Brain Fragments

Hey, I made it! Ten straight days of posting. I have news to share about a few things on my mind...

My sister is in hospice. I'm glad I got to see her for about an hour on Monday, and I'm thankful I got the opportunity to tell her the things I wanted. I hope to see her again in the next few days.

As for my brother, assisted living may not be an option for him due to his unique circumstances. Nothing is guaranteed at this point, but I expect him to come home soon. I fear this will not end well for anyone involved.

I've been hinting at buying a second car for awhile, and this morning I test drove a well maintained low mileage compact SUV that caught my eye earlier this past week. I was impressed with its sports car like handling, and the motor, transmission and suspension are nearly as perfect as the condition of its leather interior. It's not a convertible but the panoramic roof will more than suffice.

I feel it's the perfect daily driver while I keep Akeno as my "fun" car, but during the test drive I discovered a couple of problems with the battery and the AC. It's quite possible these are minor issues, but regardless of the severity I've let the dealer know I want them addressed before I agree to buy the vehicle. I'll know more about what's going on with it when they contact me later in the day.

And if I do buy this car, I've already got a name picked out for it.

That One Time I...

... Rode Dirty With Rias Gremory & Akeno Himejima

I did a casual search for graphics in Gran Turismo 7 yesterday afternoon and stumbled upon this multilayered image of Rias Gremory and her best friend/love rival Akeno Himejima. In High School DxD, Rias is the President of the Occult Research Club while Akeno serves as her Vice President. Both are college students at Kuoh Academy, which combines college and high school.

So how can I "ride dirty" with these two ladies in a video game not named Grand Theft Auto Online? Gran Turismo 7 has several offline racing categories that will give you a quick fix. Most events are five laps or less and can be completed in about ten to fifteen minutes. 

One series I've grown fond of in recent days is one specifically for Japanese four wheel drive road cars. Normally I'd pick out a Nissan Skyline GT-R and call it a day, but this one requires you to drive on asphalt, dirt and snow to complete all of the events. A supercar won't do for the offroad stuff, so obviously I had to look at Mitsubishi for the right car.

This 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition is a crap can to most, but it has a rallying pedigree and is quite enjoyable to drive. I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon and evening adjusting to driving on dirt, and now "Rias" has become one of my favorite cars.

It's impossible not to love this Lancer EVO when I can do fun things like this!

That One Time I...

... Fretted Over Akeno

I adore my Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo sedan and named her after Akeno Himejima, the High School DxD character that's elegant, gentle, and refined. She can also be seductive and playful, just like my ride. 

Please forgive the dust on her Super Black paint. I'll get that washed soon. Anyway... 

Have you heard about the recent Toyota Tundra/Lexus LX600 recall? Owners of the twin-turbo engine models can't trade them in until the automaker comes up with a fix for their engines. This crisis made me fret over Akeno for the past week, just like I did for a bit last December when the NHTSA had opened an investigation into the KR20DDET engine beneath Akeno's hood. Oddly enough Akeno's model year falls outside its scope, and I had forgotten all about it until this recent Toyota/Lexus engine problem reared its head.

I spent the past couple of days debating whether or not to trade her in for a gently used Mercedes 300C convertible that would set me back about $40,000 plus tax and license. And then that debate ended yesterday afternoon after I decided to fully enjoy Akeno's features on my way home from visiting my sister.

Akeno has an eight speed automatic transmission that can be shifted with paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, but alas she's equipped with a speed governor here in the States. Despite that, she makes driving very enjoyable at any speed.

I often wonder if Japanese owners can peg that 180 mph speedometer. That would be some serious Big Altima Energy there!

For the first time in probably two years, I decided to open her sunroof. That was the view from the Vons parking lot at roughly three o'clock in the afternoon. Sunny. About 70 degrees. A slight wind. Perfect cruising weather.

Yeah, I'm going to keep Akeno. I still might buy a used convertible to keep as a spare, though.

Change Is Good

I'm currently recovering from my first 20-minute ride on the Joroto X2, and I need to continue my posting streak alive. I thought I'd spend a moment to let y'all know that I'm still capable of embracing change.

When I finished assembling the bike on Saturday afternoon, the first thing I did was remove the toe cages and straps from the pedals. I still remember what had happened to President Biden on his road bike not long ago, and I've always found the idea of having my feet locked into something a little terrifying. In fact, I've always removed those shower sandal like straps from the pedals of all of my exercise bikes in the past.

Then a Google search during a lull in the 24 Hours of Le Mans enlightened me. Toe cages with the straps properly adjusted the same way you'd wear a fitness tracker on your wrist properly aligns your feet while riding, and they also aid in transferring the power from your legs to the pedals while riding.

All it took was this morning's ride to notice the difference and make me a believer. I shall keep them.

An Update...

I received word a few hours ago that my sister will be transferred to hospice within the next 24-48 hours. I have not seen my sister since before the pandemic due to the convalescent home's policies that dictated only one family member could visit her, but I'm glad that I heard she's looking forward to seeing me. 

There's so much I want to tell her besides the obvious things, but the sad reality is I'll have to limit my words. She's already receiving palliative care and spends most of her time sleeping. When I visit her tomorrow, there's a good chance it may be the last time I see her alive.

And if not, I'll make sure to visit her at least one more time before she passes.

***

I visited my brother this afternoon to give him the latest news on my sister, and he took it better than I expected. I also learned he will not return home. He will move into an assisted living facility. That will happen in the coming weeks.

I also received quite the scare when I took the elevator up to his room today. To make a long story short, a few patients and staff tested positive for COVID-19 since my last visit. I fucking called it on May 24th when I said Memorial Day Weekend was a great time to spread germs!

On that note, I fucking give up. COVID-19 has made a comeback in San Diego and when I dropped by Vons on the way home I noticed almost no one is wearing a mask. I guess I'm the only one who believes it's smart to take care of myself when I want to "get on with my life".

That One Time I...

... Had Buyer's Remorse After A Purchase

I didn't feel like sharing my living room area in its current state with y'all, so the above image will have to suffice. After only about twenty minutes to set it up, a brief test ride, and copious amounts of time spent breaking down the packaging for the blue recycling bin, this highly recommended Joroto X2 exercise bike is ready for my next bike riding workout on Monday morning.

When I used the Zizzo Indoor Trainer this past week I ran into an unforeseen problem that I can't resolve. When it is used on wood flooring or any other solid surface, the trainer works great. But when you place the front wheel cup on a padded mat on top of carpeting, its design becomes a safety hazard. I was afraid the bike would wobble enough for me to take a tumble one of these days, and there's no way in hell I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on vinyl flooring in the living and dining areas.

It's a rare occurrence when I miss the mark on a purchase I had thoroughly researched, but here we are. The Zizzo Forte works fine as a bike and I intend to keep it, but the indoor trainer is likely finding a new home soon.