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Well, 6AMish came rather soon this morning. I was back at it and working today from home. I decided the best thing to do was, after seeing my paid-time-off balance was still over 120 hours that I need more time off! So I took off Friday and Mondy.

I worked all morning and started to do some coding. This is applying vendor patches (OSS notes to you SAP folks), but these are manual, and you have to code them. So I was writing code while listening to meetings and attending Zoom calls.

I ordered Pho for lunch that was delivered while I was on yet another Zoom call.

I had Corwin chop a red onion for me and run three pounds of most excellent boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Again, I would not want to meet the chicken that had thighs like those in a dark ally, huge!

My meetings went to 6PM. I then helped finish dinner. I cut the large chicken parts in half and covered them with the onion in a dutch oven pot. I added three tablespoons of  Zamouri Tagine Moroccan Chicken Spices and just a dribble of olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes at 350F. Cut up a preserved lemon and remove seeds. Get a handful of green or better olives. Add that and back for another 25 minutes.

I made couscous to go with it. Two cups of chicken broth heat up–just warm is good. While that is heating throw three teaspoons of butter in a skillet and get it warm–not too hot. Add about 1/2 cup of almond slices and cut them a bit. Add about a cup of yellow raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon and a light dash of cardamon (careful it has a strong flavor). Then I dump in a box of coucous (1 1/3 cup) into the pan and toast it. I stop before it browns. When you see brown, stop and lift the pan off the burner! Pour the almonds, raisins, and couscous into the warm chicken broth without making a mess, likely the warm broth with boil when the hot grain hit it. Stir, and it will be done. No more heat!

The broth from the chicken is poured over the couscous side, chicken pieces and olives and lemon bits on top.

Susie and Corwin loved it.

The stock market flew out of control. Records are breaking, and my 401K is again back to positive earnings.

Today I learned that Federal Marshals are arresting protestors in Portland, Oregon. The President made good his threats. Portland groups are working to help folks in the virtually unknown process for federal charges on protesting and bailing people. I have no other statement to give on this.

I am breaking out in hives today. So this will be short.

The reports are that more than two-hundred-fifty Americans were lost to the infection today. The infection rate is explosive in some states, and the military has more than three-thousand four hundred new infections reported today–pray for our military! I thought a Psalm would work for today, Psalm 91.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I slept in and missed the delivery of my groceries. They came early, and I thought it was Corwin coming home. I found them later and put them away.

I had pizza for breakfast. I, of course, made coffee, Mexican Fair Trade. Nothing like the taste of liberal border-crossing coffee in the morning.

I went to work on the Titanic model today, as it seems I can only get to it on weekends. I managed to get half of the enclosed promenade buildings done without too many issues. This includes putting in all the tiny windows and gluing the building walls into the model with all the new windows. I also replaced a wall with a brass replacement that came with the etched brass replacement parts. It looks terrific and is part of the front of the ship. The classic look of the vessel has been redone in etched brass to remove the bulky plastic you usually see on a model like this. I am really hoping to get that famous curved white look you see in the movies and drawings.

I started on the funnels and have undercoated them with a light white to kill the bright orange (?!) plastic from the kit. I have also added most of the etched brass to the funnels and decided to pass on rigging the funnels. I don’t think it will improve the model and, if poorly done, will ruin the model.

My working on tiny scales with etched brass has improved. I can now bend small parts. It is still hard to avoid crushing a railing, but I am getting better at fixing crushed railings!

I also started on the deck chairs in tiny brass. I folded my first one and then dropped it. It has disappeared like it found a little black hole. I have plenty more I can do. Just funny that the first one just vanished.

I suspect I have months more to go on the model, but they suddenly come together.

Susie and I went out for dinner and beer with a friend at Cedar Hills McMenamin’s. Purple Haze is our beer of choice. We talked about many things, including ideas for how my Howard’s Lockdown science fiction story will go. I did not get to any new writing today.

Just a quiet day. I might do some baking yet. I started this early so I could have some time left tonight.

Today the reports are that the death rate is still decreasing, and more than two-hundred-fifty died of the virus today in the USA. The infection rate is increasing, with Oregon, adding 300 more infections just today.

I know I have done this song before, but I find this arrangement and thought we should just do it to remember the marchers: WSSU Choir – Lift Every Voice and Sing – arr. Roland M. Carter.

 

Today is a holiday, and I slept in. I not moving until 10ish. Sleep came, and I decided that while it was here, I should spend more time with that old friend. When I finally got going, I made Mexican Fair Trade coffee. Nothing like some liberal border-crossing brew to get you started on the right path in the morning.

I made lemon ginger scones last night from King Arthur mix. I am now through about half of the case I ordered at the beginning of the emergency. They are good.

I worked a bit on the model Titanic and have started on the enclosed promenade deck. This is mostly attaching tiny brass window frames to the model.

I made bean and chicken and veggie soup today. When the emergency started, it was impossible to get soup starters, so I found some at The Women’s Bean Project. I decided to make soup today. So far, I am the only one who has had any. It is good. I bagged it and froze it.

Lunch was leftover pizza from The Rock. I like to microwave it hot and then let it sit so the warm get through the whole slice and then do another run to get is sizzling. I then let it cool down. The crust is a bit too soft, but it is still good.

I wrote more science fiction: Howard’s Lockdown.  Today I invented Dreamland Portland near the doomed city of the unspeakable elder god’s city. I am working on a Dicken’s like story of three cultists visiting Howard. I will not want a very long story as you need to keep it light if you are harvesting Dickens! Currently, in my account, Howard is traveling with the entity of cults of the past, Alister Crowley, and just left a bar that serves extracts of books. Mr. Crowley ordered the drink Audit with No Regrets. Made from the extract of tax law books and a biography of Henry VIII, shaken with an olive.

I am planning, someday, to publish Howard’s stories. The stories match some of my travels. Istanbul, Amsterdam, Orlando computer conferences, and a Christmas story I wrote riding Amtrak. I write one from my experiences and imagination.

I also squeezed in a practice game of Istanbul. Set-up for two players. I play both. I added coffee.

Tonight is firework night. My street has acquired a massive supply of illegal fireworks. Going with the summer theme: We are the People Our Parents Warned Us About Jimmy Buffett. The explosions and flashes are ongoing.

(Susie out for the fireworks, kept on masks and social distance)

(the fireworks were close, that is the tree in my front yard)

Reports are confusing. The death rate is down with over two-hundred-fifty Americans dying today from the virus. The infection rate continues to explode.

I found this new hymn I had not heard before that seemed to work for me: The First One Ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Today I had a rough start even without my usual early start for Nike working at home. I had an asthma attack at about 4AM. I had to get up and take my emergency inhalent. I forgot and breathed in deeply and held it in–mistake. I fell to my knees on purpose as I started to lose consciousness, but remember to quickly exhale. I did not want to crash into the hard floor and kitchen counters.

My cardiac doctor told me never to just breathe in but to breathe normally when taking my emergency inhalent. That was after I passed out a few years ago and got to enjoy multiple visits and near-endless tests to declare I am fine and stupid. Today I remembered I was doing it wrong as the world started tipping over.

Why stop there. I managed to have crushing leg cramps an hour later. Likely caused by previous events. I did not look into the sky and say, “Frogs next?” I managed to sleep once the pain and the ability to breathe all normalized.

I started up the laundry and then relaxed for a bit. It was a rough start, and I was not ready to really start anything complex. I made Mexican Fair Trade coffee. Nothing like the taste of border-crossing liberal Mexican coffee in the morning.

I worked on my science fiction writing and continued my Howard’s Lockdown story.

I did a bit of touch-up work on the Titanic model. I will be working on the smoke stacks and the lower decks on Saturday.

I then left for The Rock for pizza and a beer. They were not busy, but had very serious adherence to safety–I like that. I had not been back since the lockdown. I had to scan the barcode block to get to the menu. I ordered a house salad, pizza, and a red ale. The other bartender asked me where my newspaper was and my wife. I was writing on my Apple today and Susie was sleeping in I told him. It is funny to be remembered, he knew even my name. I used to bring in the New York Times.

I did notice that the staff chatted and ignored social distancing, and some times removed masks, but they took my safety very seriously.

I popped home bringing most of a large pizza back with me. I order a large pizza and have it for a day or so. Susie was up and had some pizza.

I went back to my normal chores. Dishes are done, laundry is in progress, and dinner was cheese, summer sausage (locally made), other meats (also locally made), and crackers. The pizza was late for lunch, so a lighter dinner.

I took Susie out on the street, and we saw the neighbors lighting mostly illegal fireworks. It is a tradition. We were the only ones with masks, and I kept Susie and myself more than six feet away from everyone. We are invited to the more explosive July 4th party with food. I told them we will come but will have to keep distances as we need to protect Susie and myself. They are happy to have us on Saturday.

So a hard start and a nice ending.

Despite reports that the death rate is lowering in the USA, more than six hundred Americans lost their fight with the virus. This witnessed by the health care workers.

I decided a Psalm was needed as we enter a weekend that will likely be full of anger: Psalm 23.

 

 

For dinner today, I made pasta with pork chops. My mother told me the story that her mother used to make spaghetti with pork chops baked with pasta instead of meatballs or sausage. I made it before, and it is good, and so today I made Nadine’s Pork Chops Rigatoni. I cook the pasta and added Vodka sauce from a jar and then baked it all with pork chops that I first browned in a pan. I also drank a beer as Grandma drank a bit.

(A scan of a photo Grandma Nadine Bailey she sent me while I was in college, about 1987)

Yesterday I noticed that I still have the Marriott Hot Shoppe cookbook–five-six bucks for a used copy on Amazon delivered. There is a recipe for Bread Pudding that is exactly like the recipe that Grandma Wild loved. She asked me to make it for her when I was back from searching for a job in Washington, D.C. I will have to make this weekend. My sister would have me make two versions, Linda cannot eat raisins (someone convinced that they are like flies and she has never been able to eat them–don’t know who did that), so I would make one without raisins and one with.

(From one of the last times I saw Grandma Lee Wild in 2006)

This week food has brought back memories of cooking and Grandma’s. It is good sometimes to remember with food.

Work started as usual at about 6AM. Corwin was up this morning and had coffee made. We split a pot of coffee and then French Press after that. We are talking pretty fast by late morning!

I cleared the email and approvals and a few crises of the moment before getting a shower and cleaned up. I then did my first Zoom call at 8AM. I was triple booked. I did two of the meetings by leaving one early when they did not need my input.

After more email, Zoom meetings, messages, and a few more approvals, Corwin and I headed to the local Reedville Cafe. There I had halibut and chips, and Corwin had country fried steak, PNW comfort food! I noticed closer attention to masks and safety than last time. The customers appeared to take masks and cleaning more seriously this time. I felt safer.

I saw on a few suggestions that folks were binge-watching Foyle’s War from the BBC. I remember liking it, but I never had time for TV anymore. So I bought the first season from Apple and watched the first two episodes. It is really great and worth a watch if you like murder mysteries. These are set at the start of WW2 in Britain.

More than six-hundred, eighty Americans are reported to have died today from the virus. The infection rate continues to explode, but the New York Times is reporting that the death rate is stabilized or falling. As I suspected, they believe better treatments and the extreme lockdown for the elderly and immune system compromised people (no adventures for us) have prevented the death rate from again peeking. The first good news, I think, in a few weeks.

It is a favorite for me as I can sing this, and I found this newly produced version: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Vocal and Instrumental) – La Sierra University.