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I am reading another Maisie Dobbs crime-mystery-WW2 novel, the last one available–number fifteen in the series, so I was not asleep until after 1:30 last night. Which would be not so bad if I was not up at 7:30ish to get ready for my hair-cut with Zerida, Susie’s gal, at 9:15. This is on my Kindle, so I do not flood the house with new books.

The air quality is fair!

So down to Bridgeport to the House of Hair this morning. I usually like to be early, but with all the restrictions, I prefer to be on time now, so I try to get there at the exact minute, three minutes before this time. My hair is short and orderly again.

From there, I headed to Portland, but it was too early, so I stopped at Barbur Boulevard Starbucks. I sat in the parking lot using the Internet on my Apple in the car while I watched the navigation update. It is about an hour to get the updates installed for the Pacific Northwest (PNW). I had noticed that the Nav in Air Volvo, the name of the car, was missing important new features in Portland–like Mox Boarding House and where I was headed. So I waited for it to update and apply the updates. The last step is to turn off the car (!?) to get the update installed–Air Volvo asked for a reboot! I went into Starbucks to get some coffee and a danish. I also buy, like I use to before Covid-19, a bag of coffee and have it ground. I do not think I can catch Covid-19 from coffee.

I saw in recommended reading on Powell’s website, and instead of ordering a physical copy from Powell’s–sorry Powell’s, I ordered the book, Yes, Chef, on my Kindle. I have too many physical books as it is! I read the first chapter, and it is hard to put down (I use the cloud reader that works in a browser). I recommend the book (at least the first pages).

Off to Portland with Air Volvo Nav now zeroing in on Mox Boarding Room PDX, I carry three games with me, and Tatyana and Marylin are happy to see me returning. I missed last weekend due to the smoke. Sydney is not there as she has the nightshift. We catch-up and share stories of the terrible smoke from last week. I catch-up with Sydney when she comes in later.

Evan shows up, and we get some food and set-up the board game Scythe. Evan looked at all the player mats and tries to pick one he wants to play. Evan takes the Crimean Khanate faction. I select the Rusviet (Russian), and Evan hands me the Innovative mat, and he takes Mechanical. In this game, you get a faction that defines the powers of your technology (mechs) and unique ability and then a mat that describes your arrangement of the same skills everyone has (some other mats are Agricultural, Militant, Industrial, Patriotic, and Engineering). There is an extra-large payment for upgrades on my mat of Innovative. I am thus driven to attain oil that is used to pay for upgrades. Evan can build with one less resource if he burns a combat card but starts with none, so he tries to get the cards. He also can build mechs for less than I, but he has to pay to bolster his strength to do that–making it expensive. I build mechs by producing goods and people–this lets me build an engine of creating the resources that I then use to build the mech in one step. I quickly have an engine running and have most of my mechs built.

Evan decides to attack me and break my engines. I often let him attack and then barely resist to then attack him in his weakened and overextended positions on the next turn. Evan attacks me over and over while I keep building and upgrading, and then I start to enlist also. I score stars for combat and an objective. Stars are won by completed a build of all of one time of capability, reaching a maximum rating, winning battles, and achieving often weird random objectives. The game stops when a player earns the sixth star. I win after my sixth star.  It was a longer game as I completed all my upgrades (six) and all my enlistments (four) and all my mechs (4), so I scored high. We also used the alternative encounter deck, which can cause higher scoring. The deck is a mixed bag; Evan got one card that was so poor that we agreed to let him have another draw.

Scythe is one of the best newer styled game (released in 2016). It is designed to force the player into making choices from multi-options while dispensing with paper counters and war iconography found in many games. Scythe, while based on a science fiction steampunk story, does not let the theme remove choices. It is up to the players to drive the game and make decisions–there is almost no luck. You see the loss of choice in many World War 2 games that force the game to follow history. The designer of WW2 games then often squares some of the loss of control with dice rolls and thematic rules. For example, why should not the USA join Germany for an easily win–a morally bankrupt suggestion, but if all you want is to win a game, that combination will win.

I find Scythe a well balanced and well-supported game! Last year Modular Scythe was released to allow the players to have even more control. The game builds a random board, but the players have to pick where to play and what to play. It is for experts.

We then moved to the game Architect of the West Kingdom with Artisans add-on. This is another excellent new style game. Architects is less about engine building and more about gathering and using resources to build scoring items. Players place a worker every turn and get something in return or get to do something. The players are often short some essential things and suddenly having to “arrest” their workers to put them to work on gathering other resources. Every turn is a decision about what to do with a worker. The game also allows you to “arrest” the other players’ workers, and there are a few places were direct competition exists. The other players can ruin your plans. Architects also makes an excellent solo game; there is an automata card deck to control the other robot player.

In our play, I slipped up and did not build enough buildings and lost to Evan by seven points. Sadly, I had a seven-point building in my hand that I needed more wood to build when Evan stopped the game with the last building.

We then left Mox splitting wins this time. I headed off to Guardian Games and Evan off to dinner, pizza. I bought a bottle of the Turbo Dork color at Guardians, silver fox. These are special metallic paints I want to try-out. The staff at Guardians asked me to report back to them on my experience using the Turbo Dork paint.

Corwin made spaghetti with meatballs for dinner. I watch an old movie with Susie, The International, the story of a criminal bank being investigated by the New York prosecutor office–sound familiar? The film ends in Istanbul, and I like to see all the places I have been to.

I hope to get to the build of my 3D printer tonight, but it is already late.

Today about six-hundred fifty people died from the virus in the USA.

With the excellent air, I thought a chant would be right: The Eagle Song.

Last night I small tree frog appeared by the front door as I put out the trash. I had watered the lawn before the smoke became dangerous and must have attracted the little frog. The rain came last night with the frog. I did wash my car yesterday.

About 3ish, there was a massive crash, and I called out and grabbed Susie. I thought she had fallen and smashed through the window or brought down some furniture as she fell. It was a flash of point-blank lightning and thunder. It was terrifying. The noise was never that loud again, but I listen to the storm until 4 something. The rain poured, and it stormed all day.

The air went to normal today.

I started work groggy at 7ish and had my first Zoom meeting at 8AM. This is an international meeting of many companies that run the same industry solution to run the back-office processes (and sometimes the front-office) called SAP HANA. My colleague presented. It is always fun to see all the folks from other major brands that run the same software.

I slipped in a bagel and coffee.

After that, I took care of status meetings, updated timesheets, and talked to some developers and architects about aligning on some error recovery processes. Stuff that would put you, my readers, asleep, but it is the boring stuff that can kill’ya in computers if they are not correctly defined and handled.

Aside: My boss, Warren back in Maryland in the 1990s, told me once after a very poor day that “it is OK to screw-up, and it is OK to break production and crash everything, just fix it and go on. It is NOT OK to create a legend and a story of a terrible computer mistake that took days or weeks to recover from.”

I had to meet with a few folks about design.

With the rain coming, it was time to replace the air filter in the furnace/AC–I want clean, nice air again. I was out of filters at the house. I saw that I could buy one for $35 online or buy one for half that at my local hardware. So in my mask, I went to True Value and picked up two filters. I then installed it and was shocked by what the two months of bad air had done to my filter. It was warped and almost black. The filters are usually gray when it is time to replace them.

(the new one next to the dirty one)

I made two hot dogs with buns for lunch. I had forgotten how much I loved a pair of hot dogs with mustard. I had this with the last can of pears.

The smell of smoke disappeared. The rain and the new filter worked.

The afternoon was more informational meetings, one a Zoom conference at 4PM on a Friday (ugh!). I started doing some documentation of processes. I had to remember how to use the editor, which took most of my time between meetings in the afternoon.

Susie got going late, and the thunderstorms continued. The rain was heavy at times. I made Susie a brunch of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and ham with toast sliding that in between meetings.

Work finally ended about 5ish; I then fried a hamburger and heated up chili from a can. I put the burger on a bun I toasted and then covered it in chili with some cheese and some onion–a chili burger. It was good.

I started building my 3D printer tonight: Folger 2020 i3. I discovered as I began to look at putting it together that everything is metric and Torx style screws. I have not done that much work with either. I have printed the assembly instructions, and I have my digital caliper to help me measure the parts to know which part is which. I spent some time confused until, embarrassed to admit it, I pressed the button to show metric on the caliper. After that, everything began to work. I also found I have Torx included in my special Craftsman set of different screw driving heads. So I was able to get going. I got out my small measure tapes. I have special ones for wargaming that is in inches and metric. Inches for small ship models and metric for some 28mm figure (Dungeon and Dragons scale) games. I need to measure some parts. I just have a few steps done tonight.

The groceries came about the same time I made Susie a grilled ham and swiss sandwich. I had them delivered tonight as I had missed the times for morning and afternoon delivery. The little frog hopped out when I went left the house. The frog is likely following the bugs that are attracted to the porch light.

I was happy to see the rain and the frog, and the smell of smoke is gone.

The market was down in the US. I was reading online that some claim it is now the last stand of the US central bank, The Fed. The goal for The Fed is to get through without creating a no-growth economy, much like what Japan has been facing for years. The Fed cannot lower interest rates much more. Many are concerned that the only growth now in the USA economy is actually the stimulus money; there is no real growth. Again, some say that is what happened to Japan. I will keep watching.

More than nine-hundred fifty people in the USA died from Corvid-19, according to the Internet reports.

The Notorious RBG was welcomed to her next court by her friend Scalia today. I will miss her and her writing for the court. I have the cookbook published by the Supreme Court Historical Society to celebrate her husband’s, Martin Ginsberg, excellent cooking for the court and the families of the court. He passed away some years ago, and a book was created to celebrate his life. I flipped through it again to remember her and her husband, who both were so loved by both liberal and conservative members of the court.

I will have to make something from the Chef Supreme.

A quote:

Today we had rain, and we can see the sky. The air quality numbers are under 200.

I started work at 6ish again and had my first meeting at 7AM. I had some 30 mins sections of today booked four deep. Any time I had open was filled with a Zoom meeting by noon.

I got a few breaks when meetings ended early. The projects and Nike IT seemed to be a running full-out now. I seem to be needed by everyone all the time.

The details are not that interesting, just work, so this will be a short post.

I managed to slip a banana and bagel in this morning while drinking Mexican fairtrade coffee, freshly ground. Liberal boarder-cross coffee is just so reassuring in the morning. It makes you want to go out and help someone and register to vote.

Susie surprised me by getting up at 9ish, and to celebrate, I cooked her scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese–her fav. I added coffee and toast with peanut butter to finish up the celebration. Susie rode her bike too. I got the eggs cooked between a few meetings. I also fitted in doing the laundry between meetings and during status meetings. The folding is not done.

Lunch for me was left-over beef barley soup I had made a few days ago. This time there was some meat left–last time I managed to reheat it and missed having any meat. I finished off the soup while watching my calendar fill with more meetings.

I took a break late afternoon, my first today. I had a Zoom session at 6PM with Australia and wanted to relax. I was recording questions and answer on software development for now online computer conference down-under. I was supposed to be a speaker, but like everything, the conference is now online. We did the recording as a contingency. If the Internet breaks in October for the online presentation, the recording is ready. Video presentations are something outside of my comfort zone, but I wanted to help, and it was a chance to try something new. As usual, the event seems over before you get started, twenty minutes. The Eventful Group, the company that is doing this, people said I did well.

I then grilled some cheeseburgers. Something simple for tonight. Susie wanted no bun. We finished off the potato salad. I am tired. So I think we will keep this short.

More than eight-hundred seventy people lost their battle with Covid-19 today in the USA.

As the air clears and rains come it seems I should finally pick this one: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.

We did have some clearing today and saw the sun. This evening we are back to dark skies and the sun and moon swallowed by the monster that is forest fire smoke again. We have hope for the clearing of all smoke on Sunday, but the weather gal, Natasha, on KATU 2 warned that they had no real working models and predictions are unreliable. Pacific Northwest (PNW) forecasters know better than to promise us any exacting prediction. The valleys, mountains, gorges, deserts, and hills make microclimates that are difficult to time. For example, the forecaster knows it will rain, but just when it hits a microclimate and how much it will rain is impossible to predict.

I overslept this morning; I turned on the wrong alarm that did dutifully go off at 7AM. Susie was not impressed with my alarms this morning! I managed to get to my computer just before 7AM to be invited to a meeting at 7! So I was in a Zoom call not dressed, no video, and working out some issues with my first cup of coffee just tasted!

I had a few more items and then rushed at 8ish to get cleaned up and dressed.

I found I had to rush for bio-brakes and endless meetings. I watched all my open spots fill until I had only five-minute breaks until 2PM! Luckily, some of the meetings were status meetings so I can do other work while I just listening and also some meetings thankfully ended early. I was also double-booked, and when one ended early or ran over–I had both issues today–I then rushed over to the other meeting. I would often find that the other meeting was over. I would later get an email of what I missed; I try to send an email when I am overbooked, which helps me stay connected and sets expectations.

I was booked with an American SAP User Group (ASUG) call for lunch. My friends in Denver and Ohio are running an Enterprise Architecture user group, and I wanted to be supportive and to listen in. I got a meeting to end early, so I ordered lunch from Victorico’s Mexican Food, two tamales–beef–delivered. It came on time and was good, and I ate it while I listened to the presentation.

More status reports and then a short break, I went and rested and read for a bit–I was fatigued. The air, while better, was bothering me more today and making me tired. This is to be expected as extended exposure is the real threat. I have been living in this now for days. I have stayed in and have N95 masks, but it all accumulates. My throat is a bit sore, swallowing a bit harder, breathing a bit harder, and allergies are out-of-control. So I am tired.

I slip out for a few minutes this afternoon, taking air Volvo out for a drive. Susie’s sister Barb’s birthday is today. I sent her, now belated, gift. The FedEx shipping had a sign that only three people were allowed in the store. I saw more than that and waited outside. I had an N95 mask. I waited and then went in when I was the third person. I sent the gift on with all the usual steps now, all done socially distant and with plastic shields. When I was done, the store was full twice over the limit. I left trying to be socially distant, but at least everyone had a mask.

I then picked up one of Susie’s meds at RiteAid. Outside of the pharmacy was an African-American man without a good mask with a sign asking for help, saying he is starving. The air is improved to “unhealthy” today. There were some bags next to him from people who bought him some food. I got Susie’s meds and a $20 gift card for RiteAid and handed the card to the man and told him he could get whatever needed with it inside. He was a bit overwhelmed and thanked me. I just wanted him to be well and get a good mask, but he knows better what he needs. I told him it was not my business what he needs but that he was welcome. I also gave him the receipt for the card. I told him to show the receipt if anything went wrong. I had told the clerk in the store what I was doing, so there should be no problems.

I hope the African-American man is safe tonight. Pray for the homeless and the poor in our bad air!

I got the car washed as it was gray with ash. I did not want the newly detailed car to get dull from the ash. It is back to its super shiny look.

Back home and more Zoom and email and text and crisis of the moment.

The freezer is full of food. I grabbed the New York strip steaks and defrosted them in water. I then marinated them, still a bit frozen, with teriyaki sauce to add more flavor. I cut the steaks diagonally in half for some drama and browned the strips on the stovetop in a frypan.

I started baked potatoes in foil during my last status meeting in the oven. Ninety minutes later, they were perfectly cooked at 350F. I then pulled them and put butter and salt and closed them up, and placed them by the vent for the oven.

I defrosted some green beans. I heated almonds slivers and salt in butter in a saucepan. I then put the range on Broil after setting a rack high and put the frypan with the steaks to broil–the teriyaki sauce will blacken in the broiler as if I had grilled the steaks in flames. I finished the beans but putting them in the hot butter and almonds. I failed to pull-out the steaks fast enough, and they were well done–next time I will watch them and pull them early! I sliced the New York Strips thin, and that fixed that. Sour cream finished the potatoes. So steak, potatoes, and beans–an American dinner.

More than eleven-hundred people are reported to have died today in the USA from the virus.

My father’s birthday is coming up, and I decided to pick a song he quoted when we last spoke. It is not a hymn, but it fits the bill for today, I think Good Times.

Today started at 6ish, and despite the air problems, the air conditioning is working to clean the air. I slept well and was woken by my alarm. The first meeting today, a Zoom call with my boss and various directors from Nike and the SAP Company’s India office and our Nike office in India, was at 7:00, so it is a rushed start. I was dressed, showered, shaved, etc. by the meeting.

The foul air, down to 200ish tonight, makes me slow and burns my eyes a bit. The house smells of smoke, and despite the AC, the air seems dry and harsh. I find it hard to concentrate.

I had non-stop calls until 10:30ish. After that, I tried to take a break, and then the software upgrade steps came-up and other issues surfaced. I got a couple 30 min breaks between calls and questions.

In one of the breaks, I received my caliper today from FedEx. I ordered these from Digikey from AdaFruit. AdaFruit recommends these, but as they are almost 100% busy making Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for New York City, their home, I had to order from Digikey. I need these to build the 3D Printer. I paid an extra $12 as they are made in China for President Trump. Even sent from Digikey, they have an AdaFruit sticker on them.

The box the caliper was sent in was electrostatic resistant, and the caliper in its own plastic box was wrapped in electrostatic protection. Calipers do not need that protection. Likely, the product is mismarked in Digikey’s computer system as sensitive parts and not as sensitive tools–don’t drop it not protect it from static!

Once I got it free of the wrapping, I had to replace the digital caliper’s battery, they had a spare with it, and I broke my screwdriver for miniature work trying to loosen the screw and cut myself. I was not happy about that; apparently, I needed to be protected! I finally replaced the battery, and the digital caliper is now ready to be used and working great.

Aside: I ordered a new screwdriver set to replace my broken computer sized screwdriver set: JAKEMY 49 in 1 S-2 Bits Precision Screwdriver Set Repair Tool Kit Magnetic Screwdriver Bit Aluminum Case for iPhone/Smartphone/PC/Tablet/Eyeglass.

I also received a 50 pack of N95 masks today. These work against the smoke. I tried one out, and they keep the irritation from my throat, even in the house. I then took a pack, they are shipped in a box that contains five packs of ten, to our older Vietnamese neighbors. With some hand waving and a few repeats of English reworded, they understood that these N95 are for the smoke. They should be a bit safer, and I got a small bag of tomatoes as thanks.

I was going to make my lunch, but I instead ordered a lamb gyro from the Gyro House. It is just so good and I am tired so I thought some protein and spicy garlic sauce would wake me up. I order extra bread to eat with the lamb. I move the gyro to a plate and cut it with a knife and eat it with a fork, tearing extra bread to go with the lamb. I was still tried, but I was feeling a bit better.

I had calls until 7:20ish. The last two calls were with software architect and analysis. We talked about how to design software and how we should work with vendors.

I made cheeseburgers for dinner from frozen patties that cook up perfectly in the pan. I just add a slice of cheese on top when the patty is cooked through, cover with a lid as I pour in a little water, and let the steam finish the cooking and melt the cheese. I pull the patties and add buns and, without soaking the buns, repeat with the heat off, to toast and heat the buns. I cut a fresh tomato for mine.

I am on call tonight and working part of the night. I might stop if I cannot think straight.

Just sort of twelve-hundred people in the USA died from Corvid-19 today according to the Internet.

I thought this was a good choice for today. I might have done it before, but it is one I can actually sing: He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thoughts. This is Methodist Hymnal #128.