Semi-automatic and system thread.
Thanks to all for terminology advice and help printing formatted time. My code was working great and I was flashing w/o difficulty. So I decided to try system thread and semi-automatic. What a nightmare!
nothing worked no connections. So I just wanted to get back. Ha! Easier said than done. My Electron all of a sudden decided to show up as USB instead of COM3. So I went down the DFU trail w/o difficulty or success. Complete Electron power off cured nothing. A PC restart got my COM3 back.
Never could get safe mode. Nothing but flashing white light mode even as I used mode and reset buttons - tried and tried to get safe mode w/o success. Finally, I was inspired to add Cellular.on() to my code and sanity was restored. I’m back and everything is working as it was 8 hours ago. Lessons: 1) don’t worry about PROTIP flashing blue light because the white light has priority and the flash – serial will work just fine. 2) Same for safe mode light; you may see it for a second but then the white light rules. 4) cure the white light with Cellular.on()