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I rose at 6:30 to start the blog and to travel to Portland to play the Tuesday morning game with James and Richard. I started the blog and reheated the coffee (I had accidentally made it when I set up the coffee for the morning; wrong button pushed). I managed to complete about one-third of the blog and speak with Deborah before I had to shower, dress, and board Air VW the Gray by 8:45 to make the 9:30 game through Portland’s rush hour traffic.

Traffic was slow even for Portland, and I arrived just at 9:30 for what should have been a less than thirty-minute trip. I did see some Teslas changing lanes in unexpected patterns, but with little risk at the slow speeds we were moving. I reached 25 mph a few times.

Richard and James had just started setting up the board game, Tainted Grail 2.0 (there are significant rule improvements in this version, I learned). This is a cooperative role-playing style board game with a dark theme that combines elements of SciFi, Arthurian Legend, and a B-level Swords and Sorcery movie. I have started to like it, but I find board games slow compared to pencil-and-paper RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons or Call of Cthulhu. It uses an app to control the game and to run the story.

We are playing Chapter 2 of the story, and we played until we found a breakpoint at about 1:30. Richard has built up his character for combat. Mine is more about exploring the story. James’ character is more Diplomatic. I managed to explore more of the storyline, but had to exit two fights and only assisted with one. Still, the game was interesting, and the story is compelling.

James gave me a board game to play at the church on Wednesday. He says he has too many games and was happy to send one to found a new church game collection. I will try to play it when I am back from North Carolina.

With the game saved. This means writing stuff down, putting them in bags, and stacking them in order so we can pick up again next week at the same place. It is not a digital process.

I took Air VW the Gray back to the house in light traffic. Corwin was going to have lunch with me, already delayed until 2ish. I waited and started packing and organizing the house. I had already sent out a mail hold and sent a card to Mom Wild. Corwin was delayed.

At 4, Corwin arrives. We go to BJ’s Brewhouse for dinner or lunch, and I have chicken parmesan with a beer. I’m not sure what happened, but I didn’t feel well after dinner. I think I just crashed too hard and should have eaten a snack. I rest and by 7 I am back to packing and say goodnight to Deborah. We try to start or end our days together when we are apart.

Corwin fixes his truck. The idle was adjusted, and suddenly it started working well. He will take it to DEQ and hope it passes on Wednesday! Yay! It looks like the new muffler and other fixes, combined with setting the idle more effectively, have worked.

I took Corwin to Salt and Straw in Beaverton for ice cream to celebrate. I had gelato and Corwin, two scoops. After that, I returned home, loaded my packed bag in the cargo hold of the EV, finished collecting stuff for the strip, and then went to bed. I was rising at 2:15 and managed to sleep for a few minutes. It is hard to sleep on a travel night. I set the alarm on my phone and on Alexa and asked Alexa to turn on the lights at 2:15.

I managed to sleep finally about 1AM, and then was blasted out of my bed at 2:15!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

I woke up early and felt better than I did on Sunday. My sleep was disturbed, but I rose. It was not as hard going as Sunday, but the paperwork was endless as I paid bills, updated travel arrangements, and generally managed to burn away a few hours of the morning before I even noticed. I dressed, talked to Deborah (a most splendid distraction), and soon collected the soaking laundry and recently generated dirty laundry. This mass was loaded in the cargo hold of Air VW the Gray, after removing the paper-boxed board games (I don’t want to get those wet) and headed out on my new quest for clean clothing.

First, I needed dryer sheets. I got some liquid softener for The Machine once it is repaired, and then realized that the stack of quarters was still in the house. The Quest, as I call it now, was already in disarray as I retraced my steps to the house, retrieved the quarters, and started again. Next, realizing that I did not use the ATM at Safeway (I get a refund of all fees since moving my retirement to US Bank), eyes rolling, I stop at the US Bank ATM off of TV Highway, and then use the back way into McDonald’s–retracing again, get change and breakfast, and then pass the ATM again as I reached the Laundry Mat.

The place is hopping. I met a gal who is on a similar quest (“My machine broke two weeks ago”), and soon I was turning paper into metal, as the place only accepts quarters as payment. I put all my laundry in one machine, soaked and double-soaped, including the recent additions, and pay $7.50 for a thirty-minute run (there are smaller and lower-cost machines for smaller runs). The soap bubbles are impressive, but the sealed door and the size of the machine were sufficient to resist the soaping. The rinse and spin were impressive, and soon I used one of their wheel baskets supplied by the mat and loaded up two large dryers. These are American-style gas dryers, and my clothing quickly and efficiently dries.

The place is busy. I see huge piles of little towels being cleaned. I suspect a car wash with hand towels will be ready soon. Others are paying exorbitant fees for the one-use detergent boxes on sale. I see folks headed out and returning with new bottles of detergent after seeing those prices!

I pull the dress shirts out early, put them on hangers, and watch the wrinkles fade. While not as lovely as ironed shirts, these are still good enough for me. The same is done with the pants. Soon, I fold towels and wait for just a few 100% cotton items that seem to enjoy being damp. Finally, I rolled the basket with a hanger area to Air VW the Gray, loaded it up. I have a pocket of quarters, as I had to cash a $20 bill for quarters, but I will likely need to use the laundry mat again on my return.

I stop by the house, gather the laundry piles — already one is there and another from the laundry mat — and hang the items next to my packing area. I have to start packing for Asheville already! Next, the bank contacted me, and I needed to sign a transfer agreement to transfer a gift from my IRA to the church. Off to US Bank after talking to my Wealth Management Team. Soon, that was done. I am covering scholarships for some to take a trip down south to explore civil rights in November.

With the laundry arranged, paperwork done, and US Bank transfer in process, I could take a break. I headed to Wildwood Taphouse and there saw Jim V and JR for a while, but mostly I wanted to write and finish the blog. With a beer and the strange quietness that comes over me in a loud place full of people, I am able to get my focus back and work.

I complete the blog and publish it, and then book my part of the South trip in November (information here). I also revise the fantasy novel I have started and get Scrivener working. This is a tool for writing and organizing. It has helped me.

I return to the house as it gets near dinner time. I took a nap, as the illness from Sunday and the travel were catching up with me (and I had two beers). I reheat the leftover soup from the Chinese-style DoorDash food I ordered on Sunday for dinner. I do the dishes and put away the clothing that is not being packed. I write a summary of the last Dungeons & Dragons game and send it out (I take the notes for the group). Corwin stops by and startles me as I did not hear him. We agree that he will take me to the PDX on Wednesday morning.

I head to bed around 11 and manage to sleep. I do prove my hydration every two to four hours.

Thanks for reading!

 

I woke on Sunday with my alarm. I had slept the night through, unusual for me, and I could not remember any dreams but knew I had traveled far and not comfortably in my phantasmagorical world. I started the morning by making coffee (the house elves had forgotten to set up the coffee maker and timer) and then loaded all my pants and most of my dress shirts, along with various other items, into The Machine and started it. This was the remains of my laundry from my latest trip, and I needed something to wear to church at 11.

I started the blog, and it was a challenging endeavor. I was tired today. While writing, I noticed that the house was strangely quiet; hmmm. The Machine had coded. The vibration detector had failed, and I needed to contact service. F**k! I restarted it. The laundry was wet, flooded, and soaped. “Why can’t the silly thing run the diagnosis before it soaks my clothes?” goes through my mind as I wish the souls of the engineers who designed The Machine to unprofitable eternities. And now there was twice the soap! I slopped the soaked clothing into a basket within the base of the machine. The basket is floating! The base has two inches of water, and the water is now pouring on the floor. F**k! I dry that up with towels, which I will have to wash too somehow!

I go online and learn how to enable the Spin option to run alone, and manage to restart it four times to get some water out. The code appears each time it tries to spin. The code on the vibration detector kicks once the spin starts. I will have to vacuum out the water.

I use my iPhone to make a repair request (the website said my appliance was not registered–it is). The happy voice on the phone (reached in a few minutes) has me reboot the appliance to no avail. I learn that The Machine (LG Combo Washer and Dryer) is about a month out of warranty, and they need to connect me to the service department (not warranty service). Jean takes over the call and explains this is a flat-rate repair of $345 plus a 15% reserve for taxes (I do explain that Oregon has no sales tax, but I am told I have no choice). I need to provide a credit card to place a hold on it for the amount. But they cannot schedule it before I am out of town. Instead, Jean will call me later when the schedule opens for next week. I am OK with that.

Meaning the water-soaked laundry would need to be done at a laundry mat (especially as it had two doses of soap); I need a big machine to swallow the soap. I have no pants. Hmmm. I decided a suit might work, and my blue suit (which was a tight fit) now seems like a good match. I have a dress shirt available that fits (some of the larger ones are still in my closet, and I could have faked it with one of them–vests hide a lot). The pride tie, my gold color pocket watch, and black shoes make it work. This is a suspenders-wearing suit (again, hidden by the vest). I am off to church in Air VW the Gray. I usher and keep busy. The usual AV is not available, and Z and others make it work (mostly).

Pastor Anne arrives after the service starts; she is giving the sermon (panic eases). Eric gives an excellent solo. I am a bit busy. Anne tells the story of how she was cheated out of a large sum of money, but despite this (a warning to others), she is okay, and the little suffering this has caused her and Wayne is nothing compared to what others have suffered and what could have happened. We were all shocked to hear about her misfortune, but we understood the message. We are blessed, and we need to remember that, even when things go wrong.

The offering started, and it was a jazzy take on a hymn, and I might have found some swing while passing the offering plate. I got a lot of smiles. Z was dancing, too, and we danced to the music from Mary Beth in the back. Not your usual Methodist filler music!

A man came in near the end of the service, and I offered him coffee, then got him a cup with cream and sugar. I find it best to offer when I am doing the usher duties to prevent any awkward moments. People who are homeless or stressed need to be seen, and a cup of coffee offered goes a long way to calm them.

I had to help someone, and he was gone. I walked the church halls to ensure he was not in the building. While he might have hidden, it was not likely, as he was clean and sober. I let Bill and Z know that he was missing, but shared with them that I thought he was not a risk.

I helped here and there and soon went to Red Robin for a quick lunch. I did have a side of fries with the two chicken breast version of the salad plate. Troy, the bartender, kept refilling my iced tea (I had a church meeting at 2:30, so beer was out).

I returned to the church and we covered the required Charge Conference Meeting to revise the pastor’s compensation package. It is a Methodist thing, and it was done in thirty minutes. Just church process and paperwork, and not controversy. Mainly because we had ensured that everyone knew the whats and whys before the meeting.

And it was good as my colon and generally my body was done with that day. I went home and soon began resting, feeling dizzy. The food, travel, and stress of the trip and returning home (the broken laundry) left me in bed, shivering, and sleeping.

I ordered, on Deborah’s suggestion, whom I spoke to at the start of my day and the end of her day, Doordash and various Chinese-style foods that I like. I finished the blog, although it was a difficult push to complete, and watched multiple YouTube videos (ShipHappens and Drachinifel) as well as some comedy.

I find the drain and empty some of the Machine but not the tub. I will need a wet vac.

I was too tired to mess with anything and dizzy. I went to bed. I woke every two hours to prove hydration. My dream was about being on a bus that was headed out, but I missed my stop, and now I needed to find a way back to connect. I needed to get back so I could do my laundry for my next trip. I just cannot wander off to some dream town; I need to get back. The dream repeated each time I went back to sleep and at another station. I woke up finally at 6:30, and I was home. Time to get that laundry done!

Thanks for reading!

I rose at 7 and started my day by running more laundry and getting more things in process. I logged into my accounts and transferred cash to pay my bills. I have my cash, the dividends, and interest to live on this year. I plan to sign up for Social Security when I turn 62 in April of 2026. I also sent an email to move a donation for the church from my retirement investments. It got out a card to Mom Wild and later collected the mail. I went through it, paid bills, and reviewed investments; it was a busy morning with paperwork and laundry.

I showered and dressed. Only my shorts had been in the first load of laundry; a more Pacific Northwest look today (except for shoes and socks, which were not the de rigueur sandals). I have another wool hat in the closet, and I put that on. I put my coat in the car. It is a rainy and cool Oregon Summer Day (the hot days start in mid-July).

I took Air VW the Gray to Dondrea’s house and dropped off some shirts and a tchotchke from the Nixon Library. They loved the shirt, and Dondrea loved the hotel-style keychain. We might have to get one from the Carter Library if we manage to add that to our church trip in November.

Next, I drove to the cleaners, and they are shortening my rainproof pants, which I got for the Iceland trip, in a few weeks. They will have that done before the trip. Next, I stopped at the Beaverton Food Carts at Beaverton Central. I got some gumbo and a beer for lunch. It was cold and wet, but I found a dry and heated stop under an awning and enjoyed the cool weather. Yes, it is kind of an Oregon thing to drink beer outside in the rain, but under something. The gumbo from one of the carts was excellent, with a sprinkle of filé powder on top. The dark no-okra version.  Excellent!

I had planned to stop by the house, but the rain and the traffic slowed me down. I remembered that it was Free RPG (Role-Playing Games, like Dungeons and Dragons) Day and stopped by the local gaming store, Aloha Guardian Games. The staff remembered me, and I received a free figure (you can always use another unpainted Mind Flayer) and some free rules for various RPGs. I learned that Chaosium renamed D100 to Basic Role-Playing Game (RPG), and a free summary of the revised system was available; I received a complimentary copy.

With my goodies acquired, I headed to Portland and the Lucky Labrador. Traffic was not heavy but slow with the reintroduction of rain to the Oregonians, who seem to have forgotten how to drive in wet weather, but that never stops them from changing three lanes at once and exiting (no matter how slow they are driving).

I parked on the street and used the Parking Kitty app to pay for my parking in front of Lucky Labrador, but it said it was illegal now to park there (!?). I then found free on-street parking around the corner (?!), and just parked there. I then walked inside and found a table, and soon had a beer, opened Scrivener, and started my Fantasy Novel.

I have two chapters in draft, and I went back through the text. It is always shocking when you come back and see all those wooden phrases and typos. Yikes! I noticed the file and book title had a typo! F**k!

I re-read it and liked the story and the first chapter. There were fixes here and there. I improved some wording and felt the story was much better now. The next chapter describes the conflict that defines the story. I did not get far into that chapter, and I am not sure what to explore in the next one.

It was great to write, edit, and rediscover the story. I ordered a BLT with chips, which went well with the beer. It was time to head to Richard’s. I paid the bill and found Air VW the Gray safe on the street.

I drove the fifteen minutes to cross to Richard’s area. We were just three of us and played the newly released board game Peaks (about $89 for the deluxe version). This was an enjoyable game with a neat, partially cooperative mechanism representing climbing mountains. For three players plus a teach for me, we played it all in 90 days. The final scoring was less complex than other games we have played. Richard was surprised that Lauren won (I came in last). The game has you play one of three actions: Rest (and Move), Prepare, and Climb. As I mentioned earlier, Climb allows others to join you (for a small discount to yourself), and acquiring resources never feels like a race (though it can often be challenging); it’s a fast, friendly, and fun game. I may buy this one! I love mountain climbing stories.

Equipment is acquired by improving your Prepare action. Lauren had started there, and I think that gave her an advantage. You need, as you can imagine, dear reader, equipment for the harder (and therefore more rewarding) climbs.

I look forward to playing this game again!

We next played the Cat in the Box card game. This is a highly rated game (72nd best family game on Board Game Geek!) and allows you to play with numbered cards, and you define the suit (by colors). I have not played it before. You bet on the number of tricks you will take, and only if you are right will you get a bonus based on the pattern of the cards you use (this needs a picture to explain). It took me a few plays to understand what I needed to do. It is fun. Recommended.

After that, we chatted for a while, and I got home late. The travel was without issue. I got into my PJs and was soon in bed, where I slept after taking my inhaler. I had some trouble breathing, and that cleared with just one puff. Need to do that puff sooner!

Thanks for reading!

Sorry, this blog is so late. I was tired and ill on Sunday.

 

 

We rose early as usual with the usual rush of a travel day. We packed as we dressed and made coffee. There were a few moments when we did not want to leave our happy hotel room bubble. We slowly sipped our coffee, and Deborah got us one last hotel Starbucks breakfast to go with it while we finished our packing and I wrote the blog. Although we will be seeing each other in early July, it was hard to leave our home for the last two weeks and the source of the Magic Kingdom, a beach, the La Brea Tar Pits, and saying goodbye again. We know that every ‘hello’ is also a ‘goodbye.’

One more ride together to the John Wayne Airport. It has just over twenty gates, and the three terminals serve as an organizational device, having no real meaning inside. Deborah and I were surprised by the short trip (last time it was an hour), and I arrived more than four hours early for my later flight, but I couldn’t check my bags. Deborah tried to tell me this, but walked over to terminal B (a short walk), and we waited forty minutes, enjoying more time together. The clock moved forward, and I was able to check my one bag (for free this time, thanks to my Alaska Visa). Deborah and I then enjoyed the security check and managed to not find any mistakes in our packing or new rules. John Wayne is a computer-out-of-your-bag check (Portland is a computer-left-in-bag check), and the security people were amazed by my Star Wars Fifth Order redlighting umbrella. Apparently, they see many light sabers, but few umbrellas. They let me keep it.

I reassembled and balanced, holding on to a table, to complete the re-shoe process. Deborah pointed at a lone chair, but I managed without taking the only chair in the area. She resisted eye-rolling, I believe.

Ruby’s, after the security check, offers an excellent breakfast, if almost too large. While we had food before, it is good to eat when you can while traveling, and Deborah was bouncing back to the Eastern Time Zone, meaning a spare breakfast was her late lunch. Soon, time was running too fast, and it sent us to Deborah’s gate, and a goodbye. Deborah arrived safely in Detroit later. Her planned shuttle got her home without incident.

I bought the book Coffee, Tea, or Me? on my Kindle. This is the republished version from 2003, accompanied by a new introduction. I purchased the book after Deborah and I wondered about the source of the text, “Coffee, Tea or Me?” while we were traveling. I read the book while waiting for my flight, about two hours after Deborah’s. I was getting sleepy and read only some of it, and then on the plane. I boarded the plane without issue and took my window seat. My seatmates ignored me, and I accepted their focus on entertainment on their phones.

My phone dongle, purchased at the airport, did not work. So I had no music or other entertainment. But I nodded off and woke up to get a coffee with cream, and then enjoyed the usual rough air as the plane approached the rivers, mountains, and desert before landing in Portland.

I found my luggage after walking around the security area, a strange feature of the PDX remodel that I do not care for. I managed to keep my hat and my new umbrella and found my checked bag. I schlepped all of that to the MAX and rode the train to Beaverton and beyond.

I read and ignored the loud person in the walker arguing on the phone. My fellow passengers were less happy, and someone left the train, and they visibly relaxed. I was facing the wrong way and oblivious to the risk.

I took the Willowcreek and 195th station, located on the edge of Beaverton and Hillsboro, and ordered an Uber to take me home. I thought about calling Corwin, but he has a motor issue with his truck, and just went with the Uber. Just as the sprinkles started (yes, I was about to unwrap my Fifth Order lightsaber umbrella), the Uber appeared.

I reached the house, and Corwin was there. He watched me unpack as he went over the issues with his truck. I have to admit that it was hard to follow his discussion as I started doing my laundry and unpacking. He made a pasta and shrimp dinner for me (thanks, Corwin). I had some of that. Corwin headed out for food deliveries, needing to raise cash to cover the repairs. I remember when it seemed like you worked just to afford your car repairs and rent. I had some pasta and shrimp and watched a Star Wars show I had seen before, but I thought it was good to watch some after such a long immersion last weekend!

I managed to get one round of laundry done before getting tired. I had cleaned the house before I left, and except for a slight musty smell from being closed up for so long, the house was pleasant. I lit a candle, and soon that faded too.

I crawled into my bed after getting in my PJs and soon slept and did not wake until 6ish, and rolled over to 7.

Thanks for reading!