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Susie is resting well in our local hospital, St. Vincennes, in the stroke ward. Susie had a small stroke on Monday-Tuesday that impaired her ability to walk. Corwin had to carry her into the car as she could not walk, even with her walker, to the car. We had called in the problem to her doctor, and they said to get to the ER now. We had first thought she was weak and got her water and coffee, and Corwin even fixed her scrambled eggs.

The trip to the hospital in Air Volvo is always hard when you are so worried and have to drive. I tried to drive fast, in Oregon, and with care. It is also the first rainy day in a while. Highway 26 was slow; there was a wreck, someone rear-ended another car on the wet roads on 26. I tried again to be calm.

Corwin came with us as we might need his help. We called ahead and learned the procedure for non-Corvid-19 emergencies. Corwin would return by Lyft as only one person was allowed with Susie in the hospital. I got help to get Susie out of the car, and we started into the process.

We waited for more than an hour to get a room in the ER. It is bustling. We then waited for about another two hours. Suddenly there were lots of people, and Susie was headed to x-ray. The staff was worried that Susie would stroke-out. Her blood pressure was a bit high. They missed her veins, and another IV failed. They put an IV in her neck. The joke was that it was so close to Halloween that neck bites were in. They then could get the contrast. The CAT scans showed no bleeding or stroke.

Susie had an infection and was too weak to send home, so they sent her to room 629 in the stroke ward. An MRI was done at midnight, and this was followed by bloodwork at 4AM. Susie got no sleep. At 10ish, we learned that Susie has a small stroke.

Once the diagnosis was known, the stroke floor started to check Susie regularly that she was not getting worse and got her some physical therapy. Many doctors visited, and there are lots of help being provided once we leave the hospital.

We agreed for Susie to spend one more night. It was safer for us.

I will be back on Thursday morning to get the results of some more tests and to wrap up her stay, and plan her return to the Volvo Cafe (home).

I am tired, and I will stop here. The Smith Family sent these flowers–Susie loves flowers.

I picked this video from India, one of Susie’s favorite hymns. Susie and Barb would make new words for it: Up From The Grave He Arose.

We made it. The election starts in less than twelve hours. Now it is time to vote and count.

While ignoring that we have a pandemic, the courts are still refusing to disenfranchise people for following the local rules–despite claims, valid or otherwise, that these processes are not perfect. The Texas votes will be counted.

Today was hard, as this is a time-change day. I made nearly all the coffee by 10ish this morning. My first all-company meeting was at 7. So a rushed start at 6 this morning. And I had my normal wake-up before the alarm, so it was a tough start.

Work was meetings after meeting. Most were status reporting and review of the design. I did not speak much today as much was decided already.

I ordered Pud Thai today from Thai Bloom. I plan to have Mexican for Election Day tomorrow. I expected the normal high quality from Thai Bloom, and was delivered while the meeting ran into lunchtime.

Many of my meetings overran their time.

I was tired and took a nap after work finished.

I made Jambalaya today. I tried to calm it down a bit with a can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes, but Susie still found it too spicy to eat. I felt terrible about that. I got her breakfast and lunch combined and some toast.

I read all the polls, the last ones before the election. I am ready for what tomorrow brings.

Today it was reported that more than five-hundred twenty folks’ lives were ended by Covid-19.

Today’s song is sung in the UK at Royal Albert Hall: The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The second hymn is OK.

I was not expecting to be writing about the lockdown in November 2020. I figured by now that we would have this under control. It is upsetting to me that we had the highest recorded infection rate so far this week. I remember believing that the number I was using would be entering into Phase 3 or something much safer, but instead we are looking at a massive overflow of our hospitals.

Two days to the election. If you told me four years ago I would be reading about republican voters trying to drive the democrat’s candidates bus off the road in Texas just a few days before the election, I would have told you you have read too many Ludlam books.

My vote is in. I will be watching online. I am glad to see this is ending and that so many early and mail voting has happened.

I read the Supreme Court decisions on the voting and will not state my opinion here; however, the law should not be cruel, so I am unhappy with the lack of compassion in the opinions I read. I will support the change in the area now.

This morning started with the normal confusion of how it can be so late and yet be so early. Then I remember it is fall-back day, and I changed the clocks (and some automatically changed) last night. I hate this. The states of Oregon and Washington agreed to do away with it, but we could not get California to join us, and thus we must continue with this time-changing stuff. So once again, we are changing back to standard time, PST.

I managed to meet Evan at Mox Boarding House today to play games. We also enjoyed the special Halloween menu, the “brain-in-jar” dessert was likely better when fresher. The salmon paddy (you never get that here) over a spicy crumpet was unique, spicy, and good. Evan thought less of the salmon, but I grew-up in the USA Midwest and salmon usually came in paddies with a white sauce. So I liked the new take on it.

I did eat the dessert saying, “Brains!”.

We played our standard three games and the first game, Concordia, went my way with me getting the last trading house in (gaining seven points for ending the game) and building my wine and tools industries up just at the end (just enough points to keep my lead).

Vindication was our second game and something was wrong in our play. I had too easy of a time which, in this game, means we missed something. I somehow built an engine that let me easily win. We will watch carefully next time and see where I or Evan misplayed. So we declared that game a tie.

Scythe was the last game, and Evan played well, and I struggled to get my normal engine building to work. I played Poland while he played the Russian faction. We played a long game, and I spotted a moment with Evan was less popular and ended the game. The score was 55 (me) to 54. I have lost by small amounts before; I know how Evan feels. I took a chance and hit the end of the game (sixth star) as I thought I was further ahead, but I was not. I was just able to squeeze by.

We should be back to Saturday next weekend and we will be returning to Architects of the West Kingdom and dropping Scythe for a while.

Today, I have received an email from the Trump camp for money every 15 mins. I have received about twice the amount from various liberal camps. Soon it should stop, I hope.

I drove home and made Susie a grilled cheese. I had a roast beef and cheddar sandwich.

Laundry and dishes for me to get ready for Monday. The faucet in the kitchen is taped together. I will try to find time to fix it.

The deaths from Covid-19 reported for today in the USA is just under four-hundred.

I found this version of How Firm a Foundation that I really thought was fresh. This is Methodist Hymnal #529.

Today we did not decide to risk it on Halloween and stayed inside and provided self-service candy and cleaning options. We moved into the house on October 31, 1996. It has been 24 years today. I always like to have candy to remember our move-in day.

I also lighted the NeoPixie strips on the house to get that good Halloween look.

We watched our last movie tonight on the Svengooli show on MeTV: The Wolfman meets the Frankenstein Monster. This is an old black and white movie and it has an amazing singing and dancing section that looks like it was stolen from some musical. It was terrible.

Before this, I did the scariest things in the house. I broke something! The kitchen sink faucet broke from its base and is now sort of duck-taped, so nobody will accidentally break it off and flood the kitchen. I was just noticing it was moving funny, and then it broke loose. I replaced it about fifteen years ago with dad. I even have some pictures from then. I will need to disassemble the sink, get parts, and reassemble it. Again.

I also got the pumpkins out and the candy station settled before 4ish as little kids are usually out then.

I was doing the dishes and laundry. I made goulash for dinner, Susie did not like it. I folded and put away all the laundry while watching Silence of the Lambs. I forgot much of the movie as I have not sat through the whole movie in years. The movie is still fascinating and horrifying but dated. Some of the challenges in the movie could be solved with a text or a cell phone call. I still enjoyed it.

I started at 9ish. I made coffee and ordered bagels from Einstein Bagels to be delivered. I had a lox bagel and also ordered a baker’s dozen with cream cheese. I had ordered various flavors, but they sent plain. It is still 2020!

The reports show more than nine-hundred ten people died today in the USA from the virus.

I have never heard this one: When Our Confidence is Shaken. Methodist Hymnal #505.

I finished today by watching a recording of a play for Devil’s Night from Brian and Gwen of the Portland Horror Film Festival. This was VILLAINY: H.H. HOLMES’ OWN STORY. The story of America’s first reported mass murderer. They have extended the run time of the streaming until Sunday. You will find tickets for the streaming at the virtual Portland’s Hollywood Theater. After watching the film, I joined the chat and live with the filmmakers and Brian and Gwen hosting.

It is a gruesome true story and many of the words in the play are from the murderer.

Before this, we carved pumpkins and installed scary eyes and bright lights. Corwin did most of the carving. I did prep one pumpkin and installed the first scary eyes. These are HalloWings from AdaFruit with some cheap convex plastic lens I bought a few years ago from a plastic supplier (the Internet makes all this possible). We did two pumpkins for Halloween.

Susie was thrilled with these. We plan to put a bowl of candy out tomorrow with a container of hand cleaner. Last time folks took just some, and we even had some left. We don’t want to spread Covid-19, but we will try to support those souls that wish to Trick or Treat.

I fried up hamburgers for dinner after the last meeting at 4:30 ended the work week for me.

Work was a long march of Zoom meetings and emails. I did get to install some fixes, so I did one technical thing, which felt better. I started at 7ish and had reheated Goulash Stew for lunch. Susie was up early again; I got her coffee, water, and breakfast.

I managed to slip out and buy some pumpkins at Safeway. The store looks much better. There has been some refreshing of the floors, and the shelves are more full. The meat and fresh produce looked excellent.

It has been a busy evening.

The reports show another nine-hundred eighty or more died today from the virus. The report shows an explosive growth of infections with more than 101,000 hew infections today in the USA, and sadly, at the current death rate, this will mean another 4400 death will happen in the USA over the next six weeks. My heart is breaking.

I had forgotten this 6th century hymn, Father, We Praise Thee. Methodist Hymnal #680.