Neal Wilson ✅ @neal@social.typica.us

Mailing orders and depositing money done. Got some Chinese takeout to fuel up before doing the rest of the work that needs doing before I can go home.

The next coffee shipment is going out in a vanilla sprinkles box.

ambient stress has gotten high enough to re-open the ulcers so I'm now bleeding out fron the inside. I have an emergency stash of steroids for exactly this reason, but once this is over I'll need to schedule a proper vacation.

This morning when I woke up, the cat started making noises and then curled up on my chest as if to say, don't get up, take a cat nap.

Figured out how I want to roast the next lot of coffee from Kenya. I still need to do a production test batch and verify that it comes out as expected in a drip brew, but the aromatics are very tomato soup with medium high intensity acidity and good overall flavor intensity. Rather light on the roast. The coffee can take a dark roast well, presenting dark chocolate flavors, but that's not the flavor profile I want for this coffee.

Kind of a shame. I was looking forward to the train ride and the event is in New Orleans next year instead of Portland (which has its own benefits) so it's not as if I can just reschedule.

It looks like part of my train trip got cancelled, but I can't change the booking online. I have to call to get the rest of it cancelled and hopefully get some money back. Any guess how long the hold time is going to be?

Tried out the Space Channel 5 VR demo (in which you play the anime girl backup dancer to the swinging reporter delivering live coverage of the return of aliens that are making people dance). That was fun, but I wish it drew my shoulders a little farther apart or lower down or something.

The cat is shoving her head into my knee while enjoying belly rubs.

One of my customers who usually sits in my shop during hours we're now closed is still here, just sitting in her car parked out front instead. I'll leave the WiFi on.

Credit union just gave my publishing company overdraft protection for its mostly nonexistent expenses.

Coffee on the way to NY. This time in a caramel box. The company that makes the caramels thought they were a cheesecake company, but they tried offering caramels as a side thing and that's what took off for them.

Morning cat

Scratch that. Hotel reservation got auto-cancelled, so it's just the train. Next year is New Orleans. It's been a long time since I've been there, but now I can look forward to some great shrimp creole.

SCA Expo is finally officially cancelled. I sent an email to them earlier today letting them know that I can't legally get to that event to teach now, so that's good. Now I need to figure out how to cancel the train tickets I can't legally use and the hotel reservation.

I do want to give a shout out to the WI Dept of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. I already have an email from them with specific and actionable guidance relevant to my business regarding the new order. The city used to contract them to do our health inspections and that's an agency that's been a tremendously useful resource for my company over the past couple decades as we try to do things in ways that won't get people sick.