Rebirth Of The Red Lantern: Volume 1, Chapter 5

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

I checked my finances like I always do on the 15th and the last banking day of the month, and I still have more money than I did when I retired over two years ago. I’m not against the idea of booking yet another two night stay somewhere before my Palm Desert trip. I could use a little more inspiration, if not quiet time away from any and all distractions at Le Crash Pad. 

Okay. I’ll fess up. I really enjoy these writing retreats, and that’s what these short trips really are. Every place I visit is planting a seed into fertile soil, and the time spent in front of a laptop is me checking to see if it germinates. Novel prep is roughly 67% finished at this point, and soon I can begin writing the first draft.

I love being a “gardener”, even though it’s that time of year when my natural gas bill threatens to encroach the triple digit cost barrier.

WHAT BOTTLE I OPENED 

I opened the Greyrock Reserve Savuignon Blanc 2022 this week, and I’ve updated the 2025 Wines page with a brief review. It’s a keeper, y’all!

WHAT I BOUGHT

I took Miku to the car wash yesterday. $15 is a small price to pay to ensure she’s presentable for where I’m headed…

WHERE I’M GOING

I’m attending a wine class at Total Wine this evening. I look forward to replenishing my brain with lost knowledge. Perhaps I’ll discover a new favorite to restock my wine rack? A pair of glasses suitable for red wine? A can of Beer Nuts? All of the above? I’m bringing my WS tote and a travel sleeve just in case.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

A recent Disgraceland podcast reminded me that Blink 182 was broken up by aliens, or rather Tom DeLonge’s pursuit of the truth about them. I streamed the episode during my weight training workout in SpringHill Suite’s fitness center yesterday morning.

WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ

I finished reading Wuthering Heights last weekend. Since Spo was interested in what I thought about it here goes. It was like having sex with someone that you had no feelings for. I felt nothing for the characters well before the end, and now it will gather dust on a shelf with the sole purpose of impressing others that I’ve completed the literary journey.

Below is what I read this week.

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 
• The Game by Ken Dryden (in progress)
• Ogami-san Can’t Keep It In, Volume 7 (final volume)
• DC’s Lex and the City, Volume 1 (aka DC Comics 2025 Valentine’s Day special)
• Green Lantern #19

Also from J-Novel Club…

• The Hero And The Sage: Reincarnated And Engaged, Volume 3 (Finished. Volume 4 awaits me)
• Duchess In The Attic, Volume 3 (Finished. Final volume?)

WHAT I WATCHED

Old time hockey clips on YouTube. I miss the days when Gangs of New York referred to the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders or the New Jersey Devils rather than a Daniel Day-Lewis movie. As much as I love hockey, I really don’t miss today’s NHL. 

Perhaps that’s my cue to take in a San Diego Gulls game?

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY

Artoria got 37.4 mpg on her way home from Temecula, which justifies her place in my heart as the sensible MINI. It helps that she has a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, and that I drove a steady 75 mph on the freeway when possible.

WELCOME TO SLAPSVILLE… ME!

SpringHill Suites shoulders Interstate 15 and stupid me never uses the gratis ear plugs or chamomile tea found by the coffee maker and microwave oven. I probably should’ve used them Thursday night because I was dog shit during Friday’s weight training workout. Like that extra bar of soap you pack in your back on your way out the door, these make great keepsakes to remember my one day getaway.

A FIST BUMP GOES TO…

I’m actually down for a group hug for everyone this week. There’s a lot of people out there doing shitty things to others and without remorse. We don’t need that. 

There’s also the plane crashes in Washington D.C. and North Philly weighing on my mind, too.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I lied two nights ago when I said I don’t care if I gain weight from my Old Town Pub visit. I do care. I still need to lose weight so I can one day visit a plastic surgeon and ask him to address the loose skin situation in a number of places on my body. So imagine my surprise when I hopped on the scale this morning and it read 256.8. I didn’t gain or lose a single ounce. That’s probably the best case scenario considering what I ate two days ago.

The only thing I’m doing differently is that I’ve traded the exercise bike for two brisk laps around my hilly block. The journey is 1.4 miles that’s challenging due to various inclines. Two of them are at about 45 degrees. I do one lap and then change directions upon my return home. My best time is 25 minutes, just long enough to enjoy a Welcome To Nightvale podcast episode.

That's what I'll do within the next two hours, and with a jacket and gloves if I'm smart enough to use them.