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Yes, 157 days of lockdown.

Today I slipped out of work about 4ish and headed to the hobby store, I needed a golden shade of yellow for my next set of figures to paint, and to hopefully enter Powell’s Cedar Hills Bookstore.

Before this, today started at 6ish with me waking before my alarm and starting the day with emails and Zoom meetings. I had some pressing issues and crises of the moment at Nike; it is a bit confused and scary now at work. Folks are stressed. With the murder-hornets found close by and the new forest fires, I think the plagues of Pharaoh have begun! I have adopted a friendly “smile and wave” persona I learned from the Madagascar penguins.

I also found a few minutes between meetings to finish up the Scythe mech figures for the base set. This is just cleaning off the masking and wiping off the base and those little fixes you see after you have done all the work. There is always something. Here are all of them together. I think they look great (I painted the characters last year during the holidays)! It was good to take a short break.

I have two more factions from the add-on, “Invaders from Afar,” to the base Scythe board game to finish. Japan (purple) is nearing completion. Scotts (green) is just started.

After getting my paint at Tammy’s Hobbies, I headed to Powell’s in Beaverton. The staff at Tammy’s did not have their masks on all the time, and some did not cover their noses. I was really disappointed this time with the folks at Tammy’s Hobbies. I will not likely be back to Tammy’s.

Last time I tried to enter Powell’s, there was a line and a Disney like wait. This time I could walk in. I could see that some of the items were more spaced out, and the crowd was smaller than usual.

It was so lovely to be in our local books store again. I forgot how much I missed the shelves with all the handwritten notes suggesting this book. The stocking is a bit low, but there are used books at lower prices in science fiction and some new titles.

And there is the strange Portland area humor that we get here. The passive-aggressive actions that are just so here. All the statues and dummies have masks.

I bought travel guides, Rick Steves Guide to Rome, and a more general guide to Eastern Europe, trying to be positive for next year. I wish to travel next year.

Returning back to food. My lunch was lost for a while. I had to contact the chat line on GrubHub as my lunch was going towards Portland. It seems that a software glitch had sent the poor driver in circles. Lunch arrived intact and still warm fifteen minutes late. I gave the poor man an additional five-dollar cash tip as thanks for not giving up. My lunch gets him only about $2.50 to deliver it.

Returning to this evening, after getting back with all my treasures from Powell’s and some paint from Tammy’s, I made dinner. Pork chops fried in butter and Herbs de Provence and then baked in the frypan in the oven to finish them–learned from Blue Apron. Couscous made from almond slivers cooked in butter with cinnamon and a touch of cardamon, and then the couscous stirred in and toasted just for a moment. Before this, beef broth microwaved until it is hot and then poured into the pan and the pan removed from heat. This with steamed and peeled carrots with butter, that is more butter, with just a hint of salt.

Aside: Don’t burn yourself by grabbing the pan’s handle, put on oven mittens, and then put one over the handle when you get it out of the oven, so you don’t forget that the handle is hot (trust me you want to do this).

After this, I started on the last mechs for Scythe the board game.

Today the US stock market bubble grew, and Nike stock fell back to a still high value of $108 a share. Even the non-financial news is commenting on the strength of the markets. I am watching my 401K climb at over five percent for the year!

Over twelve-hundred people expired from the virus today in the USA.

I found this old movie clip of Go Down Moses, which seemed to me to fit today: Go Down Moses Movie Clip.

Today started with me waking at 6ish without an alarm. I forgot to put on the alarm and woke only a few minutes late. I got on-line at Nike and my own email and started clearing work problems. I had a few crises of the moment and tried to just find my way.

I found that I was behind on a set of tasks at work and got them started. I am now waiting again. This time I am sending out pings to ensure I am not missing an update.

I ordered a lamb gyro for lunch from the Gyro House with an extra piece of flatbread. I did not order extra meat as it is already overflowing with meat. I ordered extra meat last time–it was ridiculous.

I had tasks through lunch, so my attempt to relax for lunch faltered, and I worked through lunch. I did finally get a break while I waited for some work done by others, and after I finished my last Zoom meeting today, surprisingly early at 1:30ish.

I went back to working on the figures I am painting for my copy of the board game Scythe. I am not entirely happy with the yellow of the figure, but it still fits and looks good. I finished the shading and clean-up while waiting.

I picked up some more tasks that needed to be done. Then I had to wait for the next group. It was already 3:30ish, so I started back on the Saxony figures. I had to paint more oil paints on the Saxony figure to get the charcoal gray color I wanted.

Corwin made dinner of jambalaya with just kielbasa. Susie can’t eat seafood, so we usually make it only with simple sausages. We made it too spicey for Susie, so I made a cheese plate for dinner for Susie.

I watched some videos on reviews of some board games that are now in Kickstarter. Hamburg is a replacement for an older out-of-print game Bruge. I watched a review of the Bruge board game from many years ago (there still on Boardgame Geek), and it got a good review. The replacement is Hamburg, and it is the game Bruge reimaged in Hamburg, Germany, with many revisions to make it a better and more stable game. Hamburg board game also incorporates the add-ons that were available for Bruge, but many gamers, according to the reviews I watched, thought these add-ons broke the original game of Bruge. The reviews of Hamburg are enthusiastic about this new implementation of Bruge the board game.

I contacted one of my gamer friends, Richard, and he just saw it too in Kickstarter. We are both not sure we need another Euro game. I will wait and see. There is a special super version being offered on Kickstarter, but I might be able to purchase that from Game Stewards. This is a website and company that buys Kickstarter and resells them at a small mark-up with shipping. I had used it a few times when I was unsure or missed a Kickstarter.

While Corwin made dinner, I finished the painting and shading with oil paints of two more factions: Saxony and Ruse (red).

The oil paint will take a few hours to dry. I will then spray a protective transparent coat, and when that dries, I will remove the masking from the base and clean-up any mistakes I see. There is usually something that stands out once you get all done.

Japan (purple) and Celts (green) are the remaining regular factions for Scythe. I hope to get them done this week.

I am surprised to be sitting in the dark again in the early evening. Fall is just about here. It was an overcast day, but 85F. The rains will be here soon and my grass will turn from brown to green again.

I did not watch the market or the election or well much of anything else.

Today it was reported that more than thirteen-hundred people in the USA left this life due to the infection.

I found this hymn that I have forgotten, and it is Charles Wesley: And Are We Yet Alive. This is Methodist Hymnal #553, and I really like singing this one, and it seems to fit our troubled times.

I started just 6ish.

I fell asleep and had a waking dream for only five minutes. I dreamed that some directors at Nike were explaining to me that all status reports would now have to in the format of an archery target. I was confused about how to use the new form. My questions were getting a bit direct, “you can’t really use a round-shaped target as a status report.” And then I work up.

I knew it was going to be a strange Monday.

I started to get ill. I soon had a cold sweat and was feeling dizzy. Yes, I had a flu shot on Sunday. I was tired and extra grumpy for a Monday.

I ordered tamales from Victorico’s Mexican Food delivered by GrubHub. I thought if I ate something, I would feel better. Tamales sounded the best for some reason. Also, breakfast was threatening to reappear in an uncomfortable format. Lunch helped, but I did have a few moments when I regretted my choices–but no reversals happened.

For Nike, I wrote an outline of a design. I was then told a few hours later that they wanted a different design for the four bullet points I was given. I sent more details on more options. I was feeling more and more like a target…

I took some breaks to keep going. I became more and more tired and uncomfortable.

I had more emergencies and Zoom meetings for hours. Another design for another bit of software surfaced. I could feel the target on my back.

The last Zoom meeting for the shoe company was with over eighty people and ran-over to almost 6ish at night. I made sure my sound was off! I then turned off the video when it went over it time and starting to make dinner during the meeting. Listening to the meeting from the kitchen.

I finally felt better. My experience with flu shots is the issue fades in a day. The action of doing something besides looking at a screen and typing seemed to make the difference.

I made dinner of Chicken Cordon Blu (frozen from Schwan’s), green beans (frozen) mixed with butter and almonds, and freshly Covid-19 potatoes (masked->mashed). I dislike having to peel potatoes, but they always seem a bit old and greenish when I get them delivered.

Changing to entertainment, “Lovecraft Country” was a great book and the HBO series started on Sunday. I watched it tonight while making dinner and eating dinner. It is a show that mixes the Black American Experience in the 1950s with Lovecraft horror. Just perfect for these times! Recommended if you like a bit of horror.

I returned to painting a bit today and applied the oil paint shading to the Khan (yellow) faction of the Scythe mechs I am painting. I used a lot of dark oil paint to make them look more used. This reduced the crazy-bright of the yellow base-color I used on the figures.

I am still fighting with WordPress as I cannot use Grammarly with the new editor. I am using the old editor (even older than the one I use to use).

Today more than five-hundred eighty folks in the USA died from the infection.

It is time for the big chorus again, Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling. This is Methodist hymnal #348.

Today I slept in until 9:30ish and then started very slowly.

I slipped out after making a chili-taco salad for lunch. Only I was up. I like Stagg Chili Silverado Beed Chili with Beans (yes, some folks believe it ain’t chili if it got beans) and that over lettuce, some corn chips, and cheese is a good lunch. I slipped out to the Rite Aid and got the new flu shot. Dr. Fauci is warning folks that mixing a bad flu season with the current emergency could be terrible. I know that the flu shot may not cover all the types of flu we will see this fall and spring, but it is something, and it just might include them.

The paperwork for the flu shot, free with my insurance, included instruction to “shake before using.” The shot is given in a private room at the Rite AIid. The pharmacist was surprised to see me shaking and moving around. I pointed out it was on the directions, so I was shaking. She started shaking and jumping around with me–following instructions. We laughed, and then it was soon over until next time. I am a bit more tired this afternoon. I am hoping for light symptoms from the inoculation this time.

I returned to painting the mech for the board game Scythe. I finished another faction today. These turned out pretty good. I have started the next two factions, but I do not expect to finish them until next weekend. I can’t find the time to do the painting like this, work, housework, cleaning, cooking, and all of that.

I had to get some supplies. I was running of masking fluid, I like to use the original colored plastic for the base, so I have to mask it. I was also running low on paint primer. I use Chaos Black from Citadel and a fine white primer from Tamiya. I was out of three shades of bottled paint. 

So I went to the hobby store, Tammy’s, and folks were wearing masks and being careful. Much more than the last time I was there. I often order supplies from Amazon.com to avoid any risk, but today I wanted to support my local hobby shop. They were busy on a Sunday afternoon. I got the masking fluid and primer there.

I then picked up the paints at Rainy Day Games. They were having a sale of old games and figures. I bought jungle terrain, prepainted and even has special effect lights, for 28mm (Dungeon and Dragon figure size) for half off, which was a reasonable price. I found a LaserCraft kit for a 28mm scale barn for half price too–it is a kit you have to build. So it was a bit more expensive a trip than I expected. I know the folks there, and we talked about games for a bit.

I returned home and painted and prep’ed more mechs for painting. The current group is yellow faction and look more like construction or farming equipment with a gun than war mechs. I am adding a bit more “Tesla” blue-green to them (in the background story Telsa invents a new energy source that is kind of blue-green).

I did the dishes and the laundry–still in progress. I made old school spaghetti and ground beef with sauce from a jar, Paul Newman’s Sockarooni, for dinner. I also baked up some scones for breakfast. Susie loves fresh scones, so it was time to make some more. I have ordered more from King Arthur Flour. I also ordered some new flour and yeast from them. Time for me to join the rest of the country and start raising so dough!

Over five-hundred fifty people in the USA perished today from the virus.

I found a beautiful hymn that I don’t know: Give to the Winds Thy Fear. This is Methodist Hymn 129 and is translated (!) by John Wesley.

Today I slept in late. The Benedryl I took for all the allergies and itching likely helped me sleep. At 10ish, it was 80F already. It was 102F by 3ish.

Today I was working on painting more figures. These are Scythe mechs. Scythe is an excellent board game that came out a few years ago and set a new standard for dudes-on-a-board, resource management, and area control Euro-style game. I have lost count of the number of times I have played. I have won once against the large Portland gaming group. The journey is just as important to me; otherwise, my friend Will would never have the pleasure of just beating the crap out of me over and over in Scythe. I have a premium game with most of the add-ons that make sense to me. I have also painted the dudes, and now I am painting the mechs.

(This is the initial priming and then white dry brushing to bring out more detail)

(this is the initial painting before the oil paints)

I am taking this as an opportunity to learn yet-another-painting practice: Oil paint shading. A new set of oil paint products from the German company Abteilung 502 are available to better shade and even create effects that are not possible with acrylic paints. These products are for creating oil and rust marks on tanks, ships, and even space models and not for 28mm work, but it is time to try them. I am using the ABT510 Starship Filth from the Fantasy & Sci-Fi Colors Set for shading. I am also using Mr. Hobby’s UV protecting spray to create a layer of protection for the underlying acrylic. I can then wipe off the oil and start again and never damage the underlying colors.

I just put a dot of Starship Filth and some Odourless Thinner (ABT111) to let me turn it on to a wash. I then brushed it on to the figure where I wanted to shade it. Unlike the inks I use from Army Painter, the oils dry to precisely the color I put down and do not change the underlying color. I can also paint acrylics over the oils so I can touch up still. No guesswork and not color changes I get from the inks.

(the mechs do now look much more like something you would see in a movie or a steam-punk painting)

I am now waiting a bit for the oil to try. It seems to dry fast as a wash, but I will wait a few hours. I am thrilled with the look. I will be giving them their final protecting coat of anti-shine from Army Painters, and then I will remove the masking from the base exposing the stark white plastic I wanted to keep. I wanted the base to still fit the dudes who I also kept the faction color, in this case, white.

While painting, I was also waiting for my grocery delivery from Safeway.com. With the second-wave infections in Oregon, I am not ready to take a cart down the aisle again. The groceries were late, twenty minutes, so I slipped in my shower and all of that while waiting.

It got hot. I went to The Rock Fire Wood Pizza for lunch and a beer. I get a salad and a meat pizza, full-sized, to take home. I had a large glass of red ale. Next time it will be the pint–I need a nap after that.

I got gas in the car, the fifth time this year. The temperature was 102F and the gas guy, an older man of color, said it was hard on him, I gave him a tip, but he believes this year is not as bad as last year. I agree with him. Oregon weather keeps getting more livable and less damp as the rest of the world faces more and more difficulty from climate change. We have had a beautiful spring and summer, which we cannot enjoy due to Covid-19!

We met Mariah for a short late dinner at Wild Buffalo wings. They are still running their specials of cheap ten wings and beer. Mariah and I did not need any more beer, so we stuck to soft drinks and water. Susie had a Long Island Iced Tea.

Before we left for dinner, I wanted to give an update on some of the roses.

The Herbalist rose is full in bloom again. It is withstanding the lack of rain and heat without much stress. I would strongly recommend this David Austin rose to anyone.

Picasso is a painted rose. I am not sure it can be easily found anymore. It, too, is showing well this late summer.

The China Rose is showing stress but is at least flowering and will likely light-up in September when the rains return (unless we get an extended summer from climate change)

I read Lovecraft Country and loved it. The HBO series is starting tomorrow. It is race issues, Lovecraft styled horror, and investigators running around–just great!

More than one thousand people in the USA are reported to have died from the virus today.

I picked a newish hymn that I did not know: Now Let Us from This Table Rise.