(Not) Wordless Wednesday: Life Balance

The good news: I have become quite adept at separating Juan "El Rubio" Strickler from his most prized possessions. This afternoon it was a pink diamond and a duffel bag filled with cocaine and some loose cash in his safe. My cut, including the $50,000 elite bonus, was quite a haul.

Also this afternoon...

We did so much to improve the property during the past year, so you can imagine how pissed off I was when I discovered this a few hours ago. I hope those little fuckers drown tomorrow, and if they don't the pest control company will arrive on Friday to help remedy the issue, weather permitting.

That One Time I...

 ... Felt Like The Day's Events Were Surreal

As I write this, it's the morning after one of the weirdest days of my life. I'm still in shock over two events that happened simultaneously. 

For awhile, my brother wanted a new car. I warned him over and over that when I go car shopping things happen quickly, so quickly that it would snap his neck. He still didn't heed my warning by the time I visited the dealership yesterday morning. I'll summarize the events below:

10:15ish - I visited the dealership, put down a $500 deposit on a specific vehicle and then waited for it to be transported from another location.

12 noon - I called one of my banks and moved some money around so there would be an adequate amount in my checking account.

2:00 pm - My brother and I visited the dealership to look at the car and test drive it. While I was in the backseat, I debated whether or not to trade Akeno in (!!!) to buy the car for myself if he didn't want it.

3:30ish - We signed the paperwork and then I paid for the car with my debit card. Yes, please feel free to reread that sentence and then pinch me. I swear I did NOT have "pay for a new car with a debit card" on my bucket list.

4:45 pm - My brother drove home in his new car, and in an alternate reality that would have been me. Due to my wish to maintain his privacy, I will not disclose what "I" bought, it's color or what I would have named her. 

My brother is beyond thrilled with the new car, but it will take him some time to adjust to it. He's going from a two decade old vehicle to one that has the latest and greatest in safety features. Then there's the wealth of information like how many miles he can drive before the gas tank is empty, or multiple cameras to help him park it. The new car also has the Bose audio system and the heated steering wheel that Akeno doesn't. Lucky bastard. 

This car was in no way a gift. I expect my bank account to be made whole again in the very near future. If anything, my role was to get the car off the lot in the most expedient manner available.

Anyway...

Unbeknownst to me, there was a shocking drama playing out Down Under at about the same time I was telling the finance manager we don't want any expensive, unnecessary add ons to my brother's new car. Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki is leaving Erebus Motorsport, and I only learned about this when I read the news on my tablet before bedtime.

It's three weeks before the Supercars season opener at Bathurst, and now Erebus has to find a replacement driver pronto. I'm sure Jack LeBroq is a competent driver that will do well in the 9 car, but whomever the team hires to replace Brodie in the 99 is guaranteed not to be the same caliber of racer.

I had high hopes Erebus would continue its winning ways in 2024, but now... we'll see what happens at Bathurst and beyond.

Here We Go Again

 
Remember the flooding and mudslides that affected my city last week? I discovered to my dismay that we're going for Round Two with Mother Nature on Thursday and Friday. I expect to be okay, but as you can imagine it will disrupt my life for a bit until the rains stop.

For now, I want to concentrate on things that make me happy like my ongoing weight loss. Then there's my GTA Online character in an outfit inspired by Aoi Miyamori from Shirobako. She's in the moon pool inside her submarine, where we launch The Cayo Perico Heist. The moon pool has two levels. The top level opens up to the surface and allows that helicopter to fly wherever she needs to go. Below that is a fancy submersible that goes quite far underwater.

It must be nice to have $42 million in the bank, own several properties and have an 80+ car collection.

What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 4

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

My health. I rushed to urgent care last Saturday night for something, and I had blood drawn during my visit. I thought this health scare was behind me but I literally just had more test results added to my file while typing this. I’ve now had 30+ tests done so far, and the only abnormal result can be explained by me taking Bayer for muscle soreness from doing yardwork the prior day.

Whatever I saw on Saturday evening has pretty much cleared up on its own, and I was never in pain or discomfort at any point in time during the past week. I believe I’m fine, and to keep my sanity I’ll continue to believe that until they tell me it isn’t.

WHAT I ATE

Spicy tuna tacos. I’ve been craving spicy tuna rolls and fish tacos lately, but due to the carbs I really shouldn’t have either of them. My kitchen creativity resulted in a unique taco experience that doesn’t qualify as a cheat meal or required cooking. Therefore, I’m free to eat them for dinner at any time. I’m assuming they’ll also be good with cooked fish that’s neither breaded or battered.

WHAT I BOUGHT

I splurged on a ZiZZO Forte folding bicycle. I can put it in Akeno’s trunk, and with an optional indoor trainer I can also ride it in my living room. As I lost weight, it was a goal of mine to buy and ride one of these and… oh, I didn’t tell you that part yet!

WHAT I READ

I Don’t Know Which Is Love, Volume 2 stood out from this week's reads. This yuri harem story is begging for an anime adaptation.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

I’m halfway through the twenty-four episode run of Shirobako on HIDIVE. It’s a “slice of life” anime about five girls in a high school animation club that promise to make an anime together as adults, but 2.5 years after graduation they discover the industry isn’t what they imagined. It’s a well written anime that focuses on Aoi Miyamori, the woman in the middle, and it’s a delight to watch all of their different personalities bloom before my eyes. I highly recommend this series to y’all if it’s available on your streaming services.

A Shirobako movie was released in 2020 that is set four years after the events in the anime series. I hope someone streams that here in the States in the near future. 

WHAT MADE ME SMILE 

I stepped on my scale Friday morning out of curiosity. Keep reading…

WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK

The defendants: Feedly and/or WordPress

The crime: I cannot read Spo’s posts in a timely manner, and this only happens with his blog feed. When I don’t see an update in Feedly, I incorrectly assume he’s too busy to post that day. The next thing I know, I get an update out of the blue and then discover I’m five days behind.

The verdict: Two deferred slaps. I unfollowed and then refollowed Spo’s blog in Feedly this morning. Either that solves the problem or else WordPress needs to get itself an ice pack for what’s coming. Roberto Duran isn’t the only one with manos de piedras.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Nikki Haley. I don’t agree with her politics, but I don’t care if what she’s doing could be construed as elder abuse. I agree with her strategy of kicking Tang Satan in the nuts with a pointy toe pump every chance she gets. And why not? It’s working brilliantly for E. Jean Carroll in the courts.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED VIA GAMING

I’m faster than real life. The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race is this weekend, so I spent about a cumulative hour running practice laps around Daytona’s road course in Gran Turismo 7 in the M6. 

My goal has always been to run laps as fast as the real life cars during the race or their practice sessions. The fastest GT3 cars are running laps in the 1 minute, 46 second range. My best laps are in the high to mid 1:44s even at night time, and the scary part is that I think I can go faster if I tweak the suspension settings to make the car turn a little better in the corners. 

WHAT ELSE IS UP WITH MY HEALTH

As of Friday morning I’ve crossed a very important threshold in my weight loss journey. It’s not just a psychological boost to see a 2 for the first digit in my weight. It represents the broadening of my world and of the things I can do that five months ago was wishful thinking.

FYI, that saying about everything is like riding a bike is true. It was only from one end of the backyard to the other, but for the first time in over two decades I rode one and without falling or getting hurt.

WHERE I WENT

On Friday, I visited Dick’s Sporting Goods. Afterward, I thought I stumbled upon a popup Subaru dealership until I noticed the REI logo above the front entrance. Between the two stores I bought chain lubricant, a helmet, a water bottle cage, and a pump for the ZiZZO. That last item was necessary after I spent $7.50 at the gas station for partially aired tires and a couple of bloody knuckles.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING

Not much this week. Real life interrupted most of my writing time, but I’m pleased with the handful of chapters I edited. I fear I’ll have more of the same this coming week, but I hope I can reach the halfway point of my edits by the next update.

(Not) Wordless Wednesday: Something Old, Something New For Hatsune Miku

 
Remember that Ford Mustang I raced in Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7? The one with Hatsune Miku on the hood and sides? This past week, I decided to switch Beemers now that racing season is upon us. 

The Z3 I've been racing for the past few months has been swapped out for a newer M6. I'm happy to report the M6 is a full second faster around Daytona's road course than the Z3 when I tested it out the other day. I might even be able to squeeze another half second of its current best time with a few suspension tweaks.

This result also means I have to create a new livery for the car. I found that recreating the one I had for the Z3 would not work out for the M6's unique body shape, so I used the Mustang as inspiration for this...

I'm still thinking about adding a pink stripe with white trim on top. It would run along the bottom of the doors where those logos are.

I borrowed the Mustang Shelby GT500ish stripes from the Ford and then applied them to the M6. I think a white rear spoiler with pink edges would work best.

This M6 is the "Endurance" model. Those fog lights are fully functional, and I appreciate having them whenever I race at night in cockpit view. This is supposed to be a Super GT car, and the GT300 division requires them to be in yellow to distinguish them from the faster GT500 cars on the track.

Those intakes make putting decals on the hood quite a challenge. There's a body layer and then there's an "other" layer for the intakes, wheel arches, and front splitter. So in order to get Miku's pom poms and her hair to show up correctly when you look at the car from overhead, I have to do twice the work. The same goes for the number board on the top left corner and the Pop Mart logo on the opposite side.

This livery is still considered a work in progress, so there might be more images to share as we get closer to this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race.

Tuesday Music Club: RIP Marlena Shaw

When I play GTA Online, one of my favorite non-violent activities is having my character cruise around Los Santos while listening to music on the radio. There's this Motown station I love that's called The Low Down. It's hosted by none other than Pamela "Mama" Grier, and one of the songs she plays is "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, who sadly passed away recently.

Here's to Marlena, a good song, and good times.

In Case You're Worried About Me...

I'm posting a quick note to let y'all know I'm fine. However, there are a lot of people in the San Diego area that are not. I suspect you'll see or hear about how Interstate 15 was flooded under several feet of rain and mud in such a brief amount of time. Or how one neighborhood was overwhelmed with knee deep water and mud. This storm is easily the worst I've ever seen it rain here.

My thoughts are with everyone affected, and if the Amazon driver does manage to arrive tonight with my order I'll tip him like it's Christmas. I used to deliver pizza when I was in college, so I know firsthand what it's like to drive when there's heavy rain and winds strong enough to hurl trash cans in the air. It's no fun at all, so I do not envy anyone that has to be on our roads this afternoon and evening.

What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 3

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I lost 2.8 pounds. I’m assuming I retained water during last week’s weigh in for that to happen. I did not work out this past week, but I did yard work twice. Yesterday’s session lasted about ninety minutes so I slept well last night.

WHAT I ATE

Later today I’ll do some experimentation in the kitchen. I’ll talk about that next week.

WHAT I BOUGHT

A wicker fruit basket. It’s small enough to put in the center of my dining table and I can store up to three to four days worth of apples and roma tomatoes inside it. At least one of us finds that exciting.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

None of the recent guests on Smartless piqued my interest. Moving on…

WHAT I READ ON MY PAPERWHITE

The Girl I Saved On The Train Turned Out To Be My Childhood Friend, Volume 5. I really enjoy reading this Japanese light novel series even if the writing style would never see the light of day with a traditional American publisher. 

WHAT I WATCHED

Football. Even though most of the remaining teams are in the “Fuck yo’ team!” category, I’m still watching bits and pieces of playoff games involving them. Unless they’re on that nearly flightless bird network.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE 

Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce. Notice the word interim is missing from that sentence?

WHAT MADE ME SAD

Nissan broke up the factory team. For the first time in about a decade, Ronnie Quintarelli and Tsugio Matsuda will not be teammates in the 23 car this upcoming Super GT season. 

While I mainly root for Team Impul I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Matsuda, who owns one of the most enviable collections of Nissan Skyline GT-Rs in the world. They’re not stored in his garage as collector’s items. He drives them and often at high speed on a track, the way they were meant to be enjoyed.

WHO DESERVES TO BE SLAPPED

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Will someone please get him to shut the fuck up about his Tang Satan fetish and his negative thoughts about the economy?

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis. When faced with the task of hiring a permanent head coach after the interim one proved they were worthy of consideration, he didn’t make the same mistake twice.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED IN MY GAMING

I overcame my greatest failure in GTA Online. Two years ago, The Cayo Perico Heist was the latest and greatest DLC content available, and I was an abysmal failure at the Gather Intel mission. I didn’t understand the concept of staying out of a guard’s cone of vision, so I kept getting caught by them. 

I quit in frustration but last weekend I gave it another go. As of this writing I’ve now separated Juan “El Rubio” Strickler from his prized possessions multiple times since my first success. One time I earned the elite bonus for finishing the heist within 15 minutes, sneaking in and out of the compound without getting detected by the guards, and for not blowing the puzzle game to break into the basement through El Rubio’s office. 

The Cayo Perico Heist, as well as the gather intel and prep missions are a great way for my character to earn $1 million or more in two hours or less, and during that time her businesses are generating passive income or accruing inventory to sell afterward. Win-win!

WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING

I’m well into Act II of the manuscript and I’d estimate I’m at the one-third mark with the edits. It’s a lot of work to rewrite almost everything, but it’s neither boring or tedious. I’m estimating I’ll be done with this round of edits by the end of February, and then after I take a short break I’ll read the manuscript to see what else needs changing.

What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 2

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I have another head cold, or maybe I never shook off the one I had last week. I'm not sure. I’ve taken Airborne every night since Wednesday to pump up my immune system. Other than the occasional Ricola cough drop I'm managing my symptoms just fine, but I miss working out. 

I only lost 0.6 pounds this week. I had to increase my caloric intake a bit to combat this cold, but I think the real culprit was those “zero net carb” tortillas. I can’t believe I fell for that marketing bullshit when I already know highly processed carbs aren’t good for us.

WHAT I WASTED $20 ON

Black Rifle Coffee's Kodiak Attack. You figure a bag of coffee that has a growling grizzly bear printed on it would put hair on your chest, but the brew was weaker than Target branded toilet paper. After I threw the bag in the trash, I felt like I needed to grovel to a bag of Peet’s Major Dickason's Blend for forgiveness.

WHAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH FOR ABOUT $200

A cordless Black & Decker leaf blower/vacuum/mulcher and a spare battery. This was a necessary purchase with all of the landscaping changes on the property. To test it out, I used it as a blower for about 20 minutes to remove fallen leaves off a good portion of the mulch and then herd them into a pile. I then switched out the blower hose for a vacuum hose and a collection bag and picked them up for easy disposal.

My new toy perfectly fits my idea of doing yard work. Work smarter, not harder.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

Ahnold. I loved the Arnold Schwarzenegger episode of Smartless I heard the other day. Even though we do not see eye to eye on some political matters, he’s one of the few Republicans out there I’d call reasonable.

WHAT I READ ON MY PAPERWHITE

I read a half dozen manga titles this past week, but the one that left the biggest impression on me was the final volume of Girlfriend, Girlfriend. I’m satisfied with how everything turned out but I wish their story would continue. 

I'll miss Shino, the light haired girl on the left. She's like the Japanese version of Charlotte York.

WHAT I WATCHED

A ton of new and returning anime shows during the past ten days. Some are wholesome and will leave you feeling like the world isn’t such a shit hole. Others will stretch boundaries for taste and decorum. Then there’s a couple I won't name that made me fear I’ll be consumed by the flames of Hades when I die.

In other words, it’s just another new anime season.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE 

The fact I test my blood sugar first thing in the morning and try to lose weight because I want to, and not because I’m required to. 

WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK

The defendant: Formula E team Mahindra.

The crime: They hired a beautiful brunette influencer named Ava to showcase the team’s journey during the upcoming Formula E season.… except she’s not a woman. Or a man posing as as woman. Or a human, for that matter. She’s an AI creation. It doesn’t matter if the team “fired” Ava due to overwhelming backlash. The true crime is they could have hired a real, live, annoying, self righteous influencer in the first place.

The sentence: Making Mahindra team principal Frederick Bertrand wear a Speedo while posing as a “grid boy” during this weekend’s season opening race in Mexico City is too cruel for us. He gets two slaps for the deed, and an extra one to knock some diversity and inclusion into him.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Tom Brady. While everyone is lauding Bill Belichick for his Hall of Fame coaching career, props should go to the person responsible for making that a reality. Without Brady at quarterback, “The Hoodie” is just another decent coach that gets fired within five seasons, just like when he coached the original Cleveland Browns.

Speaking of hoodies…

WHAT I EARNED VIA GAMING

Exclusive merch. I’ve wanted this champagne hoodie for my GTA Online character for quite some time, and now that we’ve completed all six casino missions on Hard Mode and thirteen different casino work jobs this past week she has what I’ll call a wearable trophy. You can’t buy this hoodie at Suburban or Ponsonby. You gotta earn it to wear it.

This is my character modeling the hoodie in her penthouse garage. It’s currently part of an outfit she wears when she’s not criming — err, conducting business transactions.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING

I knew Act I, aka the first 20% or so of my novel, would require the most work. I axed several chapters and replaced them with new ones, and the chapters I kept needed a major overhaul for a variety of reasons. I’m pleased to announce I only have two existing chapters left to edit before I can move on to Act II.

That One Time I...

 ... Pondered The Evils of Social Media

I've been sitting on some wonderful news since about three o'clock yesterday, so I have to get this off my chest before I resume editing my novel.

I had my specialist appointment yesterday and I was floored by the news I received. Now that my numbers are stable, they told me I'm no long required to meet with them and that they really don't have anything to teach me. They also stated I'm no longer required to test myself twice a day or at all. If my blood work remains stable when I'm tested again at the end of March my hidden disability will be in r-r-r...

Yes, I can pronounce the word remission. It was just shocking they brought it up first. Anyway...

They were so impressed with what I've done they want me to be featured in the hospital's newsletter. If this were two decades ago, back when social media was primarily used to connect with friends and family, I would have been delighted to become famous. My health care provider/hospital is quite noteworthy in my region, so my likeness and my personal journey would literally be on full display to millions of people, but...

We're living in 2024. Social media has long been the public square where you can be tried and convicted by a jury not of your own peers of heinous crimes like not being in lock step with Democrats (guilty), or driving an ICE vehicle instead of an EV (Akeno's ICE, ICE, baby!) It's also a great place to be wrongfully accused of real life shenanigans, and once upon a time that happened to me. The false accusations profoundly affected me to the point where I could not function at work, and because of that I lost the job I held at the time.

I have no desire to relive that hellish experience, so nixay on the newsletter. I know I did something incredible during the past three months or so, but I'm perfectly fine living life outside the spotlight.

(Not) Wordless Wednesday: MyIntent

A few years back, when Tang Satan was better known as Orange Foolius, I was moved to buy a token from MyIntent. I immediately put it on a 28" silver rope necklace but admittedly I haven't worn it in quite some time. I stumbled upon it while rummaging through my jewelry box for a Fitbit sports band the other day, and I've been wearing it every day since.

Sector 2814. Sassybear is likely the only one who knows what this means so I'll give y'all a brief explanation. In DC Comics's Green Lanterns, the galaxy is broken up into different sectors. Earth and its associated planets, both real and fictional, are part of Sector 2814. 

While Sassy is like Hal Jordan and his power ring glows green for law and order, I'm more like Guy Gardner and my power ring is crimson red with fury. I'm no villain, but I'm not above getting my hands a little dirty if it's for a good cause such as protecting others.

Even though I've mellowed with retirement, being a Red Lantern is like being part of the Las Vegas Raiders or Raider Nation as Atrocitus will attest...

If I see injustice, I will gladly kick it in the teeth. That is MyIntent.

What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 1

It’s a new year, and I thought I’d bring back two of my favorite comics ladies for my weekly post header. Here’s Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Or is it Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper? The panel is from the hilarious 2017-2018 crossover miniseries Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica, when the foursome were body switched during a Halloween Party. — Robzilla

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I lost 2.8 pounds this week and my BG numbers remain stable. 

While that is good news, the better news is how my body is handling illness. On Friday afternoon, I had a sore throat. Now that I'm off medications, I took Airborne that afternoon and once again on Saturday morning. As I write this, I'm glad to report the sore throat is gone and I have no other cold or flu symptoms. Let's hope it stays that way.

WHAT I ATE

Steak street tacos. Instead of talking about them, I decided to make them for dinner this weekend. I used sriracha flavored “zero net carb” flour tortillas, spread a layer of avocado on them, and then filled them with steak, diced onions and tomatoes, parsley, and cheese. 

WHAT I BOUGHT AND READ

In 2021 I started collecting physical copies of the manga series Kingdom of Z, but I had forgotten about it as time passed. A new volume was usually published every three to four months, but the fifth volume was delayed three months and it wasn’t until a year afterward that the final volume was published. 

When I bought the final volume this past week, I had to reread the prior ones to refresh my memory of Satou, a high schooler who thought he had died and gone to heaven when he was saved from zombies by the voluptuous Miki and the bat wielding Karin. One is a megalomaniac and the other can be described as a Japanese Harley Quinn.

The ending wasn’t perfect but I enjoyed the series.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

I’ve taken a break from listening to Smartless. The episode with Carey Mulligan a few weeks ago bored me to tears. I turned it off after twenty-five minutes and I haven’t streamed a podcast since.

WHAT I READ ON MY PAPERWHITE

I read Kingdom of Z all last week, so now I have a nice backlog of manga to work on.

WHAT I WATCHED

The Winter anime season has arrived, and I’ve decided to watch the third season of Classroom Of The Elite. I have issues with the writing, especially the character development, but my inner sadist needs to be sated. Watching mostly irredeemable teenagers (and a few adults) do shitty things to each other every Thursday afternoon is strangely appealing.

WHAT FILLED MY SILVER & BLACK HEART WITH PRIDE 

The local CBS affiliate finally had enough. At the last minute, and by that I mean just before I posted this on Saturday night, they decided NOT to televise the Kansas City Chiefs - Los Angeles Chargers game on Sunday. San Diegans get to watch the Green Bay Packers - Chicago Bears game instead.

WHO DESERVES TO BE SLAPPED AND THEN DRAGGED FROM AN ELEVATOR BY THEIR HAIR

The Baltimore Ravens, who are now reclassified as Fuck Yo’ Team!

I was horrified last Sunday when I learned the Ravens honored Ray Rice as a Legend of the Game. The only thing legendary about the former wide receiver is that he’s arguably the first NFL player ever held accountable for committing domestic violence. That only happened after video of the incident went viral, and then the league caved in after days of relentless public pressure. 

In case you’re wondering what Rice did, I put it in the subtitle above to spare you a Google search of graphic videos and images from a decade ago that are easily found.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

I don’t have any candidates this week. 

WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING

Things are going better than expected. I’ve edited the first five chapters, which includes writing a new one from scratch, as of Friday afternoon. I spent Saturday writing a new chapter from scratch, and as of this posting I'm still working on it before I move on. My best guess is I'm about 12% finished with this important round of edits.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A New Path...

 
Please forgive the poor lighting. I snapped this photo before sunrise, and a few hours before thunderstorms might hit where I live. 

Recently we've had some landscaping improvements done that have given my humble abode some curb appeal. There's a new block wall that borders the public sidewalk, so mud no longer needs to be scooped back onto the former Ice Plant Hill once the rains stops. This sidewalk, and the mulch that borders it, is also brand new. Once it's completed it will encircle the building.

There's still more work to be done on the property in the coming weeks, but I'm thankful that my days of killing copious amounts of weeds for hours on end every week in the Winter and Spring are over. 

Reflections On A New Year

 
New Year's Eve wasn't a quiet affair. People in the 'hood started celebrating just after I had dinner, so the annual game of "Ruger or Roman Candle" played out from seven o'clock until about twelve thirty. My guess was people were blowing up M80s and roman candles throughout the evening. Luckily, the only police sirens I heard were the ones my GTA Online character created while driving this vintage supercar based on the legendary McLaren F1.

I'm glad 2023 is in my rear view mirror. The first nine months were marked by death. Terri. Torrie. My old self. The last three months saw a resurgence of my very old self. The one that was full of optimism, ate right, and exercised on a regular basis.

I already know 2024 will be a better year. When I was considered svelte, back when I played hockey, I was like a sawed off linebacker on skates. Without giving numbers, my goal is to get down to close to my old playing weight. I don't think I'll look like I could audition to be in Mistress Maddie's candy shop, but I'll be thrilled with the end result if I get there.

The drugs have been out of my system since about Saturday, and I'm excited to report my testing numbers are virtually the same as when I was on meds. I have every reason to believe my doctor will declare my hidden disability is in remission by the end of March with the way things are going.

I get to do some much needed retail therapy soon. With retirement, my outfits tend to be a t-shirt and shorts. I sorely need more of the latter a size smaller. I'll also have to buy a new Robert Graham t-shirt, price be damned. The one I bought ran large to begin with, and with my weight loss it now looks like I'm wearing my boyfriend's shirt!

That's all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope 2024 is off to a good start for y'all!