Rebirth Of The Red Lantern: Volume 1, Chapter 4

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

The travel bug. This recent trip has awakened a part of me that lied dormant for two decades. I look forward to satisfying that hunger during 2025 and 2026, especially when I'll need to leave Le Crash Pad due to a city project that will take up to fourteen months to complete. 

More on that in the coming months.

WHAT BOTTLE I OPENED 

Kendall Jackson Winemaker’s Block 2022 Chardonnay (Total Wine, $20.99) KJ’s Vintner’s Reserve was like comfort food for me back in the day, and this version is an upgrade that goes well with just about anything. You can never go wrong with KJ wines if “bang for your buck” is your jam. 

WHAT I BOUGHT

One large and one medium TUMI packing cube because of course. I’ll likely have a future post just before my next trip to show how I’m packing for an overnight stay. Speaking of which…

WHERE I’M GOING

Old Town Temecula. There’s a pub I want to lunch at, and there’s plenty of shops nearby to browse. I already booked a one night stay at the nearby Springhill Suites, too. It will be quite an eventful 24 to 28 hours when it all goes down.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

Billy Squier. I used to listen to his music all the time when MTV played nothing but music videos, so why not?

WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ

Not much this week. Wuthering Heights is an enjoyable slog and I finally reached the halfway point during my mini vacation. Two J-Novel Club titles look like they might be paused until new volumes are available to translate into English.

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (In progress)
• I Cross-Dressed For The IRL Meetup, Volume 3 (final volume)

Also from J-Novel Club…

• The Hero And The Sage: Reincarnated And Engaged, Volume 3
• Duchess In The Attic, Volume 3  

WHAT I WATCHED

I watch Crunchyroll and YouTube TV daily on the big screen, but this week I streamed those services on my tablet while traveling. That was very convenient.

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY

Overcoming my travel fears, which included using someone else’s bathroom. It’s only natural to be a little apprehensive when it’s your first time away from home since forever. 

WELCOME TO SLAPSVILLE…

My bathroom scale. More on that at the end…

A FIST BUMP GOES TO…

The staff at Springhill Suites were so welcoming that I tipped them well on my way out the door. I hope to run into some familiar faces upon my return this week.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I weighed 256.8 this morning. I don’t doubt that I gained 1.6 lbs. I doubt that most of it was fat.

Yesterday, I wore jeans while shopping and I noticed two things. My belt fit tighter than it ever did and my jeans felt like they’re now two sizes two small. I thought there was a good chance I’d finally break into the 254s for the first time since my twenties, but I guess not.

Perhaps I’ll just quote Sam Star, last week’s winner on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and blow this off. “Suck my tuck!”