tell him it is fine, smile, and nod; he smiles and takes back the bag. Being seen is so important, and getting help when you are unsure what to do makes things better.

The train arrives, and I quickly find the men’s room in PDX (beer and water not necessarily the best choice before an hour-plus trip on MAX). Emma is coming in ‘E’ and I find the new arrival area. Emma is thirty minutes late because a temperature sensor was not working, and then a fox scampered onto the runway and had to be chased away. Emma appeared and was happy to be here in the Pacific Northwest.

We took the MAX back. Emma is moving to the PNW for her Master’s in Criminal Psychology at Pacific University. She does not drive, and so pubic transit is important to her; we agreed to use MAX for the trip. We did pick up the car at the MAX station parking and then headed home. After a short break, we headed to Hillsboro for a Mexican Dinner at Amelias, a favorite. Our food was good, and the margherita (I had a small one) was excellent. Emma had a Piña Colada. We walked to the huge giant sequoia planted more than 100 years ago at the Washington County Courthouse, retrieved a pine cone (one of my favorite things for folks to take back home), and then got back to Air VW the Gray (thanks again, Steve, for suggesting “the gray” for the EV).

We then drove to Forest Grove and drove around the campus. The sun was starting to set, and it was dark when we got back. Jetlag was catching up with Emma. We drove back, about thirty minutes, and she was soon tucked in at the house in the Leta Suite, as I call the spare room.

I wrote and did some chores. I set an early alarm and expected to be driving all over the area as we looked at apartments. I went to bed, read, and slept.

Thanks for reading.