Ara Ara, Robzilla!

Today I will be spilling the tea from aboard my GTA Online character’s superyacht. It's anchored off the coast of Vespucci Beach in Los Santos, close enough to her businesses and a good helicopter ride away from her casino penthouse across the state of San Andreas. Let’s get this started… WHAT’S UP WITH ME? This screenshot of Solomun playing EDM inside my character’s nightclub in Del Perro is a strong hint of my current mood. I’ve been sitting on the raw data since Wednesday afternoon, and after consulting with my doctor I can dance the night away. My blood work was so good that I joked with my doctor they probably thought I paid someone to take my tests for me. In summary, I’m allowed to stop all medications to see how my body functions without them for the next three months.  I also lost 2.2 pounds on Christmas week, and I had a fast food meal to boot. How the hell did that happen? My financial health is great, too. My investment growth outpaced my spending, which means I can lo

 ... Went Off My Meds By the time you read this, I will likely be doing one of the following: I'll be driving Akeno to the clinic to get my blood work done, while simultaneously wishing I could sip Seattle's Best Henry's Blend coffee from the fancy Zojirushi tumbler in her center console drink holder. I'll be eating a very late breakfast in the parking lot before I drive home. It will consist of a banana and a ThinkThin protein bar, the first things I've eaten in over twelve hours. I'll be back home wishing I could take a nap. I had less than four hours of sleep last night. I'll treat myself to Del Taco for lunch. I promised myself I can have a fast food Mexicanish meal as a reward for what I've accomplished since my diagnosis. I'll attempt one final casino mission in GTA Online. My character can earn an armored sedan that resembles a Bentley as a reward for completing the six mission series. Today is a huge day that could mark the beginning of the n

  With a rowdy fan base that booed diversity (look it up, y'all!) plus cold, rainy weather in the forecast, I did not expect the Las Vegas Raiders to beat the Kansas City Chiefs today. I thought it was a pipe dream to believe the near impossible could happen, but it did. The Raiders defense came up big, scoring two touchdowns in a seven second span. That's right. If you theoretically took a bathroom break you would have missed two touchdowns, including Jack Jones's second "pick six" TD in consecutive games. So tonight, I get to baste a garlic and herb seasoned salmon not in extra virgin olive oil but Taylor Swift's tears. I also get to submit this new favorite bundling option for State Farm customers. Mahomes and Maauto? How about Mahomes and... The Raiders sacked Patrick Mahomes four times today, thrice by Malcolm Koonce. Why not?

I tried to come up with a fancy Christmas wallpaper, but I couldn't find the right one. Then I did a search for a certain reindeer that shares my name, and viola! I have the perfect image to celebrate today. This year provided enough severe ups and downs that I'd equate it to being bipolar, but I'm still thankful... For everyone that leaves a comment or lurks in the background. I appreciate every one of you. That every morning is viewed as another opportunity to learn something new. Not long ago, I wondered if I even had a purpose in life anymore. That I'm no longer a slave to money. Provided I continue to keep myself on a budget and live vicariously through your vacation tales and photos, of course.  That I had the courage to flee the worst employer I ever had. COVID is ripping through the office, and the lowest performers were laid off on Thursday rather than after the holidays.  That I had Terri and Torrie in my life. I still miss them dearly, but it no longer hurts

  NOTE: This week’s post is in two parts. Keep reading past the Festivus stuff. — Robzilla. THE FESTIVUS POLE I’d love to buy a fancy Festivus pole with LED lights on its base, but I hear they also call those "fitness poles". The only people I've seen use them teeter on five-inch stilettos, so that's not happening. I'll settle for the flag pole on my front porch that flies my Raiders flags on game day. It's less hassle, and I don't have to worry about carrying dollar bills folded lengthwise. THE FESTIVUS HOLIDAY MEAL With my dietary changes, it’s pointless to make a meat loaf. I’ll cook a boneless rib eye for dinner, as usual. THE AIRING OF GRIEVANCES Even though I’ve been through a lot this year, I don’t have any grievances outside of Tang Hitler. More on him later. Let’s not let this tradition go to waste. If you have any grievances, please feel free to use the comments to let us all know what’s on your mind! THE FESTIVUS MIRACLE I didn’t do any retail t

... Clawed A Poopy. You knew sooner or later I'd sink to potty humor to get your attention, but fear not. This post has nothing to do with actual poop or the use of my hands for other than pressing buttons and joysticks.  Above you'll notice the interior of the arcade I own in GTA Online. It's filled with various, playable games that harken back to our youth. It's a fun place to have your character hang out and pass the time while their businesses are generating income. One of these arcade games is a claw game called Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw, named for the cat girl villain turned bestie in the satirical anime show Princess Robot Bubblegum  that you can watch on TV in your GTA Online apartments. Inside the machine you'll find plushies for Princess Robot Bubblegum, Shiny Wasabi Kitty, Master Hentai, and PRB's mascots Saki, Humpy, Muffy, Grindy, Smokey and Poopy. The idea is to maneuver the claw backward and then to the right before you lower it.  While positioning

NOTE: I updated the template in preparation for 2024, when I’ll give this weekly post another name and a new image to reflect that. I’m posting this on Saturday night because I don’t want anything on my “To Do” list in the morning. — Robzilla. WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH I’m doing well overall. I have a touch of a head cold, but my immune system is doing a fine job fighting it off without the aid of OTC medications. I also spent an hour working in the yard on Friday morning in lieu of weight training exercises. That was a good workout for my entire body. I “only” lost 0.8 pounds this week, but I’m not disappointed. I allowed myself a second “sin” meal during the week. It’s the holidays, and like everybody else I deserve to live a little. My BG numbers remain well within range, too. No concerns there. WHAT SINFUL THING I SHAMELESSLY ATE THURSDAY NIGHT A thin crust margherita pizza from Vons/Albertson’s. No, not a slice or two. I ate the whole damned thing during Thursday Night Beatdown. Th

 

It’s likely Friday Eve where you’re at, that magical day when you have only one more work day to endure before you enjoy the weekend. For others, it’s just Thursday. For me? My body says it’s a day of rest so I’m unlikely to exercise today. I’ve had to wake up at sunrise every morning since Tuesday, and for a good reason. There’s been a lot going on at the house since Tuesday. My sister finally relented and hired workers to transform our yard. A retaining wall that borders the public sidewalk is under construction, replacing the eyesore called Iceplant Hill. This has been sorely needed for a long time since soil erosion meant those of us who live here had to do manual labor to scrape the sidewalk clear of mounds of dirt that washed away.  The property doesn’t have grass, understandable considering we have the highest water rates in the nation to match our utilities. In the coming weeks, as Buzz Lightyear would probably say, there will be mulch, mulch everywhere. Hopefully this will mea

 

  Gary Hoey is probably best known for his guitar work for the soundtrack to the 90s surfing movie  The Endless Summer II . Here he is playing a little tune that should be familiar to Dr. Seuss fans out there.

HOW I’M FEELING PHYSICALLY It’s Saturday night, so I’m three days out from getting the second Shingrix shot. I’ve suffered bouts of lethargy since then and I had quite an adverse reaction on Friday afternoon that alarmed my siblings enough for them to plead for me to consult an online nurse.  Thankfully the situation passed on its own a few hours later, no pun intended. I have no idea if it was something I ate that morning or the fact I rode the recumbent bike hours earlier, but I’ve made the decision to take it easy until at least Monday morning. I should have been warned not to exercise after getting that second shot, but oh well. THE BLOOD GLUCOSE METER SAYS… Fasting (average): 95 mg/dL 2 hours after a meal (average): 116 mg/dL My numbers are slightly higher due to I’ve allowed myself to have a few things that I denied myself since September, but they’re still well within my target range. My medications will run out in over a week, which was part of the plan all along, and that will

Although I'm not a practitioner, I'm 1/8th Jewish on my mother's side. It makes all the sense in the world to post this cherry little tune today.

 

  It's the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer, y'all!

  Who do you want to see abducted by Krampus this year? Let me know in the comments. My candidate is George Santos, and I'll assume there will be a little "extra mustard" in that switch he'll beat him with. I wouldn't be shocked if Krampy was also one his fraud victims.

HOW I’M FEELING   My body is fatigued, but it’s only because I exerted myself while exercising on Friday and Saturday. I’m sure I’ll be fine with a little extra rest in the coming days. THE BLOOD GLUCOSE METER SAYS… Fasting (average): 94 mg/dL 2 hours after a meal (average): 115 mg/dL Same rolling averages as last week, so that made me happy. THE FITBIT ARIA SAYS… This week: -2.2 lbs. Cumulative: -24.2 lbs. More good news on the weight front. WHERE I WENT I visited my long time friend and and got him hooked on Akiba Maid War . He enjoyed it so much that when I left after the fourth episode he kept watching it. The trip also reminded me why I bought Akeno in the first place. She’s a very nice car to take a long cruise in, and her comfortable seats are even more so now that I’m a smaller size. THE SATURDAY SIN SNACK When I visited my friend, I had a Twinkie as a midday snack. It was a real test to see how I’m doing health wise, and believe it or not it didn’t affect my blood glucose read