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I managed to sleep into 9ish this morning. I could do some editing this morning to my Howard stories fixing up all the detected faults and a few I saw. Breakfast was a cinnamon roll I made yesterday. I frost them before they are served. Susie had one later when she got going about 10:30ish. Susie had physical therapy today, so we needed to be ready by noon.

Susie ran through the exercises with Clare, our PT. Clare had her Covid-19 vaccine shot a few days ago. She had a fever, and her arm that received the jab was so painful she could not lift it yesterday. This went away the next day. She checked her temperature before entering the house. As she was symptom-free, we decided it was OK for her to visit. She, like many PT folks, is tested for Covid-19 all the time. Her test was negative today.

The chances for a repeat of this on her second dose, in 20+ days, is unfortunately 84%. These are not considered serious side-effects.

I have a new IR Thermometer from Amazon; it is a no-touch measurement. I can now check folks that visit. We have only a few visitors, but as the vaccine changes this, we should still check that folks do not have a fever.

We had Happy Panda lunch today delivered by DoorDash. I had orange chicken (not spicy), and Susie had chicken with cashews. I had it delivered just after Clare left. Susie took a nap after lunch and her PT workout.

I completed the editing for two Howard stories, which meant I could add to the last story and epilogue for Howard’s Lockdown. I am a very disciplined writer and want the editing done on previous writing before starting more writing. The stories are more than 7,000 words and so the editing ain’t easy.

I am reading a new book, a physical book Michelle Smith and family gave me for Christmas: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I am delighted with the book by V.E. Schwab. “But ideas are so much wilder than memories, so much faster to take root” is just one quote in this modernish fairy tale. I did not like some of her other books, but I could not put them down. I think it was her willingness to kill-off likely characters that made me less receptive to her other books. I like this one. It is recommended.

I dragged out the Instant Pot and made Tagine spiced Moroccan Lemon Chicken. I cut up some 1/2 onion, throw in some olives, two tablespoons or so of Zamouri Tagine Chicken Spices, two cups of water, and frozen skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Set the Instant Pot to poultry for 14 and press go. I made rice, correctly this time, in a pot on the stove. Thirty minutes and we have dinner.

I have so many books and magazines to read! The “Dreadnoughts” Strategy & Tactics Quarterly came in the mail today. I received my copy of 2600 The Hacker Magazine came in yesterday. I have still not finished Brook’s amazingly insanely footnoted book on the 1916 Battle of Jutland (the same battle is also covered in Dreadnoughts). I had my John McKay drawing of the 1637 Sovereign of the Seas show this week too. It has pictures of almost every bolt in the warship. It is the first reconstruction to this level. I have a second book by John McKay on the way too.

I will be reading and writing these four days.

3,880 people died of Covid-19 today in the USA. The worst day so far in the USA and the worst day for the world too.

Today, I found a communion song by just opening the hymnal, Methodist Hymnal #640, which I have not heard before and liked: Take Our Bread.

 

 

Susie had some issues that required some caregiving at 4ish this morning. The morning 6ish seemed to come too soon. I managed to get started, but Susie was in some pain, so I re-bandaged her wound in her back from Mohs surgery and got her an ice pack to stop the pain.

I made coffee, drank almost a whole pot, and had a bagel and banana for breakfast.

Today was the last normal working day for 2020 for Nike. Nike closes this year for The Day Before New Year’s Eve as an official USA holiday. I managed to keep up for a bit, but Susie got going about 11:30, and I had to make her breakfast. I sent a note that I would stop early today to some folks and then just followed by email.

I made a taco salad for lunch and scrambled eggs with cheese for Susie later in the afternoon. This is one of her favs.

I then slipped out for a few minutes. Susie was too tired and went to rest. I picked up milk, eggs, and many basics. I have a new recipe for cinnamon rolls. It uses a new technique I have never done before, tangzhong. This is a Japanese baking trick that has you cook some flour in milk to a paste and then add the baking ingredients to the tangzhong. This helps the bread rise and be pillowy.

I made the tangzhong by cooking two teaspoons of bread flout in whole milk. When it was a paste, I put it in the mixing bowl, added cold milk, and followed with the rest of the dough’s ingredients. I let the dough hook do all the hard work. The dough was left to rise in a large bowl for about 90 mins. I then made the dough into the rolls. I used dental floss to cut the rolls (that is the suggestion in the recipe).

They turned out perfect and very light. Usually, the rolls are tough and chewy. These are soft.

I used Vietnamese Cinnamon that I got last year. It is sharper, and less is better. I used only two tablespoons in the filling.

I finished the editing for one of my Howard stories. Howard in Amsterdam is done. I might extend it and Howard’s Lockdown before editing some of the earlier works.

I put on a movie and fell asleep watching it. I will likely do the dishes and crash.

Corwin made mac and cheese with chili. Susie ate that for dinner. I made a chef’s salad with some leftover ham and salami and cheese. I made croutons by toasting some of the bread I made.

I am glad that tomorrow is a break.

3,398 people in the USA are reported to have died from the virus today. It is one of the worst days.

I turned to hymn 512 in the Methodist Hymnal, Stand By Me. This is Elvis’s version.

 

 

 

I was up at 6ish to start this abbreviated workweek at Nike. This week, we are only working Monday and Tuesday with Nike granting a day-before holiday this year, The Day Before New Years’ Eve official USA holiday. All but two meetings today were canceled. I have one so far on Tuesday.

I was happy to see that no panics are going on for our new systems and for yearend. I usually take this week off, but we have a new system starting today, so I worked the week and am on call 7/24 or in Nike-speak 8/24 (includes holidays and Sundays). I do not expect any real issues as this is a well tested and put together computer system.

I just had a few status meetings, reading emails, and listening today.

I did kill the power and replace one power plug in the wall this morning between meetings. I wanted to get it done and the Internet restored before Susie returned, or Corwin was up. I have new ones to install that have USB power plugs too. The receptacle in the living room was original to the house, from the 1970s, and slightly damaged from use.

I have replaced almost all the switches and plugs in the house; I like to update them for looks and be safer. All the switches that were in any heavy use had to be replaced–they all broke over the last twenty-four years in the house.

Susie had her normal spa day with Zerida, and she was going by 8ish and out with her driver by 9ish.

I had lunch from a new Mexican place; I wanted to try something new today, Don Chilitos Mexican Grill. The food was delivered on-time and mostly hot. The food was delicious, chile Relleno and pork enchilada.

I had a few more status meetings, and that was all. I was tempted by my new Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard (the Raspberry Pi computer is built into the keyboard, cool!) delivered today, but I will play with that during the holidays.

I took a short nap. I was tired this morning. I also got back to my Howard in Amsterdam story. It is set in 2019 and I wrote in January 2020. I would like to finish it up before I am in 2021. I am just editing. They story part is done.

I got up and made dinner. I got out the frozen flat-iron steaks I buy from Smart Foodservice (formally called Cash & Carry) and defrost them with running water. I sliced the bread I made into strips and washed them with butter and garlic; garlic bread to go with the steak—a can of peaches as fruit to share. I lit the gas grill, with no surprises, and grilled the steaks. Susie enjoyed dinner.

We watched the old Fantasia on Disney+ during dinner.

1,966 people died today in the USA from Covid-19.

I picked Abide with Me as the song for today.

After about four years, a computer system for master data went live today at Nike. I have been working with the team for about three years. There were no issues. I am so happy.

I have been up early on Sunday and watching the email and notices on Nike all day. This makes it a rather uninteresting day as nothing bad happened. Which also makes it a good day and a short narrative.

Susie was ill this morning, and I had to help her a bit this morning, and she stayed in bed until about five or so. She was tired. I did open the blinds a bit so that she was resting in the lovely bright sun we got today–not usual for us in winter!

I had a cold roast beef sandwich today for lunch and a bagel from yesterday for breakfast.

I made bread from scratch today. I don’t do this very often. I cheat and let the hook on the mixer do all the kneading work. We will likely run out of store-bought bread, and I have all this flour and yeast. Hmmm. I need to figure out how to get the bread to stay taller, but they are not bad loaves.

I have watched now most of the Doctor Who specials from the past years. Getting ready for the New Year’s special this coming first day of 2021. I also love the new Aladdin with Will Smith and watched that on Disney+. I like that dance routine at the very end–some of the actors that played the heavy character get to bust-a-move. They are quite good, and it looks like they really enjoyed the chance to take the spotlight dancing for a moment.

I made dinner from left-over ham and various odds-and-ends. I have orecchiette pasta and alfredo sauce from a jar in the pantry. I fried the ham in a pan, and I added some green beans, first cooked from frozen in a microwave packet, and poured that into the cooked pasta mixed with the alfredo sauce. I added more pepper and some smoked paprika to that. Susie liked it, and Corwin said it was good. Orecchiette is my fav pasta.

We then had a Facetime call with the Smiths plus Jason Tasha’s husband-to-be. They are on the Oregon coast at their beach house, and they opened all the strange unwrapped presents remotely while I supplied explanations. The solar-powered origami camping light (it unfolds) was a hit. The 80s band DEVO produced special PPE using the band’s famous headwear, and that looked fetching on Tasha and Jason–I ordered it early in the Covid-19 emergency when they sold it was their website! I also included a kit to make fortune cookies–we need to make better fortunes for the next year! It was great to see the Smiths plus Jason.

Laundry and dishes were done and need to be done again.

Back to work tomorrow for two days, and then Nike closes until the first Monday in 2021.

1,215 people died from the virus today in the USA.

Today’s song is God Be with You till We Meet Again in Russian.

Today started slow and remained there. I was up at 8ish and was going slow all morning. I use to play Dungeons and Dragons on Boxing Day or meet some folks at a movie or bar and just hangout. There was usually some blockbuster movie to watch. This morning I started working on my Python programs and making room for the possible board game with Evan tonight. I was sort of without direction this morning.

Then, Dan Gray called, and I was told the Gay Pride flag on the church was gone. I got dressed, collected my new flag, a flag pole (my used one from my house), and headed to First United Methodist Church by Air Volvo. “I was on a mission from God!” At least that is the line I remember from the Blues Brothers movie. I put on my hat and sunglasses while I drove Air Volvo.

Getting to the scene of the disappearance, I found no damage and no hint of what happened to the previous flag. The screw that holds in the flag was still in place. I had to move the screw out to put in my old used flag poll. I got out the new flag, commercial-grade and made of sewn different colored nylon stips, not flammable, and clipped it in place to the pole.  I put it in the undamaged flag holder and used plyers to tighten the screw so the pole will resist the wind.

The flag usually disappears around Christmas and Easter and when folks are on vacation. I believe some people find it provocative to have a Gay Pride Flag on a church in the heart of Beaverton. I am always surprised when someone believes they can just take it, but I have decided that God needed them to have it. I just buy more. I have two more flags on the way, commercial-grade, and two more poles.

After I replaced the flag, I stopped by Einstien’s Bagels in Beaverton and picked up my order. I had sat in the car in the church parking lot and used their app to put in an order. I paid for it on my phone.

I felt a bit sad when I stepped inside of Einstien’s Bagels in Beaverton. I had not been there since last year. I am used to it being a loud, busy place. Now, the tables and chairs are stacked together–there is no seating. While friendly, the crew is very young–not the older folks I remember, there is no barista, the counter is empty—no piles of bagels, and no long line of rushed but friendly customers. It is quiet now. There is a feeling of desperation in the air–the last try to keep going and outlast the disaster of Covid-19.

I drove home with my bagels, having completed my mission. I had my Nova Lox bagel and headed out again. I stopped by Ace Hardware to get some new power socket replacements that include USB. Time to modern-up our plugs in a few places. Susie was up when I got home; not the time to be killing the power! I will install them on Sunday morning before anyone notices!

Susie had 1/2 of a danish and a cheese potato cake that Einstein’s Bagels added to my order.

Evan texted me that he would be free, and he came over for a board game. We played two games of Architects of the West Kingdom, including the Artisan Add-on. This is a newer style game and one we play often. It is an efficiency game of resources management and worker placement. It also allows your fellow players to suddenly grab all your workers and have you ransom them back. So there is some interaction. We tied with Evan and me, both winning a game.

The Smith family delivered a present for Susie, a warm Disney blanket. I sent them with my “care package” of strange things I found for 2020 for folks.

Evan, Susie, and I then watched the Blazer game. I am not usually a fan, but Evan is, and Portland Trailblazers often play well, so why not? It was a close game with the Houston Rockets not able to tie the game again in overtime in the last seconds.

One thousand four-hundred eight people in the USA died from Covid-19 today, Boxing Day 2020.

I found our own George Fox University, Joy to the World version.