Sadness and goodbye

 You know, I always liked Clevinger; maybe it was the flowing locks, the non-conformity, the way he worked to develop himself into a 200-IP starter, bordering on elite...and now he's gone.  Alas.  I guess -- having seen the Tribe trade so many aces for not much, I am expecting these guys to do the same. As for the deal, I am not a huge fan of the quality/quantity deal, and given that we are in contention now for a title, I think you have to get more.  As for the return... well, Naylor can hit and play LF, and if he hits, well, that is an improvement over the others who have been there; they also save on jersey costs, they can use his brother's.  Ha!  Anyways, Quantrill is a reliever (maybe the pitching geniuses try him as a starter?) and Hedges will be an equally hitless improvement over Leon (not that I think he is going anywhere). As for the prospects... a lefty starter (maybe), a SS replacement for Lindor (yeah, surre), and a Kip clone (I see Brad Miller at best).  And, of course, the cash savings...

https://spectator.org/can-trump-win-minnesota/

Funny; months ago, pre-pandemic, one of my OWU classmates who works up there told me s/he was concenred about Trump winning there, between the economic message and Rep. Omar, they thought he was quietly making inroads in a state he barely lost. I would tell them if Trump wins MN, he prolly wins the election, because he is keeping WI, PA, etc.; and if he keeps those he keeps OH, FL, NC, etc.. Is this still true? Doubtful; I'm not sure the culture message/silent majority thing resonates with as many voters as it used to. But he has a point in that the violence is getting out of hand, and that may attract just enough voters. I still think he needs the economy and a semblance of COVID competence, and I can see one, but not the other...

Largo

 So, I watched "Out of Africa" today; more correctly, I finished it... I thought it was...ok? Very long, for one, and the pace was slow.  I did like the scenery and the camera shots, of course, and I suspect people would be screaming about the portrayal of the Africans, so I should be glad I saw it before it was cancelled. 

https://humanevents.com/2020/08/26/the-woke-police-came-for-dungeons-dragons/

Two things here.  One, I am not surprised.  Two...more seriously...so what?  I guess this is me, but D&D is the players' game, and if they decide to keep orcs as horrible, rotten things...so be it?  I mean, I know of people who ran campaigns around a variation of this; basically, the orcs.hobgoblins/gnolls would be evil but like the British in India or the Star Wars Empire; nasty critters but those who had some rules and order (and who occasionally were better than the PCs).  The challenge, of course, was for the players to wrap their heads around this concept...

So, I another blister forming on my left hand, same spot where I had one before, that I popped in a glorious rush of pus and blood.  This one is more pus and less blood, and hurting a bit and annoying.  I know of course I should do nothing with me, but I think we all know that I eventually will go and pop the thing, consequences be damned...

resting

 Well, I watched a bit more of the convention, including the President's speech.  And...it was ok?  It was long, and while I think he hit his points, he could have done so 1) in less time and 2) without his harness. It was clear he was more disciplined last night, which is largely fine, but to me the strength of Trump, speaker, is when he goes off the rails a bit -- the insults, the catchphrases, the stuff that makes people laugh or at least remember him.  Very little of that yesterday.  In the meantime, I am not sure it helps him, as I think most people have decided this one way or another...

https://www.outkick.com/stephen-a-smith-defends-fox-news-after-max-kellerman-says-its-viewers-are-susceptible-to-low-quality-information/

Found myself agreeing with Stephen A. Smith there, which is an uncomforable and somewhat nauseous feeling...

Took a half-day off today, so this afternoon I mainly caught up on the 58 things I abandoned during the week -- setting up MD appointments, playing money games at the bank, checking on things, food pantry stuff -- that I didn't realize how much time it actually takes. Not that it takes all that much time, but by the time you call, get online, wait, go over everything... it adds up.  I can see why people actually take vacation days, if only I could use them to, you know, go on vacation.

Behold the awesome

 I have to admit, I was late to following the Jerry Falwell Jr. story -- I was swamped at work today and thus could only piece the story together.  But, now that I have, it's fucking awesome, in every sense of the words!  Adultery; hell, he was (supposedly) watching the guy bang his wife.  Jerry Sr. must be spinning in his grave now, for one; for another, how on earth did this make the guy ineligible to serve in Trump's cabinet?  I guess he didn't want to, but considering what we know about POTUS... well, I can't think of any ethical breach that could be considered to be beyond the pale..

https://deadspin.com/if-triston-mckenzie-weren-t-black-he-d-be-the-talk-of-1844843831

I don't know...this seems a bit harsh?  For one thing, the Tribe has a lot of good starters, so I can see how he would be lost. For another, 10 Ks is a lot but not that much nowadays. Also, I would think that given the season, a lot of teams are going to be using yhoung guys, for a bunch of reasons, from making the playofs to believing that it is better for them to season with the big league instead of playing 800 intrasquad games. I agree it should get more PR, but I also don't think it is racially motivated...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-thinking-on-covid-lockdowns-overly-blunt-and-costly/ar-BB18jmd8?li=BBnb7Kz

Yes, this is...pretty much correct, and we are now paying the price for this, economically... I don't necessarily condemn people for coming up with this, it is just that no one thought to consider the alternative, which was that we would not contain the virus nor fix the economy, and now are just in limbo, in so many ways...

Something Completely Different

 I am beginning to think that Plesac and Clev will be back sooner rather than later... Dr. Plutko seems to have trouble pitching, and Carrasco has not exactly been shining now, either...the three catcher experiment will end soon, so a bat, ideally, could be retrieved from the minor league camp, though I am not sure who it would be; hell, they're not using Yu Chang at all, so I can't imagine running someone else out there.  At least Allen hit a HR, but losing two of three to the Tigers... 

Busy weekend -- attending a wedding, food pantry duty, errands, and a care package to Mom, as well as some cleaning here, and the result is that I am a sleepy boy... I ended up going to Starbucks and buying a large cup of their strongest coffee, which not only worked -- I am awake -- but also caused, shall I say, gastrointestinal issues... anyways, they have removed the service station, so now you have to ask the barista/baristo for everything, which is ok, but I prefer my own tinkering, thank you very mch.

I am on the verge of finishing How to Survive A Plague, a book about the first decade or so of the AIDS crisis; not quite my usual read, but interesting all the same.  One, Dr. Fauci plays quite a role in this one, and not so favorably... two, much like my reading of And The Band Played On, I could not help but think that someone should have seen this coming and acted... more responsibly?  I don't know, engaging in all sorts of risky behavior indiscrimately...trouble was bound to occur...

Smashing successes

 Funny...I was listening to the Tribe on the radio a couple of days ago, and Tom Hamilton said the Tribe looked distracted in the Cubs series, and I was like, by what, a changeup?  I love revisionist history as much as the next, but...  Then today he made the point that the Pirates are putting their SS of the future in CF and RF, and mainly playing Erik Gonzalez at SS (his natural position).  He thought it odd, and it is, but... I can see it.  For one, you can showcase Gonzalez to move. Two, you're getting your top prospects ML ABs in this odd season; especially if -- and I think it is -- that baseball at the minor league camp sites, is, if you will, not quite as rigorous...  not saying this is the best strategery, but there are certainly some upsides.

Finally got to the hardware store and bought some bug spray, and then got home and blasted the kitchen and laundry, and will do so again before I go to bed.  I have been smashing at them with reckless abandon, killing many (but singly), and in the process my hand is starting to be sore and bloody. I did notice fewer of the things were flying about, so a repeat or two of the spraying will have to ensue.

Someone at the gym noted that the summer days were growing shorter, and even I noticed that this was indeed the case... very sad, summer goes by so quickly, but then it always does...  I did a double at the gym a couple of days ago; it was good, but man I got worn out.  I had planned on doing it today, but life and sleeplessness intervened.  Alas.

I re-read Paul Fussell's Class a few days ago; I read it in college, liked it, and figured I would crack it again to see how it has held up.  Sort of, I guess?  We don't really use the term "prole" here, and I think we retain a broad middle class, but some of the work is still spot on.

Wokefulness

 So, on the one hand I am tired and need to sleep, but on the other hand, I am not tired now... so here I am. My house is infested with gnats; ok, just the kitchen and the laundry room but it is annoying. I have been smacking them with regularity, and I found some spray, which sort of helped, but... I am out of spray, so tomorrow, off I go to the hardware store.  Oi.  

https://lawliberty.org/complicating-our-crises/

Quite so.  And, of course, no one expects anyone to do anything about it...

I am sad to say that I am not watching the DNC, in so far as it is going on; I usually watch some, if not all, of theirs, and all of ours, but this year... I do believe -- like sports -- these things are better with the crowds; speakers get energized by the cheers, and vice versa. It will especially affect the RNC fest, given how POTUS feeds off this sort of thing.  I wonder if, and how, he can figure this out.  I am not exactly, confident, if you get my drift...

I have to give OHSAA props; given the threat of serious revenue loss due to no football... what do they do? Shorten the season and everybody makes the playoffs.. which means more playoff games, all of which they get a part of...  People of course will attend these games, even if it is just the parents and the band, and the cash cow is preserved!

A Return to Normalcy

 So...interesting thing at Mass today.  I was the EM for our Polish priest; I guess he has trouble with the steps and the tabernacle, so I asked -- and was allowed -- to bring the ciborium to the altar.  Fine...but something new.  Fr. A offered all of us -- the servers and myself -- the chalice with the wine!  I can't recall the last time I took Communion in both kinds -- my father's funeral comes to mind -- but there I was.  Mind you, I find the practice...well, a little unhygienic even in the best of times, and now...  Well, anyways, I figured as the last of four I was probably safe, so there I went. Then I asked if I could take Communion to the non-walkers, and he said I could, so I hurried down there and then rushed back to distribute the hosts at the altar.  It was...almost normal for a change.

The Plutko experiment went off to a rousing start today..ok, more seriously, while I like the guy, I think we all know that stuff-wise, he is less skilled that the other members of the rotation, hence his irregular participation in it.  This would be more amusing had we not banished two members of said rotation. At least the offense seems to be improving, though as we are facing the Tigers, I would think we should.

Last night, I was lying about watching TV, when all of a sudden I got a charley horse not in the usual spot on the lower leg, but the upper obe, right above the knee. It was on my left leg, and as I didn't feel I could stand, I just Tebowed for a bit, massaging and moving it ever so gently until, after about 10 or 15 minutes, when I retreated to a more comfortable position. Even then, it was another 10 or 15 more minutes before I was completely normal. Not sure if it was leg day at the gym, dehydration, lack of sleep, or all of the above, but I couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, I am not a young man anymore...

Blowback

 So, the normally scheduled co-manager is in the hospital -- kidney stones -- so once more into the breach I was summoned... oi.  Ok, its not too bad, and it is good to be helpful and useful, and it is sort of good exercise.  One does move a bit, and I think that toting around boxes and bags are nice for the arms and the upper body.  Crowds were a bit low, but that does happen; people are asking for school supplies, and some seem surprised when we tell them we don't have them.  It was amusing; people still don't wear wasks, and some of the volunteers made what could be considered Matt-like comments about how nice peoples' cars were and how they all have money for cigarettes.

Last night I broke my favorite (and large) Scooby mug... just dropped it into the sink, barely a height of a foot.  Oops.  Aside from some slivers, it was broken into two, so I think I will truck to the hardware store tomorrow and see if I can get the epoxy to repair it.  If not...sadness will ensue.

I was surprised by the decision to send down Clevinger and Plesac...to me, the idea is to win games, and I would think it is harder to do so by sending them away for a spell, even if the schedule is such that we technically don't need them. I made the comment to one friend that if they wanted to play check and mate, the two would say that they were uncomfortable with the team/MLB protocols, and go home (the saying of screw you guys in the Cartmanesque voice being completely optional). Now, I am not sure they could -- maybe they are sorry, maybe they want to play, maybe they don't have fat stacks in the bank -- but it would be funny as hell if they did...

Success Across the Board

 Is it me, or are two of President Awesome's foreign policy triumphs being...underreported?  The Israel-UAE deal, while not yuge, is certainly an achieviement, and there is also this -- coming from the President who is a tool of Moscow:

https://strategypage.com/on_point/20200811214632.aspx

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/think-qanon-is-on-the-fringe-so-was-the-tea-party/ar-BB17Vzyr?li=BBnb7Kz

I don't know... one big difference is that Tea Party is/was political -- concerned about spending and big government; I view QAnon as cultural and thus harder to "solve." I am certainly of the Hofstader school in believing that paranoia has always been a part of our life, but I also suspeect that its influences are vastly exaggerated...

https://deadspin.com/bozo-zach-plesac-lists-all-the-rules-he-broke-then-bla-1844720927

I am not sure that this is cringeworthy, but this is amusing?  I don't know; I suspect one thing -- aside from the whole agreeing to do something and then not doing it part -- that rankles people is that athletes are paid shitloads of money (and are subject to intense scrutiny), so Joe Sixpack is of the opinion that if he made shitloads of money, he could easily follow the rules... but I think most athletes -- in the words of Bill Parcells -- are the ones you stop the bus for, and thus rules are petty things to be ignored.

Funny, I have to go to the library tomorrow to print something out, and I want to finish a book to return it... not that I need to, of course, but I hate to have lose ends lying about...

Linx

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/slavic-village-residents-demand-police-mini-station-to-fight-serious-crime/vi-BB17TKdt?ocid=hplocalnews

Well, that was.. interesting.  And, dare I say, familiar?  I don't know, I drive by a lot of the places they showed on the video every week, if not more.. as for solutions... well, this could be me, but if Jane Campbell advocated a program, it's prolly a good notion that it was a shitty one, and we should do the opposite.  Just saying.'

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/07/the-confederate-roots-of-the-administrative-state/

I got a kick out of this article, not because it was wrong, but I used to tell a certain ex-fiancee of mine stuff like this all the time; the fact of the matter is that while in some ways the makeup of the parties have changed, the actual machinery of thought, if you will, has not.  I think the average Hope and Changer is too stupid to figure this out, but would also commit seppuku if they did.  Well, not really, given the whole too dumb part. But you get my drift.

https://theweek.com/articles/929196/case-against-american-truck-bloat?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Perish the thought!

For a bunch of reasons, I hit the gym late tonight, about 10 -- and it was probably too late. I did do a leg as my blood sugar was inexplicably high, and that knocks me out more than usual, but I am feeling it now, and will probably do so tomorrow...

Big news

 Well, look at the bright side...the Tribe scored a run!  And we got to see some more roster manuevers!!

So, no college football -- at least in the Midwest and the West Coast -- and Kamala is the VEEP.  I don't know how some conferences can do fall football and some can do spring, unless we want to see dueling national championships, or something like that.  I don't necessary disagree with Saban that the players are safer together, there (particularly under his watchful eye), but I find it hard to believe that if someone gets it, no one else will, which is sort of a problem...

Kamala!  I think it was the safe and logical choice, and Joe cannot afford to alienate the black vote.  Can Trump capitalize?  I would like to see Pence grill her about what she said about Joe in the Dem debates, but I wonder if he has the killer instinct there...  At least she has a record that affords... well, ample opportunities for TV time.

My phone has been taking longer to charge...not sure if it is age, the new charger, some app I use... not a huge deal per se, as I try to keep it at 100, and tend to go periods without checking my phone, but it's not like I need an excuse to be paranoid about something else.

In other gripes, Ohiolink is now working, but it is only delivering to colleges, so my plan to order needed films and other books has been delayed, not that I do not have enough to watch or read as it is.

Hit Cafe Ah-Roma in Berea last nite for dinner, and it was...good?  The coffee was decent, the servers nice, and while I forgot I was in a coffee shop in a college town, the locals were friendly...

Vast Amusement

 I don't know... my first thought, upon hearing the news about Plesac, was simply "boys will be boys." Now, the news about Clev...what, is Adam Plutko setting up dates for these guys?  In other news, thank God for that rain delay.  It did seem that, for whatever reason, Hand was...off?  Just not sharp, could be anything, save for the fact it happens a lot.  But, compared to Perez; you could see that his stuff was sharper, more command, just night and day.  Not sure what they are going to do.  Ok, I know what they are going to do, which is to keep running him out there, but...

http://thedailychrenk.com/2020/08/10/poland-saved-europe/

Read a book about this a year and a half ago...can't remember the title exactly, but it was quite good.  Funny, a couple of friends gave me book recommendations a few days ago (thanx!) but I just added them to my list, and in 2024, I will get to them.  One hopes.

I am now hooked on podcasts.  I listened to all of them in the "Fall of Rome" series, and today I finished up this one:

https://amyshouldbeforty.podbean.com/

I remember this because 1) I am her age, roughly, and 2) one of my college friends was one of the last people to see her -- they were close friends, she got a call, and she had all of these stories about the investigation (how it was futile, in many ways, despite the efforts -- they really had no idea who it was, it seemed) that I could just discuss for hours in the art labs. A few years ago she got married, I was invited, and there were all of these pictures of her with Amy on those boards they now have.  It was -- in all honesty -- somewhat jarring, and when I asked the bride about it, she said it would be like my having a picture of Alex Trebec.  To which I answered "No it is not!"

https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/08/north-royalton-city-council-appointee-resigns-after-social-media-attacks-police-record-revelations.html

This is hilarious, and I think we all know how much I love little stuff like this...

Excitement and entertainment

 So, not only is there a new season of Endeavour tonight -- new TV, imagine that -- but a friend of mine is hosting a watch party, which, even in this time of coronavirus, I will waste no time in attending... excitement is building here, I can assure you.  I am not quite the sure new series follows in line with the novels; hard to imagine Morse a man of that much action, in all honesty, but I rather like the plot twists all the same...

https://arcdigital.media/cancel-flannery-oconnor-why-stop-there-cd7f5809c542

I, of course, think this is hilarious, and I completely agree.. mind you, I have never really been a fan of her works, so it's not like I will ever miss not reading her again, but...  I made a comment yesterday to a friend of mine that will have the fate of another Catholic, Roger Taney.  Of course, he had no idea about what I was speaking, so between that and being excited about Endeavour... well, it's a wonder why I am still single after all these years.

I went to weedwhack today and only did part of it, as I forgot to charge the battery and it ran out.  Oops.  I am not putting this down to old age -- I remembered but figured I could get two cuts out of the battery but I do not exactly feel that much smarter for thinking this way...Anyways, I should probably wrap up this post to complete the job; either that or start ordering the concrete pour down there...

Catching Up

 So, first UCONN cancels football (which is a if a tree falls in the forest sort of problem), and now the MAC does... to be sure, I wonder if the motive was actually financial (no games with Power 5 conferences will leave a gaping hole in the budgets, rather than that of health?  Not, of course, that the two could not be blended...  In the meantime, in HS football, six games and everyone makes the playoffs... all I can say is, on the one hand I get it, on the other... sigh.  Of course, I also believe that the Indians have sent the hitting coach packing because they were hitting .192 and not because of COVID. Alas.

In the meantime, the President is doing his part to help the economy... I realize the $400 is not enough for those with complete job losses, but it's more fair, I think, for those less affected by the economic shutdown.  Nor do I mind a payroll tax cut, as everyone can use a few dollars more now.   I was vastly amused by the Democrats' complaints about this, given the "I have a pen and I will use it" approach of the predecessor...  Hell, it would have awesome if he had used those very words...

https://www.ocregister.com/2020/08/05/qualified-immunity-makes-a-mockery-of-justice-abolish-it/

I, of course, completely agree.

You know, I sort of miss live baseball... not attending games, seeing them in the flesh.  I am glad it is there, despite the ridiculous rule changes and such, but there is something to be said for being there live... just a thrill in my bones, I guess.

My brother-in-law made a point, though, which is quite relevant... given all these guys making their major league debuts, couldn't something have been done to get their parents/spoues to the game?  I mean, no one is expecting an entourage, but as we have largely empty stadia now, could not arrangement have been made to put 10 extra people in them?

Random Thoughts

 Well, it's a shame that the Tribe made all the roster moves today, otherwise, those guys could have gotten into today's game.. in the meantime, Delino made his devut, which is...meh?  I am not sure he will help the offense, and to put the scuffling Mercado in LF... at least the rotation continues to shine.  The Reds have to be slightly concerned, given that they -- like the Tribe -- had a pretention of contention, albeit via their offense, and the Tribe has handcuffed them.

https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/project-silverplate

I had never heard of this; fascinating... that and the plan to use British Lancasters to drop the bombs if we didn't develop the B-29 in time.  I was reading a similar article -- can't find the link -- that noted that the RAF had a plan to commit 500 bombers -- from Burma -- to the air war on Japan, but for a bunch of reasons (namely, we didn't want them), they were not used. I guess I find this... odd?  Much as the UK Pacific Fleet offered us some challenges (fewer planes per carrier, no fast carrier doctrine) but also some assistance (i.e., their armored carrier decks were much less susceptible to damage by kamikazes)...I wonder why their offer wasn't accepted... again, special arrangements would have been made, but on the other hand... certainly the RAF had experience in firebombing cities, and much like round-the-clock bombing wore down Germany, I doubt it would have been less successful in doing so to Japan.  And it would have cost less than what was offered to the USSR...

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-are-karens-so-angry-2020-07-29

This is clearly sexism and those who accost Karens should be canceled, especially given my superior feminist credentials...

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/the-judeo-christian-tradition-is-over/614812/?utm_source=twitter&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_term=2020-08-01T11%3A00%3A40&utm_campaign=the-atlantic

I always get a kick out of articles like this, because lots of things that have been invented fairly recently (say, gay marriages, for instance) quickly become invested with majesty, if you will, even if that was never the intent... To use my example, if the GOP decides that Judeo-Christian values have been stamped on the nation since its founding (and there is certainly plenty of evidence for it), I see no reason why it, too, cannot be sacrosanct...

Progress of a Sort

Another night of dealing with other peoples' crises last night...oi.  At least that was an interesting Tribe game.  Monday, when Votto hit the homer, I just knew that game was over, and it was... last night, with Bieber going, you figured they would ride him hard... and they did.  Reyes hit a nice pitch for the HR, and Hand shut them down...

Monday I watched "Old Yeller," putting me up to 733 on the National Film Registry.  Now, I am not a dog person, so... that said, I watched the movie, and I was like, this is it?  I guess it was sort of sad, putting the thing down, but, aside from the cultural reference.... I am good.  

Mom had a medical appointment downtown Monday (some clarity there but not a lot of progress) and on the way home I stopped in Chinatown to get dinner at Wonton Buffet & BBQ, which I had heard was one of Cleveland's best Chinese places.  Sadly, it was takeout only -- for Chinese, I think, you sort of want to sit down and order from the menu that isn't in English.  It was good, mind you, but in retrospect I should have thought this out more...

The little things

Well, that was an exciting series...to be sure, the pitching held up, but the bats... More seriously, with the season so advanced, it is quite troubling, to put it mildly, for this to occur...

As is often the case, the calendar turns and I marvel at how the summer has flown by... yes, it hardly feels like summer, given the paucity of fun things to do, but all the same, we are closer to, rather than farther from, winter.  Ugh.

Funny, I hit the gym hard this morning after church, and then did some cleaning, but it has been a lazy day since then.. watching some Sherlock on youtube, catching up on some reading, and filling out some paperwork.  This is not the worst thing, and indeed... it might be good, as I am often...busy?  I guess so, and with Mom, or something else, sleep has been even more elusive lately.  Alas.

Fr. Joe had Mass today so I again was the Eucharistic Minister.  Funny...for all the trepidation I had (and the maternal grief I endured) about signing up for it... well, now I seem to be the only one in the parish (at least at 8:30 Mass). I am still a little worried and uncomfortable doing it, but I think at least I am doing something important and useful nowadays, which is somewhat...gratifying.

Events and amusement

So, had to go to the OC today, as someone -- again -- stole the window AC unit.  Now we are having the window bricked in and will rely on the floor-mounts we bought last week.  Then HQ came by to have us sign some paperwork...which was fine.  Downtown seemed pleased with the operation -- food and clothing are being handed out, as safely as possible, and... well, our executive director asked what would we do in the winter... I told I didn't want to think about it, and she laughed.  But... I think our current set up would be easier in winter.  Normally, our clients would park anywhere and we'd have to truck through snow and ice to get their stuff in the car.  And, people get there early, sit in the waiting room more, drink lots of coffee and steal snacks (one is relative term, you know) and no one ever has their IDs ready and such (so everyone outside in the cold complains). So I would not mind this carrying on for a while, if we needed to, medically.

Went to a socially distanced wedding and reception today... it was...nice?  The ceremony was pretty quick, fine, and the reception was outside, with the grub (heavy apps) inside, and I think it worked fairly well.  I kept the mask on (as did pretty much everyone else) and while I chatted with some people (the parents of the groom didn't know who I was and I had to drop mask, leading to jokes of being Lysol-bombed by state drones) the general trend was the eat, say hi, and get the hell out, which is not the worst thing in the world..