Halloween Inflatables and Codenames

 

This morning we walked to the north, and saw more Halloween decorations in the pre-dawn. 

In the evening I ran Codenames online at https://codenames.game/, using Zoom for talking with the players and the Codenames website for the game. First playing was Vikki Cool and her friend Randy; there was hilarious confusion because we have the same name. Just as they were checking out, Rachel Glass and family checked in for a couple more games. Playing 3 handed was awkward, as one person had to play spymaster for both teams, which required accessing two instances of the game using different browsers, but we got buy. Tentatively the Glasses and I agreed to try against Friday at 6:30 (and I'll check w/Vikki and Julie and Hanna.

Good Bye To Eddite For A While

This morning at the end of our walk Eddie and his human came by. He maintains social distance by eagerly straining at his leash so we pet him from several feet away from his human Pearl. She's driving down to California for the winter, so this is the last we'll chat for a while. These seasonal migrations are a way to mark time's passage.

Today, like yesterday, I tried to refer to my day planner to keep my focus or return to task once I got distracted, which was often. I had some success, getting my Toastmasters Brady Bunch photo ready for review, and preparing for tonight's Section Outreach even at Gonzaga (remotely)

The event was more fun than watching the final Biden/Trump debate (although I got the last half hour in). Anne is delightful to talk with and we tag-teamed the 4 students who stopped by. I better understood her internship idea and as it happens the school guy who was running this event is wiling to help recruit students. So basically we just figure out the details.

Life As Postcards And Meetings

Wednesday we ran a mile again. This was our 3rd Wednesday and I no longer had the protection of incredulity; I knew in my bones that ones we started, we were going to do it. My whole body gave a feeling of WTF? but I kept going, encouraged by conversation and company. And then it was over. Julie theorized that my weakest mitochondria was warning me this was killing them, but they will be replaced.

As we walked Julie discussed her coursework, as usual. I talked about my need to perform the leadership tasks I'd assumed for Toastmasters, but that I was emotionally reluctant to tell people what to do. Julie observed this was why I was taking on those tasks.

After going home and collapsing, I went to USPS to mail the Postcards 2 Swing States cards - 200 of them (I think). I got a photo of myself, but I don't like the bump in my eyebrow so I applied a filter and had a little fun.

I had a WPTL EC conference call. It seems odd to meet voice only - hard to tell who's speaking.

Ignoring the Troll

 There's a discussion going on the WSBA Diversity list serve, about something a member of the BOG had said and the reaction to it. People seemed pretty upset but I didn't know what this was about, except that BOG was going to have a listening session with the MBAs which seems harmless, I guess. Any time people talk, that's a good thing, right?

Not to Ed Hiskes, who argued that it was going to be a public shaming session of that Governor, complete with a demand for ritual apology and an official censure. He then found a case where someone sued a board for censuring them (as it happens, the suit merely established standing to sue, I don't know whether it actually resulted in judgment). He argued that he had a good understanding of racial issues because his wife is from Ghana where they don't have racial issues, and she didn't see a problem. I'd previously clashed with Ed over his lunatic proposal to fix diversity problems by letting members apply some of their WSBA dues to MBAs, so I thought I'd sit this one out but eventually I asked the list what it was about. The first response nettled me by advising that if I were sincere I could find out by reviewing the recording of the 2 day Board meeting. My first impulse was to respond sharply but fortunately my better angels resulted in a much more neutral/professional tone; and two people swiftly sent me to a 10minute clip that was persuasive within its first minutes. I then commented that I understood why people were unhappy and in reference to the defense of the misbehavior said "horsefeathers".

Ed came back saying that my response was like some movie clip where a callow white guy says racism is bad. He intended to be insulting but to everyone but me it must have seemed sad. It is difficult for me to resist his trolling but I succeeded - much against my first impulse - and I think I have a better understanding where he sits on that listserve.

I hope I keep the wisdom not to feed the trolls in other venues.

Voted Monday

 

During our walk, we cast our ballots and I got red tree hair.

Postcard Sunday

That's a Lot of Postcards!

 Last night we had our (approximately) biweekly DND session until almost midnight. I slept in almost until 6:30, when IIRC a cat woke me for breakfast. It's my job, I guess!

I finished the PostCards2SwingStates - being short 7 stamps which I can pick up tomorrow. I celebrated by walking over to walk Alice's dog. It was 7384 steps for me (it's Sunday, I'm not going to do the full 10,000!) and for Tess the dog - a lot less!

I finished up another batch of applesauce to freeze for the winter, with a little to enjoy now. The bullet blender makes it very easy!

Soggy Tuesday

We walked despite the rain, and it was worth it, but soggy. I tried to get a selfie of me in the rain, and I'm not sure it's attractive - but it's what it is.

Later the sun came out and I walked Tess The Dog again, although mostly she wanted to sit in the park and look around.

I was really cranking through the GOTV mail when the Vote Foreward site congratulated me - saying I'd prepared 300 letters - and if I wanted to be a super volunteer, to send a photo of the letters I'd prepared so far and a message I was sending. I understand - they can't afford having a wrecker involved. I can always do more for Sierra club if necessary, but I sent in the information they requested because I like the group.

GOTV Letters Ready!

In the evening we had a TM Club 832 Executive Committee meeting, resulting in several To-Dos for me. We have so much potential!

Walk The Dog

My Timebank friend Alice needs help walking her dog Tess, because she had problems getting around. Notice how "she" is ambiguous in that sentence? Both of them have walking issues, but it's the dog that needs someone to hold a leash while going around the neighborhood. 

Tess wears a muzzle to keep her from worrying at her flank as she heals. She's good tempered but not really interested in walking around the block, but when I took her across the street to the park, she happily went from place to place, sniffing up messages from other dogs or animals, I assume. 

I'm Been Taking A Blogging Break

After a period of recording my daily activities here, I've gone 2 weeks without a post. Why?

Well, I don't know. Politically this is a very lively time but I don't actually put much time into it other than frittering away on social media.

September 29, 2020 GOTV Mailing

That's not quite right. I have been working on GOTV mailings. They all have to be non-partisan but I'm pretty sure they're going to people I agree with, since the mailing hosts are the Sierra Club, my union, and VoteForward.

I got the Sierra Club cards first and worked through half of them (to be mailed in the middle of this month) when I connected with Vote Forward last Weekend. They had a letter writing party featuring the cast of Hamilton, so I said what the heck. It was entertaining and nice to have people talking and singing along as I worked on letters. Those letters were to be held until mid month too so I switched to the union cards when they arrived, since they were to be mailed as soon as I completed them, on the theory that they wanted to reach voters who had yet to register. I finished the union cards at the rate of 25 a day and then turned to the Vote Forward because I was concerned that they would finish up their goal of 10 million letters before I had done very much. I needn't have worried; when they got to 10 million they went to a stretch goal of 15 million. I decided I wanted to GOTV to as many states as possible, since it would be fun during the vote counting period to have a connection to many states (...if any state was decided by one vote, I wanted to know it was a vote I had encouraged ha!)

Currently I have 75 union postcards mailed, about 100 Sierra club cards prepared, almost 100 Vote forward letters prepared, and a lot to go. I figure I can do 20 letters a day until the mail date, which will be fine, and squeeze in the remaining Sierra club cards when I can.

This is fun. Wish us luck!

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I've gone back to writing political memes. I think I'll revert to my prior practice of putting them in their own post.

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Saturday night was the DND campaign using a virtual table top. It is diverting! I'm resisting the temptation to write about what's gone on so far, but I'll say only that I deliberately chose a halfling rouge as a type I'd never tried either in game or in real life, and specialized in Arcane Trickster because it seemed to reward clever roleplaying, indeed due to small size and weakness, only cleverness can keep me alive!

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Around noon I logged into a zoom meeting of my MSU friends. This was even more fun than the last couple although I'm not sure why. I saw the host made an effort to call on everyone so everyone participated. We are all in our early 60s and some look pretty grim, which is sad because it leaves me as the one who makes a lot of jokes - and it joked at - while I am not a financial powerhouse by any means, I appear to be as happy or happier than anyone there.

Much of the conversation was about one person who was helping a senior family member who was a hoarder. Later we talked to someone very active in SF fandom. I connected the two by asking for suggestions about what to do with my Amazing/Analog collection - I don't want to keep it and I won't waste it. I was delighted to learn the magazine has been revived. Perhaps the owner will want these back issues. I'll add this to the big to-do list.

I told Arthur's story briefly and with one photo. Everyone was sympathetic and many talked about their cats. Pets (and family in general) are reliable conversation topics, and it reinforced the healing to talk about Arthur briefly.

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As the project to buy a house on the East Coast fades away, I chatted with Carlos about him using my yard to work on a big piece of art. Why not? I plan to take a picture of it every day to record the growth of the art.

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I am trying to get accustomed to resting during the day and getting plenty of sleep. Since I'll be up at 5 or 6 to do the usual walk, I need to sleep now.

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I should note that I gave the cats their flea treatment on the 1st of the month. I reflexively got out 4 tubes but of course Arthur doesn't need it anymore.