Rebirth Of The Red Lantern: Volume 1, Chapter 6

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

Writing. The novel prep is finished, and now I await inspiration to strike. That will have nothing to do with The Muse. We’re still no contact, and that’s for the best.

Barring a serious case of writer’s block, I should knock out the first draft in two to three months. I’m assuming I’ll write a chapter a day, five days a week, on average. That should strike a delicate balance between me living my best life and maintaining my sanity while perched in front of a laptop.

WHAT BOTTLE I OPENED 

Callaway 2022 Winemaker’s Reserve Harmonique. I’ve updated the 2025 Wines page with my quick review. 

I purchased another bottle for the Palm Springs trip, and I hope Spo and anyone else that's there will love it as much as I do. 

WHAT I BOUGHT

I had a lot of fun dining out and shopping at the beginning of the week, but I stayed home afterward due to the weather. Anyway…

WHERE I’M GOING

I’ll remain local this week. I’ll get my hair trimmed when time permits. I’ll visit a Starbucks midweek. Bert gave me a $25 gift card for Christmas that I haven’t used yet. 

I’ll also begin preparations for my next MINI journey, which means a shopping trip or two for various items. I do not own the Dad Bod version of swimming trunks, so perhaps it's time to buy a pair or two.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

A little bit of everything, yet nothing notable. The music was more like a soundtrack of white noise rather than anything that elicited a certain emotion.

WHY I’M PERTURBED

I’ve done everything I can to remain financially secure, aka “stealth wealth”, yet I’m not immune to the emotional effects of Tang Satan and his lackey Hell-On pulling various economic levers like a couple of curious toddlers in front of a control panel.

A dozen organic extra large eggs is $10.50. 2.5 pounds of unsalted trail mix is nearly $20. Chevron had 91 octane at $5.65, and the unsinkable Costco was $4.81 this morning. If I’m perturbed by paying these prices, imagine how those living paycheck to paycheck are feeling right now. 

WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ

I added two new light novels and a manga series from J-Novel Club to the mix. My Tiny Senpai was a 2023 rom-com anime about two office workers that awkwardly fall in love. It was hilarious at times, so I'm intrigued enough to read the source material.

• The Great Gatsby (in progress)
• Black Lightning #4
• Green Lantern Corps #1
• Fly Me To The Moon, Volume 27
• I Have A Crush At Work, Volume 8

Also in progress from J-Novel Club 

• The Hero And The Sage: Reincarnated And Engaged, Volume 4
• The Poison King: Now That I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, The Bewitching Beauties In My Harem Can’t Get Enough Of Me, Volume 4
• The Villainess Is Dead! Long Live The Empress! Redoing The Story After A Poisonous End, Volume 1 (Not started yet)
• My Fiance Cheated, But A New Love Rings!, Volume 1 (Not started yet)
• My Tiny Senpai (manga), Volume 1 (Not started yet)

WHAT I WATCHED

Beer league hockey videos on YouTube. One player had a GoPro attached to his helmet and recorded his on ice shifts, then added selected footage from the bench as he rested. I totally nerded out on how the opposing defensemen played him. I yelled things at the TV like how they were laying back too much, screening their goalie or not picking up the forward driving to the net for a possible rebound. 

I also loved his hockey team’s name — Down To Puck. Where can I score a custom jersey with Robzilla and 13 on it?

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY

My Thursday mid afternoon snack was the last of the Harmonique wine, smoked Gouda, Ghirardelli chocolate and water crackers. I also used the mini cheese board and one of the knives I bought on Monday for the first time. 

Don’t be shocked if a healthier variation of this self care is occasionally performed while writing my first draft. I believe it worked quite well for Ernest Hemingway.

WELCOME TO SLAPSVILLE…

I’m tired of feeling like a kid watching their parents fight. YouTube TV recently jacked up their monthly fee $10. Now Paramount and YouTube TV are fighting each other over money. There’s an extension in place so we’re not without Paramount channels for now, but no one knows how long that armistice will last. 

If I miss RuPaul’s Drag Race in the near future, there will be plenty of slaps to go around.

A FIST BUMP GOES TO…

Anyone that rejected the commercialization of Valentine’s Day. I’d rather spread the love over 365 days than do a carpet love bombing on February 14th.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I completed all workouts without any issues, but my weight is now 258.2. Somebody had too much fun during Singles Awareness Week. Ara ara!

While that’s not cause for alarm, I don’t like the fact I’m officially closer to 260 than 255. Therefore, I’ve put a few things in either the trash or food recycle bin. The Ghirardelli chocolate is gone, and sadly so is the Dudley’s bread. I had no idea one slice of garlic sourdough had 30g carbs! The wildflower honey was fabulous and didn’t irritate my digestive system, but half a serving with ginger spice tea was 9g added sugar. I’ll have to use that sparingly.

That’s why I’m not panicking. If I watch the carb and sugar intake, I know things will head in the right direction in no time.