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Please give your mother my best, I know you and your family are concerned right now.Well, fortunately, watching some people behave rationally and with authority is remarkably relaxing.
A fellow resident of my mother's retirement community tested positive for COVID-19. (I don't know what they're called -- the places where you live independently in your own apartment and they provide shuttles so you can do things, then as you get less and less capable they provide more and more care until end-of-life.)
(1) Immediately on learning about the positive case, the administration locked down the entire facility. All residents are trapped in their rooms until they can be tested.
(2) Within a day or two, the facility had obtained tests for all staff and residents. (I suspect Bill Gates' involvement in Seattle's virus response has a lot to do with that.)
(3) So, my mother's getting tested today. Assuming the test comes back negative in a couple of days, she'll be released to roam again. Until then, all groceries and necessities are being delivered by fully-equipped nurses.So just a conscious, "We are accepting these residents' money to protect them from stuff like this, and we're going to be brutally efficient about it without regards to their feelings," approach that I can appreciate, given the circumstances.
And no, I'm not particularly worried about my mother. She's survived the Great Depression, WW II, getting an M.D. and a Ph.D. while a woman in the 1950s, melanoma, multiple falls and injuries in the wilderness, and the loss of her husband. And honestly, if the virus finally takes her out, I know she won't particularly mind, so she'll be OK either way.
But at least the facility is doing its job!
I appreciate the concern, but we are a very odd family, to put it mildly. We're not particularly concerned. She's 89. She either makes it or she doesn't, and she's lived a good, full life so it's all good. We're having more fun commiserating with her about her being stuck inside than we are worrying about her. (She complained that at 82 she could do 12 miles a day, and at 87 she was down to 2. And now she's doing 0 and going crazy.)
But yeah, the best description I can come up with for my psyche is that the death of a pet devastates me because they don't know what's happening. The death of my friends and relatives is much easier for me, especially when they're ready for it and we can all say our goodbyes. I lost so many friends in my teens and twenties that it's pretty much, "Did they die on their own terms, getting to say their goodbyes and such? OK. Then it's all good."
Mortality happens.
EDIT: As does nudity, apparently.
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That's a whole different kind of rigor mortis.
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Alright, I get to pound some stakes into the ground.I'm gonna need a bigger hammer.
Fortunately I always carry a bigger hammer with me.
When Billie Corrigan sang "The World is a vampire", I thought he was just using a metaphor, not telling the objective truth!
Stake it! Stake the Earth! {flails arms}
Edit: I would happily watch "Captain Yesterday, the Vampire Slayer".
Threw some dragon trutles at my party today.
They shat bricks.
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Alright, I get to pound some stakes into the ground.I'm gonna need a bigger hammer.
Fortunately I always carry a bigger hammer with me.
When Billie Corrigan sang "The World is a vampire", I thought he was just using a metaphor, not telling the objective truth!
Stake it! Stake the Earth! {flails arms}
Edit: I would happily watch "Captain Yesterday, the Vampire Slayer".
I am descended from Vlad the Impaler, and my mom always claimed to be half leprechaun.
I suppose there is an unfilled niche in Hollywood for a half leprechaun half vampire vampire slayer.
Well, technically a quarter of leprechaun and vampire and a quarter swedish and a smattering of some Welsh and French.
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Gotta love Impus Major.
His first experiment at cupcakes was... er... "less than pretty".
So I very dutifully showed him how to make a proper batch of cupcakes. Once they were out and on the cooling rack, GothBard and Impus Minor came in.
GothBard: Impus Major! AWESOME cupcakes!!
Impus Minor: Yeah, I gotta admit it, Major. Those things really look like proper cupcakes.
Yep. And he sat there and took FULL credit with me standing right there in the room.
Gots some chutzpah, that boy does!
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Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
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Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
Why French?
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
Gnomes are inherently magical.
They have ADHD tend to be quite active, though, so this situation might force a concentration check.
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I am very, very proud of your son.Impus Major: Oh, yeah, baby! Happiness is contagious, and I'm patient zero!
How can you NOT love the boy?
OK, THAT is awesome.
Can our kids hang out? My son is in some serious need of a happiness contagion right now! :P
He is actually now gainfully employed teaching autistic (and other spectrum disorder) kids how to recognize and respond to social clues and interact "normally" with other teens.
So yeah, he's currently employed doing pretty much exactly that.
I'd be slightly more cynical, but it's pretty impressive.
Everybody loves him. He's the human equivalent of a corgi. Some adults recognized this in him and said, "OK. Just socialize with these autistic kids, and tell them what they do wrong, what they do right, and why, and help them figure out what you're trying to tell them."
And he's a natural and the autistic kids LOVE him, but heck if it's a "trained" skill. It's just him being himself. Which is pretty awesome, actually.
That is cool. :)
Why French?Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
I just didn't ask.
Would you have?
Gotta love Impus Major.
His first experiment at cupcakes was... er... "less than pretty".
So I very dutifully showed him how to make a proper batch of cupcakes. Once they were out and on the cooling rack, GothBard and Impus Minor came in.
GothBard: Impus Major! AWESOME cupcakes!!
Impus Minor: Yeah, I gotta admit it, Major. Those things really look like proper cupcakes.Yep. And he sat there and took FULL credit with me standing right there in the room.
Gots some chutzpah, that boy does!
Heh. heheh. Heheheheeheheheheheheheheh,...
Yes. yes he does. :)
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
I think your asking the wrong questions here.
I think the question your looking for is,...
"How long before the Gnome is required to make a 'Flying without magical assistance' check?",
Because the wizard WILL get tired of said annoying gnome on his shoulders, and chuck HIM at the next bad guy they come across! :)
Unless the wizard lacks the physical stat score(s) to do so.
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Why French?Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
I just didn't ask.
Would you have?
Yes. That's the part that would bother me.
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
No arcane spell failure chance. Concentration check. I'd say DC 15 + spell level, as per entangled. Seems the most reasonable to me.
If the gnome starts dancing on the wizard's shoulders, consider the vigorous motion DCs instead.
If the gnome freaks out and grabs on to the wizard's head like a spastic monkey, then go with grappled DCs.
Your question has reminded me of an incident from the Shattered Star game I played in. I was a female human sorcerer and was flying (courtesy of Overland Flight). Another player was a female tiefling inquisitor who I had originally been carrying piggyback down a deep descent. Suddenly, enemies appear below us. The inquisitor decides that the best course of action is to get upside-down and climb down me so as to fire her bow at them. The player describes the attempt to cling to me using only their legs and tail as "mid-air scissoring". After a good laugh, the GM decides that the inquisitor had to take a penalty on their attacks (either -2 or -4, I don't really recall), and I had to make Concentration checks as per violent motion to cast spells. After the fight, the inquisitor suggested that we make that a common tactic for the future, to which I replied "Not in combat, no."Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
Har har I approve lad-e
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
Gnomes are inherently magical.
They
have ADHDtend to be quite active, though, so this situation might force a concentration check.
Twist: There is no non-gnome wizard. The gnome is casting a specialized version of phantom steed that creates a real-looking human instead of a horse.
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Why French?Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
Because naming himself Pretzel Buns would be too weird.
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I have a gnome Gnecromancer in my S.O.s emerald spire game. They are talking about making me ride in a backpack on the half orc's back but I will have none of it. I will create my own undead to ride! eventually.
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That might be a possibility.
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Why French?Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
Because he'd also wear a beret and a stripy crop-top, which would also work if he wanted to do a Sexy Spetsnaz routine.
Other alternative: wear a saucy Pearly King outfit and call yourself Chelsea Buns. Sorry, Bunzzz.
Best male stripper name I've heard: Johnny Loves His Gun
~snicker~ Garbage Math - XKCD
Wow no one has directed me to XKCD in awhile.
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Venturing out to Costco today. Have mask, hand sanitizer and clorox wipes, will shop. Have been avoiding going during this mess so that the hoarders can get it through their system, but now some of our staples are running low - particularly diapers and baby wipes. So, off to the blood bath that is costco.
Ready to win the lottery so I can enjoy some of this free time everyone on social media keeps talking about.
Good luck Nylarthotep!
We are day 2 of our governor opening up some of our local business again and yesterday was for real the biggest spike in Covid-19 cases we've had.
Business doubled last night at my work.
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Unless the wizard lacks the physical stat score(s) to do so.
Telekinesis
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Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
No arcane spell failure chance. Concentration check. I'd say DC 15 + spell level, as per entangled. Seems the most reasonable to me.
If the gnome starts dancing on the wizard's shoulders, consider the vigorous motion DCs instead.
If the gnome freaks out and grabs on to the wizard's head like a spastic monkey, then go with grappled DCs.
If the gnome is sexy or particularly hideous, add their Charisma bonus to the DC or apply Charisma penalty to the check.
Mrph.
Good luck Nylarthotep!
We are day 2 of our governor opening up some of our local business again and yesterday was for real the biggest spike in Covid-19 cases we've had.
Business doubled last night at my work.
What state do you live in, Vid? Georgia has opened up most everything EXCEPT the Governor's mansion.
Your question has reminded me of an incident from the Shattered Star game I played in. I was a female human sorcerer and was flying (courtesy of Overland Flight). Another player was a female tiefling inquisitor who I had originally been carrying piggyback down a deep descent. Suddenly, enemies appear below us. The inquisitor decides that the best course of action is to get upside-down and climb down me so as to fire her bow at them. The player describes the attempt to cling to me using only their legs and tail as "mid-air scissoring". After a good laugh, the GM decides that the inquisitor had to take a penalty on their attacks (either -2 or -4, I don't really recall), and I had to make Concentration checks as per violent motion to cast spells. After the fight, the inquisitor suggested that we make that a common tactic for the future, to which I replied "Not in combat, no."Very important rules question:
The gnome, having lost his clockwork servant mount, is now riding the wizard, making skill checks as for an untrained mount. But what's the wizard's arcane spell failure chance with a gnome on his shoulders?
The scariest part: This is for a Shattered Star campaign as well. Apparently it brings out the "I must ride other people" crowd...
Venturing out to Costco today. Have mask, hand sanitizer and clorox wipes, will shop. Have been avoiding going during this mess so that the hoarders can get it through their system, but now some of our staples are running low - particularly diapers and baby wipes. So, off to the blood bath that is costco.
Ready to win the lottery so I can enjoy some of this free time everyone on social media keeps talking about.
Yeah, I did a major Costco run on February 29, we're finally running low on stuff (last box of Kleenex got opened yesterday, and I think we're out of chimichangas), but every time I've gone to a "real" store there's been a line down the block. Yesterday after work I went to the corner store and there were only 3 customers (myself included) in it.
But of course no TP, no Kleenex, really no paper nor cleaning supplies of any kind, so at some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and Costco it.
We went to Costco, once.
I hated it.
ALL (DE)'s sister, who is the biggest fan of home shopping TV channel QVC, wishes me to record a song in praise of them.
OK!!!
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Because naming himself Pretzel Buns would be too weird.Why French?Impus Major : If I become a stripper I should be named "French Buns".
Last night I couldn't get this out of my head. I started calling one of my cats "French Buns". Then "No? How about 'Belgian Waffles'? 'Baguettes'? How about 'Cornish Game Hens'?"
~snicker~ Garbage Math - XKCD
why is the title repeating itself?
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You enter a wide fluorescent-lit room, what once must have been an office space in better days. There is a folding table against the back wall, supporting a coffee maker already half-empty and two boxes of donuts. (DC 15 ??? check to ignore staleness.) The majority of the room is taken up by folding chairs arranged in rows, half of which are currently seating adults of both both sexes, various ethnicities, one dressed for business, most dressed casually, several with stained and rumpled outfits. At the room's front, a man with a roan beard and distant eyes stands behind a podium and speaks...
"Hi, my name is TS."
"Hi, TS," those seated reply.
"I have a problem...you see I've never been harassed by door-to-door proselytizers, so I knowingly engage in private reddit conversations where proselytizers try to convert me. I know it's a waste of time on both ends, and it's always the crazy ones I end up talking to, the ones who tell me that genocide is ok because "those people are inhabited by demons don'tcha see," but I just can't help myself..."
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Bad TS.
Excellent read-in though, I really liked that.
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I will not pretend to understand you, but I will attempt to offer sympathy for your frustration.
What state do you live in, Vid? Georgia has opened up most everything EXCEPT the Governor's mansion.Good luck Nylarthotep!
We are day 2 of our governor opening up some of our local business again and yesterday was for real the biggest spike in Covid-19 cases we've had.
Business doubled last night at my work.
Vid lives in TN like I do, tho I think he's on the other end of the state. Correct me if I'm wrong though.
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And on that note...
Last day of work is May 8. Packing the car that weekend and leaving some time midday on Sunday May 10. Booked a hotel at a halfway point in Columbia, MO. Arriving probably a bit after noon at Scint's place Monday the 11th.
Taking the last load of pre-sorted belongings to goodwill today on my lunch break. Hopefully everything else will fit in the car with some finagling, otherwise will need to ditch some stuff I'd rather keep, mostly books.
Think I'm about as ready to leave as I can be.
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And on that note...
Last day of work is May 8. Packing the car that weekend and leaving some time midday on Sunday May 10. Booked a hotel at a halfway point in Columbia, MO. Arriving probably a bit after noon at Scint's place Monday the 11th.
Taking the last load of pre-sorted belongings to goodwill today on my lunch break. Hopefully everything else will fit in the car with some finagling, otherwise will need to ditch some stuff I'd rather keep, mostly books.
Think I'm about as ready to leave as I can be.
Shipping some books ahead wouldn't be that bad on cost and saves space in the car if space is tight.
Definitely a consideration, yeah. I'll be doing some spacing test runs this weekend.