Happy Halloween!

 

Today is the big day for people to dress up as the slutty version of something. Well, that's what I remember most about some of the Halloween parties I attended as an adult up until just before the pandemic. Yours truly once dressed up as preggo Kim Kardashian, and I also wore OTK (Over The Knee) heeled boots to complete the outfit. I got hit on, which to this day is still hysterical.

Those were fun times, but sadly it wouldn't be smart to continue attending social gatherings like that ever again. I have to mask up indoors and in close outdoor gatherings if I value my health. It's not because I'm more likely to catch COVID-19, but that I'm more likely to suffer serious complications from it. That's my new reality.

Even though that lifestyle change sounds like a bummer, I'm still happy to celebrate Halloween. You see that Kit Kat above? The plan is to have half of that broken up into small pieces and use it as a topping on cottage cheese. That will be my "dessert" tonight and tomorrow, a reward for eating right and exercising regularly.

Today is also my last day of freedom. I'll spend this morning and afternoon organizing my Super Outline into a traditional one in Scrivener, a writing program I've grown to love. I'll then have two different folders with subfolders beneath them for every chapter. One set will be for the outline, while the other will eventually contain my first draft. 

I've given the project the working title Bullets & Baguettes. I told you it's about a woman who finds love online as her real life unravels, but in more complex terms she's a gamer that makes friends and falls for a fellow gamer. The game they play is a mixture of The Sims 4, GTA Online, and PS Home, the beloved game where you could interact with other PlayStation users in a social setting.

So where do the bullets and baguettes come from? While the main character is a mercenary for hire, the love interest runs a bakery, preferring a quiet life away from the guns and bad guys.

Of course, there's so much more to this LGBTQ+ tale. I look forward to writing the first chapter at midnight.

I’m Not An Otome Game Protagonist!: Volume 1, Chapter 3

 

HOW I’M FEELING PHYSICALLY

My body has adapted well to the increase in physical activity. If only my sinuses would allow me to get a consistent full night’s rest, I’d feel almost perfect.

HOW I’M FEELING MENTALLY

I’m in a good place as long as I’m not thinking about my favorite NFL team, useless politicians, or an endless war that I’m too old to fight.

THE BLOOD GLUCOSE METER SAYS…

Fasting (average): 92 mg/dl

2 hours after a meal (average): 116 mg/dl

Only a point higher than last week’s average, and none of my tests were outside of the normal range. 

THE BATHROOM SCALE SAYS…

The past two weeks: -5.6 lbs 

Cumulative: -15.4 lbs.

I’m currently replacing fat with muscle so losing anything is a win. FYI, last week’s reading was discarded. It’s highly unlikely I lost 14 pounds last week and regained 9 of them.

THE SATURDAY (AND SUNDAY) NIGHT SIN MEAL

Thin crust margherita pizza. Spo should recognize this one sold at Uncle Albertson's.

Believe it or not, half of that pie and a cranberry walnut salad are only 61 grams of carbs, one over my meal limit. I wanted to see how my BG was two hours after consuming it, and the results were… normal. 

I’m thrilled because I’m having the other half of that pizza and a salad for dinner tonight.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

Various music playlists on YouTube Music. I listen to them either while working out or driving Akeno on errands, but I’m avoiding the Coffee Shop Blend playlist in the future. I don’t like listening to depressing music. At. All.

WHAT I READ

I received two books on my front porch on Tuesday, but I only got to read Rent-A-Girlfriend, Volume 21 before today. Things seem to be heading toward a new story arc for Chizuru, our rental girlfriend cover girl, and of course it ended on a cliffhanger.

It’s not perfect by any means (aka get your shit together Kazuya and tell Chizuru you love her!) but I’m too far invested to jump off what’s been a pleasurable ride since the early days of the pandemic.

WHO DESERVES TO BE SLAPPED

2A advocates. I’m a good guy and I’m tired of their histrionics. 

A one-person army that could singlehandedly overthrow Catalina Island is not defined as a well regulated militia, so they need to shut the fuck up about owning weapons of war. If life were GTA Online, then let me have my favorite murder weapon that’s based on the Mk 48 machine gun. For protection reasons, of course.

If past history is a guide, the only way we’ll ever see meaningful gun control legislation in our lifetimes is when white people become scared shitless of People of Color (any color, BTW) exercising their 2A rights. Especially the open carry part. If you don’t believe me, read up on the Black Panthers here in California back in 1967.

There. I said what needed to be said on the topic. Moving on…

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Anyone attempting NaNoWriMo. It’s an accomplishment to write 50,000 words in 30 days, or roughly 1,667 words a day. It’s not for the faint of heart, especially for those that have a job or are enrolled in school. 

If you need some unsolicited advice, here it is. If you’re attempting NaNoWriMo, don’t worry about the quality of your writing. First drafts are supposed to suck. Just concentrate on getting the words onto the page. Editing them is when the magic (and other positive and negative emotions) happens.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

I went stabby, stabby on a clown. Before you applaud me or call the cops on me, let me explain.

Halloween is celebrated in GTA Online. There’s UFOs to photograph for extra cash. There’s pumpkins on porches that give you treats or tricks. There’s masks to wear and special vehicles to purchase to get yourself and your character in the mood. It’s quite festive, which makes GTAO fun to play for hours at a time.

There’s also some scary people running around the state of San Andreas with murderous intent. 

One such fellow is a Pennywise looking clown that inhabits the big city of Los Santos. He has vexed me during the past two holidays. Guns and melee weapons like a machete and a baseball bat were useless against him. Recently I learned how to use a Bowie knife in hand to hand combat, and a few days ago I easily took him down. As long as I time my attacks perfectly, I feel confident I can go toe to toe with anyone in close quarters now.

WHAT’S THE LATEST ON MY WRITING?

I made a change to my Super Outline to simplify the main character’s story arc the other day, and I feel really good about the results. I’m basically ready to go at midnight on Tuesday/Wednesday. I’ll do my due diligence and read the outline one last time this afternoon to make sure everything is plotted out the way I want it.

Then I can relax... until the next time my GTAO character sees a clown or her clone!

That One Time I...

 ... Went On A Shopping Spree

Once upon a time, back when I used to be a corporate wage slave, I was well known for my retail therapy. Some would say I was notorious, and at least one person thought I was scandalous.

Times have changed since I retired a year ago. My spending is now on the frugal side. I had a meeting with my financial advisor yesterday, and I'm still on FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early). The key to remain that way is to spend 4% or less of your assets annually. These last six months I was only at 2.6%, which thrilled both of us.

In plain English, I can remain retired for the foreseeable future and not only because I wish to be.

Does this mean it's okay to increase my spending? Not really. I know as long as I continue to live frugally I'm insulated from what ails ordinary Americans and I'd like to keep it that way. Like my improving health, I like the idea of having one less major worry in my life so it's motivation to continue exhibiting positive behaviors.

As for my stock trading account, I noticed it lost $1,000 of its value this morning thanks to The Casino of Emotions. Chevron bought a smaller energy company. Ford scaled back its EV production due to customer demand. The people who buy and sell for short term gains didn't like either event, and tanked both stocks.

While short term his harms my bottom line, I also looked at it as an opportunity. When something like this happens, I can still hear an old friend's voice in my head. He announces loud and clear, "Time to buy!"

So... I acquired more Chevron and Ford shares on the cheap. I'm betting these stocks will rebound nicely within the next six months, and I hold those stocks long term for their generous quarterly dividends. To me, it's like putting money in a high interest rainy day savings account except these companies will still survive after I'm dead and departed.

OH, I ALMOST FORGOT: I received good news on Tuesday. The colon cancer screening was negative and everything is normal. My rear is clear for another year.

(Not A) Wordless Wednesday: Coyote Ally

Meet Travis Dermott. He once played defense for the Toronto Maple Leafs and currently toils for the Arizona Coyotes. 

Oh, the 'Yotes still exist? Barely. They're playing in a 5,000 seat college arena, but who knows what will happen to the franchise once summer rolls around. Anyway...

Travis got into what people would call "good trouble" the other night. In defiance of the National Hockey League's recent Pride Tape ban, Travis wrapped the shaft of his hockey stick in support of the LGBTQ+ community. 

What did the NHL do about Travis's act of defiance? They "unbanned" Pride Tape, and Travis went unpunished.

Way to go, Travis!

I’m Not An Otome Game Protagonist!: Volume 1, Chapter 2

NOTE: The Las Vegas Raiders have a road game against the Chicago Bears at 10 am my local time on Sunday. I also have to do domestic duties around the house before kickoff, so I’m posting this on Saturday afternoon before I watch parts of two Super Taikyu races streamed from Okayama. — Robzilla

HOW I’M FEELING MENTALLY

I'm on pins and needles after playing with my poop. For real.

I mailed a colon cancer stool sample on Wednesday morning, which thankfully does not require sending a poop in a box. If I’m not contacted by the clinic during the next couple of business days, I’m assuming I’m clear for the year.

HOW I’M FEELING PHYSICALLY

Last weekend, it was my turn to get cellulitis thanks to a bug bite. Or it was possibly my body having an adverse reaction to putting Neosporin on it. 

To be safe, I was prescribed antibiotics and creams to use as directed. Other than one of my legs looked like Mikhail Gorbachev’s port wine stain for most of the week, I’m fine.

THE BLOOD GLUCOSE METER SAYS…

Fasting (average): 91 mg/dl

2 hours after lunch or dinner (average): 115 mg/dl

My specialist told me to keep it under 130 for fasting tests and under 180 two hours after the lunch or dinner I test. With the way I’m going, I no longer dread what my blood work results will be next time. I’m actually looking forward to them.

THE BATHROOM SCALE SAYS…

This week: I lost 14 pounds?!?

Cumulative: I’ve lost 23.8 lbs.

Either my scale is inaccurate or I’ve become a fat burning furnace with the dietary changes and physical activity. It’s entirely possible that when combined with my stabilizing blood glucose levels, my body is finally functioning the way it’s designed to for the first time in as long as I can remember.

I feel fine physically, but as a precaution I’ll weigh myself at the clinic midweek when I get my Covid booster. If necessary, I’ll reach out to my specialist afterward and tell them about this.

THE WEEKLY WORKOUT REVIEW

Recumbent bike: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Weight training: Tuesday & Saturday

Rest days: Thursday & Sunday

I exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes, plus an appropriate amount of time to warm up and cool down to prevent injuries. Unless I change things up, this is my new morning routine 60 to 90 minutes after breakfast.

THE SATURDAY NIGHT SIN MEAL

A New York Strip Steak brushed with A1 steak sauce, and air fried steak fries that are cooked with a salt free onion and herb seasoning. I’ll add parsley to them after cooking as well as ketchup. It’s my one sin meal, so I will not hold back on that Heinz bottle.

I’ll likely eat something different next weekend. I’d kill for a half order of carne asada nachos, even if I’m unlikely to eat all of the chips.

THE WEEKLY RETAIL THERAPY REPORT

A GTA+ subscription. I love the GTA Online car culture, and this allows me to buy desirable and/or hard to find vehicles at a discount among other benefits. I canceled a Peacock subscription that I hadn’t used in half a year, so this is a better use of that $5.99 monthly fee.

A YouTube Music subscription. I wasn’t getting the bang for my buck with SXM, so I canceled that on Wednesday. I’ll save over $200 annually. 

WHAT I LISTENED TO

Smartless. The first thing I listened to on YouTube Music was this popular podcast. It was one of my favorites when I used to listen to them regularly a couple of summers ago. I also like how I can control things from my Fitbit Charge 6 while exercising. That’s very convenient.

WHAT I READ

The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda. This ex-wife vs next wife tale had quite the ending. Was it perfect? No. Was it enjoyable? Hell yes, and that’s the point of reading books.

WHO DESERVES TO BE SLAPPED WITH… A TICKET AND FEES?

People who park their excess vehicles in front of other people’s houses. 

The city council was so fed up with this issue, it updated the city ordinance for street parking and they’re going to enforce it for once. While that’s good news for me reporting a neighbor “abandoning” their hoopdies in front of my house, I must continue grocery shopping at least three times a week to remain in compliance with the updated ordinance myself. Most homes on my street do not have driveways, so excess vehicles is quite a nuisance.

Give the perps their $55 parking ticket plus towing and impound fees for their “car collecting” hobby.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

The clinic, aka my one stop shop for health matters. I spend a lot of money on monthly premiums, but they’re offset by very reasonable copays for visits, generic medications, and even the glucose testing kit and supplies I needed to purchase. The service is top notch, too.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

Derek Carr doing Derek Carr things on Thursday Night Football. The check downs. The inaccurate middle and deep throws. The fumbles. The stats padding once the game is already decided. All of his flaws were exposed once again on national TV, and his new team’s fans booed him mercilessly. 

Carr has always been an overhyped, coddled mid quarterback at best, and now The Derek Carr Experiment is someone else’s problem until at least 2024 for salary cap reasons. Moving on from that Sunday afternoon headache made me smile.

WHAT’S THE LATEST ON MY WRITING?

Not much is going on right now. As I come up with better ideas for chapters or scenes, I’ll update the Super Outline accordingly. Otherwise, I’m all set for November 1st.

The Fitbit Charge 6 Fashion Show

Wait. What's this? I have a Fitbit Charge 6? I do now. I bought one on Monday morning and I love it. 

In summary, it's the same as the Fitbit Charge 5 but with better heart rate monitoring and the ability to control apps with a swipe or two such as Google Maps and YouTube Music. I'm thrilled I can use the same wrist straps on this newer model, so I thought I'd share what's in my growing collection.

First, here's the medical ID sleeves I wear on the strap. These are made in various colors, and I chose red and hot pink for the same reason. Whether it's someone with a good eye or a flaming homophobe, I don't want first responders and bystanders to miss this vital information if I ever have a medical emergency.

I've owned the black and cherry cola sports straps since I bought the Fitbit Charge 5 two years ago, and they're still going strong. The "Golden Sunrise" one on the right is brand new but it doesn't quite look like that off camera. I suspect someone at the Fitbit office is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. It looks a lot like their "Creamsicle" throwback jersey color from the 70s and 80s.

Last and certainly not least is the first woven band I bought for my fitness tracker. Whether it's the month of June or any other special occasion, I can wear this strap with Pride. It's a Pride strap. Get it?

Those are the straps I own, but something tells me I'll likely shop for more on Etsy and other places as time passes.

Wordless Wednesday: Now I Feel Old

 

I’m Not An Otome Game Protagonist!: Volume 1, Chapter 1

 

NOTE: Due to my hidden disability, I’m changing things up on this weekly post to reflect that. It's my way to hold myself accountable for what I need to do going forward. I'll be busy on Sunday morning, so I’m posting this before Saturday night's Super GT race broadcast. — Robzilla.

HOW I’M FEELING

Confident. After two weeks on this journey, I’m getting the results I want. 

THE FITBIT ARIA SAYS…

I lost 4.8 pounds this week, and my cumulative weight loss is 9.8 pounds. Yay!

THE SATURDAY NIGHT SIN MEAL

A New York strip steak brushed with A1 steak sauce, and seasoned French fries with ketchup. I earned this feast.

THE WEEKLY RETAIL THERAPY REPORT

This showed up on my front porch this morning. In case you can’t read the title, it’s Akiba Maid War on Blu-Ray. I also bought silicone medical alert tags for my Fitbit Charge 5 and my watch that’s gathering dust. I'm too cultured to wear a chain mail bracelet for first responders.

WHO DESERVES TO BE SLAPPED, OR ALTERNATELY…

*Phone beeps*

“Hello. This is… Sparkletts. Calling to remind you we’ve rescheduled your Thursday delivery for Saturday without notification…”

Sparkletts bought a locally owned water company named PureFlo five years ago and their service has been a fuck nugget fiesta ever since. I canceled my account, which equates to giving them two middle fingers. I refuse to drink feral animal piss (Sierra or Sparkletts) as a substitute for deep well holy water, among other things that bothered me for the past several months.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Everyone that had kind words for me during the past week. Sometimes I have brief mental health struggles with everything that’s happening, including the things I can’t say publicly. I want to let y’all know a kind word goes a long way. Thanks, everyone.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

The numbers recorded by my new blood glucose meter since I started using it Friday night. I’m pleasantly surprised my hard work is immediately paying off, and now I look forward to getting my blood work done at the end of the year.

WHAT’S THE LATEST ON MY WRITING?

I’m editing my Super Outline whenever I come up with a new idea, such as how I’ll write a chapter or scene. It’s the calm before NaNoWriMo, but I can't slack off. October goes by so fast...

Wordless Wednesday: 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 Race Car

 

Hello There!

Hi everyone. I know y'all have some questions as to what's going on with me. I'll give you some deets that you likely missed at that other place so you can get caught up while I make myself at home here on Blogger.

WHY DID YOU SHUT DOWN THE OTHER BLOG?

No one was visiting it. At the time I thought it had run its course and I wanted a short break from writing. 

WHY DIDN'T YOU START A NEW ONE OVER THERE?

I learned the hard way that other place won't let you restore your blog once it's deleted. After considering starting a new one, I decided Blogger is more appropriate for my writing.

THIS PLACE LOOKS FAMILIAR...

It does! I'm thrilled that my favorite blog theme from a decade ago is still available. I also love how much easier it is to modify it to suit my needs and tastes. That was my biggest beef about Blogger when I left a decade ago.

WHAT DID YOU MISS THIS PAST WEEK OR SO?

I never mentioned what ailments my lab tests uncovered two weeks ago. I'm a Type II diabetic.

THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE...

But I won't let it change my life the way it did my other family members. My father managed it and lived a very long life, while others in my family chose a different path. I'm going to be just like my father, and so far I only need to take a couple of pills a day.

IS IT MY FAULT?

No, and maybe. My family is predisposed to it. For my entire adult life I knew it would be my turn in the barrel once I got older. I'm sure my eating and exercise habits since I moved out of my old apartment played a big role in my current diagnosis, so I feel partially culpable in not keeping it at bay longer than I did. 

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

My hobbies have drastically changed. The day after I received the bombshell news, I made a commitment to change my diet, exercise again, and lose weight. I'll never get rid of diabetes, so we'll just have to learn how to coexist. My ultimate goal is to make it go into full remission, which is possible based on the talk I had with my doctor.

WHAT'S NEXT?

I get to visit a specialist tomorrow to educate myself on how to live with this hidden disability. I plan on picking their brains until they're either happy I have such an interest in improving my health or drive them insane.

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED SO FAR?

A phone call from my doctor to give me my lab results cost me $45. It's more cost effective to just drive up to the clinic.

ANYTHING ELSE?

I spent enough time this morning getting this place set up. Please excuse the mess in the coming days as I get used to being here again after a decade away.