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Today we took Air Volvo for a trip. I had sent our car to the Spa (Volvo dealership), and it was detailed and polished to the extreme. The oil, brake fluid, and even all the air filters to the main cabin of Air Volvo were new. Susie and I decided to enjoy our newly clean and happy car.

We drove all the way to Hood River and then back. Hood River was full of people, and I did not see close adherence to masks and social distancing there. I may be too sensitive to this, so do not take my word on Hood River’s practices, but I was not able to trust them with Susie. We drove around and then left. There were a lot of people enjoying the Colombia River, but it is hard to swim with a mask so we just watched from the car.

We came back to Portland and went to Olympic Provisions for a wonderful dinner. This is one of the premium places in Portland, and Susie and I have not been returned to Olympic Provisions this year due to the virus. They do meats. I had steak tartar, and Susie had the Spanish charcuterie board. It was all perfect, and we sat outside. Olympic Provisions table has hand sanitizer on the table and two bottles of water and glasses for our safety. The menu was in plastic covered and cleaned before given to you. Food and drinks were delivered with gloves and, of course, masks.

Anti-protestors came to Portland while we were there. They filled the roads and bridges with the USA flag and other anti-protestor banners carrying cars. We got to listen to the car horns and a helicopter that was watching for some reason while we had dinner.

When our spectacular dinner was done, we had a new problem. Some of the anti-protestors were hanging out near my car but left when I came to get it. The staff at Olympic Provisions was ready to help me if I had issues with the visiting anti-protestors. I think the staff was very angry with the anti-protestors; the anti-protestors road through Portland back and forth and disrupted all the flow of weekend visitors–the Saturday Evening customers were a no-show.

I found myself having to avoid traffic snarls and find myself inside of their group. I would not likely tolerate that well and might mess-up my newly cleaned Volvo if overexposed to their racist banners. So I drove across Portland and took a less direct route home. I got out and on to 26, but I was then passed on the wrong side by a flag-waving honking massive pickup in the tunnel. I think I saw that in a Bette Midler movie when someone took her parking spot. “We are faster and younger,” was the driver’s response when she cut in and stole the parking spot. Bette then slammed her car into the younger person’s car, explaining, “I a richer, older, and better insured.” I managed to remember that I just got the Volvo cleaned.

We made it home safely, with the car still neat and clean.

I started the day about 9ish and made buckwheat pancakes and bacon for breakfast-lunch. Susie was up and had some too. I was happy to make buckwheat pancakes as years ago at the Laingsburg Pancake Breakfast. Dad and Grandpa Wild would sell tickets and make pancakes with the Lions and for the Business Association. There was a huge sidewalk sale. It was always near the end of summer, so I thought I would just remember that today.

I played a game of the board game Istanbul against myself today. I wanted to remember the rules as this game uses a very different mechanic, and I just like playing even only against myself.

It is reported that over nine-hundred fifty people died from the virus today in the USA.

I found a new version for 2020 for this hymn, Many Gifts, One Spirit, #114 in the Methodist Hymnal.

As usual, on Friday, after a morning of Zoom meeting, the first one at 7:15, and discussing various issues, I stop at noon. It is still summer hours, even working from home, at Nike. So I stopped at noon and then drove to Portland and have lunch at Mox’s with Evan and play a game.

Mox Boarding House is a small chain of restaurants and gaming stores in the Seattle area and now one store, just as Covrid-19 lockdown hit, in Portland (PDX). Today the store was having a painting session on Discord, and I spoke to the manager, Magan, and they are trying to find ways to connect to gamers and figure painters during the lockdown. They are thinking about during painting classes online for beginners and then supplying a painting kit for beginners at the store with a little discount. I hope it works out. They are not getting much traffic on Friday as usual in this area at the end of summer. Everyone is running to the mountains, desert, or coast for that last break before the unrelenting rains begin.

I had the Peruvian Pork sandwich with soup. Excellent. Evan had the same. I had one beer, as usual, and then ordered coffee.

I drink the coffee while we play a game. Evan wanted Scythe again. We switched sides from the last game, I lost last time. This time I pulled ahead and stayed there.

We then visited the best game store, in my opinion, in PDX: Guardian Games. You still can’t play there, but they have all the new releases and gaming supplies. I know many of the staff as my Portland gaming friends and I would often rent a room and play there. They are happy to see me come and buy a few small items.

We then stopped by the two blocks of Portland that is famous. Yes, some we went to ground zero.

Someone made a replacement elk for the famous elk statue. It is now covered in a statement about Black Lives Matter. I miss the old bronze elk, but the new one is certainly making a statement!

The park is not that damaged and just has a bit of writing on it. There is a very nice man making food for anyone in the park right in front of the Federal building. There was a lot of weed being smoked in the area–not unusual in Portland and not a change. Marijuana has been legal in the West Coast for some time (Washington, Oregon, and California have synchronized laws and procedures for weed use and purchase).

And the famous Federal building is surrounded by fences and covered with protective plastic. Many windows are boarded, and the upper story windows are cracked from impacts. It is one of the two blocks.

We saw that the Vegan Grill two blocks away was in perfect shape and busy. There are a few boarded-up windows, but that might be closed buildings. For the most part, only a few blocks are being impacted now.

I was too busy to watch the stock market, but Nike stock is now more than $112 a share.

Again, the reports are that more than eleven-hundred people in the USA died today from the virus.

I returned to the Methodist Hymnal for inspiration. I have always liked this song, which is #333: I’m Goin’ a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing. This is not a great video, but the singing is excellent.

 

 

Today I slept to 7ish after getting up and checking that I had no meetings until later.

Work started with emails and outstanding tasks. I had some steps to do that were outstanding.

I could not get to them for a while as I had interruption after interruption. Yesterday I started making mistakes as multitasking turned into just chaos. Today, I was not going to make mistakes and let the noise break my concentration. I also found more errors from yesterday. So I corrected the errors and did the work. I turned off the email and stopped doing any status meetings for a while. I turned on some music and just worked. I cleared the mistakes and worked out what was the correct steps and applied them. I then requested the next steps. I felt so much better now that I had a little more control.

I managed to order biskets and gravy for lunch from Tom’s Pancake House. Not something I usually go for, but it seemed a good idea today. The food was from Beaverton, and so was just about air-temperature when it got here. It was still good.

I had Zoom meetings to about 3ish and then had to get the car. Air Volvo was at the mother-ship, getting the 40,000-mile update, a recall fix, and super detailing. I got the title for the vehicle in the mail today. It is paid-off, and now looks likes a new and clean car. It even has the new-car-smell.

I made dinner today. I cut up three large onions, there were many tears, and a few pounds of pork rib meat (no bones). I put in a special slow cook pan. Once the pork and onions really started to cook, I added paprika and other spices to make goulash.  We let it cook slowish (still bubbling) for an hour. We made egg noodles to go with it. Everyone liked it, except Susie. I made her a grilled cheese sandwich, and that made her happy.

Evan was here with Corwin, and we played a game of Vindication. Corwin was proud of his win, beating me by ten points. Evan’s score was just behind mine. It was a high scoring game and was anyone’s game for a bit. Vindication is a very positive game, designed in the Portland area, and allows for various strategies.

So a better day when one remembers to stay focused on those items that are important. I am always a computer programmer, and it was good to do some real work today and shut down the noise. I was happy to make a nice dinner for everyone. And the game was good.

Today more than eleven-hundred people were reported to have died from the virus in the USA.

I went with a hymn I knew for today: For the Healing of the Nations. I am sure I have done it before, but I thought of it and wanted to hear it again. It is one I can sing.

 

It is hard to imagine that I have been in this chair, writing for so many days in a row! I hope I can keep going and I hope I am not getting boring.

I was reading the news and following, more than socially distant, the political news. I will make no comment here on politics, as that is not what I write this for. I try to understand what is happening in the world and what actions I should take, those I actions I must take, and those changes and actions that worry me and I might have to take. The world appears a bit darker to me right now as I worry about the economic damage from the pandemic, and I have begun to understand just how vital Black Lives Matters is to me. I am trying to help bring an end to racism. It ain’t easy for me, but I keep trying.

Turning to more mondain items, the car, Air Volvo, has been picked up by Volvo Valet and replaced with a giant XC90 loaner car. It is like my car if it was a bus! The car was paid off this month, and so it is at the spa (Volvo service) for service and an expensive total detailing. Two days’ stay at the spa! I should have a new car when this is all done. Well, at least it will seem that way.

Aside: I had to take a Lyft ride to Volvo as they forgot to drop the loaner car off. The car was clean and the driver masked and careful. I would prefer not to risk a ride in a ride-share car, but I needed the car and I like to have one if something happens to Susie or me.

I was not feeling well yesterday and had trouble concentrating. This morning I started at about 6:30ish and tried to pick-up where I left-off and cover all the many tasks I was trying to work. For the morning, I was able to attend the many Zoom meetings and get much started, and some items finished.

I ordered Pud Thai for lunch delivered. I ordered it with shrimp. My test for a new Thai place is to try their Pud Thai and count the shrimp. I got six. The noodles were brownish from being overcooked and soaked in some sauce. I have a suggestion for a better place, and I will try that.

I had to write some long emails after some meetings and I handled a few crises of the moment that is what being a computer technical architect at Nike is. I was doing OK until I sent a request to load some patches into the wrong system. I caught it and send out a correction and then got that wrong. On the third try, I got it right. It was time to stop. I called the engineer, and he was laughing that I was human, and I was complaining about it. He knew what I wanted.

I spoke to Dr.Rev. Wayne and we had dinner with them, Wayne and Ann, at the Reedville Cafe. Ann was getting new kitchen counters, so having dinner-out was a good plan for today! Ann and I had the tuna fish with bacon oven-toasted sandwich–good! While Wayne enjoyed a cheeseburger. Corwin was with us, and he selected the Cajun Pasta. Susie had a salad with chicken. We sat outside and shared their home-made style onion rings first.

It was good to see the Reverends Weld-Martins them, and it was the first time we have had dinner with them since Thanksgiving, I think.  We talked a bit about church things, movies, SciFi, and many pleasant topics. Ann and Wayne are getting a puppy soon–they shared photos like proud parents. It was strange to be having a normal dinner at Reedville Cafe, but it was lovely.

Turning to a different topic, one of the strange items to come out of the emergency is a new album from Taylor Swift that is much less dance music and over-engineered and more an old fashioned song. I have to admit I liked her dance over-engineered music–she has a great voice and knows how to sing, but I think I like this even better. I can almost sing along with this beautiful song and the video: Taylor Swift – cardigan (Official Music Video).

The musical response to Covid-19 has been one of the few blessings in 2020. The other is that Susie gets coffee and breakfast every morning as I am here to help in the house now. Working from home has helped her, I believe. Now if only we could see a movie or go somewhere. We will take a short trip on Saturday in the newly refreshed Air Volvo!

Returning to the reports, the stock market in the USA is flying straight up. Nike stock broke $111. My 401K is now showing more than a 6% increase for the year. I am all buttoned down for a massive crash–my 401K would take a hit–but it will likely recover again, but it would be nice to be wrong and sweep in another 10% year into my retirement funds!

Six persons died in Oregon from the virus today, which is included in a total of more than twelve-hundred total deaths reported for just today in the USA. Despite political understatement, the current death rate for anyone infected in the USA is 5%, the math is simple.

A Jewish Prayer is my choice for today. You need to turn on the closed caption (the cc button) to see the words in English.

Today has been a challenge. I have not been able to do more than live in the moment. I found that I was making small errors while working from home that suggested that my concentration and attention to long term goals were nonexistent. I was able to work in the moment, but trying to answer questions or to think forward into the impact or needs of the future was missing. Not very good.

I will try to make this more than a perfunctory report. Please forgive me if it seems that way.

I stopped about 3ish this afternoon with a few more follow-ups that were to tell folks I was ill and would try tomorrow.

That did not stop me from making dinner. I was going to order something but thought it better. Instead, I took the beef roast (still not frozen), cut it into squares. I then chopped an onion into rough bits, cut up new (not green) potatoes that we got on Sunday into cubes, peeled and cut up carrots, and chopped up some stalks of celery. I added olives, tagine meat spices, and some crushed garlic with all the rest into my dutch oven. I baked that for about 90 mins, into a sort of Moroccan beef stew. I did this for something to do instead of taking a nap. It is always relaxing to make dinner.

Returning to the beginning, work started before this at 6ish and had a 7ish meeting, so I had to rush a bit. The Zoom meeting, emails, software upgrades, and other tasks filled the morning and the afternoon. Today I was having some difficulty keeping my tasks ordered. This was the hint that I was not feeling well.

Lunch was a pair of tamales delivered.

I have been reading mostly with occasional naps.

Every time I became confused, I would walk outside and walk in my front yard and look at my roses. I would then find my way again. I suspect folks at Nike did not know I was walking my mind back to focus today!

It was reported that more than twelve-hundred people passed away today from the virus here in the USA.

I picked this hymn that I sang most days when I toured Israel so long ago: This is the Day the Lord Has Made. Something I remember on days like this.