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It was 111F today here at the Volvo Cave. I watered the roses again in the afternoon and ran the sprinkler for the grass for a bit. It was fun, as always, to pull the sprinkler around the lawn and get soaked. I usually was dried in a few minutes!

This evening we visit Cory’s house, and their AC was overwhelmed, and it was 80-something in their house. We still played 5E Dungeons and Dragons in the heat. It is the second time we have met in 14 months and the first time all of us could make it. Everyone is two weeks out from vaccination. It was great to get the whole group together.

We are playing the campaign DESCENT INTO AVERNUS, and we are now driving Hell Machines in the burning desert of Hell. I play a gnome who is a tinkerer wizard. I was not expecting to be rebuilding hell devices and driving them, but what the well, you know. So Matt has all the Mad Max-like 28MM-scale 3D hell models, so we did our first battle. We took out the crew on the larger truck and now have a bigger one to drive. It is just fun and insane. Again, I was not expecting a cross of Mad Max-like and 5E version of Hell. The warm temps helped us to be more immersive. It was fun.

My gnome drove the hell machine. Imagine a wizardly house gnome status driving a semi! It was a bit ridiculous. Apparently, my character built miniature controls and a tiny seat to run the tank-Mad-Max-Hell-Machine. So not your usual dungeon exploring from Indiana Jones or Lara Croft tradition! We ended the session paying Charon-like creatures to barge us across the river Styx.

I have some old ship models I have never built, and Matt suggested I might be able to kit-bash a cool Hell ship. So I looked, and I have a Cutter Sark I have not finished for years, and I also have the battleship Potemkin model from Russia that looks very retro. Together they might make an amazing Hell ship. We will see.

I started the day early. I had a status meeting at 8 and a meeting with a reporter about family history at 9. The skeletons in the family closet need a bit of airing again. I then rested a bit.

I headed to BJ’s Brewpub for lunch by myself. I got an order of ribs, full rack, to-go for Susie’s lunch and later dinner.

It was burning hot, and it is hotter on Monday.

Susie and I went to Fast and the Furious 9 (F9) tonight at the local theater, Regal’s Moves on TV. The manager knows me, her predecessor used to live two houses down from me, and she was surprised that in 104+ heat, they were not busy. In Oregon, movie houses usually are packed on hot days. F9 was out this week and fulfilled all my car crashing chase scene dreams. I did not even know I needed this fix! Vin Diesel movies are like that; you did not even know you were missing it until you see it and know you needed this.

F9 even brought back some lost players and new family members. However, a few times, the chase events were clearly computer animation and SciFi, and I thought that broke some of the gritty feeling of the movie. It was a few times just more James Bond than Fast and Furious. I liked F8 better, but it started in Cuba; it was gritty in many places, so who can’t love that. You do not know you need this movie, but with all that went wrong in the last few years, maybe an insane movie like F9 is what we all need. Recommended with lots of popcorn and maybe a soft drink, kid-sized.

What we also needed was AC at Mazatlan Aloha today. So I called ahead, and they said their AC was not working well, but they were open. So I decided if they are open, then we spend our money there for dinner. Besides, they have good margaritas. So we left from there to the movie. There was an F9 movie every 30 minutes today until 9pm!

Before this, I ran the car on max AC while Susie got ready and then got her in the car with temperatures still 103F. I then drive 5 mins. Finally, I rolled her on her walker into the Mexican place. The food was great, and they were happy to see us.

My meeting with a reporter was canceled tonight. That is rescheduled to Sunday morning. They have questions about one of the skeletons in the family closet. It comes up once in a while. It is wrong to talk about some of the worst of the USA in the 1920s in this blog. The reporter is world-renowned, and I suspect he will reveal some more truth that folks will not want to learn, but the truth will come. I just wish our family was the good guys.

Returning to my story, I should mention that everyone was wearing masks when not seated in the restaurant or at the theater. So we Oregonians can read and know that Delta and Delta Plus variants are out there and that 1/3 of people are not vaccinated. We know that the vaccines make us safer but not immune, and we can still catch and spread it even vaccinated. Delta will kill people must faster. So most of us are sticking with masks. We are very polite; killing unvaccinated people is so not us.

It was hot today. I went out and watered the roses twice. I saw the north wall garden that my new neighbors put in was fading fast. I watered it too. I also rang their bell and told them I watered their plants for them (I would prefer they water their own plants–but I can’t let tomatoes plants just wither).

I also heard that Michigan had tornadoes and that both moms are OK. It was wet and stormy. I don’t miss Michigan insane storms–I still have nightmares of being trapped outside when the wind drops and everything is scary, and then the winds start to screams.

This morning, we had a lazy day while I checked in with the shoe company all day. They did not need me today. So I just am following along and checking that I am not needed. We are in a data conversion that is 7/24.

I started at the blessed late hour of 10 this morning. I managed to sleep most of the night.

I watched some Game of Thrones this morning, I missed an episode, and the story is advanced a few weeks. However, I like it again as the story seems more logical. I am now at season 5, episode 6. I had poached eggs on toast for breakfast, a fav. I had a 1/2 ham and cheese for lunch. Susie had waffles with peanut butter and then chicken noodle soup for lunch.

Susie watched Hocus Pocus and Bednobs and Broomsticks this afternoon on Disney+.

I tried to make it a nice day. I just remade the bed, clean, cool sheets for hot weather.

Today we start the weekend work for data conversions. These are running 7/24, and I am on call all the time. I follow along and try to help when I can. I managed to slip out of work at 5ish to head to Richard’s in Portland, and we played Anachrony with the newly painted figures I did for Richard.

The game is still a mystery to me. I have watched many of the videos on the game, and the mechanics are clear to me. However, how to play the game and win is hard for me to work out. It is a SciFi story that is a skin-over and engine building game with resource management elements. The game has a time-travel device, and you borrow from the future to build now (and they pay back the debt). You have different kinds of workers who can do some tasks better than others or even be excluded from some actions. This makes the decisions and timing of actions tough. And then the meteor hits, and you must evacuate the earth! You can only leave if you have completed certain requirements. So while building the engine, using resources, traveling in time, borrowing from the future, you also have to plan to evacuate. Anachrony is a game with a lot going on, and I look forward to learning its mysteries.

I scored only 35 while Sean and Richard were double that. Richard had built buildings that create an Engine. Sean was capturing goals and time traveling all the, yes I will say it, time. Turn order is critical and I was last for about half the game. That was a surprise to me as many of the actions are limited by worker placement mechanics. Something that was obvious once it started to happen to me. I had powered up more mechs that I could use effectively in two turns of the game. Richard and Sean took all the positions that can build in the first two turns. I was lucky to get one build in! Anachrony will be hitting the table a few more times I am sure at Richard’s. I am looking forward to learning it better!

Return to the morning, the day started out with very little sleep. The anti-coughing meds make it hard to sleep, but they have worked, and I am feeling better today. I got going about 7ish and managed to make my first Zoom meetings all dressed and ready. I caught up on email and the news and then rushed to get cleaned up.

Susie had a change in plans yesterday and her spa day is today, not Monday. We managed to get her out on time. She also had an eye doctor at 2:30. Zerida and her driver decided that they could handle that for me.

I returned to Nike Office today, the Clubhouse building, to pick up my personal items. I had an appointment at 1 to enter the building. It was strange to come to the building and nobody is there. I found my chess set where I left it and left. It was funny to be wearing my badge again and a mask in this building. I have not been back since February 2020.

Lunch was nearby at the old pizza place. It has reopened as a sports bar: Replay Sports Pub and Arcade. I had an $8 lunch of a mini fresh-made pizza, salad, and a soft drink. There is a large supply of familiar 80s-style arcade games, and while 50% off plays on Tuesday night is tempting, I never remember arcades as very sanitary, so I will likely pass.

I returned home and worked reading emails and trying to help with a few minor crises of the moment. I then drove to Portland in Air Volvo. There was a crash and fire on highway 26 that made the trip take the usual 45 minutes. The traffic on the bridges and inside Portland highways was light.

It is very late so I think I will stop there.

At the end of the day, we learned that Nike killed it on earnings, and our bonus will be good (PSP for those who speak Nike). That made the last status call at 4:30 a bit more festive.

I made dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. Maybe too much cheese, but Susie liked it.

I am back to reading Commissario Ricciardi Mysteries, By My Hand (book 5). I tried a new Italian crime novel and found the main character too corrupt for my taste. I like the cops to be honest policemen; The Black Run: A Novel did not work for me. I do recommend it with the warning that the main character is not likable. 

I read that and took a nap between meetings. To stop the coughing, I took a pill with side effects that can be described as you are a bit too high or sleepy to cough. I do not drive when I take it. It has helped, and I have been able to stay focused with a few breaks.

Thusly, lunch was Happy Panda Chinese delivered. Susie got Cashew Chicken, and I had Kung Pao Chicken.

The morning started with more caregiving for Susie and more laundry. I was back into hours of Zoom meetings and quite a few crises of the moment. I had to help work out a few missed steps and help find corrections.

Sleep was hard last night. I am still not feeling very well. I also somehow kinked my neck reading. So more painkillers for that.

Another 329 people died in the USA from Covid-19. Reports are that all of these are non-vaccinated.

I went with an Easter song as we missed Easter together: Low in the Grave He Lay.

The day started early as Susie had some caregiving requirements at 6ish that started my day early. I was at work early and was all showered and clean for the first Zoom meeting. The morning was full of non-stop status and alignment meetings. Folks had worked all night on the 7/24 schedule, and we are now 24 hours ahead. We need to find four days to make the overbooked schedule. The status meetings went on for three hours.

I slipped out at 10:30ish to do some chores. First, I drove to the Beaverton Cleaners in Air Volvo to pick up my new paints. I usually buy pants online and have them shortened. I picked up three pairs of pants and threw away my pre-pandemic pants. I ordered another set from Landsend today to finish the process of new pants for the post-pandemic world. I hope that will be here soon. I received 50% and free shipping this time!

I grabbed a Mexican lunch, a chili Relleno with steak enchilada, at Don Carlos to-go. I have never been there in person. I used GrubHub for almost a year to order from Don Carlos. The place was full of locals speaking only Spanish having lunch. The drive-through was also busy. I saw a shrimp cocktail in a huge glass being enjoyed. I might get one of those next time. The food looked great and made so fast there was little waiting!

I got Susie a Happy Meal with apples.

Lastly, I stopped by RiteAid to get Susie’s prescriptions.

Home and eating my Mexican food, I then watched some videos on how to play Anachrony. I am planning to play games with Richard on Friday–maybe we can play that one. I painted Richard’s large figures for the game and wonder how it plays. It is an expensive board game.

More meetings followed lunch, more zooming.

I still have a terrible cough. I managed to finally suppress it by using my inhaler with an Aero Chamber (a long tube that lets you breathe in the meds slower). I took a nap as nothing was going with work for a bit, and I was tired again.

I got up and started cooking dinner. Steaks and baked potatoes and corn (frozen from Schwann’s steamed). I put the potatoes in foil and through on the grill for 40 minutes and incinerated them. I got them right last time. I will try again on another day. I opened a can of baked beans, and that worked as a replacement for the carbonized potatoes. I should note that I did soak the steaks, fillets from Scwhann’s, in teriyaki glaze. It gives the little steaks a nice look and taste.

Susie ate everything on her plate today. A win for the cook!

I looked at my apple tree today. It fell and was cut back to a small tree now. The tree is now lying and growing up out of the horizontal trunk. It looks like it will make it, and we will have apple still. It is part of the original farmstead. The official history of the area mentions the farmers planting apple trees to raise some additional money.

Today, Alan Turning is now on the 50£ note in the UK. Today was the first release of the new bills in the UK. I found a kit on eBay and will have one soon. I hope to get some more and give them away for Christmas. I have met people who worked with him breaking codes and building computers. He wrote the first general theory of computers and invented the term Artificial Intelligence.

326 people died from Covid-19 in the USA today. Reports are that these death all are non-vaccinated people.

We’ll Understand It By and By is one of my favs, and this version works for me. I am repeating my favs now that I have been writing this for so long.