Reborn As An Early Retiree, I Now Wander America’s Costliest City: Volume 2, Chapter 9

 

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

Family matters. It’s like life has become a Morrissey album, except I don’t get the urge to blow my head off after listening to the last track. All I can do is try to keep myself occupied so I don’t dwell on disturbing things that are happening.

WHAT I ATE & DRANK

A lemon flavored Suntory -196 to wash down a steak on Thursday night. After I spoke with my sister that afternoon regarding the family updates, I needed something resembling comfort food to take the edge off of things. 

WHAT I BOUGHT

A Samsung S9 FE 128GB tablet to replace the three year old Samsung A7 that picked the perfect time to die on me. It was $100 off due to a Labor Day Weekend sale. Yay!

I changed my mind and signed up for NFL Sunday Ticket yesterday. I really don’t want to be tethered to my house on Sundays, but once the package price dropped roughly $70 below the renewal rate I was originally offered I jumped at it. Go Raiders!

WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ

• High School DxD, Volume 14 (In progress)
• Someone’s Girlfriend, Volume 1
• Oshi No Ko, Volume 7
• I Married My Female Friend, Volume 3
• Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents, Volume 1

Also from J-Novel Club:

• The Hero And The Sage: Reincarnated And Engaged, Volume 2
• The Poison King: Now That I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, The Bewitching Beauties In My Harem Can’t Get Enough Of Me, Volume 2
• An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels For Me!, Volume 8

WHAT I WATCHED

Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine. This 2021 documentary not only covered the band’s history but showed them prepare for a 2019 meet and greet at Metalworks Studios that closed the book on things. 

What really got me emotional was how unlike most 80s heavy metal bands they always took the time to respond to fan letters. They are quite proud of making a positive difference in people’s lives, and are truly good people.

I need to find some Triumph merch like the t-shirt I had back in high school.

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY

I learned a hidden feature with Miku’s remote. If I press and hold the unlock button once, her soft top rolls back like a sunroof. Press and hold the button a second time and the windows and convertible top come down. I can also do something similar with Yuki’s sunroof and windows.

WHAT I’M WRITING

A rough draft for an online dating profile. I’ll likely sign up for Bumble or something like it after my birthday. I want Bert to take a photo of me behind the wheel of Miku. On my own I’ll take ones of myself dressed up and another one after one of my Zumba workouts.

I don’t consider myself a thirst trap but that should get me some right swipes, right?

WHERE I’M GOING

A comics shop in my old ‘hood. I hope to run into a female friend that I haven’t seen in a couple of years, and I’d love to see the look on her face when she notices my weight loss. I'm 100% certain that in the decade I've known her I've never looked like I do now.

WELCOME TO SLAPSVILLE…

I volunteer myself for the honor. Yesterday morning I forgot to add bread and ginger tea to my shopping list when I took Yuki to Sprouts. Guess who took Miku to Vons later that afternoon? One slap, please.

A FIST BUMP GOES TO…

Bert. My fellow perpetual bachelor is out of the country for the next three weeks to see his special someone. I tease him about getting her a green card to make thing easier, and I love how we can joke like that with each other. I have absolutely no right to judge him. Not after I had a genuine Canadian girlfriend and then put an expensive engagement ring on her finger not long afterward. 

WHO DAT? DAT ME?

I’m a little startled by what I see in the mirror. I’ve got muscle definition, and my limbs have large veins popping out of them like I’m a bodybuilder after I exercise. It’s also frustrating that the last place a man loses weight is their midsection, so you can imagine me yelling at my stomach to catch up with the rest of my body!

FINALLY… WHAT’S A DAVE HAMPTON?

In 1972, running back Dave Hampton became the first Atlanta Falcons player that rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. When he crossed that threshold and stood at 1,001 yards, the game was stopped for the team to honor him. When play resumed, he was tackled for a six yard loss and finished the season with 995 yards.

I stepped on the scale this morning and it read 261.0. Ara ara!

Even though I crossed a milestone weight threshold twice like Hampton did half a century ago, it’s not all bad news. Of the 0.6 pounds I gained this week, 0.4 of it was muscle. With the increase in Zumba activity, my body felt like it lacked sufficient nutrients so I fed it more protein and calories than I normally would. After yesterday’s workout, I noticed my body recovers quite nicely afterward so I don’t need to do that going forward.

Now I need to get back on track so I can be two fifty something for my upcoming physical.

FYI, Dave rushed for 997 yards in 1973, missed part of the 1974 season and then rushed for 1,002 yards in 1975. In hindsight, the Falcons are only guilty of honoring him three years early.

Have a great weekend, y’all!