Palm Desert: Pre-Departure

 
I'm both hopeful and powerless at sunrise. These low clouds will burn off within a few hours, giving way to glorious sunshine. 

On Sunday I quit Reddit for the third and likely final time. It's both a time waster and a negative impact on my mental health. I'm a ray of sunshine by default, but I grew tired of trying to break through the gloominess called public discourse on a daily basis.

Breakfast is a lite affair. A bowl of multigrain Cheerios with 2% milk and blueberries. A whole wheat English muffin with that chunky almond butter I picked up at Dudley's not long ago. I must pick up another jar the next time I eat lunch there. It's a step above Justin's both in taste and texture.

Ulmandra from the anime Headhunted To Another World is a cutie, and I feel just like her for good reason. The latest weather update shows temperatures in my area won't be as hot as previously predicted. I don't need to stuff eight wine bottles in my fridge during my absence. I can get away with cracking open a few windows so the nighttime air keeps them cool throughout the day. Spo's wine is chilled in the fridge and I'm fairly confident it will remain cool during transport.

Despite the favorable weather forecast, there's still doom and gloom. I didn't mention it before, but my brother was hospitalized over the weekend with an illness that seemed like it wasn't a big deal. I found out late last night that it's become a huge fucking deal. 

Of course I receive this news when I can no longer get a refund for cancelling my three night stay. All I can say publicly is that I cannot visit him due to he's contagious, and even worse there is a very real chance he could die of complications while I'm out of town. I have no choice but to say "The show must go on" with a heavy heart or I'll eat roughly $750. Ouch!

Before I leave there's a life to live. I've scheduled my bill payments now so I have one less thing to worry about upon my return. I'll get in my weight training workout in a few hours, and Miku needs a wash before we depart. I know it's going to rain next weekend, but if I can make her presentable for a few days I'm willing to shill out $15 for that privilege. I'll need to turn on the Kindle app on the Surface Pro 11 so I can download this week's manga reads.

In the interim, I might try to repack my carry on bag with my clothes and toiletries and use the backpack for the electronics and miscellaneous stuff. I have a feeling that with some creative packing and different clothing options I may be able to travel "smaller" like I do for my Temecula visits.

If all goes as planned, I hope I feel like Ulmantra during Happy Hour for a little while today.