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I managed to sleep until 9ish today. I got to bed around midnight; that seemed a fair amount of sleep for me.

I was able to get going and heard from Evan and Mariah in the morning. I would meet Mariah for lunch, actually picking her up in Air Volvo. Evan would come after 1ish to play some board games.

Susie was up in the late morning. I heated up some sausages from yesterday and made her fav, again, of scrambled eggs with cheese. She enjoyed a freshly made breakfast.

I left Susie to watch ice skating, Leta her mother had called that it was on.

The driving was sloppy, and I fished tailed in Air Volvo a few times, but no real risk. I was surprised when the SUV did a Tokyo Drift on 185th when I pulled onto the street from Johnson Street! Again, no trouble, but I suspect I smiled and maniacally laughed. It goes without saying that this was before I picked up Mariah. Thereafter I drove like I was going to church.

The pizza place was not open! We did Buffalo Wild Wings. While there, because I had to play board games later today, I ordered refreshments this way, “a refreshing beer-like product, Coors Light, please.” I then said, “Yes, a large one–it is mostly water.” I had a coffee with it. We had wings and chatted.

I then drove Mariah back home without any sudden cool car moves. I then went home, sometimes driving over the snow to help break it up–four-wheel drive, you know. I tried not to scare too many Oregonians as I tried to help break up the snow.

I stopped by and picked up a large chocolate heart-shaped box for Susie and a few small ones for Evan and Corwin. Evan beat me to the house and was hanging out with Susie until I got there.

Evan then ruined my winning streak on the board game Scythe. He beat me with Polandia by twenty points. A total spanking. I played Russia and thought I was doing OK until Evan spread out all over the map and crushed me. I have lost this way before to Polandia and knew I was finished a few turns before the end. I was still trying to adjust and win, and then Evan ended the game with a sixth star. Crushed!

I did manage to pull off a win in the next game by just two points, Vindication. We played the basic game. The game has random ending conditions, a design I helped with years ago at a local gaming convention, and this time we unexpectedly tripped them. We managed to trip another one as we ended the game with one more round of play (Unlike Scythe, which ends immediately when the sixth star is placed, Vindication is like most board games and has one more round to play to allow the players a chance to improve their score). It was a close game.

Lastly, we played a new game, Where Am I? This is a new Kickstarter game that is a recreation of the tea party in Alice In Wonderland. You have a little table, and you place tiny dishes to score points. You also try to guess who is who. It is cute and a bluffing game. Evan scored the winning score, but we are still trying to learn it.

I made cheese sandwiches for Susie and me (mine had ham too). Evan made his own sandwich.

We watched the Blazers beat Dallas while eating.

I then had to stop and write this blog.

Only 2,153 people were vaccinated yesterday in Oregon. Let us hope that the number is a mistake and it will be increased in the next 72 hours.

1,111 people are reported to have died today from Covid-19 in the USA.

It has been a long time since I sang this, Go Down, Moses–Methodist Hymnal #448.

I could not sleep in this morning. I think it was the breathing issues I sometimes have, but it could be just the stress of working every weekend for three weekends (and nights) still not letting go. I am being careful and using my inhaler.

It snowed on top of the ice last night. My haircut was canceled for 1:30, and Evan could not make it over to play games.

But, Knowledge Mavins met today at 10ish. We are using Discord now. Zoom is so corporate while Discord is so hacker! There were just three of us, but we have presented together for a few years and were happy to just chat. We decided to meet every month and to keep talking. If we can get an interesting hack done, we might call a presentation meeting.

I managed to play the automata for the board game Scythe last night. I stayed up to 1ish to finish the game. I just managed to squeak by the automatic player with a score of 60 to 56 on easy mode! I wanted to learn how to use this; I had known it before, but I could not remember all the rules. I also purchased the consolidated rules that were published and then republished after complaints. I just got the fixed copy, and thus I recycled the faulty copy. I re-reread much of the rules over the last two nights. No surprises in the rules–I am playing by the rules. I did learn that there are a few scenarios that I did not know. There is a cooperative version that looks like fun!

I went online and purchased some additions for Scythe. I am missing a few bonus cards, I learned, and I could get a few more automata decks to run some multiple automatic opponents in the game. That sounds like fun, and Evan and I could then play a four-person game with two automata!

Just an update: The ants are mostly gone. Apparently, the ant baits worked, and I suspect the survivors did not enjoy the 20s weather. I did run into two ants in the kitchen. They will not be returning to warn the tribe.

I did dishes and laundry today. I also cleaned the snow off the car by running it and then removing much of the ice from the now warmed car. I want it ready. I also have some de-icer, and I sprinkled it out on the ice. I then went over to the neighbors and did their walks too. I ordered some more on Petco, which had the lowest price and shipping costs.

Returning to breakfast, I made Susie scrambled eggs with cheese, and I cooked maple sausages for breakfast. I had poached eggs with a bagel with a banana. Susie got some links, and I had to freeze the rest as I enjoyed them too much!

I took it easy and tried to relax. It is still difficult not to be checking email and Slack channels non-stop (If you don’t know what a Slack channel is–be happy in your ignorance). I am practicing being a regular human today.

I made angel hair pasta in the sauce from a jar with rustic meatballs from Safeway’s meat case. I find that Susie can enjoy this if I bake it a bit. So she managed a bowl of pasta and 1.5 meatballs.

I tried to watch the movie, The Dark Tower, a guilty pleasure but started to fall asleep. I then went back to Scythe.

11,783 people were vaccinated in Oregon yesterday. This number will likely increase as it takes 72 hours to collect all the information. Oregon has vaccinated more than 10% of the state now.

2,272 people in the USA died today from Covid-19.

There Is A Balm In Gilead has been on my mind as we continue to see hope in the vaccine. It is hard to wait for us to reach 1B Group 4 in Washington County, Oregon.

It is reported that we have all the snow and ice we get in a year now for this weekend.

The snow and ice started on Thursday afternoon, but it seemed to fizzle-out. This morning the slush was freezing, and the sleet more snow. Air Volvo had some ice in it, but not too bad.

I slept until 6:30ish and then rushed like a madman to make the 7:05 meeting. This was a demo of the software we have worked on for four years to get to this point. Our colleague, a recent hire in the new facility in India, did a brilliant demo and the users, with just a little grumbling about a few bugs we have on a fix list, accepted the software.

Much of the day was paperwork and process to sign-off the software and get it installed. We were all tired as we have worked weekends and India time and Portland time for more than a week.

I did a bit of groovy coding to install some software for a change control process.

Lunch was re-heated German-style goulash with veggies—sort of a stew. Breakfast was a bagel, from the fresh bagels I had delivered from Einstien Brothers earlier this week frozen and then toasted today with coffee. I drank almost the whole pot myself–I am tired from all the long hours these past three weeks.

Susie’s physical therapist came, despite the snow and ice, this afternoon and worked with Susie. Susie did a bit better today. They worked on improving Susie’s posture and strength. Susie still had trouble at first getting up and down from a chair, but she got back to almost normal by the end of the session. So better news this time.

Mariah had texted me, and we would meet for dinner. In the morning, I had started Air Volvo to run the defrost to melt the first ice on it. Just in case I needed the SUV. It was worse now, another 1/4 inch. I had to defrost it for 15 minutes again.

Aside: Just before the Covid-19 mess, I had put some stuff in my garage much that was to be junked. It has stayed there until this Covid-19 is over again. I am not going to risk people’s lives over junking some house items. This means that Air Volvo sleeps outside now and is getting iced this weekend.

Mariah and I both finished work 4ish, and I picked her up; Susie stayed home. I did fishtail once with Air Volvo, and Mariah made it clear that I was not to repeat that. We drove in the snow and ice to The Rock Wood Fired Pizza for beer and pizza. I ordered a large pizza, I brought the rest back to Susie. In Oregon, you can now order mixed alcoholic drinks to-go. Susie would also get a “bucket” of their version of a huge Long Island Iced Tea. Today, we officially move to lower virus risk in Washington county, and we can now eat inside a restaurant again. We are now “dangerous,” not “highly dangerous.” There is something oddly Douglas Adams about this.

Mariah and I talked, and the staff at The Rock remembered us. They asked about Susie and told them we could not get tiny chains for her walker. They thought that funny. We told them we wanted to bring a drink back to Susie with the remaining pizza. They made an excellent drink to-go. It was a lovely time, and I was so happy to see the bartender Eric again, and I think I have had Courtney as a waiter before.

16,877 people were vaccinated in Oregon yesterday. The number will likely increase as it takes 72 hours to get the final numbers.

2,098 people in the USA today died from the virus.

I picked a communion song, Let Us Break Bread Together, an Afro-American spiritual. It is my fav for communion songs, and I sing it to myself once in a while. This is a more political version, but I like it. I was singing along when I played it.

 

 

I started about 7ish. I rolled over at 6 as I was up late again on India time last night.

My four hours of non-stop Zoom meetings started. I was double-booked for some, so I would finish one and be late for another. Mostly the discussion was status. I did have a few technical discussions, which was a nice break from status meetings.

I slipped out for my morning walk for the long walk today. It was twenty minutes of walking as fast as I can without breaking into a run. It was cold and very damp as the snow was not here yet; it was raining. I feel better, but I did have asthma issues this afternoon that required me to use my inhaler. I am trying to keep my breathing from getting worse by walking. Use it or lose it!

Susie was up a bit early, so we went out to Burger King for lunch before the bad weather hits. We had burgers and ate them in the car in the parking lot. We watched the sleet get started.

I had more Zoom meetings. I then finally finished them and started coding. I am writing some install code and change control processes for new technology. I really miss coding, and so it is nice to get back to cutting some code.

I headed-out to Safeway. I usually avoid the grocery store now–the covid-19 rates are too high. I did not want deliveries in a snowstorm; I decided to put on my mask and practice my social distancing in our local store. I picked up quite a few items. I then used the self-service checkout. I think it took me twenty minutes as I kept making mistakes or the item needed an override, and so on. The staff person who was helping told me it gets easier with practice. I am not quite sure I want to get good at check-out.

I got home, checked email for any emergencies, and watch the sleet get heavier. I put out the trash and recycling. The cans were already icing up.

I started dinner, German-style goulash using pork, not beef. I make this once and a while. I cut up three large onions. I cried. I then did carrots, celery, and potatoes. I make it more like a stew. I spice it with ground caraway seeds and Hungarian Paprika. Tomato paste and some wine help to finish it. I then cook it in a pan on the stove for about 90 mins.

While that cooked, my church meeting started. We have an appointment at a bar once a month to talk about theology issues: Theology Pub. Now we meet on Zoom, and usually, folks have a beverage and sometimes food. We talked about the meaning of “Born Again” and how we had experienced this Christian movement.

I left the church meeting and started on India time morning meeting at 9ish. I was online for a short time, 45 mins., and then signed-off.

14,004 people were vaccinated yesterday. This number will likely increase as it takes 72 hours to collect all the information. Just under 9.5% of the people in our county, Washington, have been vaccinated.

3,068 people died from the virus today in the USA.

I went with Beta Yetu today as I found this nice version.

 

 

I slept into 7ish today. It was just too hard to get going a 6ish. I had woke up at 5ish and then woke every ten minutes for a while. So I rolled over and slept a bit.

Work was hours of status meetings with Zoom. I was also trying to work on some tasks, and the interruptions made it impossible to focus. I just did status meetings.

I managed a walk for the full-length today and found that someone had planted crocus at the little stream I stop at for my full walk. The stiffness is much better today, and my lungs are working better. Use it or lose it.

I broke-out of the endless status meetings. I am doing some coding and setting up environments to do software change control. I am writing Groovy code to control the process. I did all of this four or five years ago, so I spent much time today looking at what we did before and what my colleagues changed and improved.

Also, Susie had physical therapy today with Michelle. Susie could not get out of her chair well. The PT folks were surprised to see that Susie seems to have lost or forgotten all the training. They are working on her posture. I will help her exercise on Thursday–I will have to step out of a meeting to do that. We need Susie to find her groove again.

Back to work, I do not get to code often, so it is enjoyable to be back to typing in code. I managed to get the basics to run today. I am coding the basics and plan to run more complex stuff Friday–Thursday is unrelenting meetings scheduled, so the fun stuff will have to wait a day. I logged back on tonight to get even further as I knew I could not do much more on Thursday. I learned some new techniques today, and I can’t wait to try them out. Sorry techie love new stuff!

Dinner was just Susie and me. I made pan-fried pork chops. I got my new cast-iron pan today and wanted to try it out. It worked very well! The chops and the green beans I made were all Schwann’s food. I microwaved the beans, drained them, and cooked them a bit more in butter, almond slivers, butter, and salt. I made corn mush to go with it. I had never made it before. I pulled the chops from the pan and fried the corn mush, already cooked in a saucepan, in the pan.

Susie liked it, even the mush.

I am back to work tonight on India time again.

9,685 people were vaccinated yesterday in Oregon. This number will likely increase as it takes 72 hours for all the counts to get in. Our county, Washington, has reached 9.25% vaccinated.

3,432 people died today in the USA from the infection.

I picked a hymn I do not know: We Utter Our Cry. This is Methodist Hymnal #439 and was published in 1983 according to the hymnal.