Ara Ara, Robzilla!

  On Friday night I received a distressing update on my sister, and the only thing I'm certain of is how it will all end. She's back in the hospital and things are not looking good at all. I don't know what the next steps are, so I have to be patient and wait for further news. My brother's discharge from the rehab center has been delayed, which is good news. If he's not ready to return home, then it's for the best. I felt horrible for doing this, but I had to inform him he can't ride in Miku. There's no room to store a walker in the trunk, and I don't want to scuff up her decorative back seats. I've also "permanently" installed a removable wind screen that covers the rear seats since I enjoy driving Miku topless roughly 50% of the time. Gotta enjoy that perk while the weather is still agreeable! You're probably wondering why I'm showing off this Goodsmile Racing 2011 BMW Z4 GT3 race car from Gran Turismo 7, but I'll get to t

  I waited for the sun to hit these "Night Jack" mirror caps just right before I snapped this photo from my porch. You can also see a portion of the cover that protects Miku's soft top as well.

NOTE: Like elevators but unlike my Gran Turismo 7 race cars, there are no Chapter 13s in my weekly updates. If you read manga or manwha, think of this update as that bonus chapter that’s included at the end of a volume.  I have a busy personal schedule on Saturday morning so I’m posting this entry a little early. — Robzilla WHAT’S ON MY MIND Miku. I haven’t been this excited about a car since I filled rear view mirrors with fear dressed as a fourth generation Chevrolet Camaro Z28 a quarter century ago. She’s running well so far, and Carmax will soon have someone address a passenger side window gap. The glass likely just needs an alignment adjustment, and the 90-day warranty will take care of the costs. WHAT I ATE Bachan’s barbecue sauce transforms pan fried chicken or steak strips when I add a tablespoon during the last minute of cooking. It’s similar in scent to teriyaki sauce, but with less sodium. I think.  WHAT I BOUGHT FOR ME A Tumi duffel that’s the perfect bag for an overnight s

I had to post this picture of Hatsune Miku in her most recent outfit in order for this post to make sense. Do you notice the colors of her hair and outfit? There's a lot of teal and black there, which is what I thought of when I first saw this car on the lot Monday afternoon... As of today, Akeno has been replaced with this lovely Mini Cooper S convertible I've named Miku. It was an even swap, but the extended warranty set me back enough money to buy five Peleton bikes. I don't mind the extra expense at all. This is the kind of car I'll own until it's totaled in an accident or I surrender my driver's license. Or as I so eloquently told a sales rep that was on the fence over buying his dream muscle car, "If you love her enough, you'll put up with any shit she gives you." If you've followed my blogging for the past half decade then you know this was my dream car, and by that I mean I'm dreaming I'd fit in the driver's seat without los

Do you Hulu? I don't Hulu myself. I HIDIVE, but that's the reason why I'm asking y'all. I just learned some of my favorite anime shows and movies that were exclusively on HIDIVE will now be available on Hulu next month. Oshi No Ko , the anime about idol sensation Ai Hoshino and her twins Ruby and Aqua, will premiere its first season on July 1st. The first episode is 90 minutes long and serves as the prequel. The rest of the season's episodes are the standard 23 minutes or so. July 2nd is the premiere for the movie The Tunnel To Summer, The Exit To Goodbyes . I watched it a few months ago and found it enjoyable. July 3rd brings horror anime Dark Gathering and the action/adventure  Reincarnated As A Sword . The second season of The Eminence In Shadow will also premiere at that time, so I'm assuming the first season was already available. All three are worth a watch, especially Sword. Who wouldn't like watching a meek cat girl team up with a magical sword to b

83 degrees doesn't sound like sweltering weather, but when you take into account it was before nine o'clock and the humidity hovered at around 50% it's nearly unbearable first thing in the morning in a home without AC. The good news is I'm not as miserable as I would have been since I'm not carrying around so much excessive weight. 71 pounds lost since the end of September 2023 to be exact, and over 80 if we're counting what I weighed last summer. I hear the afternoon won't be so bad, so there's a good chance I'll feel more comfortable as the day progresses. *** I've changed my mind about Akeno after I had an eye opening talk with my best friend about car insurance last night. To make a long story short, if I'm going to pay a sports car insurance rate for a sedan then I might as well own the sports car. If the insurance quote I receive tomorrow is about the same or cheaper than what I pay now, I will test drive a gently used convertible I'

WHAT’S ON MY MIND Stress. There’s something going on that’s preventing me from getting a good night’s rest, but I don’t want to discuss that. Let’s talk about… Hope. The used compact SUV I test drove needs a new AC compressor, and it’s undetermined if the electrical issue is only a warning message that an old battery needs replacement. I’ll know more once the mechanic receives the new compressor. On the plus side, this compact SUV has go kart handling and other desirable features like its smaller, more popular sibling. It’s gorgeous two color combination is sadly no longer offered by the manufacturer. Its trademark hood bonnet stripes and the highly appointed, like new interior only add to its allure. By that description, you can probably guess the car I’d love to take home next week. WHAT SINFUL THING I ATE Not many things can calm my nerves like the Pillsbury biscuit sized cheesecake I ate on Monday evening. It was 300 calories of sugar and carbs, ara ara!   Emotional eating on a dai

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 &qu

... 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'

... 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

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 mornin

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 to

... 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 m

WHAT’S ON MY MIND I have no further updates on my family, so as the late Alain de Cadenet once said, “Welcome to Le Mans, where the cars are the stars!”. I'll be rooting for both the Ford Mustangs and The Iron Dames, an all female racing team whose Lamborghini has come agonizingly close to a podium finish in recent contests around the globe.  Maybe if I'm lucky, Motor Trend TV will have someone go around and interview drunk fans sometime Saturday night our local times? That's usually delightful entertainment when they slur profanity. WHAT I’M GOING TO EAT WITHOUT REMORSE Thin crust garlic chicken alfredo pizza plus a Caesar chicken salad for dinner on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a compromise between “I need to watch my carb intake,” and, “I’m going through a lot of fucking shit right now!” WHAT I WATCHED THAT MADE ME LAUGH KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World! This series never fails to entertain me, and the current “Darkness's Arranged Wedding” arc is hyster

  On Wednesday morning I learned there's more than one crow in my 'hood. There were four of them perched on a neighbor's fence, which ruined my plans to name the two I knew of Heckel and Jeckel. I know they're magpies, but I still thought they were good names since they like to "communicate" with each other at sunrise. One of them left a present in the front yard and now I have a souvenir I keep at my writing desk. I'm not really trying to post ten days in a row, but it sure seems like I'm doing it.

I'm quite fond of cherry blossoms, and this screenshot is from Gran Turismo 7. I'll write more about "Rossweisse" on Saturday, but for now check out that license plate frame. 

The hospitalized older sister was transferred to another hospital last week, and without any updates from the other sister I assumed she was either improving or fighting something that doctors discovered when she was in EICU. No news from my sister is usually a good thing, but... Then I received a phone call just before dinner tonight. It was the one I've dreaded but deep down I knew it was coming sooner or later. My sister has taken a turn for the worse, and after hearing the specifics of today's complications I'm bracing myself for the inevitable that could happen as soon as Friday. It figures this would happen during the weekend of Le Mans. In 2012, I watched my cat Ricky rapidly decline that weekend as we awaited test results for an aggressive form of cancer. One year later, I witnessed Allan Simonsen's fatal accident on the third lap. Now there's this casting a pall over what should've been an enjoyable weekend. I don't have a favorable update for my br

Two decades ago, the Speed Channel was something I watched almost as religiously as I watch anime today. Its programming was a welcome respite from conservatives debating faux liberals on the network news, and one of those shows was Victory By Design . Alain de Cadenet was like the voice of my thirties. He presented vintage cars to the audience for thirty minutes at a time, often dispensing its history in an easy going manner that even a noob could easily understand. And often, Alain drove those cars on camera. Lucky bastard!  I'm thinking of him today due to The 24 Hours of Le Mans is this weekend. The Speed Channel used to broadcast the race live, and Alain was often heard in the announcer's booth from time to time. He was no ordinary television presenter. He raced at Le Mans during the 70s and 80s, and made the podium with a third place finish in 1976. I still miss Alain.

  Someone put together a compilation of all the times Kurumi Tokisaki uttered her famous phrase during the first few seasons of Date A Live . With apologies to Akeno Himejima, no one can ara ara like Kurumi.

I see this cute opening for Chillin' In Another World With Level 2 Super Cheat Powers every Monday, so now you get to as well. This is Fenrys, aka Rys for short. She's a lupine demon that faced off against main character Filo in the opening episode. After she was defeated by him, she decided to become his wife!?! If only love was so simple...

  WHAT’S ON MY MIND The tub/shower combo will be replaced with a walk in shower in the coming weeks, and grab bars and dual shower heads will be part of the package. I don’t need the safety features now, but I’m sure they’ll come in handy when I get older. I also hear this dual shower head system is quite enjoyable for couples. Ara, ara! WHAT I ATE WITH(OUT) RELISH Chicken Queso Fresco salad with creamy avocado dressing. I enjoyed this Ready Pac Bistro salad so much I’m having it again for lunch this afternoon. WHAT I BOUGHT This is what the Zizzo indoor trainer looks like with the Forte attached to it, and there’s an oval shaped plastic cup that the front wheel sits on to help stabilize the bike.  WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ The King’s Beast, Volume 13 A Couple of Cuckoos, Volume 17 Let’s Do It Already!, Volume 1 (It’s not quite what you think it is!) The Ideal Sponger Life, Volume 16 Stray Cat & Wolf, Volume 3 I Can’t Say No To The Lonely Girl, Volume 2 I’m also reading the followin

  In the Date A Live Season V opener, there was this time when main character Shido Itsuka made Kurumi Tokisaki blush, which I thought was impossible. This clip shows not only that, but the variety of Kurumi clones available. The one in black is the version of her from five years ago. Oh, and that's how you say ara, ara !

I've always liked Itsuki Nakano. She's very expressive with her emotions, loves to eat, and some of her screenshots from  The Quintessential Quintuplets: Memories Of A Quintessential Summer  perfectly illustrate how my day went.  That was my face when I heard a homeless guy rummaging through my recycle bins in the alley at around seven o'clock this morning. It's not really a joke when I tell my friends that I'm feeding the homeless when I put out the trash. This has become a common occurrence, and it bothers the shit out of me when the bins no longer face the right direction afterward. That's me sitting in front of my laptop as I wonder what to write. It happens more often than I'd like to admit. For a midweek treat I had pan friend andouille sausage with steamed cauliflower and basmati rice for dinner. It was nothing short of glorious. Just before dinner my Zizzo indoor trainer was delivered. I told y'all I'd ease into exercising within the next 24

I don't want to wait until Saturday to get a few things off my chest, so here I go... MY SISTER: As expected, is not doing well. What happened to her, regardless of cause, has a high mortality rate that only increases when there's additional health concerns. She's still in EICU as of this writing, and I prefer not to discuss that any further. It's quite distressing to think about her when I don't keep myself busy. MY BROTHER: I've always said we have to get him the help he needs. The reality is it's a waste of time and resources if he's not willing to accept it. When I visited him at a local rehab center yesterday, a physical therapist entered his room and announced she was there to help him exercise his arms. I've harped on him since forever that he needs to increase his physical activity so he can regain mobility in his legs and remain self-sufficient. When I heard that he had requested physical therapy for his arms in addition to what he's a

  Jii-san Baa-san Wakagaeru (Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again) is one of my favorite current anime shows, and there's this one scene where Ine Saitou receives a phone call from a "son". There's no subtitles but I can give you the gist of what's going on based on my memory. Ine realizes almost instantly that it's not one of her real sons that contacted her but a scammer. She deftly handles the situation by playing along for a bit, and at one point tells them "I can't be your real mother, but if you're ever in a hard spot feel free to call me." All while she's recording them, of course. As you can probably guess at the end of the clip, the perp was captured.  This perfectly reflects what can happen to elderly people whenever they answer the phone, and the Aomori Perfecture Police is using this anime scene to illustrate how not to fall for real life phone scams. Whether we live in Japan or in America, we all need to take the proper prec

  I received further updates on my siblings, but I'm not quite ready to talk about them yet. So... Last night, I finished both the Normal and Good ending routes for Yotsuba, the athletic, energetic Nakano quintuplet. Here she's having a water gun fight with Fukaro. As part of her endings, there's a scene where Yotsuba and Futaro get lost in the forest and she plays with the wild bunnies that followed them.... Miku made friends with a bluebird during normal game play while I completed both of her endings. Miku is also quite the dreamer. She wants to cook for Futaru and be his wife!

The next couple of days promise to upend my world. I'm not prepared to discuss the deets at this time, so to fill any possible future voids in posting on the blog I thought I'd share the simple things that make me happy at the moment. Driving a Mazda Miata on a track as fast as I can. That's the one I referenced in my last post that needed to become yet another "Kurumi" clone.  I still wouldn't mind having a Miata as a second vehicle in real life, provided I continue to lose weight and exercise regularly. It's no fun to climb in and out of a car that low to the ground when your knees and other body joints are barking in protest. I usually don't care for getting Platinum level PlayStation trophies, but for The Quintessential Quintuplets: Quintessential Summer Memories game I'm making an exception. This will take up some of the time I'm not using to edit novel. I'm replaying the game from an in progress save to unlock both the normal and goo

  After the latest updates on my brother and sister, I need to keep things lighthearted and abstain from things that require me to concentrate for the foreseeable future. That's why I'm going to discuss my favorite antiheroine Kurumi Tokisaki rather than edit my novel this morning.  Why would I describe multiple Kurumis a murder? That's perhaps the best word to describe her power to make clones of herself. She didn't earn the codename Nightmare or the nickname Killer Kurumi for giggles during the anime's first season, so it fits. Anyway... while testing out various cars in Gran Turismo 7's Sport Mode environment during the past few days I came to a conclusion. I should use only one livery for my race cars, regardless of what category they compete in.  With that in mind, let me introduce you to my Murder of Kurumis. This 2016 Nissan GT-R GT500 (Group 2) on the left is considered the O.G., the first car to have Kurumi grace her hood. Her colors are all official Ni