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I woke at 7ish, rolled over, and rose thirty minutes later. A pot of brewed coffee was waiting for me, as I had assembled the coffee the night before and put the dishes in the dishwasher, but it was nearly empty, and I did not run it. I spent most of the morning writing the blog, talking to Deborah, and doing my usual online tasks.

After I showered, shaved, and dressed, I tried something new. I put on suspenders under my sweater vest. I picked a brown silk-like tie from some forgotten wedding. I figured a chocolate-colored tie would fit the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” play at a local middle school. Z was playing Willy Wonka for the first time.

I boarded Air VW the Gray and stopped by Safeway, where I got flowers (they have the best—always fresh) and a box of chocolates for Z. I planned to stop for lunch on my way to the middle school on the other side of Beaverton and into the start of the West Hills near Beaverton (technically Portland and details here).

I stopped by a local place I had visited once for an Asian-styled rice bowl, but it was closed and being rebuilt as a new place, also Asian-style. McDonald’s provided lunch with their newish crunchy chicken strips. I had that with fries and a Diet Coke. I could eat it while driving. I arrived earlier than I planned.

Dondrea was already in line for the show. I forgot cash for the ticket, but Dondrea covered me. We numbered ten folks! Time went by fast, and soon the show started. Their new mics worked, and we could hear most lines and singing. Z’s position included telling the story; Z was on stage for most of the show.

Willy Wonka’s part includes singing high and low notes, all slowly voiced. Z handled them well and was moving while she sang. The new mics helped. Instead of many props, much of the show required imagination, which I thought fit well with the source material. The material also gave solos to many characters besides Wonka and Charlie; I thought it an excellent middle school choice for a talented group.

The school had an outbreak of flu, and hundreds of kids were out last week. The play was moved to Saturday, and today was Dondrea’s only chance to see it; she is traveling on Sunday until mid-next week. It was excellent, and the cast shone brightly.

After that, I got home, dropped the tie, and quickly warmed up some leftover Jambalaya. It was still good, but big pieces of meat would have made it a better meal. Next time! I then jumped back into Air VW the Gray, recrossed Beaverton, and headed into Portland. I arrived only a few minutes before 6.

We did a teach, and it went on for a while. Legendary Academy was a heavy game thick with errata for this first (and likely only) printing—it was an abandoned Kickstarter completed by others. The theme was a training sandbox for legendary heroes and villains. I played Robin Hood. Richard was King Arthur, Kathleen was the sorceress Morgan, and Chris was Paul Bunyan, and also the score order (I came in last with 100 points). I tried to follow, but I was not enjoying all the rules, and Richard was a bit frustrated with me and let me know. This distracted me from my play, and I made a few more mistakes. Your turn involves using your deck and then a ‘class’ to do more deck building (and pruning) from a skill tree of cards. Each character had different skill and special powers.

I thought it was OK, but at first, I felt it dragged and was a poor choice for four players. With the game ending, with me a few points below Chris, we chatted briefly and then headed home. Kathleen had a car now, so I drove directly home. I was in bed before 2 and fell immediately asleep.

Thanks for reading.

I slowly started Friday. Coffee, locally roasted and ground, was already brewed, which helped get me going. I quickly wrote a card to Mom Wild and got that in the mailbox in my robe and slippers to make the morning delivery. Mail here now comes at 9ish.

I wrote the blog until after 10. I also did some doom scrolling and read my emails (most are deleted, and I keep sending out unsubscribes, especially Trump/Vance emails I never requested). I also tried to order tickets for Monday for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue from the Oregon Symphony. The account still has my Nike phone number and provides no means to update them. I will have to call support, but I did not get back to that in time. I updated Quicken, discovered I missed a few corrections over the last few days, and fixed them. I like Quicken to be close to the balances, as you can imagine, dear reader.

With the blog in place, I put on Elsbeth and reheated some jambalaya for lunch for a big pan in the frig. The spices had evened out a bit, and because it was not too spicy, the hot spices, which do not fade, I learned in my cooking class, did not overwhelm the reheated version. I could add heat in each bowl, and that worked for me. The spices were multifaceted, and I thought it good, but I missed the smoky flavor of New Orleans and the spicy meat.

I did not care for this Elsbeth with a helpful bartender who murders for his customers in the name of justice. A fury that makes perfect and expensive drinks (he only charges those who can afford them) in his own bar in Manhattan. It sounds like my kind of story–something I would write, but I did not like the manipulative and creepy nature of the murderer; it was a bit too real. I stopped watching it and finished it later.

My afternoon game fell in. This was with a new gamer, who I suspect was less interested. Instead, I took Air VW the Gray to McMinnville’s UFO Festival. I had not been since the first one opened after the pandemic (with Susie trying out the travel wheelchair we used on planes and NYC later–it needed a pillow, we learned there). Navigation took me over the mountains instead of the highways, and it was a wild ride on curves in the hills in the passes. I read 1200+ feet for Champoeg. The EV got a 1% charge on the downside of Chapoeg!

The wine country, passes, and farmland were lovely, and postcard pictures were available the whole ride. The EV handled well; on one curve, I took it faster than I find comfortable, and the VW perfectly stuck to the road. I was happy, though, to have dry pavement! I arrived sooner than I expected. I had Nav set to just McMinnville, and I drove right through. I turned around, found the Old Town, and parked in free parking at the Methodist Church (they have a sign for free parking)–they did have some reserved parking for staff, too.

I walked into the Festival about thirty minutes before it started. It was relaxed and not that busy. Main street was not shut down, with vendor tents (it is Oregon) on each side street. They closed one block of side streets. I saw a tow truck pulling in to remove an unfortunate driver who left their minivan in the way despite the signs.

I walked the town and checked out the vendors. I found a metal hanging that would look great at the peak of the house. I will need Corwin or Jeff to install it. I had them hold it for me while I walked the show.

There were no bathrooms. How odd? I walked to the McMenamins Hotel Oregon, the center of the Festival, and where all the UFO talks were held, got a seat at the bar, ordered, and then used their facilities. My beer did not show. Their Ruby keg blew, and I ordered a Hammerhead with some fries. That showed (my beer appeared after the fries). While I waited, I went to the front desk, bought a T-shirt (XL, going with tighter and smaller), and some postcards to send to Mom Wild. My first little bag.

With a beer and some food, I was ready to return to the vendors. I met some authors when they were setting up. I bought one book from the three. The Norse fiction had got my attention, but the other younger author had a pile of different books with a sign that got me to get a book: Three Words: Gay, Space, Wizard. How could I resist that? The other author, thinner books, which interested me more, and mixed horror and magic–again, something I like. All books were signed and fit in the little bag.

I stopped in an art gallery, and a digital artist had a picture of a rabbit and a dragon having tea, which got my attention. I liked it, and it was not AI-generated. The price, nearly $200, stopped me. The shop was by an oil painter, and I liked his stuff, but I would not want it for my walls. I saw that the artist I liked, Andy Kerr, had a shop nearby at Artemis Fox Studio (the print is on their website when I write this, but art shops come and go), but I did not think it was open.

I wondered more and did not realize I was headed into these studios until I saw the identical prints! I met Andy upstairs and bought an 8×10 print from the artist for $45. Another bag was required, as my other bag was too small. I put my email on his list, but Mr. Keer said I would not hear from him often. He made it clear he was not a social media personality.

I had driven by Source Farms and almost stopped, but I did not have a cooler in the car. They were in a vendor tent, and I learned from Jake, whom I bumped into at the Festival, that they run a few stores on Main Street, including a nearby taphouse. I forgot that Jake and some other folks from Nike now live in McMinnville. I signed up for their newsletter and bought a jar of pickles from them. I took all my goodies, picked up my metal item, and loaded my third bag as I walked back. I loaded them in the cargo hold of Air VW the Gray.

I returned for some food because I felt a bit off (all beer and carbs were a poor mix for me). I ordered jambalaya, a $8 sample in a cup, to try a local version. Large bits of spicy sausage, and while not too drenched in heat, the heat was more than I had cooked with–NOLA cooking classes said to let folks add it. The rice had the same chalky problem mine had. Overall, the jambalaya had a one-dimensional flavor profile, just heat. Specifically, I could not taste the spices and veggies over the heat. Mine was better, but the heavy chunks of meat added much to my enjoyment and made me forgive the faults. I will remember to use larger chunks and more meat.

Jake and I chatted while he walked his dog and looked at the Festival. We talked about mutual friends and the layoffs at Nike last week. He, who is still working at Nike, gave me more details. Like many corporate changes, it seemed senseless and misguided. Instead of working on new services and products (this is my opinion), I think they cut expenses and outsourced more technology—the usual corporate decline and ruin, but so easy to look good to leadership and put on a spreadsheet and PowerPoint slides.

I said goodnight to Jake because I didn’t want to take the EV over the mountains in the dark and rain. It was still sunny—time to get back. This time, I found the correct setting on my AirPlay to run my book on AI. This made the trip easy, though I did do the usual passes with their curves and lack of guardrails, not to spoil the lovely view (an assumption on my part).

Scott recommended this book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, which I listened to on my way to LA. I am about 2/3 done and started it up again. It took me a while to reconnect to the concepts explained earlier (that was six weeks ago), but I soon was following along. 

The book is, I think, a bit alarmist, but I think it is on target. The main thrust is that AI is already with us, will not disappear, and we have a problem. The United States has allowed corporations to use information (many, including the NYT, claim they raided copyrighted works) to create tools such as AI and other intelligent software. The US further grants that these tech companies cannot be held accountable for their correctness or, in most cases, safety. People are primarily unable to understand AI, and government laws are outdated. There is nothing to protect us from the impact of AI and software. This, then, more alarmist I think, creates scenarios, according to the book, where AI becomes an unregulated yet controlling force over humans and allows, with a lack of transparency, corruption. I am not sure the author Yuval Noah Harari (and others) is wrong.

I would contend there have been false prophets, snake-oil salesmen, and financial cons since the first caveman bought his cave for a few skins for reasons he/she later could not understand. In my experience growing up in a family that sold stuff, humans always enjoyed a good sale. And the best con is the one that the salesperson believes in; both are victims. Granddad always sold the best TV on the market, and he could tell you why (even if he did not understand the words).

I made a salad for a light dinner and then enjoyed some cake. I watched more Elsbeth episodes. Again, I stopped halfway on the next one, which was about murder in a fashion show. I thought it was less believable, and the internal storyline was a bit dark.  Instead, I watched the finish of the season for Andor on Disney+. It was three episodes, and I watched them back to back and was disappointed as each ended. I was leaning in my chair as each resolved various outstanding plot issues. It was very dark, with even the Imperial folks getting hurt. I thought the message from these shows was that the rebellion was unstoppable, as the repression of the Empire impacted everyone (including the repressors) and could not be everywhere all the time. I liked it.

I read for a while after making the bed. The laundry for Friday was two loads, one of which was sheets. I put on the sheets from the linen closet and will fold the others and put them away soon. I was asleep by midnight, woke at 2 and three. The rain was heavy and gurgling in the downspouts. I got up, put on a coat over my PJs, checked the house, and climbed into bed slightly damply (my slippers kept my feet dry). I slept until my alarm.

Thanks for reading!

 

I rose at 7:45 and rushed to get coffee, breakfast, showered, etc. I had my six-month teeth cleaning and check at 8:30 at the nearby Aloha Dental. Archana called me, but the sound broke up, so I called her back. I pay for everything every month on my iPhone so I can call even India without a second thought. When I travel, it automatically shifts if I’m going International. This provides Internet access and emergency services when I travel, as needed. Returning to the story, Archana was upset; it was another layoff day at Nike, and the India office had been decimated, resulting in her job loss. Compensation was limited. As I am retired, I can provide recommendations as a former colleague, and I offered that. I tried to be supportive.

Later, I would call Brad Jones, my old boss at Nike, and learned he was retiring and taking the American-based package with compensation. He told me that my old department was being eliminated and that a consulting company was taking over. It was a 90% layoff. I felt terrible for all my friends who had moved to Oregon to take jobs and those with H1V and incomplete Green Card processes. It was one year and three weeks from my retirement day, April 20, 2024.

The dental experience always involves me trying not to panic, as I think I can’t breathe. It is my new panic thing and not real. I should have taken my emergency inhaler before they started. I was able to keep it together and was fine. Previously, some decay was cleaned up on my back teeth (drilling and fillings), and there were no new issues.

I returned home with a new toothbrush and the next appointment in December. I started on the blog and chatted with Deborah while writing. She was working today and we connected between work items. The blog was published in the late morning. I had written a card for Mom Wild the night before to make sure it got in today’s mail. I published the blog in time to head to lunch.

I was only a few minutes late at McMenamins at Cedar Hills. Scott was sitting at an inside table. It was cool outside and damp, so it was best to be inside. We had a few beers and talked about AI, family issues, Nike layoffs, and travel. Scott is enjoying Charles Stross’s future predicting SciFi novels, which I recommended, like Accelerando, with its statement: “Widespread intelligence amplification doesn’t lead to widespread rational behavior.” My favorite is the Space Lobster stories.

I talked about the surprising things I had just learned about AI uses for RISC-V and something called Foundational Models for AI. I have more to learn. Also, Scott pointed out that my 3D printer was old, outdated, and I should update my technology. Later, I ordered about $600 3D stuff from Amazon, as they have a better return policy than the vendor. Though I gave up my membership, I got a reasonable price and free shipping on Tuesday. I also ordered Tuesday delivery and free shipping, some extra scrapers and cleaners from a generic kit they offer, and then added a resin funnel to more easily pour resin back in bottles.

Aside: The resin is toxic, and gloves, masks, and careful cleanup are needed. Exposure to UV locks the resin to a manageable solid that can be tossed. Alcohol 96 %+ is required to dissolve the resin and to clean prints and the equipment. You then put the used alcohol in the sun to evaporate, and the resin dissolved hardens from the UV exposure. I have learned that the UV is so high in Australia that you can just wash and put out your prints outside, and the sun will harden them.

To prevent cracks, priming paint is essential to use on prints. I paint mine. I often print a small bust as a test printing and give away a painted one in bronze color.

I continued working on my figure for Dungeons and Dragons, locking in the power tendrils with jeweler’s cement. Yet another toxic but very effective product. I mixed purple and white and used the lighter color to dry brush the too-dark purple speed paint, which worked well. I touched up the over-painting and added some leather paint to the too-thin sections of the leather speed paint. I used the Insane Army Painter brush to put blue dots for eyes. Next, I mixed darker blue with water and washed the skin, face, and blue hair. I find that blue makes a good color for a mysterious power color. I added color to the power tendrils from the cards. When the paint dries, I hit the figure with just a misting of flat spray to level out the shine. Done!

(This is a magnified view, only 28mm from the eyes to the base)

The new printer has a heated tank and other features that should make it more successful. As Scott reminded me, technology has moved on from five years ago. Expected updates next week.

I talked to Deborah as her day ended, and I cooked Jambalaya for dinner. I chopped for quite some time as I made the Trinity and added The Pope (peppers, celery, onion, chopped, adding chopped garlic). I had sausage that was not spicy or smoked, and it let me down a bit. I will have to stick to something with more kick and smoky. The rice was the cheaper kind, and there were some chalky bits. I will stick to better choices next time. The longish frying of the meat (I added ham) added some flavor, but the Jambalaya was tame. This is not bad, as one can always add more heat.

I had a few bowls, trying to taste what I missed. It was almost too salty for me (meaning it was salted correctly). The smoky flavor I tasted in New Orleans (NOLA) was not there, but I think that is a function of the meat selection. I watched Elsbeth and put that on hold while Deborah and I chatted for a while as her day ended and she finally slept.

I finished the next episode and still enjoy the show. The actors have assumed their roles now, and the writers are hitting their strengths. I recommend the show, and also recommend starting with season one.

I read more and rested, but rose again and used a King Arthur Flour Company mix to make another bundt cake using my new pan. I had a warm piece of the pecan maple cake while reading more Dungeons and Dragons 2024 rules. While the new rules resemble the previous version and are strongly connected to 3.0, when the game becomes popular again, the 2024 rules are pretty different. This is not a minor update, but a subtle rewrite fixing many stacking issues and super builds and combinations in what we call 5.0.

With all these numbers, rules, and Elric stories jumbling in my mind, I nodded off, turned off the light, and slept. I woke at 3ish to prove hydration and again at 6ish. I was well hydrated.

(Front flowers)

(A pale pink rose given to me from The Smiths (+Kramers) to remember Susie).

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did not need lunch on Wednesday; you won’t find it in my story of Wednesday. But the story does start with me waking at 3AM and texting Deborah a good morning for the beginning of her day. I then went back to sleep, barely waking and texting. Deborah was happy to be surprised by an early text. I visit her Time Zone occasionally, and when I can’t sleep. Running on her schedule is always a pleasure; it seems to shorten the distance between us. I can always get a nap if I become sleepy.

I rose later, after 8, and was happy that freshly brewed coffee awaited me; I had assembled the locally roasted and ground coffee the night before. While a $99.99 KitchenAid coffee maker seemed an extravagance, and I only bought it at Best Buy as I had a $100 gift card from buying The Machine (the combo washer and dryer from LG), I am happy with the timer, the much needed auto shut off, and the taste of the brewed product.

Z’s Willy Wonka play (she is playing Wonka) has moved to Saturday (there has been some illness in the cast, I understand), and the result is that I now have no plans for Wednesday. This is one of the pleasures (and fears for some) of retirement. I also received news that my “Chat Holmes and Watson” was accepted by 2600 The Hacker’s Quarterly and would appear in one of the following issues (from my previous experience, this is two quarters out). It takes them about two months to respond.

I wrote and finished the blog. I headed out to the gaming store, found a figure that matched what I was looking for, and purchased it (it came in a two-pack, and I would combine the two figures to make what I wanted). My colon was presenting me with the cork and bubbly issue. I rushed home and let things happen. I had not experienced this in a while, but was relieved (literally) that it was a known issue. Things are more normal now.

With the risk of a bad moment over, I drove to a local Great Clips and learned that 4ish on Wednesday is not a bad time to show up without an appointment, as there was no line and they were not busy. Soon, I had less on top. I was given the senior discount without asking (I look the part), but paid a good tip. The woman who cut my hair was bored and polite until I paid, and I got a genuine smile. I paid her the senior discount with my tip, which is the money that goes to her (she had a pronoun pin that directed me to these uses).

The 649 was full, so I drove home. I put on another episode of Elsbeth on Paramount+ while the potatoes boiled, the steak warmed up, and the salt soaked in a bit. I tried one of freshly made frig pickles. The taste was mostly just vinegar, but with hints of garlic and dill. I used English cucumbers from Costco, which were a bit industrial for my taste.

I fried a 1/2-inch boneless ribeye steak in butter and tried to brown it on both sides. However, I did not get the pan hot enough for a good sear, and the steak was mainly baked when I finished it in the oven. Alas, I need to use more heat at first and less time in the oven. I steamed asparagus and made mashed potatoes to go with it. I got the veggie good. I enjoyed the show with the corrupt investment family while enjoying my dinner. One must enjoy the mistakes as they make us better (we hope), and I got the salt right on the steak. Next time!

Next, I headed to Wildwood Taphouse and saw JR there, and we chatted for a while. I had a heavy, dark-as-my-soul beer, and the place was busy. I sat outside with JR. It was warm enough with the sun and no wind (the building breaking the wind), and then I read more Elric by Michael Moorcock. Young folks asked about the book I was reading while enjoying a beer and some chips; they like SciFi, but were unfamiliar with the author. “Someone old-school,” I said, and recommended him, and a few others, books from The Iron Druid Chronicles and The Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. I finished another story (the book is a collection of Elric and Elric-related stories).

I stopped by Barnes & Noble and picked up two hardware magazines from Europe (the American-based one is no longer available). I was surprised to see RISC-V on the cover of Elecktor. I thought it was forgotten.

I returned home, did the dishes, read more Elric, and worked on my new figure for my new character. I removed the transparent flames from the hands and attached small rectangles to the figure. I then did a basic paint to get the colors on the figure. I printed tiny cards from public images from Wikipedia for tarot cards. I attached these to the hands of the figure. I then painted the small cards with a transparent anti-shine to lock in the ink.

The figure needs fine work, including some metallics added to fine detail for buttons, belts, and clips. I thought the purple speed paint was a fail, and will dry brush on some lighter purple for the coat. I need to reattach some transparent, electrical-like material I harvested from the other figure to put around the cards I added. I will use jeweler’s cement as I need it to stay on, and the glue to hold well and not burn the material (CA glue will be a poor choice). I will try to finish it on Thursday night.

I read the zines, and the focus was on AI, both hardware and software-based AI options. I am jaded to AI claims being a practitioner (even retired), but the reasons for RISC-V resurfacing reminded me of why Python resurfaced. Like earlier forms of Python, RISC-V is open-source, has a strong community, and is strongly supported by academics. I also learned that foundation models are available for AI to allow the developer to call in a pre-made and well-understood (and open-source) AI solution. My attention is raised, and the RISC-V boards listed in detail have caused me to drool a little. While I can resist the latest Kickstarter for a board game and a new 3D printer, I might not resist a RISC-V Linux-based computer that looks delicious. Oh my! I could build a small footprint machine, call in a foundation model, even on a tiny processor, and consume images and make decisions. My little submarine might be possible! Dreams. Wonder. And not expensive (less by 1/2 than a new printer).

We will see. I nodded off when I returned to reading Elric stories, stopped, turned off the light, and soon slept the night. I do not remember the dreams, but I imagine the night phantoms included mixed AI and Elric swinging his cursed sword.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

It is hard to write the story of Tuesday, as I just got a notification from 2600 Hacker Quarterly that they have accepted my Holmes and Watson story. It is hard to focus on writing now; I am delighted. Dear reader, I will let you know when it appears. It is usually two quarters away when I get a notification.

I tried to rise at 6:30 but managed to get going at 7. This time, I found the coffee waiting for me. For breakfast, I had a few slices of pound cake and a banana. I returned to my office and wrote the blog until 8:15. I was time-boxed as I had to get to Portland and play at Richard’s house. I showered, shaved, dressed, and got in Air VW the Gray at 8:45.

Traffic was heavy on Highway 26, the Sunset Highway, more like a parking lot than three lanes inbound, but it was more stop-and-go once inside Portland. Surprisingly, I arrived on time. There were no racing cars this time, and while there were the usual sudden lane changes, it was an uneventful trek.

We tried Tainted Grail today, another horror-based dark rewrite of the Arthurian legend. James brought the game, which he bought painted on the secondary game market. This is another dudes-on-board, all 32 mm-sized figure game. It is cooperative and complex. It has the mandatory unique iconography, which can be copyrighted. This protects the game creator, as rules and game mechanics are not protected, but art and iconography are. The art and materials unique to the game are part of the game and easily defended.

Here are the words:

“Copyright does not protect the idea for a game, its name or title, or the method or methods for playing it. Nor does copyright protect any idea, system, method, device, or trademark material involved in developing, merchandising, or playing a game.”

I played a druid who had trouble with nightmares. We wandered the map, and soon, I was almost wounded and approaching my end. I also went insane. It was slow going because I did not understand the game, and Richard, who was concerned about our chances, became a bit intense. I was frustrated because I could not understand how combat worked. While interesting, I was unhappy with the game, its dark story, and the play style. I thought it was fiddly and dragged. This is also an endless game, so we had to record everything. I took pictures. We will try it again. James has a significant investment and multiple add-ons. He is a self-declared ‘completist’ who often gets everything.

At 2ish, I was headed home with my feelings mixed. I can’t recommend this game, but I know it is highly rated. I also see lots of it for sale. More to come.

Deborah and I talked once I was home and had made lunch. I had reheated and frozen some ham and pea soup I made last week, and added more ham. I finished the blog after I rang off. Later, I would talk to Deborah before she fell asleep. It is good to start and finish our days together.

I watched another episode of “Elsbeth.” It was good and reminded me of the Columbo guest star versions, where each show focused on another area, cooking, magic, music, etc. This was the murder of a tennis star.

I decided that I had had enough of my own cooking (though the pound cake was good) and headed to Eric, my usual waiter, at BJ’s Brewhouse. There, I had a perfect ribeye steak for too much money. I added a salad. I skipped dessert but had coffee. It was a bit late, which meant little sleep until near 1 Wednesday morning. I finally took some ibuprofen, and that counteracted the caffeine. Not a good solution, but it is better than staying up until 4 and then sleeping until noon!

My 3D printer is highly temperature sensitive and will print only on warm days and nights. F**k. That explains why it works and then stops working. Richard suggests building a printing area with heat in the garage–there are many examples online. I also found a new Egloo 3D resin tank printer model with a built-in heater. Being now retired and spending most of my money on travel, having a new printer at the house seems wasteful for the price of a round-trip ticket to Detroit with some upgrades. But that FOMO takes over, and I want it (“my precious”). Instead, I will continue to buy printed items and, for the figure I want for my new character, I will buy and alter them to fit. But the FOMO rises…resist.

I did not order a printer. I am thinking of recycling mine.

I was reading Elric at BJ’s and then at home in a larger paperback.  I got this book and another (volume 2 and 3) at Curious Books for my birthday when I was in East Lansing. I was enjoying the story, though Elric does not appear in the first one.

I went to bed after doing the dishes (meaning I put them in the dishwasher and washed the large pans and knives). I also reviewed my character in the new Dungeons and Dragons 2024 rules when I could not sleep. I also searched my unpainted figures, a box of the “Vampire” pledge from years ago, filled with plastic figures. I found nothing that matched close to what I was looking for. I was amazed at how many repeats I had. I wonder how many “Vampires” and repeated add-ons were in the box!

I finally settled and slept.

Thanks for reading!