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Some mornings even with disturbed sleep, it is just impossible not to wake before 7AM. Today was one of those days. So I started priming figures from War of the Worlds: The New Wave board game before 8ish. I like the theme, and the miniatures are a bit steampunk, so I wanted some spare ones for other uses. I just have not had any time for painting for so many months. Starting so early, I primed the figures and have hope of finishing them in one weekend.

I am using the new painting style of priming the figures black and then misting with white primer from above. This is followed by a dry-brushing with white to bring out even more details. I then paint with washed-out Army Painter paints using a flow enhancer from an art store. I apply the colors almost as a wash letting the black and white show through. The white turns to the color of the wash, usually.

I also made a scrambled-egg with bacon and cheese bake. This is like a frittata that just never was flipped. I had it for breakfast and watched Foyle’s War while cleaning and cooking. This is an older BBC show I rediscovered–I saw only a few episodes when it first came out.

I was ill this morning (I will skip the details). I enjoyed a well known side-effects of some of my medications. I just took everything slower.

I also caught-up my binge of “Most Deadly Catch” and some of the Alaska gold shows. I would put the shows on hold and then paint more primer and then watch some more. I did this until everything, except a figure I found that I completely missed (!?), was black and then misted with white. I also took a few breaks for the illness which finally left late morning.

I had just finished the priming when Mariah texted me about lunch–we often meet for lunch. I left the egg bake out and headed to Cedar Hills McMenamins. I wanted to check-out the re-opened Powell’s Books after lunch; it is their only open location and is just a block from McMenamins.

Mariah and I talked about books and history and other topics while eating and drinking a Purple Haze beer.

I headed then to Powell’s only to discover a long line out the door. I passed on that. Too risky to be in a line with folks.

I headed home and found Corwin and his business partner Evan had enjoyed the eggs. Susie got the last of the eggs later and passed on them–by then I think the eggs were not their best. Susie had cereal and yogurt.

Cowin headed out to the beach (remember this is Oregon and not a place of huge beach parties).

Evan and I decided to go with a game of Architects of the West Kingdoms: Age of Artisans. This was my first game with the expansion. This is a game, Architects of the West Kingdoms, that I enjoy even playing solo (it has an automata deck to run the solo game) and the new rules and additions really seemed to fix a few weaknesses and make the game flow a bit better.

Note: I usually don’t describe the games as the Board Game Geeks website does a better job than I would ever do. There are videos, reviews, pictures, and a general description.

Evan has not quite got the game down, he has beaten me repeatedly in Vindication which he clearly understands, but I suspect that will change and I will not get ahead by ten points next time. I managed to build a bunch of moderately valuable buildings to get ahead enough to win, but a few more rounds and he would have caught me.

Aside: One of the new designs of games is to keep the points numbers lower and not to track them during the game–totaling of points is done after the game ends and often there is pad supplied in the game to help. This prevents a run-away game for seasoned players versus new players. It also stops players from seeing scores that may make them try to be “king-maker” when they know they cannot win. I see this in Twilight Imperium 4 to many times and often in the Game of Thrones Board Game.

I did make a few mistakes in the rules, but nothing that would have changed the outcome. I forgot to take some rewards a few times. It is good to try to get it all down with the new options and rules.

After we finished, Evan helped me make Morrocan Chicken, and we watched the Mummy Movie–The one in China–while we waited for dinner.

Today it is reported that nine-hundred seventy Americans lost their lives to the virus today.

I saw that there is a rock version of the same name that I know, this is the Stand By Me in the Methodist Hymnal #512 and not one I know.

 

 

Today started a bit rough. Susie had some trouble sleeping, so she ended up waking me around 4ish. I did manage to get back to sleep, but I was up again at 7ish for Nike. I usually start at 6ish, but I just could not do that today.

Work today was just the morning as Nike closes at noon in the summer. Three hours of Zoom meetings! All were status or process. Soon the morning was over.

Susie was still a lump-in-the-bed after the sleeping problems. I headed out to Portland. Mox Boarding House for lunch and maybe purchase the wooden replacement for the cardboard “food” markers for board game Wingspan.

Megan, the store manager, was happy to see me. In the bar, Tatyana and Sydney were delighted to bring me lunch. Today I tried the Jerk Chicken and the cheesecake dessert. I did better the last couple of times. The Jerk Chicken was a mess of different flavors, and the cheesecake was served in a small jar, and I had to dig it out–it was very edgy but not that great. Never fear, the other items are excellent. They have very few customers, but a few more with games this time. I am there to support our newest local gaming store!

I promised to bring a game next time that I can set-up and they can slip into a few times while working. I worked a bit more on “Howard’s Lockdown” story. I am trying to get the story to flow better.

I talk to Megan and do buy those replacement parts for Wingspan. We talk about the low traffic to the store. Their start-up in the middle of the Corvid-19 disaster is not really working. They also don’t really want to start the marketing for this store as only a limited number of people can enter the store (1/4 of the fire marshal’s maximum). There cannot be a crowd, and we can’t play games at the store as you can’t social distance across a gaming table. Mox’s main drivers for revenue are not possible. It is sort of a very long soft opening for the Portland store. I will continue to come and see them–it is not much but it is something.

I drove through Portland, it is still there, to get to the other local gaming company. There are a few boarded-up windows here and there. Mostly, downtown is just running Portland’s normal weird.

(Yes the Patagonia store on Burnside has huge posters of people wearing masks over the boards to protect their windows)

I head to the other local store, I hit our store in Aloha earlier this week, in Portland: Guardian Games. There I find the new Call of Cthulhu book on running a role-playing game with horror in the Dark Ages. I have skipped the Roman setting, but England and possible Brother Cadfael meets Lovecraft is impossible to resist. I told the staff at Guardian Games to imagine the Holy Grail quest mixed with Lovecraft. Was Morgan le Fay one of the faces of Nyarlathotep? My head did not quite explode. I have to write a Holy Grail adventure in this setting with a Brother Cadfael like addition. The staff told me to tell them how it works out.

Also, my favorite figure magazine has returned to publication with the July edition! Wargames Illustrated is back, and the issue includes a WW2 German infantry from the cold Easter Front tree of six plastic 28mm figures. And clear painting examples! This publication is a mostly figure based gaming full-color magazine from the UK. I am drooling over the Dark Ages Irish figures and the Afgan warriors. These figures’ lines and faces are sharp and clear with poses and weapons that would fit historical or fantasy gaming. Again all hard-plastic with multiple parts. Not really fragile, and there is always a spare set of pieces I can toss in the spares box. I can use that later to fix any breaks.

To that end, I put a head and an arm back on a cultist a few months ago–somewhere in the house is a tiny lost head. That does sound like the way a horror movie starts. It is about three millimeters, so I am not worried about it haunting me.

After getting my purchases, I had to head home with some directness. Nike called, and they need a vendor patch applied to the development system so back to the house. On the way back, I drove through ground-zero of Portland, well ground-zero, according to certain confused reporting. Yes, the courthouse is still there. The fence is still there. There was even a security guard at the back corner.

(Yes, the Federal Court House! That is the fence that is world-famous)

I drove by where the elk-statue was once standing–the link has the information on what is happening to the statue. It is a pile of sand now with various messages and a memorial leaf blower. Tourists were taking photos. I could not get a picture as I had to not run over the tourists and motor scooters and drive.

That is right crazy media people the crowds in Portland in front of the Federal Courthouse are tourists taking pictures of the graffiti.

I got home without incident and no traffic. The inbound traffic in Portland was looking heavy. I signed back on to Nike and put in the changes, and answered various questions.

I then took a nap.

I awoke and headed to the first Powell’s store to reopen. Yes, it is back–but only in Beaverton. I missed my chance as it closes early; I will get there tomorrow!

(Closed, but opening again tomorrow)

I was not paying attention to the market. There is more and more talk about the Moral Hazard issue with the Federal Reserve’s choices. The Fed is making the rich richer and filling the banks with easy money, but none of it can reach poor or middle-class. Gold is flying. Options are trading fast and furious. My 401K is on a rocket ride straight up. Looks like a massive bubble to me. I am paying off debt and getting ready. I could be wrong, and this could be an enormous recovery. I would prefer a massive recovery!

It saddens me to report the good news that only nearly thirteen-hundred Americans died today from the virus. The curve is headed down again. It is still a terrible number.

I found this song that I think is well known and hits for all the events, Fix Me, Jesus. This is Methodist hymnal #655.

 

 

Late on Wednesday, we worked out that the upgrades would have to wait until we had the software properly installed. That meant I could sleep! It also was true that I was not needed until a bit later on Thursday. So more sleep. I also had some meetings cancel, so I slipped in a couple naps. I am feeling much more human now.

Again, I had to deal with the crisis of the moment at Nike this morning and afternoon. I had hours of Zoom meetings. All of which was easier to do after having some sleep.

This will be a short story as I have to admit the moment I had a break, I took a nap. I also did all the laundry. I like to do it on Thursday day so it is all done for the weekend.

At midday, I ordered lunch from Victorico’s Mexican Food (Tanasborne), a pair of tacos made with ground beef, and a chile relleno that was very spicy and not that great. The tamales and tacos are good–I will stick to them.

After lunch, I had a few more emergencies of the moment, mostly about the software install and data conversions. I slipped in a few naps too.

Waking from a nap in which I dreamed I had slept too late and missed getting my blog done today, I saw it was getting late to make dinner. It was one of those teacher-dreams where you are asked where your home-work is. Funny that doing this blog is now showing up in my waking dreams.

It was after 6PM when I started, I made a simple dinner of Chicken Kiev, frozen from Schwans, with rice, and I peeled and sliced carrots that I then steamed. Susan thought I had put brown sugar on the carrots, just a sprinkle of salt and butter because they were so sweet flavored. They were fresh Oregon carrots.

I went out and looked at Saturn with my new binoculars and could just make out a ring.

Finally, I started to write this, and my Apple decided it needed a break and rebooted.

So not a very interesting day. I did pay-off Air Volvo today and another loan. I am paying everything off these months.

Today the US market did continue to go up with more indexes recovering and moving into positive territory. Food prices are headed up also. I also heard that there is a new bail-out for REITs being considered. Again, the government might start picking winners and losers.

The reports are showing that more than twelve-hundred Americans died from the virus today.

Today’s hymn is not one I know, Methodist Hymnal #290, and I find this quiet version, enjoy,  Go to Dark Gethsemane.

 

 

 

I worked until 2AM this morning. I then was up again at 6AM with my first Zoom meeting at 7AM. When one has little sleep for a few days, it is hard to recall much. This will be a short story.

We had a few miscommunications, but we did manage to get through them and make the fixes and get the software upgrades going. We have to do back-to-back upgrades as the software was initially installed in 2018. It is sort of like upgrading your phone six times–it is complicated and error-prone and very dull.

Lunch was reheated Happy Panada cashew chicken. I did take a nap for 30 minutes a couple of times between Zoom meetings.

I was finally free at about 3PM. Evan was here, so we went to get coffee at Insomnia Coffee. I had a muffin and coffee, as did Evan. We also stopped by Rainy-Day Games, and I picked up Scooby-Do! Betrayal at Mystery Mansion board game. It is for the kids’ version, 8+, of the Betrayal at Haunted House on the Hill game. I think Susie would play and it just looked fun. I found the regular game a bit dark for me, and I don’t like being the ghost. I suspect I won’t mind says, “if it wasn’t for you meddling kids.”

Evan headed out as I started to cook dinner. Steaks with BBQ beans and canned really good peaches. I managed to get the steaks, from Ponderosa Provisioners, medium-rare, and not set the house on fire as they were ribeye steaks (fat-content sent flames quite high).

I then wait for the next step in the software build. Again, likely about midnight. One last set of upgrades. I slip in a few naps and reading.

I am really enjoying Lovecraft County with the writing having me laugh-out-loud a few times.

Yesterday I received a Call of Cthulhu Role-Playing Game (RPG) campaign from a Kickstarter: A Time for Sacrifice. I ordered the version, 40 of only 100 that they offered, with all the props premade and it is scary good. A leather book holder. All the books are aged and stained. The news clippings look like they are from newsprint—six sets of items for the six episodes, plus maps, and signed hardcover book. I already received the PDF of the book. The episodes can be stand-alone or played in a long campaign.

I can’t wait to get this virus things over and play these!

I was not paying attention to the market today as I was too tired to do too many things at once.

More than thirteen-hundred people in the USA were reported to have passed because of the infection.

This is an Easter song, but I liked this, and it seems to fit today and the events: Were You There.

 

I am working in India and USA time on a critical path software install and upgrade. I nap with the phone under my pillow, and it beeps when I get a text from a co-worker who needs me to wake up and do something. It also beeps for some meetings and other notes from CNN. So I get to sleep in between beeps.

Susie gets worried when I work so many hours and has to put up with grumpy Michael.

(my working space–the rum is just there for comfort along with Fauci Bobblehead)

I am right now between on-shore and off-shore times, and the systems have database upgrades and back-ups that will take hours. I expect about midnight to 2AM I will be back in action and ride the clock all the way around to Tuesday morning.

It is a difficult mission, but we are building staging for the go-live in October. This is the preliminaries to cut-over, and I have worked for more than three years to get here. I will give up a few nights to check-off one more big step.

So found breakfast around 7ish and got cleaned up and dressed by the first meeting. I continued to attend the Zoom meeting while also working issues and fixing processes. I was confused at one point and called a time-out until we call communicated what was happening. We got aligned and moved on.

It is Monday, so Susie has various hair, nails, toenails, plus appointment with Zerida. We managed to be ready by 10:45ish when her driver got here. I have to stop what I am doing on Zoom and mask-up and get Susie to her driver. Often I forget to turn off the video. My colleagues are then watching me suddenly running all over and masked up. I get a lot of comments.

Turning to lunch, I purchased pastrami from the local butcher, Ponderosa Provisioners, and today I made a sandwich for lunch. This kind of meat, however, requires thought. I take four slices of the peppery beef and lay it on a microwavable plate and microwave just enough that it is not cold anymore and just starting warm-up (twenty seconds or less). I take some bread, one slice I carefully spread a smear of olive oil on the bread–very light. I then scoop a 1/4 inches layer of coleslaw trying to avoid excessive liquid on the oiled bread–the oil will protect the bread for a while. I then quickly spread a small layer of Thousand Island dressing on the other slice. I then layer the pastrami overlapping over the dressing. Switching sides for each slice creating that look you see at a deli of loosely folded meat. Then, with some dexterity, I quickly flip the meat and bread over the coleslaw. You then take out the big knife and cut the sandwich with flair in half while imaging yourself at some deli. Service quickly before the coleslaw melts the bread. Perfect! Pickle and chips if you have them should go with the sandwich. I had sweet canned peaches in a bowl.

I continued to work and take a nap and read a bit. I am really enjoying Lovecraft Country and its mixture of Lovecraft style horror mixed with American black life experience in the 1950s.

Our diner is Happy Panda delivered. I order Susie’s favorites and appetizers. Susie never got passed the appetizers. It re-heats well. But, I have deli-style roast beef from Ponderosa Provisioners for another sandwich. It will be a hard choice Wednesday.

The market was up some today. Technology, which was out last week, is back in. One of my guilty pleasures is Virgin Galactic, which managed to release pictures of a plane they might build and announced $0 earnings this quarter, and still, the stock goes up. I have only 180 shares, but it is a fun ride! My other guilty stock pleasure is losing money on Ford.

Today more than five-hundred sixty people who had the infection and reside in the USA closed their eyes forever.

I went with a country version of a hymn, Methodist Hymnal #701 When We All Get to Heaven.