Unlike Dr. Fauci...

... I will ignore the advice of any counsel and refuse to shut the f*ck up. 

Okay. That's my political joke for the day. I've got a few things on my mind before it melts during the new heat advisory/warning that was just issued this morning.

My usual hotel replaced the flooring in the first floor suites. This was a welcome surprise since we all know carpet keeps a room hotter during the summer months. The AC was at a constant 72 degrees but in hindsight I should've lowered it to 69 or 70 at night to match the outdoor temperature at sunrise.

I'll get another chance to do so next week. I've made arrangements to stay in one room if I book a separate reservation for an additional day. That's exactly what I did upon my return home. Next week I have a two night stay instead of one, and one of those evenings is already paid for via accumulated points.

***

My mini vacation turned out to be a working one. I stumbled upon a defense company called Parsons Corp due to their stock (PSN) tumbled by 35% to 40% on Tuesday morning. Ara ara!

I did a little research and it turned out the market was unhappy that it lost a huge defense contract. The company's financials were otherwise sound. I took a flier on their stock before I left for my trip, but only 10% of the total worth of my stock trading account rather than the customary 25%.

I sold the stock this morning for a 5.4% gain. The proceeds nearly pay for the extra night I just booked. 

***

Yesterday Caterpillar's (CAT) tumbled roughly 6% due to one analyst downgraded their stock. I bought the dip since this blue chip company will announce their quarterly earnings next week. I feel it's a good candidate to rebound either short term or long term, so I'm happy to hang onto it for a little while.

I also picked up Pulmonx (LUNG) as both a short term bet and as a curiosity. It's my first "penny" stock but I do see some upside. If you or someone you know has COPD, then you're likely familiar with this company's equipment and products. 

I only invested about 7% of my account into it. If it tanks it's a loss that will offset my recent gains. If it continues to climb, then I hope to make 10% off my investment.

I can't help but wonder if I've stumbled upon a side hustle by doing this stock trading.

***

Finally, here's what I really want to get off my chest. Bolt Man really pissed me off during my mini vacation. I don't like to use the term TDS, but lately he's been lashing out over Orange Foolius. 

He often clashes with Bert over this, and during my trip it was my turn to feel his angst. I won't give the blow by blow account of what was said Tuesday evening but I'll say this: 

• He feels people like me are criminals because we avoid paying taxes. I pay both foreign and domestic taxes and comply with IRS rules regarding foreign investments and tax credits.
• He says I don't need Social Security. I paid into the system every year from age sixteen up until my retirement, and the government has confirmed I'm entitled to my fair share of FDR's legalized Ponzi scheme once I turn 62. 
• He's leaning into socialism. My father highly likely killed Commies in Korea and Vietnam so you already know how I feel about Communism with other people's money.

I ignored all of his texts yesterday and I'll continue to do so until I discuss this at length with Bert. I'm unsure if I'll continue to remain friends with Bolt Man, but one thing our spat confirmed is that I should never consider having him as a future roommate. His intolerance of opposing views is not welcome, especially if I end up buying a home or condo in the near future.

Sorry for this mini rant, but I needed to let this one out so I can move on with my Thursday.

Monday Morning Musings

 

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

An impromptu road trip. I’ve had enough of this f*cking humidity and heat, so over the weekend I booked an overnight stay in Temecula Valley for tomorrow night. It’ll give me a chance to adapt to traveling again and break in this no frills Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush and an aftermarket travel case. Sadly, there's no wineries or fine dining adventures on my itinerary. I just want to be in air conditioned environments for a twenty-four hour period before I endure the next heat wave.

WHERE I’VE BEEN

The dealership. The car maintenance and repairs are complete, and both Miku and Artoria are ready for travel. 

WHERE I’M GOING

It’s time for my teeth cleaning at the dentist, followed by a stop at the bank for a small stash of $5 bills. I have housekeeping and the older lady who runs the breakfast buffet to take care of.

WHAT I WATCHED

Republican Governor candidate Steve Hilton created some humorous AI generated campaign ads but my favorite is the not so funny one where he sews a torn California flag back together before raising it on a flagpole. 

WHAT I READ

I can’t believe A Couple of Cuckoos has reached volume thirty and yet it’s still entertaining to read. This volume ended with quite the plot twist, and now I have to wait a couple of months to see what happens next.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

I listened to Guns ‘N Roses’s Use Your Illusion II on Artoria’s stereo the other day. It’s been a very long time since I’ve heard “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” or “Estranged”.

WHAT I ATE

I baked a breaded salmon for dinner Sunday night, but sadly it was too hot and humid to pair it with a wine. Maybe I’ll open a bottle upon my return home.

THE ANDY BURNHAM AWARD GOES TO…

Spectrum. They sent me a text informing me my Internet download speed was bumped up to 1 GB and that I wouldn’t need to do anything else. What they didn’t tell me is that my bill would also go up $12 a month. 

I could shake them down for a cheaper rate but the reality is they or any competitor would want me to sign a 12-month contract I may not be able to honor due to a possible future home or condo purchase. I’ll let this one go but they’re still a bunch of wankers for "upselling".

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Marriott. They’ve kept their hotel rates reasonably priced despite tariffs, inflation, or any other excuse businesses have to charge more for goods and services.

WHAT I’M PLANNING

An extended break after completing a long journey. 11.5 months, 6 rounds of edits and 95,000 words later I have a dark romance novel ready for publication. I’ll wait until mid-August before I work on the  synopsis and the query letter.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

On Thursday I sold my AT&T (T) stock for a 4.5% gain. When you add in the yet to be received quarterly dividend the total gain exceeds 6%. That will pay for all three of my hotel bookings over the next four weeks.

Miku's Glow Up

 
I dropped Miku off at the dealership yesterday believing she would be ready for pickup on Monday afternoon. So imagine my surprise when I awoke this morning to a text telling me she'd be ready within a few hours. 

I knew the Union Jack print was going to look freaking fantastic on her. As much as I wanted to drop the top on the drive home, I was advised not to do it for at least three days. The fabric needs to stretch for a bit longer. Considering I'm enduring another heat wave and we have an even more brutal one to go about six days from now, I'm more than happy to test out Miku's air conditioning system in the interim.

But once it's time for me to head to Temecula Valley...

Monday Morning Musings

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

The weather. The heat wave is ongoing, and it’s often accompanied with humidity. Le Crash Pad doesn’t have AC so getting a proper night’s rest has been a challenge most nights.

This weather has induced me to plan… more on that below.

WHERE I’VE BEEN

I delayed the Barnes & Noble trip due to Pride Weekend but I stopped by Supercuts to hack off most of my hair. My "summer" cut was necessary to adapt to this miserable weather that's not going anywhere.

WHERE I’M GOING

Miku’s top may arrive this week, which requires another dealership visit. Otherwise I don’t plan on going anywhere. I don't lead a dull life. I just don't need to be anywhere.

WHAT I WATCHED

The San Diego Padres, unfortunately. 

Despite Sunday's annihilation of the Kansas City Royals, A.J. Preller needs to be fired. Their farm system is barren. They’re stuck with huge salaries for underperforming players. At times they play so poorly they can make a last place team look like the Los Angeles Dodgers. FML.

WHAT I READ

The last volumes of The King’s Beast and I Have A Crush At Work. I’ll miss those manga series. I’m also caught up on my J-Novel backlog of titles, so I’m free to tackle the latest volumes of High School DxD and Date A Live.

And don't worry about that explicit content warning. What's in there is likely tamer than those annoying boner pill ads that plague YouTube.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

Nothing out of the ordinary. Anyway…

WHAT I ATE

Last night I opened the 2023 Wagner Vidal Ice I picked up at Total Wine and paired it with crostini covered in goat cheese and slightly mashed blueberries. It was a great “dessert” pairing to deal with the ongoing heat wave.

THE KIER STARMER AWARD GOES TO…

The FDA. Did Taylor Farms give Taco Bell diners an excuse to run for the restroom instead of the border? Or didn't they? This is the kind of (mis)information wankers shouldn't publicly announce unless they're prepared for lawfare.

As for Taylor Farms, I wouldn't be shocked if they're responsible for the outbreak. Their salad products almost always made my digestive system feel wonky for a day or two after their consumption. I staged my own boycott of them long ago.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Spo! The Porch Gods blessed me on Tuesday and I had a devil of a time keeping mum until he blogged about it. Part of me wants to wear it as soon as the weather cools, yet I fear I’ll do something stupid to ruin it like spill red wine or tomato sauce on it.

If you own a Spo shirt, I’m sure you understand this dilemma.

WHAT I’M PLANNING

I’ve booked two August stays in Temecula Valley. One is an overnight stay that I paid for with my points. The second stay is for two nights, just enough time for me to detach from most things local.

After an upcoming dental appointment I’ll sit down and create a reasonable budget for a three night getaway for my upcoming birthday. I wouldn't mind eating at Si Bon in Rancho Mirage again.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

On Friday I bought the dip on Coca-Cola (KO). I couldn’t resist a bargain when the only reason its price fell is due to a cyber attack at one out of thousands of plants they own.

I also completed The Kortz Center Heist a couple of times in GTA Online. It’s not the banger everyone wanted but I like the option of selling the stolen artwork or keeping it to decorate my character’s mansions.

Late Monday Morning Musings

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

Enshittification. Whether it’s the freshness of grocery items, the reliability of goods or society’s inability to get along with each other the quality of everything has gone downhill. It’s like I’m spending more money, time and energy on rotting garbage rather than the level of things I’m accustomed to.

WHERE I’VE BEEN

Callaway Winery, but this time it wasn’t a solo trip. I forewarned Bert there were two types of crowds on weekends, and I was highly amused when the younger, performative “rich cosplayers” were absent from the tasting room. We thoroughly enjoyed being around the chill senior citizen and family crowd I’m accustomed to during my weekday visits.

WHERE I’M GOING

I need to visit Barnes & Noble. During the winery road trip I realized it’s been a long time since I’ve read Wine Enthusiast or sipped a chai latte in the Starbucks Cafe.

WHAT I WATCHED

Aussie Supercars visited Townsville this weekend and I managed to watch two of the three races. Cam Waters is fourth in the championship but sadly the odds are not in his favor. Tickford Racing is the proverbial redheaded stepchild in the Ford Racing stable.

WHAT I READ

The new Zatanna comic isn’t quite enshittification but three issues in I fear it won’t get much better than the woke slop I stopped reading after one issue about a year ago. 

WHAT I LISTENED TO

I streamed the Watercolors and Real Jazz stations on SiriusXM during my winery trip.

WHAT I ATE

Last night I made this marinated yuzu citrus salmon with coriander lime cauliflower rice dinner. It paired so beautifully with a 2023 Callaway Special Selection Rose Soleil that I’m making it again tomorrow night. 

I'll also work on forming a higher, smaller pile of the rice beneath the salmon next time for presentation's sake.

THE KIER STARMER AWARD GOES TO…

Uncle Albertson’s, the parent company of Vons. After reading this article my beef with those wankers peddling water injected salmon two days past its expiration date for $20 a pound seems trivial. 

Yeah, I could shop elsewhere but the truth is any grocery store within a file mile radius of Le Crash Pad suffers from... wait for it... enshittification!

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Everyone at the dealership and the winery. I’m thankful there’s still two businesses that are still doing quality work and provide excellent service despite the permeating societal rot.

WHAT I’M PLANNING

Tomorrow ushers in an extreme heat watch. While the coastal temperature may not cross 85 the humidity will be downright dreadful. I got a taste of it while doing yard work this morning and now I’m picturing myself living inside someone’s armpit for the next three days.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

I picked up Costco (COST) on the dip again. I don’t know when it will rebound but it always does. It feels like it's a safe stock to hold onto in the interim.

I spent the past couple of weeks playing Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots on the PS5. It’s rekindled my interest in the game, and if Bolt Man follows through with this declaration of returning to America I already have a starter set of clubs bookmarked for a future purchase. 

One of our hobbies was playing the occasional beer fueled twilight round. I miss those days!

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Not long ago I casually mentioned I should put some money into Miku to lower my net worth, and now that’s exactly what I’m doing. I just never imagined the tab would be this high.

Miku is back home. She runs smooth now that she has a new OEM battery under the bonnet. For the first time since I bought her both windshield nozzles work as intended. The total bill was just under $800 to complete both jobs, an agreeable cost to ensure she drives like a dream.

As for the broken rear window defroster, that’s going to hit my wallet like a swift kick in the balls. 

An inspection determined the wiring for the defroster snapped from old age and usage, a common thing in MINI convertibles. I could get it soldered by some hole in the wall shop but the top is already seven years old and near the end of its useful life. I've decided to replace it since the new one comes with a brand new window and rear defroster. 

The cost of the top, mounting hardware and labor will exceed $6,000 no thanks to Tariff Man. Lucky for Miku she's got pretty privilege, I've got a wallet and I want to keep her long term. This is also my one opportunity to buy a Union Jack printed top instead of a plain black one. 

For those interested, this is what the Union Jack top looks like on a Caribbean Aqua Metallic MINI. I’m crossing my fingers it will arrive from Germany in about two weeks.

As for Artoria, I dropped her off at the dealership to mount a new set of Bridgestone DriveGuard Plus run flat tires. I'll pick her up tomorrow and the bill should be around $1,400.

When you add up the total cost of everything... well, I'd rather drive these two beauties until the day I surrender my drivers license than buy a Breitling or Rolex.

Monday Night Musings

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

Finances. I’m not hurting for money but retired cube rat me still experiences sticker shock once in awhile. For example, car maintenance and repairs.

Miku needs two minor repairs plus a proactive battery replacement. I expect that bill to be just under $1,500 and if I’m lucky she’ll be home before the weekend. Luckily her spark plugs and transmission fluid can wait until her next oil change.

Artoria’s tire bill will also be about $1,500 but I can defer that job until next week. She requires a brake fluid exchange later in the year but that's less than $200.

I intend to keep these beloved cars long term but holy shit that’s a lot of money to spend all at once.

WHERE I’VE BEEN

I dropped off Miku at the dealership today, and I visited Callaway Winery on Thursday. More on that later.

WHERE I’M GOING

I want to take Bert to Callaway Winery this weekend. I want him to experience the members only viewing deck as well as Meritage’s dinner menu. And if we can’t go then I may take Miku on a solo trip out there.

WHAT I BOUGHT AND WATCHED TWICE

Citizen Vigilante. It won’t win any Oscars but its message resonates with people fed up with how society has become lawless for some but not for all. I suppose that's the most polite way to dance around the topic of why people and even countries want to ban this movie.

WHAT I READ

I finished reading the latest volume of The Hero & The Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged on the J-Novel app, and I was pleased to discover the series isn’t ending just yet.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

I hopped around the SiriusXM channel lineup this week so there isn’t a single station I listened to for an extended period of time.

WHAT I ATE

I had this scrumptious smothered pork entree for Thursday’s lunch at Meritage. With a paired Malbec it was absolutely divine.

THE KIER STARMER AWARD GOES TO…

The local HOA that fined residents for flying the American flag. I don’t care if they decide not to collect the fines. Their wankery is like a birthday gift. It’s the thought that counts.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

The staff at Callaway Winery gave me an opportunity to purchase this limited edition Petit Verdot a day or two before its public release. I promptly added this $250 bottle to the small collection of reds I’ll open in 2029. That’s the sweet spot when it should be at its best.

WHAT I’M PLANNING

I’m contemplating a Temecula Valley mini vacation in the near future. It’s been far too long since I’ve had a brief respite from Le Crash Pad. My soul craves a road trip in the worst way, but I also must keep an eye on my investments and expenditures.

Speaking of which…

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

My IRS refund check arrived today. It should cover most if not all of Miku’s bill.

A Country's Birthday Musings

 

You know the holiday weekend was low key when one of its highlights was filling up Artoria's gas tank with at least eight gallons of fuel to earn 2,500 points in the Chevron app. In plain English, this translates to getting 50 cents off per gallon for the next five visits. Based on my traditional driving habits, I'll get deeply discounted gas for the rest of the summer.

***

Bolt Man wants to return to Amerrricuhhhh... fuck yeah!

We're discussing putting together the old crew again. Bert is likely selling his place within a year. I'm browsing condo listings for a possible short term purchase. The idea is for all of us to live within a half hour's drive of each other so we can easily get together for barbecues and drunken golf rounds like we did in the old days.

None of us are going to live forever, and it's questionable if any of us will make it another twenty years. That's why I'm eager to jump on board with this idea.

***

I suffered from a bit of a malaise this past week. I've come to the conclusion I'm fed up with America's Costliest City, and I look forward to the day when I can leave.

Driving used to be one of my favorite ways to relax, but it's no fun when you can't go more than a couple of days without some jackass cutting you off and then hitting the brakes.

A local HOA fined its residents $100 for flying American flags. You're literally a Nazi if you think you can get away with that in a military town.

Our city's holiday celebration was a glorified DEI event. The Fourth of July should bring us all together for a common cause -- America. 

Our baseball team turns every minority group into a merch giveaway. I despise that shameless pandering almost as much as the current eight game losing streak. 

Yeah, I could use a change of scenery.