Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Monday, February 26, 2024
And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor...
When reason fails, force prevails.
Even though I'm retired, I needed a little dark humor to get my Monday morning going.
My character earned that Black Eagle hat from the Weapons Expert career track. That livery is one of many that can be chosen for the GTA Online version of the Ford Raptor pickup truck, which has quickly become one of my favorite vehicles to drive in San Andreas.
I've always envisioned my character's back story as ex-military, but instead of dog tags she has a diamond encrusted platinum skull on that chain around her neck. She looks quite badass!
Saturday, February 24, 2024
What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 8
WHAT’S ON MY MIND
Taxes. I haven’t received all of my 1099 forms yet, but I discovered I made more investment income than I thought in 2023. My mutual funds surprised me with how much taxable income they generated through dividends and trades.
In my mind, this justifies my decision to walk away from an employer that was killing me slowly. Alternately, that header image is me thinking about how much I'll pay in taxes this year despite being retired. I guess this will be the new normal going forward.
WHAT I BOUGHT
This spiralizer and slicer attachment was delivered to my front porch on Monday morning. I wanted to satisfy a certain food craving, so the Kitchen-Aid stand mixer will no longer catch dust in the corner of my kitchen counter.
WHAT I ATE, PART I
Zoodles, also known as spiralized zucchini noodles. I made a sauceless pasta dish a couple of times this week. The first time I made zoodles they were a soggy mess due to not drying them properly and overcooking them. The second time they weren’t quite cooked to al dente but were otherwise good.
I’m making them again tonight with andouille sausage for a somewhat sinful dinner, and hopefully I’ll cook them just right this time.
I used a spatula to spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on top of the salmon before pressing a crust mixture onto it. It was scrumptious, and I will now eat salmon this way going forward.
WHAT I LISTENED TO
No podcasts this week. I had to concentrate during my writing time.
WHAT I READ
I read my own novel in addition to this week's new manga. I’ll explain why later. Moving on…
WHAT I’M WATCHING
NASCAR’s Xfiniti Series. For the first time since President Obama’s second term (I think), I watched an entire NASCAR race on Monday night and enjoyed it. Shane Van Gisbergen, aka SVG, finished 12th at Daytona, and I look forward to watching him race at Atlanta this afternoon.
WHAT MADE ME LAUGH
Eric Hosmer’s “self awareness”. The recently retired baseball player stated during his first podcast this past week that he couldn’t play baseball anymore once he realized he couldn’t give 110 percent.
Uhhh… San Diegans realized that about Hosmer not long after he signed with the Padres as a free agent back in 2018.
WHAT MADE ME CRINGE
Even though Hosmer is now retired, the Padres still have to pay him $13 million both this year and in 2025. At least the tale of Bobby Bonilla Day is hilarious due to Bernie Madoff’s involvement. This just feels like paying full price for Zack Snyder's Suicide Squad on Blu-Ray.
WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK
The defendants: Major League Baseball
The crime: The new uniforms are made with a special fabric that will let fans get more up close and personal with their favorite players this season. Especially the ones that don’t wear undershirts and/or shorts beneath them.
The verdict: Guilty as sin. For Commissioner Rob Manfred’s punishment I’ll “make it hail” sideways so it hurts.
FYI, Bryce Harper usually wears a baggy uniform so don’t get your hopes up too much the next time the Phillies have a rain delay.
WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP
Aussie racer Thomas Randle. His wet weather driving during the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race convinced me he can contend for this year’s Repco Supercars championship as long as the Ford Mustang that races down under doesn’t run like dog shit like it did most of last season.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH
I tested my blood the morning after eating the crusted salmon and my glucose reading was well within normal limits for a non-diabetic. I also lost 1.4 pounds despite fighting a lingering head cold most of this week and abstaining from exercise until I feel better.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRIT —ERR, I MEAN READING
This week I read the second draft of my novel, and I had an Open Office text document window open to take notes. I took no prisoners while reading my manuscript, and I believe the writing is still rough in some scenes. There were a few scenes that require nothing more than little polish, so that made me feel better about my writing. I’m glad I took this unflinching look at my novel. I have a better understanding of what needs to be fixed, and it also steeled my nerves for the day when an editor or a beta reader scrutinizes my writing.
The fact is, I need to get better if I want someone to publish this novel. Even if that publisher is me.
Thursday, February 22, 2024
That One Time I...
...Bought Kirkland Gasoline.
When I named my car after High School DxD's Akeno Himejima, I knew I had to take care of her just like I did Harley, the flame red 2001 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Intrepid ES that I lovingly owned until she was rear ended by some jackass late to work from their lunch break.
Weather permitting, I get Akeno washed once a month. I'll clean the interiors as needed. I get her maintenance done on time, and early if I can. She deserves to be treated like a queen, and I refuse to let her run on bargain priced gasoline. I've always put Chevron's supreme in her tank, but now that the price is inching back to $5.50 a gallon I felt it was time to put my Costco membership to good use.
This morning, at roughly six o'clock to avoid the monstrous midday lines, I filled up her tank with $4.86 a gallon supreme gas. I have heard nothing but good things about Costco, so I'm curious to see if Akeno's gas mileage and turbo boost are similar to how she runs on Chevron. Only time will tell, and with how little I drive I won't know until March how she does. Please wish us both luck.
P.S.: I have no idea who did that Akeno fan art above but the term yamato nadeshiko came to mind when I saw it.
Monday, February 19, 2024
Saturday, February 17, 2024
What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 7
WHAT’S ON MY MIND
It’s racing season! The Bathurst 12 Hours endurance race is this weekend, and Supercars will take to the track at Mount Panorama next weekend. Now I have something to watch on most Friday and Saturday nights once again.
WHAT I ATE
You already know what I ate on Singles Awareness Day — err, Valentine’s Day, and I decided not to buy discounted chocolate candy at Vons afterward. Moving on…
WHAT I BOUGHT
A clear plastic container with an air tight lid. It wasn’t advertised it was made for coffee, but it’s perfect to store it. I had no choice but to buy one after I had a messy accident while opening a bag of Peet’s Big Bang.
WHAT I LISTENED TO
Fucking in the streets. Okay, I did not hear or see actual fucking in the streets but the Disgraceland podcast about the MC5 had it in its title. That was an interesting trip down memory lane. There was also another episode about that one time The Clash “double sold out” a Times Square venue. That pissed everyone off except for the greedy promoters that sold roughly two tickets for every seat.
WHAT I READ
There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…, Volume 4 was the most noteworthy thing I read during a light reading week. I wondered why the artwork looked so much like Whisper Me A Love Song, and then I discovered Eku Takeshima is the artist for both titles.
WHAT I TRIED TO WATCH
The Wreckfest 250, aka last night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. There were 12 caution flags, and it looked like hardly anyone was capable of running alongside another truck without banging into them.
The ARCA race that happened afterward wasn’t any better. Shane VanGisbergen’s debut on an oval track was a quick one. He started 34th, made it up to 18th in three laps, and then got hit from behind in a multicar wreck not of his making.
WHAT MADE MY STOMACH QUEASY
Pigbuttamari. I viewed an Instagram video clip where some dude explained to viewers the process that some restaurants use to prepare, fry and then serve a pig’s butt instead of squid for takeout calamari. You know it’s really bad when a chorizo aficionado like me won’t ever touch takeout calamari, and chorizo is made with everything from the pig but the oink.
WHAT MADE ME SMILE
Reiji Miyajima’s manga The Shiunji Family Children is getting an anime, and his better known manga Rent-A-Girlfriend recently published its 35th Japanese volume. I’m collecting the English translated RAG volumes, so I’m assuming I’ll need to buy another bookcase in a few years.
WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK
Court is adjourned for this week because…
WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP
The Manhattan Supreme Court. 350 million of them. I especially love the part that Tang Satan has to post an exorbitant amount of cash as a surety bond to appeal the decision.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH
The good news is I lost 1.8 pounds this week. The bad news is I strained my lower back and my obliques from using the blower to remove leaves off the property for an extended period of time yesterday. I don't believe it's serious enough to require medical attention, and I can rest all I want after I remove the weeds from the backyard later today because...
WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING
The so called “300 pages of ideas” is now 269 pages of ideas taking shape. In plain English, the second draft is done. Now I can scratch my head over the fact that despite shedding 31 pages the word count for the manuscript increased by about 7,000 words.
I’ll likely take the rest of the month off before I start the next round of edits. I need a break!
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
(Not) Wordless Wednesday: Singles Awareness Day
I'm unattached, and Terri and Torrie are no longer with me. This is the first Valentine's Day in forever that I'm truly alone, but I had Miku accompany me on a little road trip in Gran Turismo 7.
We started our journey under cloudy skies in the Gaslamp Quarter, a place Comic Cons fans know well.
This is us exiting Hell's Corner, the first turn before we head up Mountain Straight.
Forrest's Elbow isn't just one of the trickiest corners in racing. It's home to a very affluent neighborhood filled with people who are living out a motor sports fan's dream. If you have about $2 million US to spare on a new residence, there's this property listing just outside the turn to gawk at. Considering $2 million might get you a tract four bedroom house under 2,000 square feet in the more affluent San Diego neighborhoods, the novelty of having a home address with Conrod Straight in the name is a steal in my eyes.
Any visit to Mount Panorama's race track/public roads requires posting a screenshot from Brock's Skyline, the top of the mountain, before we begin our descent.
Even though I'm "alone" for the consumer holiday, I'll show myself some love for dinner tonight. Remember that broccoli crust pizza I had for the Super Bowl? It was surprisingly one of the tastiest frozen pizzas I've ever had in my life.
When I cooked mine, I pulled it out of the oven with about three minutes left in its cooking time. I topped it with half of a diced roma tomato and then put it back in the oven. After I put the pie on a cutting board to rest, I sprinkled parsley and parmesan cheese on it.
I'm guessing those little extras I added improved its flavor profile. I now want this on the regular provided it doesn't hinder my weight loss efforts.
That's all I got for now. Go enjoy the "holiday"!
Monday, February 12, 2024
Swarmed
I didn't feel the earthquake, which was later downgraded to a 4.8 by seismologists, but my curiosity got the better of me. I looked online, and the southern part of the San Andreas Fault is stirring awake again. There's been an endless swarm of earthquakes south of the Salton Sea since then, which is actually good news for everyone not in the immediate area. I'd rather have a swarm of quakes telling us the earth's plates are creeping along as they should instead of one big jolt that does catastrophic damage in a large area.
In other words, this is normal life in Southern California. Carry on.
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Oh Em Gee...
That was not me in Number 14 on the list. I swear. But I can imagine that happened in the neighborhood where the ancestral home is. When I lived there during my college years, it was like existing in a different world than the one I grew up in.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 6
WHAT’S ON MY MIND
Voting. I mailed in my ballot for Super Tuesday, but I didn’t vote for Tang Satan, Joey From Scranton, or Media Darling Nikki for that matter. In California, if you’re registered as a Non-Partisan voter you’ll receive a streamlined ballot that excludes Presidential candidates in primary elections. That’s the rules.
WHAT I BOUGHT
The ZiZZO bike now has front and rear USB rechargeable lights, and a German made bike lock that defies logic. Two scales say it only weighs five pounds but when it is folded up for storage it feels like a metal brick that’s twice its weight in my hand.
WHAT I WILL EAT
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and I don’t want to feel left out. I have never eaten a pizza with a crust made from ingredients normally served at Souplantation, so this will be an interesting dining experience. I may add diced roma tomatoes and parsley to it during the final stages of the cooking process to get more veggies in my system.
WHAT I LISTENED TO
Disgraceland. TED Talks Daily. Smartless. New Heights. That last podcast features Jason and Travis Kelce and it’s quite funny at times. They force me to shove aside my ill feelings about the Queefs (Chiefs) for an hour and a half but it’s all good.
I did not come up with that witty nickname. Members of Raider Nation have called the team from KC that for decades.
WHAT I READ
Cat + Gamer. It’s about Riko, a twentysomething woman with a serious gaming habit, that takes in a tuxedo kitten she names Musubi. I love how there’s a two page bonus chapter after each chapter, and it’s basically the preceding chapter written from Musubi’s point of view.
You can tell Wataru Nadatani loves cats, and after reading the first two volumes it’s become one of my favorite manga series.
WHAT I WATCHED
Maid Sama! This 2010 anime is about Misaki, the student council president that works in a maid cafe after school to help her family pay off her deadbeat father’s debts, and Usui, the handsome boy that discovers her secret job and falls for her.
Some people say it’s one of the best animes from the 2010s, while others have issues with the plot and character development. Both critiques are valid, but I enjoyed it. I watched it on HIDIVE, but it might also be found on other streaming services if you want to give it a try.
WHAT MADE ME SMILE
Walking away a winner at The Casino of Emotions, aka Wall Street. My gut feelings for Costco (COST) and Ford (F) paid off. Speculators have pumped up the warehouse stock for awhile now, and the latter is back to its normal price range.
I felt it was the perfect time to cash in my chips on both of those stocks and bank my capital gains from them. I still remember what happened with Qualcomm's stock a quarter century ago, and I want no part of that when it happens to Costco.
WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK
The defendants: The Democratic and Republican parties.
The crime: Giving us a pair of Presidential candidates that are uninspiring, have memory issues, and quite frankly are unfit to hold the highest office in America.
The verdict: Guilty as fuck. It would be fitting if Republicans and Democrats alike received slaps on both sides of their faces for giving us the same old tired shit every four years.
WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP
Frankie Muniz. I have to give props to the latest actor to attempt a Paul Newman-like star turn on a race track. He finished fourth in the drivers standings in his first full time ARCA season last year, and this year he’s trying to step up to NASCAR’s Xfinity Series on a part time basis.
That’s one step below the big show, so we should probably consider him a race car driver that occasionally acts now.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH
Physically I feel great, but I only lost 0.2 lbs this week. I increased the intensity of my recumbent bike workouts, so I’m hoping all I did was replace fat with muscle. Otherwise, I’ll have to find out what’s going on if this continues.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING
I sailed past the midway point of my novel and I might be at the 2/3 point as of this morning. I’ll likely work on it during the Super Bowl to make up for future lost time. Once the yard dries out, there’s an organic spinach farm that needs to be removed from the premises. That will eat up at least a couple of hours either Monday or Tuesday that otherwise would’ve been spent editing.
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
(Not) Wordless Wednesday: Not So Nice Comics
Rose Wilson, aka Ravager, hanging out with her brother Joey.
This was hilarious when the Browns weren't winning.
Dex-Starr, you're such a cutie! Uh...
Huntress and Black Canary, please tell us more how you really feel about Batman.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Tuesday Music Club: RIP Toby Keith
Yes, Toby Keith's politics were a little problematic at times. He voted twice for Bill Clinton, but also twice for Shrub. He re-registered as an Independent after liberals told him he couldn't support war. He didn't say who he voted for in 2008 but noted Obama was doing a good job. He spat venom at both Presidential candidates in 2016, and then performed for Tang Satan out of duty to America, not a political party.
I'm heartbroken that Toby lost his battle with cancer. One of his songs became my personal anthem once I reached a certain age. Even now while I'm shedding weight and becoming a shape other than round, I still feel... well, play the video and you'll understand.
Rest in peace, Toby. Independents like us will always be misunderstood.
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Saturday, February 3, 2024
What Happened To Me?!: Volume 1, Chapter 5
WHAT’S ON MY MIND
Are we done yet? I thought the clinic was finished with my blood sample but another test was ordered midweek. That one yielded normal results, but at this point I don’t know if I should be relieved or freaking out.
I'm officially retired! I look forward to my spam folder being less bloated going forward. As of Thursday, my insurance license expired.
WHAT I ATE
2 ounces of Cheetos. Puffed crack is wack, y'all.
WHAT I BOUGHT
A 26 oz. Brita water bottle in translucent blue. I discovered mid week that it only takes one drop on a handful of concrete steps to crack one.
WHAT I LISTENED TO
Welcome To Nightvale. I canceled YouTube Music and resumed using the Amazon Music app. I forgot I had subscribed to this podcast, and I enjoyed listening to the latest episode during Friday’s workout. It was the first one I’ve streamed since two years ago, I think.
I also listened to Bawdy Storytelling, an adults only podcast that's often hilarious.
WHAT I READ
Whisper Me A Love Song, Volumes 6 & 7. It’s been so long since the prior volume was published, so I reread it to refresh my memory before ingesting the latest one.
WHAT I WATCHED
I had no idea what Snack Basue was about when I gave it a try a few weeks ago. I’m always leery when a new anime arrives sans a one paragraph synopsis, but its humor is right up my alley. It’s about a group of middle aged guys hanging out at a Japanese snack bar. I’ll admit I’d feel right at home in one of those in real life, which is a polite way of saying I'm not 25 anymore.
WHAT MADE ME SMILE
The gopher situation is confined to that small area in the picture I posted the other day. Now that little fucker has deadly tablets to snack on courtesy of the pest control company. I hope there is no further activity in the yard in the coming months.
WHAT MADE ME SAD
Carl Weathers died. Most people knew him as Apollo Creed or Chubbs Peterson. I also knew him as an Oakland Raiders linebacker and a San Diego State alum that played on two undefeated college football teams coached by Don Coryell.
Fun fact: One of Carl’s defensive teammates at SDSU was Fred Dryer. What are the odds of two college teammates becoming NFL players and then successful Hollywood actors? I don’t think that’s ever happened before or since.
WHO’S IN SLAP COURT THIS WEEK
The defendant: Formula 1
The crime: Denying Andretti Motorsport’s application for an F1 team in 2026.
The verdict: NOT guilty! As much as I hate the idea that F1 loves American dollars but not our participation, I can’t blame them for getting cold feet. Between letting a Russian oligarch buy a seat for his idiot son and the Rich Energy sponsorship fiasco, who needs a second fuck nugget fiesta on the starting grid like Haas F1?
WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP
F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, for finally putting his career first. I don’t know if things will be better at Ferrari in 2025, but Mercedes wasn’t doing him any favors during the past couple of seasons.
I also choose to overlook the fact he's part owner of the Donks, aka the Denver Broncos.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH
Even though I purposely increased my caloric intake during the past few days, I lost 1.8 pounds this week. I also got in plenty of physical activity due to yard work, which also helped matters.
WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING
Not much. Between shopping for my brother’s new car and the yard work, real life destroyed any momentum that carried over from last week. I still got a decent amount of editing done, but I’m not yet at the halfway point of this round of edits. I hope to race past that this week.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
That One Time I...
...Rewarded Myself With Empty Calories
I've done a great job with my weight loss since I received my hidden disability diagnosis, so yesterday I decided to reward myself with something I abstained from since September. Like most people, I fell for the marketing gimmick that I'd get nine cents off if I bought two one ounce bags of Cheetos when I went grocery shopping at Vons the other day. And like most people, those two bags were lucky to survive five hours in my household.
These little fuckers are so addicting I had a reckoning. I realized once both of them were gone I was left wanting for more. It's then that I remembered what my problem was with my prior dietary habits.
I'm not posting this to scold anyone for their eating habits. I just want this to serve as a reminder why we really shouldn't put Frito-Lay or other similar snacks in our shopping carts on a regular basis.
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