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No coffee or breakfast for my start at 7:30 as I quickly read emails, doom scrolled the latest disappointing news from Washington, and the atrocities in Gaza, wrote a postcard to Mom Wild (which missed the mail and I later drove to the post office), and did not start the blog. I instead hopped in the shower, shaved, dressed, and popped into Air VW the Gray and headed to Beaverton. I had my three-month check with my regular doc.

Thursday traffic is disappointing, as the streets are flooded with people going to work. This Thursday was the same. I arrived near the Cedar Hills Mall, where the office is. It is part of the same complex with its own small parking garage. I was only a few minutes early.

I checked in and we learned that my credit card had not gone through. It was a number that the software used and might need to be replaced. I lost the cards a few times and still am finding these things. Oddly, the website said it was approved, so I thought all was good. Hmmm. We got the $20 co-pay covered, and I waited only a moment before I was called.

My doctor was happy to see my A1C at 5.2, blood pressure measured low in the office (no ‘white coat’ misreads), and labs showing nothing concerning. My weight, while not going down, was stable at 234 pounds, showing that the change was likely to stay. We discussed my adventure with the EMT, and Doc agrees that I show no signs of stroke after a short exam. We decided that it is just a flare-up of impacts on my brain surgery on the facial nerves. It is already fading. My doctor was surprised that I was not searching for diabetes and weight-loss drugs–it is popular with his patients. We agreed that we would pick that discussion up at our next meeting if I still cannot lose more weight. Slow and easy is best. We left all my meds unchanged, as it was nice to have everything look normal; no need to experiment with removing the meds. The next appointment is six months out. Doc was excited, almost cheering, that we got here after everything, and happy to put off the next check-in in six months, not three.

Next, La Provance is nearby, and I grabbed a table. For breakfast, I had a corned beef hash and croissant, and I ordered croissants to go (I ate one while writing this on Friday). I read, relaxed, and was happy with where my health has reached. My activity level needs to increase, but many of my favorite hobbies involve sitting. But I will try, back to the house in the EV.

I returned to writing the blog and printing items on my 3D printer. I found WW1 gaming models for ships in the Battle of Jutland (1916). I have metal cast ships from Figurehead scale 1/6000. These were printed, all the German Battle Cruisers, in thirty minutes. I popped them off (not easy) from the printing plate, washed, and cured them in minutes. These models are 1/5000 and about 10% larger than what I use. I can print these, make cards to attach (they’re easier to use when connected to a card with the county flag and name on the back), and have them cover the ships I don’t have. It is about $500 for the metal versions of all the ships. This is a good option. I prefer 1/6000 as they are easier to store, and the surfaces for play are not the size of rooms. A table will work, and hexes can control movement instead of movement sticks (used for 1/1200 room-sized play of Jutland, which you see in colleges and gaming conventions). I was happy that I could print the models and use them.

I left the printer idle for 1/2 the day. I admit that I did nothing interesting for most of the afternoon. I found an Enigma plate STL file, the name plate for the famous encoding machines from WW2, to print, and wanting to try some large, I expanded its size to the printer bed. Alas, it puddled on the tank’s film and jammed the printer. It was jumping and banging until the stuck down print broke, leaving 1/2 on the bottom of the tank and the rest on the plate. I did not know this at the time, but I thought it was bizarre behavior.

I opened a can of chili for an early dinner and late lunch at 5ish. I watched the Apple+ movie Greyhound again. This is Tom Hanks as the captain of a destroyer in the Battle of the Atlantic and is not stop action. The story is from C.S. Forrester, one of my favorite naval writers. This one is excellent if you want to see an excellent WW2 movie. Though it is a bit unbalanced and could include more on the U-Boat side, it is still fun and gives you a feeling of what it was like to be an American crew on combat patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic.

I discovered the print mess. I had to use a rubber mallet and scraper to get the print off the plate. Despite this, I also pried the puddled letter ‘Enigma’ off the tank film with my gloved hands. I got the toxic resin on my sweater (it washes out). Overall, it was an unpleasant experience. I learned I still have a puddling issue and must tilt print and add supports to avoid repeated flat layers. We will see if this happens again. If this were a filament printer, this print would have been fine as it was set up.

I cut my hand on the printer. I had missed once with the scrapper, caught the bed, and raised a small sharp ridge on the edge. It cut through my gloves and into my hand. Yikes! I will use a metal file to remove the flaw in the future. Eek!

There were no treats in the house. I checked the Cake Bible and am not ready to make complex cakes. I am missing some ingredients and was looking for something simple to fit in a loaf or bundt pan. Yes, another pound cake (a 1/2 recipe and about a pound finished) was soon in the oven. It was excellent. I then did the dishes and enjoyed my cake, two small slices.

After that, I read more of Tom Mead’s book and fell asleep. It was a dream-filled night, and I woke at four with a sore throat. Likely, I was overexposed to the alcohol I used to clean everything. I got some painkillers, and soon the issues faded, and I fell back into a restless sleep after proving hydration. The bad dreams, my usual ones, were about losing control and driving somewhere lost. This time, not in the Volvo but some strange mix of my EV and late Volvo. Nobody would go with me when I left to return home, and I ended up lost and alone, wandering in exotic locations, trying not to crash the EV, trying to get turned around and back on track to go home. I knew it was hopeless, but I must try. I had to keep a small pet healthy at the same time. I woke as I managed to halt the travels. My usual nightmare.

Often, at least for me, life is a voyage I did not pick; I cannot control the flow of the journey, and all I can do is hold on and try to control my reaction, often called finding grace. The dream echoes my hardest travels. I saw the cancer, death, brain tumor, layoffs, and even the loss of my favorite Volvo in the dream.  It ain’t easy and the dream represents my mind saying, F**k!

Pound cake helps!

Waking at 4, 5, 6, and finally rising at 7 (the dream picking back up each time, though slightly changed), Friday started. I needed coffee, lots.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finished the night with a movie at 7 with medium no-butter salted popcorn. Sinners is set in the 1920s-30s in the American Old South, with African Americans setting up their own dance hall in an old mill. The story initially moved slowly as the brothers collected band members, purchased the mill, and hired the locals for help. The viewer learns that the community was steeped in violence from the repression, but also that the folks love (and hate) fiercely. It is an R-rated film, primarily for violence.

In the movie, everything was going well, despite the hint at the film’s start that some evil would rise. The music is terrific blues. We see vampires. Yes, an Irish lead vampire. The music grows, and more story-building items are completed (love and dance scenes are incredible). At one moment, a macabre dance mixed with Irish River dancing made me laugh despite the horror.

But I have limited the spoilers. Sinners (2025) is recommended if you don’t mind vampires mixed in a fantasy of the 1920s-30s American Old South. The music and dances are fantastical.

Air VW the Gray had me home by 10:30, and I was soon reading. I moved from Elric to Tom Mead’s book, the second in a series about a retired magician in the late 1930s who occasionally helps the police with impossible murders. Despite his age, his mind is still sharp, and his dexterity is excellent. I read until I started to fall asleep, and soon turned off the light and slept. I woke twice to prove hydration.

Returning to the day’s start, I rose with nothing on my calendar and wrote the blog all morning. I also arranged for a statue of Alan Turing to be printed on the printer. This is a few inches with the full-sized one in the UK. The print file is not protected, but I do not know about the statue’s image, Turing sitting on a bench holding an apple, being in the public domain. But as my print is for personal use, I should be in line with acceptable use.

I set it to have massive supports, and I would later have to free the print (though I did that after the movie–it flows better here for storytelling) from this mass. Not an easy task. I have learned to wash the model before removing the supports. I also wore eye protection as the glasses are bifocals that help me, and the bits of the supports flew everywhere. But, I washed them, which seemed to harden them and made them easier to remove. The model broke on a thin part of a bench leg. I used jeweler’s cement to repair the leg, and another piece I broke when I pushed the model to learn its limits after curing–now brittle but hard, sort of stone-like. I then used sharp, pointed tweezers to remove the bit still stuck here and there. The print was then cured and left to dry overnight.

That evening, I ordered another tank for the resin model washing station, as I need to have two: one for alcohol and one for water. There are two types of resin, and water can be used to clean one. I also ordered a gallon of 99% alcohol.

Returning to the morning, I wrote the blog and published it. As I said, I returned to Tom Mead’s books and read them on my Kindle. I only buy physical books on history and science. I headed to Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for a sandwich with soup and a few beers. This, too, is a McMenamins, but today I had a Purple Haze to drink.

I pulled the models off the printer, the Effil Tower and the Carter figure, cleaned them, and removed the supports. I noticed, after I crushed them, that the Effil tower had the finest guard rails. I did not know we could print that small. Excellent! I cured them in my new cure station. Next, I painted the tower black and Carter white. I then went over Carter again and removed any leftover marks on the Dungeons and Dragons-sized (28mm or 1/56 scale) figure. I will paint it soon.

I watched more cable and made dinner. I found some salmon patties, microwaved some potatoes, cooked asparagus in a fry pan with butter and some sea salt, and fried the patties in butter and a tiny hint of salt. It was excellent.

The day was a blur of writing, 3D printing, and an excellent Blues and vampire movie. Thanks for reading the messy and late blog.

Cardinal de Richelieu Rose (Old Rose, 1847)

Souvenir du Président Lincoln (It really glows pink. Bourbon Rose, 1865).

 

 

Tuesday morning is not time-boxed, as I am waiting for a shipment. Usually, Tuesday morning means taking Air VW the Gray to Portland in slow-moving traffic to Richard’s house. Today, I have a 3D Printer and various devices for tank 3D printing arriving. I went all-in for the Egloo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K 3D Resin printer and the Mercury XS supporting washing and cure station. I added a metal funnel to pour the resin back into the bottle with a built-in screen. I ordered the support items too. Not quite an all-in step, but I bought the leading edge of the vendor I have used.

I spent the morning writing the blog and skipping breakfast. I had a bagel the night before and was not hungry. I sent a postcard to Mom Wild; I write her every day when there is a post. This was a card I found, a watercolor of the slightly older look of Portland before the recent tall buildings—1990s look—in the fun shop, Crafty Wonderland, in Portland, when I was early for the symphony and walking downtown to get some steps and to look for new places.

I showered, dressed in a red T-shirt, and had suspenders to keep my light brown slacks from letting my pants slide too far. I did discover that the extra-long T-shirts would be a good idea with suspenders! Still trying to like these.

Later, in a church Zoom meeting, with the red shirt and suspenders, I was suggested to start on the beard to prepare for the matching red suit for the holidays. I am trying to resist the family tradition of playing St. Nick, but we will see! I am also thinking maybe the Goth folks may need some Winter Solstice support and get an all black suit with many patches, plus tinsel, and give out fortune cookies for the happy dark and weird folks–just a thought, “Happy Winter Solstice and Merry Christmas; May your wishes be granted.”

Returning to Tuesday’s story, the printer arrived, and I had the heavy printer and other boxes carried near the garage. I then disassembled the old Egloo printer, which only works on warm days (something I finally discovered). I moved it out of the way and made room for the new, larger, and improved printer. This new model incorporated all the fixes for issues from previous models over the past five years. I also wanted it before the tariffs catch up with costs. Most importantly, this one includes a resin tank heater and careful watching of the temperature by the printer software.

The 16K is the new one.

Unpacking is stressful; you don’t want to drop or scratch anything, and I am looking for delivery damage. I got the Egloo Saturn Ultra 4 16K out of its box, unpacked it, and carried it to a table (a sewing machine table I use as a work table) without discovering damage or causing any.

The printer screws are all Allen wrench slotted. A sticker on the printing plate said to tighten the screws, and I did. I removed the additional packing and replaced the screws that held the tank in place for shipping with nob screws to allow easy removal of the tank. I soon powered up the printer, and the 24V 6A transformer showed the new higher power requirements. The stepper motors and heaters would require about 12V and 2A alone. The computer would be 3.3 or 1.8 V, and 3.3V for lights and camera. It appears to be single-threaded, meaning it is a microcontroller chip refitted to a custom board. All good. We need to be past the Arduino experimental hardware. I did notice that only one motor runs at a time. Someone learned that the drain is harsh, but when you stop/reverse a motor, there is a reverse power flow (like regenerative braking in an EV or Hybrid) and that power can flow and scrambled signals–doing that with two different motors at the same time could be exciting; I have learned that many times! In old tube radios, the lower DC voltage would be sent with a high AC voltage, and then the AC was filtered out to reduce the amount of copper and connections; wild! The comfort level those 1900s engineers had with various voltage signals intermixed is something you don’t see now.

I spent the afternoon installing the hardware, including the other cleaning and curing stations. I also roasted a chicken with veggies. I find chicken a bit plain, but this can be corrected with more salt (this chicken was not pre-prepared with salt—something to always check). I rubbed Kosher salt inside and under the skin of the breast. It helped. The potatoes, placed under the chicken, did not finish in 90 minutes at 350°F; a few minutes in the microwave completed them.

I got the first print when Corwin stopped by for his package (he still has them delivered to the house) and enjoyed the roasted chicken. He thought it was good. I roasted it for an hour in a pot with the lid off, added a cup of water, covered, and let the steam get everything done for thirty more minutes.

I broke the chess piece trying to get it off the print plate—a familiar issue. I will be more careful now. I used my cleaning and curing stations, and they were wonderful. I can repair the figure. Corwin headed out.

I realized I could also use the cleaning station to clean my tools. Excellent. Next, I downloaded an Eiffel Tower STL and combined it with an STL of my custom figure. I used the new software supplied to create a goo file. Egloo now has its own control language, goo. I put that on a memory stick, the printer came with one, and the rook chess piece goo file on it, and printed it.

Disaster! The print pooled and poisoned the resin with floating bits. F**k. I cleaned up the printer and then cleaned the tools and protective glasses. I use masks and gloves for this work. I filtered the resin with my new funnel and cleaned the tank. I re-created my goo with supports and lying Carter on the side (Corwin’s recommendation). I started, and the printer said the resin was still poisoned. I refiltered it and found a bit still stuck to the tank. I wiped out the tank. I reset it, and again the printer said the resin was poisoned.

I had to stop and enjoy the church council meeting. This was a Zoom meeting, and while not as fast-moving as I wished, it was without controversy and fast for Methodists. A replacement sign for the smaller sign was discussed, and a design was offered. It was not loved, but it did not cause any strong reaction to not replacing the sign. It was agreed in principle.

With the meeting over, I will miss the next one. I returned to the printer. As I suspected, the problem cleared. The alcohol I used to clean the printer had not completely dried, causing the fault. I started the print and checked it a few hours later, and it was perfect from what I could see. The base of the Eiffel Tower stuck to the printing plate with the supports. Carter’s figure, now sideways and covered in supports, was forming.

By 10, I was tired and dragging. I went to bed, soon slept, and woke twice to prove hydration.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

My doctor’s nurse replied that they had received my message via myChart and that we would connect on Thursday at my already scheduled appointment. The frozen face, a recurrence of Bell’s Palsy, is not worse and seems to be fading. There is no sign of stroke.

Monday started with me dragging a bit. Monday is like my Saturday; I seldom have plans, and everyone still working is busy returning to work. I do laundry on Mondays. I have, like this Monday, found a symphony in Portland. I checked, and the Oregon Symphony is stopping Monday concerts after this season and offering a limited set of concerts on Thursday. I had noticed that 1/3 or more of the seats were empty at Monday’s concerts.

I had no electronic ticket for today’s symphony and had to call the ticket folks to fix this. They were mailing it to me, which meant it would arrive a few days after the concert. Hmmm. The ticket folks printed another ticket and placed it in will-call for me. They informed me they had new software and a new website, which was not a joy to work with. I had them delete, as I had no option for this online, the old phone numbers, as the software kept sending approval codes to numbers I don’t use.

I looked at a package for next year, as the symphony is playing a lot of its best hits next year. I know that the Oregon Symphony and other institutions have many empty seats, as the next generation of folks are not buying season tickets, and at $900 a person for all concerts in the upper balcony, it is a lot of money. At least for this concert, only the cheap seats were left. The dress circle appeared full.

I wrote the blog until afternoon, having risen later, 8ish, and then wrote the blog slowly while also writing a card to Mom Wild. I send Mom Wild a card or postcard every day the mail picks up. I have to get the card out in the mailbox before 9. Our mail now comes early.

After yesterday’s EMT adventure, I was going slow and being careful. There was no sign of a stroke, and I did not bite my left side cheek while eating today. However, I did sneeze often, as it is Spring in Oregon. I believe the robust pollen on these sunny mornings in Oregon has caused some inflammation and brought back Bell’s Palsy.

By 1, I was dressed and decided that with yesterday’s adventures, it was best to get out of the house and be with folks. I drove to the local Happy Panda (not the chain Panda Express, but our local place) and had my usual Orange Chicken, a yummy caloric disaster of sweet sauce over battered and deep-fried chicken breast. It comes, for lunch, with a cup of hot and sour soup, a scoop of white rice, and a spring roll. I used to go there with Michelle and Michael when we all worked together. I thought of them as I ate my usual.

I returned home, rewatched the latest Doctor Who, and soon took Air VW the Gray to the nearby MAX station. I did not take my hat, but was dressed in a new out-of-the-package shirt and a blue sweater vest. The new shirts fit (over a new washed T-shirt), and I now use suspenders to hold up my pants. I have not lost enough weight to move to another size, but my belt is not working, meaning I am trying suspenders. I do not like the look, but it is practical.

The MAX was quick, and I was soon at the Library stop. The wind was blowing in Portland, and it was cold. I was happy for the sweater layer and long sleeves. I walked in an increasing spiral, searching for a place for dinner or reading. I brought a book with me, Elric Volume 2. I had found one story I knew and skipped it. I would also skip another story included for reasons I am unsure; it is set in near-modern times.

Rain came. I had not brought an umbrella (I forgot to put one back in the cargo hold). At the same time, I spotted Treebeard’s Taphouse (Don’t be Haste). I entered the young person-filled tap house and spotted a seat in the sun by the window. The place was busy, and the one person running the bar had limited but excellent food, which took five minutes to appear behind the bar. I was concerned that nobody was there for so long, but then I remembered the place’s name. I opened a tab, had a light-ish locally made brew, and a cheese plate. The movie The Hobbit (Part 1, the extended version) was playing with CC and no sound on a screen.

I drank my excellent adult beverage and read. The cheese plate appeared, and while not overflowing with options, it was perfect for dinner for one (or shared with maybe three at the most). My book was still in some non-Elric story that I thought, while interesting, was not what I wanted to read. I tried to enjoy it (I would later abandon it and find an Elric story or at least one in that setting).

I had a smaller second beer, sticking to lighter versions as I did not want to sleep through the concert, and finished the food. It was nearing 6 when the talk for the concert began, and I paid my bill and walked the six blocks back to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

On the way to my seat, I saw the Rose City Brass Quartet playing before the show. I stopped and listened for a while. It was pleasant.

The talk was nice, and then I found my upper balcony cheap seat (not the cheapest, $29 plus fees). The folks behind me had put their stuff on the little bench next to my assigned seat. I decided to take an unsold seat (I knew I was the only person in the row) and not be in front of them.

The music flew by. The orchestra played a piece by the modern composer Derrick Skye, and I will have to find more by this composer. I liked the music, including an electric bass guitar and clapping. Both added to the complexity without overwhelming the flow and excitement in the music. Here is a version for orchestra, recommended.

Pianist Makoto Ozone led in Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin and improvised, improving the concert experience. We all know every note, but now the audience heard rifts on the original. Wonderful! Nearly everyone was standing and cheering after the piece concluded.

After the intermission, two more pieces were played. While Scherzo Fantastique looked fun for the conductor and the sound was terrific, I thought it was a bit plain compared to what we had experienced. My mind drifted, and I might have nodded off. The Bartók was atonal for most of the sound, but it was wild, angry, and dark, and showed the conductor and orchestra’s chops. It is not something to listen to while trying to relax.

It was an excellent concert, and even with me nodding off for Josef Suk’s piece, it was worth the experience. I walked back to the MAX with most concertgoers, mostly sporting gray hair like me, but none of them took the MAX. I got on a mostly empty car and, without incident, was soon home.

I read after getting into my PJs and was soon in my blankets, sleeping. I did not wake up, that I remember, but I could recall my dream this morning. It was strange, with me working again at Nike, but at a sporting event. The room we were in was filled with each person’s college team information, ignoring the company affiliation. The playing team’s coach came and appreciated our mixing of teams and our supporting our college teams.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunday was an exciting day, and I played many roles. I did not finish the blog until the afternoon. I rose around 7:30 as I had plenty of time before the service at 11, but I planned to be there at 10:30 as Dondrea was traveling today and Pastor Ken had a funeral after the service. I had a set of cookies and a large pound cake from Costco in Air VW the Gray, which I purchased yesterday for the funeral. I wrote for a while, showered, shaved, and dressed for church. Grays and blues with a pride tie. I took a more somber tie for the funeral to change after the service.

I arrived after the previous service; we rented out the church sanctuary and other rooms to another church, which was finishing up. I carried in the cookies and cake (and a tie). I ushered for the service and was busy, as some folks needed help. I greeted the folks who came early for the funeral while our Methodist service was still running. I offered them chairs in the back and coffee.

I cannot recount much of the service except that I borrowed a lighter, looked for a candle lighter (an old school long brass pole-like thing), and calmly walked to the altar while the music was playing from our Praise Band. I lit the candles without flashing the lighter and tried to look like an acolyte. The older members who knew this was a kid’s job smiled at me as I walked back, trying to look serious. I will have to find one of the old school brass candle lighters!

Pastor Ken’s words, those I can recall as I was busy seating folks and helping others with various issues (it is best to keep those events silent, as there are others to tell), were about community and that we should be about helping people and know, despite the pressures for social media and right-wing Christian groups, it is not about demanding fulfiing our own desires or fears, but about the usual things: Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick of body and mind, and building a community of sharing.

I was busy (and the 2AM bedtime was having me live off of adrenaline, which will explain the EMT adventure later). I worked with Pastor Ken and the family for the funeral to get things arranged, and we were able to flow from the church service, coffee time, and then to a 12:30 service. I ushered again. Two pews full of Masons, most in dark suits and the usual metals, name tags, and polite manners they are known for, would finish the service with a short Masonic memory of a departed brother. Ken started the funeral, and I directed people to pews, bathrooms, coffee, and got some water for some.

It was a funeral, in a word, kind, and it went off without any issues. There were no failed mics or procedural missteps. The couple, Winn and Byron, remembered, and I ushered and watched. Cake and cookies were offered after, along with juice and coffee.

I headed out once they left after 2. The family seemed to want to just linger. I believe they had not seen each other often and knew they would soon all be headed home once they left the church. I remember the same feeling at Susie’s service in Michigan. Linda and I had to catch a plane; we were the first to leave. I waited until nearly 2 before turning off the lights, and they then headed on.

Next, I headed to the nearby Red Robin in the EV. They had a sign that they had an equipment failure and were serving a limited menu. I asked, and it did include their spicy chicken breast platter (lower calories, too), but no fries were available. It was perfect for me, stuffed with cookies, coffee, and pound cake. I sat at the bar, and Coda served me; he remembered me. I had a Sam Adams beer and enjoyed the platter and salad.

I paid and walked out. In the Red Robin lobby, an older woman was sitting there. I had seen her earlier and asked her if she was OK. She was locked out of her car and waiting for help. She was fine, but did accept a Coke with ice that I got from the bartender (no charge). She thanked me and said she was fine. The folks at Red Robin were also watching her; I took her word and left. She had a phone and it was charged.

I was feeling a bit off and took the EV home. My face had frozen, and my eye was not blinking correctly. I had either a relapse of Bell’s Palsy from the brain surgery a year ago or something much worse. I chatted with Deborah and then called 911. After all my experiences with strokes, getting help there by myself was prudent. Soon, the fire department and ambulance arrived. They checked me out and said I had no visible signs of a stroke. They left, and I was feeling better–not likely a stroke. Indeed, it was more likely leftovers from brain tumor surgery–funny how those words would not usually be reassuring. Furthermore, after cancer, diabetes, and a brain tumor–a little Bell’s Palsy seems minor.

I suspect an MRI and/or just anti-virals and anti-inflammation drugs are in my future. This did not start until allergy season.

Aside: I sent a note to my doc today. I already have an appointment for Thursday.

I contacted Matt, and he arranged for Karyn to pick me up (it’s best not to drive). Soon, I was not alone. I was able to speak, think, and play Dungeons and Dragons. Definitely not a stroke.

With various superpowers granted from various D&D-themed deities, we finally destroyed Vecna. It was a hard fight, but the villain did not block my high-level cleric’s healing spell. That allowed us to pile on damage and finish this. This was about a two-year campaign of multiple materials. We were able to carry our space-faring character to this multi-universe saving story.

We next started on the new campaign, Quests from the Infinite Staircase. This is premade material, and Matt, our DM, was gifted the Beadle and Grims set to play this material. This is a premium experience, and Matt uses his own physical setup. He has the best toys.

We started on our way; details cannot be shared, but we played to our strengths. This time, we were a sneak-and-run group. We avoided risky battles and overcame a few items with careful planning and contingencies. We are back to the first level and have reached the second level of the adventure without loss.

Scott took me home. Despite having a burger at Matt’s (thanks, M@), I made a bagel with cream cheese for a snack. After ensuring coffee in the morning, I went to bed and quickly fell asleep. I woke up with leg cramps and proof of hydration. I managed to sleep in on Monday.

I am feeling much better now.

Thanks for reading!