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Going backward, I am writing the blog Wednesday night after walking home. The hiking boots I planned to wear to Michigan were killing my back, and I decided I would not take them with me. I will just take my walking shoes and hope that will be good enough.  I dropped off an Air Ford (Escape) and thanked it for being a perfect fill-in for Air Volvo, which is currently in the repair shop with no ETA. Estimates run to as much as $8,000, including maintenance costs, once the damage is repaired from the water intrusion. The sunroof seal failed, and the car flooded. The streets were poorly lit, and I am glad I didn’t make that walk every night. Susie used to walk it with a flashlight many nights when I was traveling.

I am packing lots of clothing, but no suits this time. Instead of suits, I will wear sweater vests and a nice red vest for Christmas. I also know I will buy anything I forget or need. My carry-on will include my laptop and its charging cables. The battery I carry for emergencies and for missed charging options can power the computer for a day and recharge my phone multiple times.

Tonight, I was at the church to play games with Z, and Shawn’s daughter, Lauren, joined us. We got shooshed once as we laughed a bit too loud. We were more careful after that. We all had a good time.

Lauren had not played the heavier board games but allowed us to teach her Wyrmspan, and she soon got it and was playing her turn with minimal help. This game is a revision of the well-loved Wingspan with dragons, not birds, and many efficiencies and a logical flow of the game that makes it easy to play and learn. We played the first round with all of learning and re-learning the game again. We had not played it for months. Z got the game for Christmas; we took advantage of me being there to play again, allowing Z to be ready to play with family when I was not around.

By the third round, Z and Lauren were doing well. I had the usual frustrations, such as why the dragon cards were the wrong type! I filled my board with many dragons cards and had various end-of-game scoring dragons but had not yet fulfilled the requirements. I needed more time for that shockingly high score (what Z and I refer to as evil plans). Lauren was with Shawn and headed out when the Praise Band was done. We ended the game early and scored. Z won by one point (my plans had yet to come to fruition), forty-seven, with Lauren only three points behind me. An excellent game, and even stopping early, everyone had a chance to win. Lauren seemed to be surprised at how much she liked it.

We made too much noise, putting the game away, and were asked to be quieter. Oops. Z and I switched to the fast (and quiet yet intense) game Furnace. A favorite for quick play and a small footprint. This is a resource management game in which you run plants in a network with the input of one fed by another to produce more of another resource or sell the goods for money. The player with the most money wins after four rounds. We played the base game with a player setup that uses an automated third player. Z was just six bucks below me at the end.

Going back further, I was home doing laundry and putting away dishes. I want to have the house picked up and as clean as possible. I later washed the toilets, removed all the trash, and put away all the clothing. I made a toasted bagel for dinner with sour cream (I was out of cream cheese) for the spread and added some bacon that I fried a few days ago and a couple of hard-boiled eggs.

Going back, I drove Air Ford (Escape) all over Beaverton to get my Dungeons and Dragons players their Christmas gifts for the holidays. Nobody was home, but I put everything in holiday bags and left them at the front doors. School traffic was heavy as I was traveling during the dread school end time, about 3:15, and I had to backtrack once to get to a road not choked with cars locating various children.

Going far back to the morning, I rose early, made coffee, and soon was crossing Cooper’s Mountain on a near-perfect sunny day (just a short break in the weather) for the usual charming drive looking down at the valley, home is the Tualatin Valley, but across the mountain is the huge Willamette Valley. This split between the valleys is wine country, and I lost count of the vineyards I passed by.

In Newberg, in the Willamette Valley, I met Pastor Ken, and we talked for about ninety minutes at Five Guys and had lunch. He wants me to help with the administration of the church. I said I would help; more to come later.

I drove back, stopped by Great Clips, and waited a while to get my usual biz man look. I was getting a bit spiky. Soon, that was done, and I stopped by Rite Aid there and got some of the bags for gifts.

Returning to the end of the day, I assembled my bag with underwear, socks, PJ, and T-shirts on one side. Dress shirts, cotton LL Bean pants, and vests with hangers are on the side. This then gets crushed into the carry-on-styled roller bag (well, a large one). I will check it anyway. I thought about trying to roll it through security, but I feared I was not careful enough, and it would get opened, and then I would have to sit on it to close it again. Nope. Check for $35.

I started arranging my gym back carry-on with my usual cables, batteries, etc. I put the remaining clothing in The Machine and wore my robe while I wrote, cleaned, and tried to bring some order to chaos. I wrote this blog. I was sleepy and soon had issues forming meaningful words. It was time to sleep.

I showered, reassembled the bed (I had stripped and washed the bedding that morning), put away the still-damp clothing, let it dry on the hanger, and read until I could not stay awake. Time to stop.

Tomorrow was a quick cleanup and dress, and Uber had already ordered me to the MAX to take the Red Line to the airport, PDX.

Thanks for reading.

 

The morning came with me rising not too early, having some coffee, cleaning up, dressing, and rushing to Portland. Air Ford got me there before the storm hit. It would be windy and wet today, with sideways rain that soaked and destroyed umbrellas. The local schools have not finished for the year, and the words I hear over and over this year are, “I am not ready!” The panic can be seen in the driving.

My drive into Portland is slow and crawls across Beaverton. Air Ford (Escape) is heavy and is not pushed by the wind, and the tires grip the now more than just wet roads. The All Wheel Drive is automatic, but I do not feel it take over while driving today in the flooded streets. The air is warm, and it is what we often call a Pineapple Express from the tropical Pacific.

I arrived at Richards in northern Portland five minutes late. James and Richard are still setting up. We are again playing a scenario in the older Mansions of Madness, Second Edition board game. This is one of the role-playing games (RPG) styled board games and uses an app to avoid assigning one player the keeper’s role. I still find it slow, and board gamers want to win; it is their nature, and they have some trouble with cooperative games. But still, it is interesting, and the Lovecraft theme is my favorite. This play, the third scenario, is more complex, and the story fits the theme better.

No spoilers, but I enjoyed the game this time as there was a good story that fit the Lovecraft theme, and I felt we had choices to make with many options and consequences. James did go insane, but Richard and I managed to keep our characters sane, though mine was wounded. We finally worked out what we needed to do and soon saw the ending, but we still had choices. We finished about an hour early, near 1. I would say that scenario three was the first time the game fulfilled all its promises. It was excellent.

I made my goodbyes as I am traveling soon and won’t be back until 2025 begins. The traffic was light, but the storm had picked up, and the waves of wet, hot Air Ford (Escape) and the high ramps onto the bridge were damp, but there was, thankfully, no flooding. I do not like coming down the ramp onto the roadbed through puddles, but that was not there today.

I arrived home and made a salad for lunch. I chopped carrots and celery and found the beets and little corn cans still in the frig from the Thursday party. It’s best to use them up, though I did toss some of the beets as they would not keep over the next three weeks! I organized a few things and wrote Christmas cards with gifts. I drive the cards to the post office, which is slammed, and I cannot even use the driveby boxes. I took Air Ford (Escape) in a circle, questing for a postal mailbox, and found the box near the Federal Express Office. Done! I return to the house, and Corwin stops by. He gets in Air Ford.

We tried to reach Reedville Cafe, but the roads were blocked, and other roads were choking with traffic. There was a nasty crash on the TV Highway, and it was shut down. Yikes, someone’s holidays are ruined. With some backtracking, we reached the Cafe. I bought Corwin a late lunch and early dinner while I shared some onion rings. We chatted, had a nice time, and didn’t hurry, as the traffic mess was ongoing.

The flashing lights disappear, and we head back. Corwin was happy to get the chicken fried steak, but no mashed, more veggies. Corwin avoids carbs and alcohol now. I had an iced tea.

I rested for a moment, and Deborah and I texted (having started the morning by exchanging ‘good morning’ texts). I sent Deborah and the household a new cookbook, “Does This Taste Funny?” by Stephen and Evie Colbert. They tried a new recipe for brisket (with a few changes), and it was a good dinner.

I grab Z’s gift, a large wrapped package, and board Air Ford (Escape). The traffic and rain do not make the trip fun. It is dark, and the road markings are difficult to see, so I mainly drive by memory. However, I get to talk to Deborah as I travel, making the trip more pleasant. Soon, I will arrive, and we will say goodnight as I park.

Dondrea and Z were delayed a few minutes because they needed to cross Beaverton, but soon, we were at Pastini in Cedar Mills Cross, just a few shops away from Beaverton Powell’s. While Pastini is a chain, I find the food at their Beaverton location good and their wines excellent. This is not cheap dining!

The pinot is superb, and Dondrea and I both have large glasses. Z found the seafood pasta excellent, and Dondrea and I tried the noodle-based Stroganov, which was excellent. The garlic bread makes you want to see how they make it. So simple and so good! We demurred when offered desserts. Instead, we headed to Powell’s, a less caloric dessert but likely not cheap.

Dondrea and I look at books and share our favorite history books with Dondrea in recent history while I am pointing out ancient and American Civil War (ACW) titles. We both wish we had more time for more reading.

Dear reader, here are my ACW titles:

Gettysburg: The Last Invasion. The best complete story of Gettysburg I have read with footnotes and covers all the questions you have about what we know and don’t. Read this, and you will see the battle in your mind, and here are the researched answers. I have read many books on this one battle, and I think this one is the best for the history and accuracy of what we know.

Stars in Their Courses: The Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863 by Shelby Foote. This is the poetic version of the battle and ignores some of the questions answered in the previous one. But this one, you can almost hear the rebel yell and smell the sulfur from the burning gunpowder. I read his larger three books of narrative history, but I think he is best in smaller bites. 

These books are recommended for reading. The first is a keeper; the footnotes are excellent if you want to learn more. The second is dreamy and an example of how to tell a story, but one I would seldom reread, but it is fun to quote from. My copies were loaned out and never returned, so I will repurchase them.

Dondrea and Z presented me with most of my Christmas gifts, a date kit that can wait until Deborah arrives in February. Yay! When I return, an urban fire kit will be added to the mix (arriving late). Deborah and I can light a fire on the deck, sip champagne, and eat salmon paté with crackers and cheese. It’s most excellent!

We hug and will see each other on Wednesday. The wet and dark drive was messy in Air Ford (Escape). I arrive home soon, doing the dishes and trying to bring some order to the chaos. While I have not vacuumed or mopped, I still am tired and fall asleep (wine, food, books, friends, and chosen family) as I marvel at all the goodness I have been blessed with this year. I rise one last time, check a few things, and then shower and read in bed until I fall asleep.

I put the background music, ‘Music to Sleep By,’ station on Amazon’s Echo and have to make it louder as the storm startles me awake. I did not know that the wind blew the front door open. I had not closed it properly, and it was open all night, but the house was dark. It shocked me to find that this morning and checked, nothing was taken. All safe. Goodness!

Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, the day I write this, is rushed, so this will be just the highlights. I will use lowercase for some things in the game description (i.e., temple mount) as they are represented in the game by a collection of things to avoid confusion with the actual places.

Michael R and I agreed to try the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD magazine wargame from their magazine, “Strategy and Tactics” (S&T). S&T, part of the game publisher Decision Games, has been publishing games in their quartile publication for as long as I have played games. They now have two other publications on modern warfare and WW2, complete with wargames. I still have a subscription to their non-game quartile, a unique detailed history of some interesting military subjects I may read cover to cover. An excellent read with all the details from a gamer’s view of battles, events, strategies, and tactics. I never had time to learn and play a new game every quarter; I only buy individual issues with irresistible topics (Putin’s War, the Siege of Jerusalem, for example).

I picked Michael R at 2ish, and we then traveled to The 649. The bartender reminded me of her name (she looks like her sister Avary)–but I forgot it again. Later, she is replaced by Natalia. Michael R. is not a wargame, but we were both biblical scholars and interested in the subject, which gave us the drive to make this work. It took us, feeling much like an old Avalon Hill wargame, a few hours to set up and for me to cover most of the rules. Time, which often happens with a wargame, was ignored and spun the clock fast.

We had a beer each, and I played the Romans. Michael R felt exposed and overwhelmed as the forces the Judaians faced were ridiculous. Michael R learned that walls do not protect you from attack but give you good cover, simulated by shifts on a combat table. This scale makes a Roman legion, five infantry square markers, one leader, and a punched classic square of paper.

Michael R, as the rebels (or Judaians), tried to stop the Romans from breaking into Jerusalem’s New City, and Titus, their leader, joined the battle. Or to take the temple mount with Titus’ son leading that. As in the historical struggle, the Romans were camped on the East and West of the city. There are about four Roman military paper squares for every rebel, which looked scary.

We started, and the first house rule started. We did not roll dice for resources on the first turn but took an average of 7 on two six-sided dice. The first turn was crucial, and the game would lose value if one side rolled terribly and the other rolled well. Later, resouring will be done using the dice. Michael R felt better after he was able to purchase more troops and cover more of Jerusalem. But he saw the Romans build camps and prepare ramps.

The game started with us both drawing events and actions; the game had a random draw of command counters that drove the phases, and there were six for each. Michael R was surprised by all the actions in one month of simulated time. Both events were to Michael R’s advantage, even the Roman pick. The rebels got to fire first on the Romans (!?) and blooded some Roman legion-supporting archers.

Titus led his horse troops to fire on the rebels on the wall, smashed up the rebels, and reduced the troops available to protect the walls. The game system has a leader activation system, and leaders provide for shifts in the combat table. The more, the better the attack. The archers and siege weapons also opened long-distant fire, and the 5th Legion moved to attack. Another legion covered the flanks, as did the support cavalry. The rebels could not deflect the attack by hitting the Roman Camp from behind.

Titus’s son also took the 15th Legion and supported forces against a different rebel group in the East. Michael R has two groups of units, blue and green, in the game, but they do not work together and must be activated separately, representing the split command the Jewish revolt created in 70 AD. Using only calvary and not directed by the leader, the attack faltered but split the rebel’s attention. The Romans had enough forces to attack from two sides with cavalry to quickly be ready to exploit any weakness. The extreme pressure the Romans provided shocked Michael R and I, both amateur historians.

Michael R’s counter-attack on the East, the temple mount, failed to dislodge the Romans, and he rushed more troops and his leader there (he was guarding a wall that the Romans did not target). Seeing the rebels busy in the East, the Romans took advantage of the work before and took part in the wall of the New City, which was still undefended, with Titus leading the battle forward. The 12th Legion reached the walls and brought ramps, removing any advantage of the wall and letting the heavy cavalry into the city. The New City was doomed.

The 5th Roman Legion attacked the fortress on the wall for The New City and suffered terrible losses, showing that the attacks were less effective without a Titus, even with ramps. Despite appalling losses (Michael R felt better about that), a much-reduced 5th Legion took the walled fortress intact.

Titus’s son launched an all-out attack on the temple mount, with part of the 15th Legion bringing ramps and enabling allied cavalry to enter. The legion split with heavy troops guarding the flanks and supporting allied forces fighting the battle. With heavy losses to the Roman allies, a toe hold was established, and the gate to the temple mount was held by Roman allied troops! Hazzah!

We were now five hours in. We were about 2/3 through the first month! There are five months. Michael R and I talked about history and how history records the same events while having a delicious meal served by Natalia. I was on a second beer as I celebrated the Roman successes.

Michael R began to abandon The New City, moving troops to the next conflict, the walled Middle City. The defenders of The New City were forced to fight at a significant disadvantage with Titus and his cavalry in the city now. Michael R took sniping shots at the lesser Roman forces and did some damage. One of the rebel leaders was trapped defending (the Zone of Control rules in the game made an encircled unit weaker and unlikely to escape). Leaders cannot be replaced.

The Romans broke out in the city, with Titus leading and attacking and taking the gate to the rest of the city. The advance slowed to mopping up the left-behind units there to slow the Roman advance and prevent Titus from reaching The Middle City before the next turn, allowing Michael R to better defend it (by acquiring more troops). The rebel lead fell.

The Temple was taken, and most of the temple mount was occupied. The 15th Legion was now secure in the city. The rebel leader, Samuel–green, escaped to the Antonia Fortress (where it is believed Jesus was tried and whipped) with some troops. The other rebel leader pulled back to the different sections of the city but left more single troops to cause more mopping up for the Romans.

Thus, the first month ended, and we stopped there. While the Romans may not win, it was implausible that the rebels had a chance. While the temple mount fell early in our version, much matched the historical events. We celebrated making it six hours of play without messing up and starting over, my only real goal. And marveled at the results of the play. It is fascinating to see a map of Jerusalem, even with paper counters and turned into hexes, fought over. We soon put it away and enjoyed dessert.

I dropped Michael R off and returned home. I then started to move games into the garage to clear my living spaces better and bring some order out of the chaos of the family room in my house. I managed to drop a Texas Hold’em set all over the floor and had to pick that up (one clay poker chip was damaged). That made me feel better as I felt terrible about how it looked. Better.

I went to bed after a shower and read.

Much of the day was spent getting pictures of dead presidents and former postal leaders ($50 and $100), travel supplies, gas, and blog writing. I have started my packing and collecting my gifts to send.

Sorry, that is all I have time for. Thanks for reading!

I rose from bed, sending Deborah a ‘good morning’ text to start at 7ish. I can usually finish the blog before church on Sunday now that the First United Methodist Church Sunday service begins at 11:00. But I must admit that Deborah and I spent some time texting back and forth, and I could not find focus for a while. I had to rush the last bit. I forgot to include that I got sort of out of sorts and made cookies to feel better on Friday night. I had a box of Trader Joe’s Pfeffernüsse mix, which I had never tried before. It was easy and fun, and a favorite holiday cookie for me. I will have to learn to make them from scratch.

Returning to the narrative, I wrote and wrote, and time was flying. I had to rush the finish and publication of Saturday’s story. I cleaned up, shaved, and dressed in slacks but with a festive gold vest over a dress shirt, a watch chain, and a green Santa tie. Black shoes with dark socks finished the outfit.

Air Ford (Escape) crossed Beaverton to the church without issue or traffic. No active agents of the City of Beaverton were tracking alignment to traffic laws that I saw. I arrived with ten minutes to spare. The service was filled with the usual members and no guests. The once-a-year guests start arriving as we approach Christmas Eve.

Michael R gave the sermon, and another person, an adult, was baptized. An unusual event for an older congregation and well received. It was Joy Sunday of Advent, and the advent candles were lit without the usual stressful difficulty of using a four-foot brass candle lighter being done by a child.

An easier disposable long-necked lighter made short work of the task. As the senior usher, I miss the past misadventures, having done this for years from 1990 to about 2015, but I agree that the point is to light the candle and not create a fuss, but still, I miss the old ways and the fun of watching some use the oversized candle lighter.

A newish script was also used for the baptism, but while I knew the words from the hymnal, the usual version, I thought the newish words were better. While the process is being done, I also think the trick is that the water is warm; if the pastor only sprinkles the water, then someone puts cold water out. There is no reason to make a child scream from cold water! Also, adults need not be dampened with cold water, making them even more nervous and self-conscious. As a trained usher, I know the water needs to be fresh and warm, even hot, from the tap in a Methodist Church.

Watching from the pews, the service ran well, with the choir and the congregation singing the familiar pre-Christmas songs. Michael R promised a ‘fire and brimstone’ sermon but was more direct than scary. ‘Mercy, No Sacrifice’ on Micah. Michael R points out that the Hebrew text tells the story that God wished not endless sacrifice to be appeased but the practice of mercy by God’s people. No amount of sacrifice or work would stay God’s punishment except the one thing the people would not do, showing mercy to each other and themselves. Michael R warns us directly that no amount of sacrifice or good work can pay off the debts of injustice. Michael points out that the translation for the Hebrew word is also kindness. Without kindness, a sacrifice or other works are counted worthless by the Lord. God warns us through many prophets that no amount of sacrifice, no matter how great, will pay the debt. Michael R, in a firm voice, reminds us that we Christians must remember to bring mercy with our works and gifts at the peril of facing God’s anger when we fail.

After the service, I handed out to a few men the three-wise men gifts I got in small bottle sets. My usual gift from the ‘wiseguy.’ I soon headed out, wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I rushed home. Corwin ran late for a 2PM movie, RRR, at the Hollywood Theater in NE Portland. I stopped at the house and then waited for Corwin in Air Ford (Escape). Traffic was unusually messy (a warning for my travels to PDX for my flight on Thursday). I had to park in the same ramp parking that I got a ticket from. Growl. I waited until I saw the app clear my payment (what got me last time), responded that I was finished, and ‘Yes, send me an email receipt.’ I was covered. We got a seat near the front. RRR is a modern film, and this is a digital copy from India that uses the entire screen with an insane level of detail and eye-water bright colors (we could see every muscle to the delight of many fans yelling behind us, “F**k, yes’).

We had to do without pizza and drinks as the usual slow line promised, missing the movie’s start. The show starts with a violent crowd fight. No spoilers, but if you think my favorite John Wick movie is too much, this makes that look like a kid’s movie. But it is so fun. Then there are the three dance routines that rock, with the last one in the credits with the audience clapping along.

The movie experience is from 2 until about 6 with an intermission. The line was long again, and food and drinks were not acquired. The storyline changes and comes to an excellent, if not predictable, ending. It felt like the stars and directors tried to make multiple movies and put them together in RRR. Fun. Violent. Dancing. Perfect if you don’t mind reading words.

We found Laughing Planet for dinner. Good food for dinner. We had the special with pork. It is my favorite chain for reasonably good food at a good price. I had an IPA, which seemed the right beer after RRR. Corwin had a kombucha. We boarded Air Ford (Escape), and I could not get the iPhone to connect with sound to the entertainment center. I restarted the car a few times but forgot to open the door (yes, really) to cause the entertainment center to restart. That got it. Yes, it is a strange ritual to summon the iPhone, but as a cultist, I know it is unwise to question the procedure and to just always follow it.

My colon, without warning, made the drive home more desperate than usual. The removal of 25 cm of the descending colon for colon cancer means the loss of those nerves that inform you that it is time to find a restroom soon. Instead, it feels more like a rush to the finish now that the last part of the descending colon is connected to the mid-colon, thus providing little feedback. The lymph nodes, twenty-three removed, I think that was the count, showed cancer, and therefore, chemo was also included in my treatment. I am living a mostly everyday life with no signs of the cancer spreading. I arrived home safely and without losing control. I left Corwin in the kitchen while I found a release.

Corwin got his last Christmas gifts, and I took him home. I returned to Air Ford (Escape) and felt tired, rested, and slept after talking to Deborah and wishing her a good ending for her evening. I relaxed and napped, too.

I rose again, checked some travel details, and surfed the web, spending some time on the new surprising findings on the Hubble Tension–One of the physics assumptions may be wrong as the measurements show a discrepancy that cannot be explained by errors in the readings. The assumption that the basic properties of the universe, the Hubble Constant, are unchanged over time appears to be failing. Nothing in our understanding of the universe would account for a change over time in the Hubble Constant. It is not the usual Internet noise but actual published and reviewed science with years of effort.

Soon, I took a shower and climbed into bed. I am still reading SciFi and science stories in the previous issue of Analog. I have a subscription and carried this issue to New Orleans and Michigan, but I did not find time to read it except on planes. I finished a good story about the history of our understanding of the rise of humanity, how it has changed over time, and how it has been written about in SciFi. The following short story, proudly stereotypical, was about a cop in the future who did not enforce the artificial intelligence work permit rules because the AI makes incredible donuts in Philly, with a comment from the donut-loving, admittedly fat cop that stereotypes exist for a reason, and maybe not bad reasons.

With that wisdom bouncing around in my head, I fell asleep, turning up the music to cover the rain (preventing me from worrying about the yet-to-be-cleared eavestroughs). I woke up a few times as I was cold, and the music woke me a few times when it got loud.

Thanks for reading.

It is unusual for me to have a Saturday without games. Richard offered a game in the morning (he is busy doing holiday stuff on Saturday night), but I decided to shop the Portland Saturday Morning and could not make it. I wrote the blog the evening before to enable an early departure in Air Ford (Escape). I made coffee, read, spoke to Deborah briefly, and dressed. A t-shirt, floppy sweater, coat, and hat; it is wet out there.

The Portland Saturday Market opens at 10, and I arrived at the parking lot a few blocks away twenty minutes after opening (some stands were getting a slow start–tourists don’t show until about lunchtime). I was disappointed that there was a liquor-tasting tent instead of a place to eat. Just two small tables. I was unwilling to eat breakfast/lunch (which I skipped) while standing in the rain. I bought some Tibetian Chai and tipped well as I always just get chai there and was happy to see them. They used to serve sweet yak butter tea, but chai seemed better to fit today’s selective customers. Only a few food carts were left, and the rows had many open spaces. Apparently, the two weeks before Christmas is not quite the Christmas rush. The market opens for the week of Christmas in ‘The Festival of the Last Minute.’  The marker closes on Christmas Eve and reopens in March.

I found a few light and easy-to-pack Portland-style (weird) gifts for Deborah there. The usual items I buy for Dungeons and Dragons folks were not there that Saturday. The vendors, customers, and food carts were not ready for Christmas on two Wednesdays. Since I had to travel, I had to plan and prepare everything ahead.

I left early, but I had more plans. Next, I walk four blocks to the Lan Su Chinese Garden on the edge of the faded remains of Portland’s Chinatown. There were only a few other visitors, and my entrance was free; I am a member. I know the history and style of this garden and have been to a few in China. I have answered visitor questions and added some welcome details to tour guide talks. Should I be unable to travel, I suspect I would volunteer here. Even as I walked the garden loop, I remembered the spiels of tour guides (and made up my own name for some locations, such as ‘The Unreachable Corner Garden of Noisy Traffic’), and thought I would write a story of each look including the translation of the Chinese characters (sometimes in different styles) and the stories the guide tell to explain the area. Yes, my actual retirement may be here. It was peaceful in the rain. A few tours started.

But my retirement for traveling, I plan to be in the distant future. I remember Scott, Matt, Dondrea, and Deborah (and others) telling me to take better care of myself in the garden’s peace; I make two more loops. It is a pleasant walk, and I leave something I have not done on each walk to make it include a ‘surprise.’ The uneven stones help me practice my balance without much risk. All good.

I spoke to a young gal at the entrance about traveling and Chicago. She plans to be there at Chicago in the spring. I go over everything I would recommend, including the veggie version of the pan pizza there. She takes my biz card with my blog on it. Maybe another reader.

Next, I will waste a few minutes (and dollars) on the pinball machines at Ground Kontrol. I keep my card in my wallet below my driver’s license. I score terribly on the new version of The Addams Family, but I like the play. Even a magnet in the middle of the machine throws the ball in strange directions. I also played The Doctor Who machine and did far better. A gentleman was playing The Dracula machine (Based on the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula), scoring 23 million (ten times my scores), and even playing the video play. These machines are on the back second floor, are older, and are set to play at a lower price. My style.

I played for a while, and my scores improved as my reactions, sight, and eye coordination improved. Yes, I tell myself, this is good exercise for someone recovering from brain surgery and chemo. It is medicine! But still, I stopped after thirty minutes (I did not bother to look at how reduced my card was); it was time for lunch.

I stopped at Deschutes Public House in the Pearl District near Powell’s and the theater. There, I had a Chris Kringle Ale from Deschutes Brewery and their chorizo hash recommended by my waiter and bartender, Kevin. It was covered with four poached eggs and was the perfect mix of spicy and starch from the potatoes. I ate slow, unusual for me, read my email, texted, and drank my beer.

I decided I could not fit The Twelfth Night playing next door and walked over to Powell’s. There, I found a gift for Deborah but ordered it for the reduced shipping costs through Amazon. Sad, but it would have cost me another $10 to ship.

I walked back across Portland. Seeing my Carhartt coat and hat, the homeless accepted me as a friend and addressed me. “Merry Christmas,” “The hat is great,” “Look, I have the same coat,” or “I want that hat,” from a more direct guy. They were happy to be seen and treated as equals. I smile, nod, and tip my hat.

Rushing as I have to finish this…

Soon, after investing ten bucks in parking and checking that the payment went through, I had a record of payment. There was no ticket, and I reached home. I did the boring things there: laundry, dishes, and a snack. David and Michelle called, and we will meet soon for a late-ish dinner. I gave them the New Orleans cooking kit. We talked about my cooking classes and got caught up. It was lovely to see them again, but I am sorry to miss their daughter, Cat and Tash, and Jason (Natasha’s husband).

I got The Machine to work well for my shirts and pants. Hmmm. I finished the laundry around 11. I read Analog Magazine SciFi stories for a while. Soon, I fell asleep, turned off the light, and listened to sleep music in the background. My legs were cramping and sore in the night. Deborah woke up early in the morning (her time) and sent me a ‘good night’ text, which I replied to. I woke up a few times and had to prove hydration.

Thanks for reading!