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I started my day at 5:45ish this morning. Susie was up to use the bathroom, and I discovered I had a headache, so I got up to get a drink of water. I decided to just start my day like normal, about 6ish. I have been sleeping in late for a few days. It felt good to have an early start.

I also have to admit that having my personal laptop back made it feel like a more normal morning. I could do my email and read the news as usual. The same way I have been doing this for more than a decade. The current Mac is actually the continuation of two other previous Macs–I just restore to the next new physical system. I try not to be a creature of habit as that can lead to disappointments, but it is nice to be back to my familiar screens and set-up.

To that end, I received a My Passport brand external hard drive from Amazon today that I am now using as a backup device via Time Machine. I have to plug it in to use it, but it is much faster than the WiFi solution I previously used and has 5TB to handle updates. It took two hours to get caught up on back-ups, not the WiFi all night update. I have moved to newer technology! I am current on back-ups (again) and can work safely again.

I also have a perfect copy of the previous files on a Lacie hard drive–these are shock-proof and to some degree waterproof hard drives. I restored the Mac files to this hard drive first to ensure I had a safe collection of my files before trying to get the laptop to work again. I will stick this spare in a safe location. This is how I ensure I do not lose files anything over time. I even have a copy of an old Windows system on a shelf on another USB drive–this was the predecessor computer to my Mac and for a few years lived a virtual Windows instance on a Mac Mini. It has some of my original Dungeons and Dragons writing on it.

Returning to events of this morning, I spent the morning making a Carrot Cake for Susie’s next 29th birthday on Friday. I made it from scratch using a recipe from King Arthur’s Flour. Corwin and I shredded carrots and I got bowls and pans ready to make a layer cake. I then executed the cake.

One of the cakes fell (the center collapsed). The center was not fully cooked. I put it back in the oven and decided to ignore that. It is a carrot cake, extra moist! If it was a regular cake, we would be looking at a do-over.

I let the cakes cool. I watched the series on Amazon Prime, Truth Seekers until Susie gets going. It is a mix of horror and SciFi with the goofiness I adore and try to emulate in my own writing. Truth Seekers is about a cable guy with the hobby of investigating the unknown. Not only has he found it, but it has also noticed him. In the story, he does a YouTube channel and is tied into a community of fellow wackos. Just fun and scary too.

Susie did her exercises and took her special Thursday only medications. We stayed in all day as there is a lot of virus cases out there. No time for an outing!

I called Senator Wyden’s office and asked them to try to help stop the election shenanigans in Michigan. I spoke to a nice person at the Portland office for the Senator and told them to look at the 1876 Election for what is happening; Chef Justice Rehnquist wrote a book about it that, if you can get through the dry start, is quite amusing and explains what happens when votes are not certified. Oregon was unable to certify its votes in 1876, and Michigan could go that way. The Supreme Court selected the President for 1876!

The nice gal said she would tell the Senator that I called and what the subject was and look up the book. I do not think Senator Wyden can do anything, but he has at least one person originally from Michigan and now living in Oregon, me, called and said essentially, “ugh.”

Once the cakes are cool, I make the frosting and use a cake knife to cut the cake flat on the bottom. This of course allows us to sample the cake. It is a bit more intense than spice cakes I have made from a mix. The roasted walnuts are marvelous. The frosting is not as easy to make as I hoped. The powdered sugar had lumps (!?); I have to add some cream to the mix and beat it until my arm is tired. The frosting is a bit thin but a mix of butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla tastes fresh with a hit of tang. I also do not like a lot of frosting. I tribble some leftover frosting on the cake bits I cut off. Excellent!

The cake is done and sprinkled with almond slices. It does not fit in the frig, but it is cold tonight, so it is on the deck in a Tupperware cake case.

I had a cleaning appointment with the dentist today. Masks and care took every step. No change, so we will just return in six months.

Susie has her Physical Therapy appointment on Friday. I read and napped a bit—Susie even rode her bike for the first time after the stroke.

First easy day in weeks. Dinner was Beefaroni for Susie from a can and a sandwich for me.

Deaths from the virus in the USA today rocketed to more than a dismal two-thousand sixty. This includes twenty deaths in Oregon and is the worst day for Oregon so far in 2020. New reports are that the hospitals are filling-up in Oregon. The next three months will be hard.

I have done this song before, but it fits today’s news: A Little Mercy Now.

Today was a non-stroke related medical appointment for Susie. The dermatologist appointment was just after lunchtime, and Susie had seven skin biopsies. This is in addition to the six she had last month. Those include multiple pre-cancer lesions that need to be removed; Mohs surgery is already scheduled over two different days in December. We are challenged with more skin items likely to be in 2021. This is a tough day!

After that adventure, we stopped by McDonald’s and Burger King for lunch. We actually ate it in the car while we got gas for Air Volvo. Refueling is unusual as we do not travel much. The new lockdown in Oregon, starting today, eliminates most reasons for leaving the house.

I ordered groceries, we are almost out of toilet paper, including some add-ons for Susie from Safeway.com. Susie wants a carrot cake for her birthday. I have found at King Arthur Flour’s website a recipe that looks good. I have most of the items now, but I might need two tries at this, so I ordered extra.

My Apple computer, a 2014 Retinal Mac Pro, finally finished restoring my data, profiles, and applications this early evening. I was able to bring it back to life. I did have to buy a Microsoft Word License, but I have managed to limp along on my old license from two Macs ago; I have avoided the Apple-Microsoft “tax” for years. Big Sur, the version I had to install, has knocked over a lot of my software, but so far I have only had to re-buy Word.

Note: My last backup was twenty minutes before the crash. I recovered all data and even every email. The John Wick 2 movie copy to local was the event that tripped the failure–the irony is not lost on me. It is remarkable that I have experienced three total failures and have used Time Machine to recover 100% each time. The only data loss that I have experienced was some PDFs that Apple tried to copy to their iCloud storage, never from a hardware failure or backup failure.

Susie was tired from the biopsies (they usually start to hurt on the next day), and I was still getting my Apple set-up (most of the setting survived, but there are always little surprises) we ordered from Happy Panda Chinese. It is always good, fresh, well made if you don’t mind the generic American version.

I have learned in my adventure with the Apple that Time Capsule is a dead technology. Apparently, it overloads WiFi and is slow (that I can confirm) to restore. I have ordered a new 5TB drive with uses USB to use for Time Machine back-ups. My Apple is also no longer supported in any way by Apple, with no spare parts available. I have a dual-core 3Ghz with 16G memory, and it was cutting edge four years ago. It is running Big Sur without slowing. I will resist replacing this for a while, I think.

Note: I have installed a 2TB Aura SSD, and is about three times faster than my old original hard drive and twice the size. It is also the largest drive available for this platform now. I do not wish to ever again open the laptop!

A hard day for us, but we have passed through it. I just have a dentist cleaning on Thursday. That looks easy compared to these last weeks!

I have all my tools back.

The US stock market went up when there appeared to be a vaccine. The stock market went down when their appears to be no stimulus plan, no plan or funning to distribute the vaccine, and new lockdown are being done helter-skelter across the USA. But, Nike stock is at $132. My 401K is at record levels.

More than nineteen-hundred sixty people died today in the USA from the virus include ten people from Oregon. The rate of deaths is back to the April level. I fear a disaster is coming; the hospitals and the health care system cannot handle what is coming. I cry.

I found this song with an adaption by a relative of my favorite war hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, and could only find this version that I liked: As the Sun Doth Daily Rise.

Susie had some issues at 5:30AM this morning. I had to do some caregiver work and clean-up some things. Details are best not recalled. This left me with interrupted sleep. I got going about 10ish very tired and even a bit dizzy. Being an IT person, I knew it would pass. I started slow. The dizzy part passed and I was careful all day.

I continued with laundry and get something to eat. I get Susie going at 11ish. My Mac is still restoring and did get about 1/3 done. The restore process is running very slow. I really miss my computer and all my cool tools. Really want it done. It looks like another day of waiting.

We had Holly from Occupational Therapy here at 12:30. She went over Susie’s current abilities to help run the house hold and how safe Susie is moving about the house. Susie has some new exercises. She is to keep a journal to help her remember her day. Susie is also carry her laundry out of the bedroom.

After that I made some cheese hamburgers for lunch. I try to use the food we have already. Susie had her burger and cheese without a bun with potato salad.

I took a nap and try not to watch my Mac restore. I put some of my figures around the Mac and my Dr. Fauci Boblehead for luck.

I made chicken soup from a can and cheese and salami on crackers for dinner.

We then watched Nova’s Can We Cool The Planet and then I read some more.

We have more medical stuff on Wednesday.

Today it was reported that more than sixteen-hundred ten people died today in the USA from the virus.

Today’s hymn is one I think I can sing: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.

I slept into 7:30ish this morning. I then got coffee made and had a light breakfast. I did the dishes from yesterday, and started on the laundry that was still in the washer from last night. Monday, Susie gets hair, nails, toes, and so on from Zerida. I put a away the board game Raiders of Scythia that I really liked, and which I set-up and tried to learn last night. I often finish a new game the next morning; this morning I just put it away. It is a busy morning.

Before I could check where the new hard drive for my Apple was, it was here–before 8:30ish is pretty good timing. Susie was gone at 9ish to her treatments. Our next appointment is for Physical Therapy at 3:30 today.

After Susie leaves, I take the special screw drivers and my static-free mat and open up the broken Mac. I replace the SSD drive with the new one. I find a paper card with the new drive that warns that it will not be recognized in older versions of the operating system. I have one of the newest versions. I easily install it, trying to put in backwards until I spotted the connectors on the other end!

I rebooted, and then I discover that the Internet based recovery tools are an earlier version (!). They do not recognize the new hardware just like I was warned. I also discover that the new versions of the recovery tools that I have cannot access my Time Machine back ups! I have a choice to restore or start over, not both. I instead restore to a FireWire drive I have for some work I was going to do with Python and Machine Learning. It is now erased but loaded with a copy of all my files. I am breathing better now; I have recovered my files. It took 10 hours to restore it.

While the restore is running I have Chicken Noodle soup, from a can, and Corn Chips. I watch some more videos on Board Game Geek’s website on how to play Raiders of Scythia. I also finish the first season of the Mandalorian on Disney+. I am trying to not panic and relax while my files restore.

I vacuum the living room and hallway. I start the rest of the laundry.

Susie returns and has a late lunch, McDonald’s Happy Meal. This is her fav.

Susie reads. I clean the shower, it is beginning to sparkle, finally. I also clean the toilets. I collect all the trash. I am keeping busy and trying to make things better.

Susie’s Physical Therapist shows up on time, and we wear masks. Susie gets new exercises, and these are harder and more about balance. The goal is to make Susie safer. The most remarkable exercise involved a piece of foam that Susie stands on and tries to just stand for thirty seconds and then again with her eyes closed. So far it is a goal. Next session is Friday in the morning at 11:30, Susie’s birthday.

I defrosted steaks, flat-iron. We are having steak and eggs for dinner. Mariah will join us as we are going to watch Monday night football. My Roll20 game canceled as two of my players cannot make it, and my laptop is not working so it was going to be rough going on my work Windows machine.

Mariah brings potatoes and we bake some. We talk about baking and what kind of cake to make for Susie. Susie wants a carrot cake. I have never done one before except from a box mix. More to follow.

We watch the NFL game and I cook and check on my computer. It is a bit chaotic. I managed to almost set the pot mitt on fire when I set it down too close to a still hot burner. I almost burn the eggs too, but I save them just in time. I am distracted by the game, Susie, the Mac, and well life.

Despite the near disasters, I manage to get dinner out and the steaks not over done, eggs with herbs de province, potato with butter and sour cream. Susie and Mariah approve. The kitchen, which was cleaned this morning, is returned to a state of chaos and dirty dishes.

I have to reload the Mac to the new OS as there is no means to restore from the recovery tools. I am now running that process. It is going very slow. It is at least going.

Mariah leaves after the Vikings finish off Chicago Bears. I finish the laundry.

I am hopeful I will get my Mac back Tuesday afternoon. We heard from the Occupational Therapist and she will be here on Tuesday at 12:30. Susie has a dermatologist appointment on Wednesday. I have a dentist appointment on Thursday. So this week is just filled with medical stuff.

A very stressful day for me, but technology may yet prevail! Sorry if I have missed some typos and comas.

Reports show more than seven-hundred thirty deaths in the USA today, two from Oregon. The rate for a Monday is the same level in June 2020.

Today’s song is Hymn of Promise. This is found as #707 in the Methodist Hymnal.

Lunch was the big goal today and Susie doing her exercises. We managed to get both done. Mariah called on her way back from Seattle, she was there for a break and to enjoy the art museums, and she wanted to join us for lunch. All of Oregon is locking down again on Wednesday for two weeks so it is our last weekend for some time to have lunch out. We picked the always safe Golden Valley Brewhouse (GVB). Again, everyone had masks on, the tables are spaced far apart, and the staff and guests all are careful. Perfect.

I started after a late night reading, I finished a book all except two pages, and started about 10ish. I did the dishes and started more laundry. I slipped in an other episode of Mandalorian. We now have Disney+.

I got Susie going about 11ish and ran her through her exercises a few times. I got her a light snack of coffee and a corn muffin. We then headed to GVB.

We meet Mariah at the GVB in the bar in a booth. We chatted about writing and the art and the differences between Seattle and Portland. I think our conclusion is that we admire Seattle as a real urban city, but we like our area. Susie had meatloaf and I a mushroom burger.

On the way back I stopped at Rainy Day Games and purchased a new game I have been eying for months: Raiders of Scythia. This is from the same makers as Architect of the Western Kingdom that I like so much. I purchased the metal coins made for the game. I am really looking forward to trying one of the “Raiders” games.

Susie was tired after lunch and the exercises. We both took a long nap. I finally got up and made bratwursts for dinner. Susie was happy with peaches from a can and more corn muffins.

Again, I am waiting to repair my Apple, so I am not getting my cool editing tools, and photos are much harder to do. I am sorry if there are any typos.

We did Susie’s exercises a second time today. She is getting better at them.

Today in the USA it was reported that more than six-hundred forty people died from the virus.

Rev. Anne Weld-Martin points this music to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI_yxGZCQEo.