Rebirth Of The Red Lantern: Volume 2, Chapter 2

 

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

Finances. Everything is fine the last time I checked, but I still feel like its otherwise. Like I mentioned earlier, I can do everything in my power to make myself immune to a recession but I’m still conditioned to mostly live like I did when I was still working.

I have my semi annual meeting with my financial advisor soon, and we need to maximize my returns on money I won’t spend within the next 12 months. CD rates have fallen about 0.75% since I opened my last one a month ago, and I fear they’ll continue to drop as the year progresses. 

WHAT BOTTLE I OPENED 

2023 Danza del Sol Dos Blancos ($38, Danza del Sol Winery). The 2025 Wines page has been updated with another winner.

WHAT I BOUGHT

After buying Miku an upper engine mount, my bank account needs a short break before...

WHERE I’M GOING

I visit the dentist on Monday for a teeth cleaning, and they're out of Delta Dental’s network just like any reputable dentist in California. It's a pain in the ass to wait for a pittance of a reimbursement. I should probably look for another dental insurance carrier soon. 

On Tuesday Artoria and I will hit the road for another Temecula Valley adventure. A visit to Callaway Winery is on the agenda, and I’ll bring home my first two bottles from their wine club. I know at least one of them is scrumptious.

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY

The temperatures have dropped back to their normal range. It’s safe to store my wines in the living room racks again until I need to put them in the fridge full time.

WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ

• A Tale Of Two Cities (Completed)
• I Have A Crush At Work, Volume 9
• Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie, Volume 20 (Final volume)
• The Shiunji Family Children, Volume 3
• Excellent Property, Rejects For Residents, Volumes 2 & 3

The Hero And The Sage series has possibly ended, so I added back The Villainess to the reading list. Here's what's in progress from J-Novel Club:

• The Hero And The Sage: Reincarnated And Engaged, Volume 4 (Final volume?)
• The Poison King: Now That I’ve Gained Ultimate Power, The Bewitching Beauties In My Harem Can’t Get Enough Of Me, Volume 4
• My Tiny Senpai (manga), Volume 1
• An Introvert’s Hiccup Hookups: This Gyaru Is Head Over Heels For Me!, Volume 10
• The Villainess Is Dead! Long Live The Empress! Redoing The Story After A Poisonous End, Volume 1

WHAT I LISTENED TO

97.3 The Fan. That’s the local Padres station, and half the time I get to listen to Tony Gwynn Jr.. It’s a nice break from the so called hits played on a loop on the other local FM stations.

WHAT I WATCHED

Ay, chihuahua! MiLB coverage of the Padres’s minor league teams is also included in my Padres.TV streaming package. Thursday was an off day for the Padres, so I watched the El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA) after dinner. I also caught a few innings last night before the Padres kicked the shit out of the Colorado Rockies 8-0.

I love how Chico the Chihuahua looks a bit demented. My late grandmother's chihuahua was a mean little fucker so it’s fitting. Speaking of which…

THE TOMMY MILNER SALUTE GOES TO…

Tang Satan runs the country like a toddler playing with a Montessori busy board toy for the first time. Yes, I’m breaking my rule of not nominating government officials, but extraordinary clown shit requires extraordinary rule breaking.

A FIST BUMP GOES TO…

The local MINI dealership. They always take good care of Miku and Artoria, so I don't mind paying their prices.

WHAT’S UP WITH MY WRITING

47 out of 52 chapters are complete as of Friday night, and I’m on pace to write the last two chapters during my road trip. 

WHAT’S UP WITH MY HEALTH

I didn’t miss a single workout this week, but my body requires a few more calories than normal. I have no idea if it’s stress from the family situations, the change in weather, or a combination of both.

I still lost a pound without trying, so I'm officially back within my weight range. Just in time for vacay!