Daily Update, September 10, 2023

   Today was Sunday, so I contacted Uber after breakfast. The fellow was only 4 or 5 minutes away and assured me he'd always be happy to pick me up. That was nice to hear. {Smile}

   I started early enough, and he picked me up quickly enough, I had time to visit with both Auntie Barbara and another friend before the service, as well as preparing my hymnal since they've stopped printing most of the hymns in the service bulletins to help the environment by saving paper. They give us a bookmark with five ribbons, and only print the shortest of the six songs unless one doesn't come from the hymnal. {Smile}

   Auntie Barbara had come even earlier to stand in for a greeter at the early service who couldn't make it. I could not manage getting up that early, even though I live a lot closer, so have a shorter trip. She taught Sunday school again and are amazed at how it is growing. She's concerned they'll have to restart after her trip that's coming up, but with this good a trial start, I don't think she has much to worry about for a firmer start. {Smile}

   I sat with her and some folks I know but haven't been sitting with recently for lunch. It was nice talking with them and getting to know them a bit better. I thought I was making arrangements to donate some cat food that Val won't eat to the folks on Maui, but Auntie Barbara wants to see if Michelle can either use the cat food or find a friend of hers who can because it's so expensive to ship. I tried to checking shipping later, and she has a point. {smile}

   Auntie Barbara went to Island Naturals to do some grocery shopping on the day of their monthly special. I picked up some raisins, myself. Then she took me home and visited with Mom. We sang a few songs with Mom, and then Auntie Barbara left with half the cat food. She'll either bring it back or get the rest later, I guess. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Next, I read more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. Then I showed her the last few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. After that, I read "Hansel and Gretel from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_, which was long for that book, but still a shorter version than many. I finished with _Bright-Eyes_, the September 9th poem from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. Bright-Eyes was the youngest of Mother Rabbit's children, but a lively and disobedient one, determined to visit the cows despite his mother's warnings about the fox and men with guns. So, his mother went to the fairy of the forest for advice. The fairy painted Bright-Eyes a camouflaging green and changed the camouflaging paint's color with each season. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises, arm resistance exercises, arm swinging exercises, leg exercises, standing arm weight training exercises, sitting arm weight training exercises, and head exercises between when Perogies left in the evening, and my salsa dancing. Yes, I did over 20 minutes of salsa dancing, including both warmup and less structured dance. {Smile}

   I settled onto my computer after Auntie Barbara left, reading articles and comics, and writing up yesterday's daily update before I let myself hop into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I started with paperwork, since I didn't see anyone, I particularly like teaming with. Then I started solo play until I saw a team that was doing some single missions - the high-level ones with two particularly good rewards a day. I joined on the character who needed them the most. I ran several missions before they broke up. They give okay rewards after the two particularly good ones, and that character can use them. Besides, I enjoyed getting the hang of the team. That team broke up a short while before I like to read to Mom, giving me time to do some paperwork. {Smile}

   After supper, I hopped back into City of Heroes: Homecoming, and spotted Mysty. I said hi, and we chatted a very little before she went to bed. So, I soloed on the character I was developing earlier, until Perogies came on, and asked to team on the new characters. We did so for two or three missions before he was ready to go back to bed. Then I worked on my exercises, with some soloing and comics mixed in between some exercises and salsa dancing. I'm particularly trying to develop that one character. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 9, 2023

    Saturday, I called the pharmacy. Some weeks back, my doctor gave me a week's course of pills to take for an infection. I took it and stopped at the end of the week like they said, but the pharmacy keeps sending more pills. I asked them to call my doctor and straighten it out. they tried to tell me that I should call my doctor. I already have: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday I called and left messages asking them to call me back. Friday I also called them a few more times. I still haven't heard from them, nor gotten through. They claimed they couldn't do more, but I know they're a different extension than I should use, and I hope they'll get a better response. So, they put a note in my file to call about it. {sigh}

   I also got a call from Melanie. She said she'd called meaning to invite me to go down to Liliu'okalani Gardens, where they were having some kind of special event. however, her granddaughter reminded her that she, her granddaughter, would need the car, so Melanie wouldn't have it. She didn't want to take the truck to this, so we'll just have to get together some other day. It was still nice that she'd thought of me. {Smile} 

   I ate breakfast and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. I read scripture and thoughts about it first. Then I read more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020 next. After that, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. I started with the picture that has a friend of ours in it, and continued on from there. After that, I read a few poems and two short stories from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Lullaby_, the September 9th poem from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. Yes, poem, not a story today. It speaks of sleeping and settling down, like Combine and Pierrot. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises, arm swinging exercises, and arm resistance exercises when I disconnected from City of Heroes: Homecoming in the evening. It seemed a good time to start on my exercises in general anyway. I got my leg exercises and my standing arm resistance exercises done before my salsa dancing. Yes, I did my salsa dancing, both the warmup set, and the less structured set. I did my sitting arm weight training exercises and my head exercises as a very slow cooldown afterwards, because I kind of got into comics and paperwork in City of Heroes: Homecoming. {Smile}

   I read articles and comics in the morning, and thought about my story, but didn't take it out to work on it throughout the day. This continued a bit after lunch. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I started with paperwork, then looked around. I didn't spot anyone, but I did spot a monster hunting team I joined. that was quick and easy. After that, I did a bit more paperwork. Then Perogies said hi. We teamed up and ran a few missions on the new characters. We actually started a story arc only this type of character has access to, which was neat. It's brand new to me, and I do love stories, including many in this game. I've never played this type of character before and didn't realize they had access to special stories. I think a related type of character has special stories, too. This took us to time to read to Mom. {Smile}

 After dinner, I hopped back into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I didn't spot anyone I particularly like to team with, but I spotted a group doing a taskforce that helps my third best badge collector with two badges she's working on. I joined, and ran it, almost getting one badge, and significantly improving the other one, too. Then I started working on my exercises, then switched to a combination of comic reading, paperwork, and eventually more exercises. I also chatted with Nox on the chat server a fair while before they went to bed. I read comics around my salsa dancing and started reading a book on self-publishing along with some solo playing on City of Heroes: Homecoming when I meant to concentrate on writing this, so again I made notes to finish it from the next day. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 8, 2023

 Well, I called my doctor, and got his answering machine, so I left another message. I called him a few more times over the course of the day and got the answering machine every time. I didn't leave more messages, but it is getting tempting. I'll probably have to think of some other way to get their attention. I really don't want to have to go down by Uber. Not only is that an expensive way, but when I talked to my relief nurse, she talked about a new surge in Covid, so I don't feel quite 100% certain I'll find it open to walk-ins, and I'd hate to take a trip and not get an appointment. {small smile}

I looked at the short story that's far along, and began revising it again, pulling some things out to make it less sad. I realized that I couldn't do too much of that because most of the sad stuff I'd added wasn't just deepening the sadness one character showed. It explains a sad event in that character's recent past. I think that really adds to the story, so I shouldn't take that back out, no matter how hard it was to write. {Smile}

I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. First, I read scripture and thoughts about it. Next, I read more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. Then, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. I pointed out one picture that had a friend of ours in it, but I doubt she recognized. He died many years ago. After that, I read a few poems and a short story from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Greg's Horse_, the September 8th story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. Greg and his mother got off the bus right next to a funfair. Greg spotted his friend Pete and wanted to go to the fair. His mother agreed, giving him five coins and telling him to stay with Pete while she went shopping for half an hour. When she came back, she found him riding a dapple-gray horse on the roundabout. He said he'd bought a stick of barley sugar and ridden his horse the whole time. {Smile}

I did my arm swinging exercises while waiting for Phonso's first taskforce, and my head exercises between his first taskforce and his second. I was just in time to start my salsa dancing after Phonso's second task force: first the warmup set, then, after a break, the less structured set. After my salsa dancing, I did my arm resistance exercises, my standing arm weight training exercises, my leg exercises, my walking exercises, and my sitting arm weight training exercises. So I got them all done after one night of not managing that. {Smile}

I read articles and comics in the morning and did some paperwork in City of Heroes: Homecoming, around the phone calls and finishing writing up and sharing yesterday's daily update. I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming again after lunch and cleaning myself up, and doing the writing. This time, after a little more paperwork, and some comic reading, I looked for something to get into. I spotted the later short, large-group event, and joined that. Perogies came on and said hi towards the end, but it was too late for him to join us when I spotted his message. Instead, I switched to the character I started yesterday, and we ran a few missions before it was time to read to Mom. {Smile}

After dinner I read comics. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. Not seeing anyone I particularly like to team with, I started doing some paperwork, and began some solo badging. Then Phonso came on, and invited me to do a taskforce. I joined him and slipped in an exercise as we waited to get enough folks. Two or three missions in, Perogies came in and said hi. I told him I was in a TF with Phonso, and that we could get together after. He waited a fair while but got sleepy and went back to bed before it was done. I also started talking with Nox on the chat server. After that task force, Phonso chose a shorter task force. I stayed for that, slipping in a little more exercise while Phonso filled the team again. We ran that task force too, ending too close to salsa time to slip in more exercise before the salsa dancing. I worked in some paperwork and a little solo badge hunting around the salsa dancing, other exercises, and writing this up. Once again, I switched to writing notes when it got too late to finish tonight. I still managed to browse an article that made me particularly late to bed. I know better... I just have to do better more consistently. Anyway, I'm finishing up writing this the next day. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 7, 2023

    Wednesday was not a quiet day. It started with counselling after breakfast, which I was maybe 5 minutes late to because that's when I noticed the time. It was quite a busy session, too, but I think we got some stuff talked about that needed it. {Smile}

   Then after lunch, Melanie came, and picked up Val and me. We parked just below Hilo High School, and waited for her granddaughter, who texted that she was coming as fast as she could just as Melanie was wondering where she was. Melanie and I had a nice talk while waiting, and all of us but Valetine, my cat, had a nice ride to the vet. Melanie's granddaughter was happy to share the backseat with Val; she said she likes big kitties, and he is a big kitty. {Smile}

   Val did not like them handling him, and even managed to scratch the vet's assistant, despite padded sports gloves that went to his elbows. But they weren't upset, understanding that it wasn't me, and that Val was just expressing his feeling about not wanting this visit. The good news is that Val's diabetes has improved: his blood sugar was well within the range the vet wanted. The deworming medicine and the antibiotic seem to be working, too. So that's a huge relief. Also, he doesn't need to go back until January. {Smile}

   Melanie came in to visit with Mom, but Mom was too tried to respond much today. {smile}

   I ate lunch and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I read more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. After that, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. She does seem to like that book, though the pictures of fancy foods that I had a couple of pages of today weren't as interesting to her. Next, I read a longish short story from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. Then I finished with _The Stork's Nest_, the September 7th story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. Hans lived in a traditional house in Alsace in France that tourists liked to come and look at. Hans was proud of the geraniums int eh window boxes, and the traditional white walls with dark timbers, but he liked the stork's nest in the chimney the best. Especially that two babies had been born that year and grew up in that nest. He was disappointed when they disappeared one day and didn't come back, until his mother explained that they'd gone to warmer lands for the winter and would be back next year. {Smile}

   I stumbled a lot when I started my salsa dancing, and had to quit a little over one minute in. I thought it was blood sugar, but I think the sweater and long socks helping me warm up did more than anything else. I did manage to get 8 1/2 minutes of warmup done later, but too late to do a second set. That was almost 10 minutes of salsa dancing, at least. Then I did my walking exercises, my arm resistance exercises, my arm swinging exercises, and my head exercises before it got too late, and I got too tired. So not one of my good days for exercises, but it could have been worse. {Smile}

   I read an article or two before my counselling appointment, and more comics and articles between the appointment and lunch. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming after lunch, but only for some paperwork before Melanie came. I knew I didn't have time to really get into anything. I hopped back into City of Heroes: Homecoming after Melanie dropped of Val and me and said hi to Mom. I just had time for a bit of badge hunting before reading to Mom. {Smile}

   After dinner, I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming, and found Perogies on a brand-new character. He wanted me to make one like it. When I had, I found Kitten with him, with a similar character, too. We teamed up and did a couple of missions, but the third mission wasn't the same for all of us. Perogies left, and Kitten and I caught Kitten up in level, because their experience had been turned off, so they didn't gain level when Perogies and I did. Then Kitten said goodbye and went quiet. I was just going to start looking at paperwork when Phonso came on and invited us to a taskforce. Kitten was out of it, but I wanted to join. While I was switching characters, I disconnected and had to restart my computer. I got it up and running again and got back in time to join the taskforce. Phonso had some insight into the recent disconnection. The task force would have gotten done just in time to start my salsa dancing if I hadn't needed to warm up or something before I could dance. I read comics and wrote this up around the exercises I did do, shifting to making notes when I knew I couldn't finish writing it properly before the next day. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 6, 2023

    Well, today I tried to call my doctor, and got their answering machine. I left a message, and meant to call back, but somehow a second call didn't happen. I'll have to try again another day. {rueful smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I rstarted her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. After that, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. Seh does seem to like this. Next, I read a fe short poems and two short stories from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. Then I finished.... with _the Tea Party_, the September 6 story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_. I described it yesterday, and said it was the 4th's story, but no, I read it today, and it's the 6th's Annette invited three of her friends over to help put on a tea party for some of their dolls. They took the toy furniture out to the garden and laid out the doll's tea set. They made tea, milk, sugar, and sandwiches out of water, paint, flour, leaves, petals, and pebbles. When the party outside was over, Mummy called them inside. She'd set the table with their favorite foods - for real this time. Yesterday, I read _Signs of Autumn_, which was September 5th's story in that book. Sarah and Jim went to visit their aunt and uncle in the country after returning to school. They showed their Aunt and Uncle things from their summer vacation by the sea. Then they went for a walk, and their uncle suggested they see how many signs of autumn they could collect. The golden leaves, beech nuts and acorns they found were fine, but their uncle said the spotted toadstools were poisonous, and told them to throw them out and wash their hands. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises, my arm swinging exercises, and my arm resistance exercises between teaming with Kitten and Perogies in the later evening, and my salsa dancing. Yes, I did my salsa dancing, starting with the warmup set, then the less structured set for over 20 minutes of salsa dancing total. The I did my standing arm weight training exercises, my leg exercises, my sitting arm exercises, and my head exercises. I'm happy that I'm doing better at getting them all done. {Smile}

  I finished writing up yesterday's daily update and read comics and articles in the morning. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming after cleaning myself up after lunch. There, I didn't find anyone I particularly like to team with on who didn't look busy, but I did spot a task force that would contribute to that badge for my fourth best badge collector, so I joined it and ran it. Near the end, Perogies came on and said hi. I told him I was in a task force, but would be done soon, and that I'd join him when it was done. I kept him updated on how far long we were. When we finished, I found him on the character who'd done the low-level stuff yesterday, with Kitten on their regular character. When I'd switched and we started the next mission, Kitten didn't join us, but disconnected eventually like they'd fallen asleep. They told me on the chat server that they had, and had woken, but were hungry. That was the last I heard that afternoon. Perogies and I ran the mission, but it was so long, it seriously threatened my reading time with Mom. When I didn't want to just autocomplete it, Perogies rushed the ending by bringing in a high-level character who joined the team to get in, then left to get his level back and take out a bunch who gave me particular trouble. Then our regular characters completed the mission, fortunately. {Smile}

   After dinner, I went back into City of Heroes: Homecoming. There, I had a nice chat with Mysty. She was winding down, but then she found someone who was offering a supergroup base tour, and we saw a very beautiful base nicely landscaped like a garden. They're hoping it will get used by role players, including those looking for romantic settings, like another base they built is. We were winding down when Kitten came on and said hi. After Mysty left and the base builder spoke of going quiet while they did stuff offline for a while, I ducked out to join Kitten. We started running individual missions with good rewards for one of the characters I'm setting up to support related characters. Perogies joined us so near the end of the first mission, he didn't get the reward for that mission. We ran two more missions so that we all could get the two particularly rewards those missions drop each day. The third time for Kitten and me, we got a much poorer reward, but that's okay. Then we switched to a story arc of mine, which we managed to get finished just before I started my exercises. I read a little and did some paperwork around my exercises, and writing this up, making notes at the end when it ran late. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 5, 2023

    After breakfast Tuesday, I got a call. I managed to hang up getting my phone out of my pocket, but it was Hearing Solutions: Hilo Hearing Aid. I called back, and we talked about how I've been almost running out of batteries for my hearing aids. They're working fine, so they don't really need an early checkup. So, the receptionist said I could come in any time to pick up batteries, and that they were open until I think it was 4:30pm today. {Smile}

   A while before lunch, I called Uber, and Karen came and picked me up. I told her I was coming back, and she said to try and add the next stop, but if I couldn't, she would. I certainly couldn't get it to add, but she did somehow. She waited, and took me right back home afterwards. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I read a card and a note from her sister. After that, I showed her the next few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, with its mostly Christmas themed pictures. Mom was tired again, but I do think she likes it. I read each picture's caption, but if there's other text, I skip that. I'm hoping that's a good balance for Mom. Next, I read a short story from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _the Tea Party_, the September 4 story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_.  Annette invited three of her friends over to help put on a tea party for some of their dolls. They took the toy furniture out to the garden and laid out the doll's tea set. They made tea, milk, sugar, and sandwiches out of water, paint, flour, leaves, petals, and pebbles. When the party outside was over, Mummy called them inside. She'd set the table with their favorite foods - for real this time. {Smile}

   I did my head exercises and my arm swinging exercises while I was waiting for Uber. They fit fine in the three minutes I was given, which I suspect were slightly longer, since it said three when I turned it in, and it still said three when I finished my head exercises. This evening, I did my walking exercises, leg exercises, arm resistance exercises, and standing arm weight training exercises after Nox left for bed after we chatted on the chat server. Then I did my salsa dancing - both a warmup set and a less structured set - a bit later because I got into something that really needed a full team, so I didn't feel that I could pull out. I still got both sets done not too much later than I hope to. I cooled down with my sitting arm weight training exercises. So, I got everything done again, as I have the past few nights. {Smile}

   I read articles and comics around the phone call and the trip to the hearing aid place. Then after lunch I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming after lunch. The only folks on who I really like to team with looked busy, so I caught a taskforce related to the one Mysty and I ran a little while back. Just as I finished, I saw a high-level trial being advertised: a badge run that, if successful, could net 6 badges if you don't have them already. the first character I found who didn't have them all was my fourth best badge-collector, who didn't have any, so I ran it on her. Perogies said hi during it, and I promised to join him afterwards. Folks generally don't join these in the middle. Anyway, I did join Perogies afterwards, and he wanted to do a mid-level character, but asked for a lower-level character to team with because she wasn't well equipped. We talked about my tendency to ask him to choose, then push for something else He called it endearing. Maybe, but I want to do this less. Then we started a video call so I could sing him a song Dad liked to thank folks who cancelled meeting up when they were sick. It came up because I'm planning to sing it when our housekeeper comes back. We stayed on that call while we squeezed in two hunts and two missions before it was time to read to Mom. Afterwards, we talked about our equipment. We got things so neither of us could hear the other and started a new call. Here, we heard each other again. He liked me plugging in my microphone as well as my camera, because the fidelity of the dedicated microphone is so much better. {Smile}

   After dinner I hopped back on City of Heroes: Homecoming. I managed to talk with both Mysty and Chili Bear, but it turned out they were both winding down before bed, so I didn't get together with either of them. I did some paperwork and some solo badge hunting while I chatted with Nox on the chat server. When Nox went off to bed, I did several exercises, then spotted someone who seemed to need more people than they were getting for a test. So, I joined the team to test a player-made story arc in test mode. It promised badges. I got one badge and already had one, but I didn't get one someone else reported getting. I'll have to look into this sometime. Then it was salsa dance, then paperwork and writing this up, shifting to notes when I realized how late it had gotten. I finished writing this up the next day. {Smile}

   Also, I've started wondering how Patreon works. I've heard of artistic types using it to connect to fans and create another stream of income, but I'm not sure how that works. Do any of you have any insights to share? {Smile}

Daily Update, September 4, 2023

    Happy Labor Day to those who celebrate it. If you don't, I hope you had a nice day. {Smile}

   Well, I tried calling the hearing aid place after breakfast, and ended up leaving two messages on their answering machine because they didn't answer, and I forgot to include my phone number the first time. Then I tried calling my doctor's office, and their answering machine said to call back after the holiday. oops. So that's why the hearing place didn't answer twice when they almost always do answer. I'll have to try both again when it isn't a holiday. {Smile}

   Then I called Melanie, my former voice teacher, and kind of asked her if she could take Val and me to the vet on Thursday, She can, but we'll have to be ready early so she can pick up her granddaughter on the way to the vet. Then she'll take her granddaughter home before coming back to sit with me at the vet's. She does come up with tight schedules at times. {Smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. The nurse had to take care of Mom before I could read, so I started a little late, and tried not to run too long, especially since she seemed tired. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Next, I showed her the first few pages of _Mele Kalikimaka: Christmas in Hawai'i_, It's a book we had that has lots of pictures of places around Hawai'i, often Christmas themed somehow. Mom seemed to like it, though she was tired tonight. Then I read two cards, on from her nephew, and the other from her cousin, because I realized I'd forgotten to do mail before the picture boo. Then I read a short story from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Nico the Lion Cub_, the September 4 story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_.  Nico was a very curious but also disobedient lion cub. He asked his mother about something he saw at the edge of the jungle. It was the village where men live, and his mother warned him to stay away because men were dangerous. However, he went close anyway, and fell into a trap. A little boy saw him in the trap and wanted to play with him. They played in the village every day after that. They weren't afraid of each other, for they were friends. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises, arm swinging exercises, leg exercises, arm resistance exercises, standing arm weight training exercises, and head exercises before my salsa dancing. Yes, I did my salsa dancing, first the warmup set, then the less structured set. I cooled down with the sitting weight training exercises. {Smile}

   I read articles and comics in the morning around the phone calls. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming after lunch and cleaning myself up. I didn't find any of my particular friends on, so I did some paperwork. When I spotted a task force my fourth best badge-collector could use for one of the badges she's working on, I joined it and ran it. After that, it was more paperwork until Perogies said hi. When I responded, he invited me to a team. He was farming (doing a simple, repetitive mission for the rewards, in this case). I joined him in the farm, where we were able to talk. We kept talking and farming until it was time to read to Mom. {Smile}

   I hopped back into City of Heroes: Homecoming after dinner. Again no one was on. I did find Ulty on the chat server. She was taking a break from the game, but happy to talk on the chat server. So I did paperwork and soloing until I spotted someone taking out giant monsters. I joined them three times for four different monsters (two were fighting each other, so we got both at once). Then they left, and I chatted with Nox on the chat server while doing more paperwork and soloing. Then I started my exercises, at first concentrating on them, then mixing the later ones with soloing, paperwork, and badge hunting. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 3, 2023

    I called Uber after breakfast, and they came and got me so fast, I didn't have to me to do any of my exercises while I waited. Good thing, too, since I got started later than I like. The driver was nice and chatty on the way down. He remembered me and my church, though it had been a while since he picked me up. I vaguely remembered him, but he was using his wife's car today. {Smile}

   I didn't see Auntie Barbara, so I sat alone. I thought maybe she was taking her yearly trip back home, but no. That's in two more weeks, as she explained when she came and sat by me partway through the service. She didn't take communion because she'd actually come to the early service, and got it then, so she could enjoy the service, and still teach Sunday school. She said she had two or four students: two who could read, and two who couldn't, including the guest priest's one-year-old. She seemed tired but pleased with herself. {Smile}

   Auntie Barbara and I sat together, with a few other ladies. We don't do small tables at church, but long ones, so folks can chat with folks they don't see often. When we were done, Auntie Barbara brought me home, picking lemons from my tree and visiting with Mom, singing several songs before leaving for her own home. {Smile}

   I got a call from my Aunt Valerie. We had a nice talk, but when I tried to take the phone to Mom, our nurse said it was a bad time. He had Mom lying on her side for a while. So, Aunt Valerie and I agreed to try again in a later call. {smile}

   I ate dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I continued with a Christmas card from her sister's friend. Next, I showed her the rest of the pages of _Exploring Hawai'i: A Picture Book_, which showed various scenes from around our islands. She really seemed to like it, so I finished off the book in two nights. I wish I knew if it was Hawai'i in particular or just the scenery she liked. I'm not sure how many other books about Hawai'i I can find, but there are many other picture books of scenery for seniors available. I think this is a particularly successful treat I got for her. Then I read two fairly short stories from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Blackberry Jam_, the September 3 story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_.  Mr. Hedgehog realized it was time to get ready for winter. He was late making his blackberry jam, and it was time to clean the house, and gather wood for the winter, too. While he was out gathering blackberries, some young rabbits asked him what he was doing. He told them he was making blackberry jam, but he was out of sugar. When he got home, he found a wild honeycomb on his kitchen table. That was better than sugar for his jam. {Smile}

   I did my head exercises. walking exercises, arm resistance exercises, leg exercises, arm swinging exercises, standing arm weight training exercises, and my sitting arm weight training exercises after the taskforce with Mysty in the evening. So yes, I got them all done before my salsa dancing. Yes, I did all my salsa dancing, too, both the warmup set and the less structured set. {Smile}

   After Aunt Valerie's phone call, I chatted with Nox a little on the chat server before hopping into City of Heroes: Homecoming. There, i found Perogies pretty fast, and apologized for being so difficult yesterday. He accepted my apology and asked what I wanted to do. I said after yesterday, I wanted to let him pick. He wanted to watch a video. By the time Kitten came in and found us that had changed into watching a series of music videos. Kitten passed on the first couple of rounds, but after that picked something when it was their turn. We did that, taking turns picking, for the rest of my afternoon, right up to time to feed Val and read to Mom. {Smile}

   After dinner, I hopped back into City of Heroes: Homecoming. Kitten and Perogies were both gone, but I spotted a friend from the chat world I was in that eventually helped me get into City of Heroes and remembered something I wanted to share about how to make a character work more like it used to before Homecoming "fixed" it, since both of us really liked the old way better. He thanked me then left abruptly, but I knew it was getting late for him. I then said hi to Mysty, who'd been role-playing with him until he left. WE got together, chatting and running a taskforce together... just us, so low settings, but we got through it, and got the badge-credit we wanted. It contributes to a fancy badge that improves the character, so it's pretty desirable, even if you aren't a badge hunter like me. After that, I did some paperwork, watched a few videos, and read a couple of articles around my exercises and writing this up. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 2, 2023

    I stayed home and took it easy, partly because I expected our housekeeper to come, and I wanted to be here to greet her when she did. However, she got sick, and will have to wait to come when she's better again. I don't want her straining herself when she's sick. {Smile}

   I ate breakfast and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. I started with scripture and thoughts about it first. Then I continued with Christmas cards from her cousin's granddaughter and her niece. Next, I showed her the first several pages of _Exploring Hawai'i: A Picture Book_, which showed various scenes from around our islands. She said she liked some of the pictures in particular, so I kept going longer than usual. It wa sa treat I got her that arrvied just a couple of days ago, and I'm very happy it did. Then I read a longer short stories from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _Summer Lament_, the September 2 story, or, rather, poem from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_.  It told of cooling weather, harvests gathered, birds leaving for their winter abodes, and the wait for the next summer. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises, my arm resistance exercises, my leg exercises, my arm swinging exercises, and my standing arm weight training exercises after Kitten left for the evening, with breaks for badging and chatting with friends. that was before my salsa dancing. Yes, I did my salsa warmup, and my less structured set, too, for over 20 minutes of salsa dancing, just like my therapist wanted. I did my sitting arm weight training exercises after that, as a kind of cooldown, I guess. {Smile} 

   I read comics and articles before and over lunch. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. There, I quickly found Kitten and the same friend of theirs who loves the difficult content. We teamed up, and Perogies soon joined us. I hoped to get a badge with Perogies to improve my character I was on, but he was sure it wouldn't be interesting to the others and spoke of "later." However, it would improve my character immediately, making them just a bit better at the content we were doing. I'm embarrassed to say I complained until they gave in. My character was a little sturdier after that, but not a lot. I didn't complain again. I'd met my quota of complaining for a while. Anyway, Perogies left when he was tired. Kitten, their friend and I kept teaming the hard stuff. Another friend of Kitten's came just as I had to leave to read to Mom. I stayed long enough to say hi-bye before leaving. {Smile}

   I came back onto City of Heroes: Homecoming after dinner. I talked to Ulty on the chat server, but they were too tired to play, or even come into the game. I also chatted with Kitten, who was still teamed up with the others from before reading to Mom, but they slowly left without inviting me again. By the time the others left, Kitten needed to go to sleep, too. I did some paperwork, and started chatting with Mysty until the role player she was waiting for started roleplaying with her. Then I started badge hunting on my fourth best badge hunter. I also started chatting with Owl Girl on the chat server. This prompted me to start chatting with Nox on the chat server, too. Both chats were intermittent, but at times quite busy. Meanwhile, I soloed badge hunting in the lulls. I eventually said goodnight to Nox, but Owl Girl started talking again after my salsa dancing. I ended up making a fair bit of notes to finish writing from the next day, between talking with Owl Girl and solo badge hunting... but I got a lot of badges on my fourth best badge hunter. {Smile}

Daily Update, September 1, 2023

    Today, I got a call from the secretary of the nursing company before breakfast. We had a nice chat early in my day, though later in hers. I do tend to sleep late. {Smile}

   I also got a phone call from our former nurse at lunchtime. It was nice chatting with him. {Smile}

   I finally got a text from our housekeeper, who's been on Maui supporting family, friends, and the Hawaiian community in Lahaina, which was hit so hard by the wildfires. Turns out I hadn't heard from her because cell reception there isn't good, but she's returning to the Big Island of Hawai'i. It will be good to have her back. {Smile}

   When I got back from dinner, the internet was out. I was worried some part of my system was going out, but the nurse said the TV was out too. It's a cable modem... the cable must have gone out while I was carrying stuff back to the computer room, because it was working when I left. When the TV came back on, my computer still couldn't find the internet... until I turned it off and back on. Then it found everything just fine. The wonders of technology. {wink, rueful smile}

   I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. First, I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I continued with Christmas cards from her nephew and niece, and a card from her cousin, too. Next, I showed her the last many pages of Memories Space Race, which was all about the Apollo space program where the USA sent astronauts to the moon. Leading up didn't take much time, it didn't seem right to stop in the middle of Apollo 11, the first moon landing, and afrterwards was just a couple of pages.  Then I held up the next book, a picture on Hawai'i that I just got for her. Then I read two short stories from _365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with _The Garden Fairy and the Mist Fairy_, the September 1 story from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_.  Amalinda was a pink garden fairy. One day, she discovered a village was shrouded in mist, its buds unable to bloom because the mist was too cold. She found out from the birds that the fairy of the autumn mists had been woken early by a cold wind and was now making the village cold. Amalinda sent a warm breeze to gently blow the mist fairy ack to the mountains until autumn truly arrived. {Smile}

   I started my exercises much earlier today, doing my head exercises a while after lunch. Then I did my walking exercises after dinner, while the internet was out and coming back. I did my arm resistance exercises, my arm swinging exercises, and my leg exercises mixed with the paperwork and soloing between playing with Ulty and starting my salsa dancing. Yes, I did my salsa dancing too, starting with my usual warmup set, then doing a less structured set after a rest. Then I did my arm weight training exercises, first the sitting ones, then the standing ones. {Smile}

   I read a few articles, but mostly comics and about comics this morning. I was looking into Elfquest, a comic I adored when I was in high school. Then after lunch I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. Kitten and Perogies were both joining the early long, large group event as it was starting up. I was a bit late, but I caught most of it, including all the most rewarding parts of it. Afterwards, Perogies, Kitten and I joined together, and continued the story arc we were working on yesterday. I did suggest that it's long enough, we might want to make it a little easier. We did and did all but one mission. Then the later long, large group event was starting up, and Perogies wanted to join it, so we did. Kitten admitted afterwards that they had trouble staying awake during it, the play is so repetitive. I admitted I was having the same problem I'd either find myself half waking up or catch myself zoning out after a while of clicking the same virtual buttons again and again. It's a pretty rewarding event, though, or can be. {Smile}

   After dinner, I discovered the internet outage. After the outage, I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. There, I found Ulty. We chatted, and decided to team up, doing a bit more roleplaying during our missions. We finished one mini-story-arc that got us each a couple of badges. Ulty thought that was a good point to go to bed, so we said goodnight, and I worked on the paperwork that had produced. Then I began working on my exercises, and on writing this up, too. Then I started on my salsa dancing and worked on soloing on my fourth best badge collector, getting a bunch of easy badges. Kitten came on and said high, but right when I needed to concentrate on my arm weight training exercises and writing this up. So, they joined another group instead. {Smile}