Ara Ara, Robzilla!

My Zumba classes were canceled this morning for my own safety. When I woke up all sweaty at six in the morning, the home's interior was 80 degrees and the air was as stuffy as a hamper with a week's worth of laundry. Things did not improve as time passed, so I went with Plan B for my cardio. First, I pampered Artoria at my favorite car wash. She always get the premier job so she looks her best for hopefully the next two to four weeks, and then we parked at an upscale shopping mall that I've literally grown up with. I was about eight years old when it opened, and I not only played hockey in the lower level rink but had my greatest success as a retail sales rep there. I quickly grew tired of moving the same pair of Ray-Ban Clubmaster shades back and forth between Miku and Artoria, so I purchased a second pair. I've settled on keeping my gold tone tortoise shell shades with Artoria, and Miku will get these silver and black beauties. I then dropped by my wireless carrier

  Even though I didn't know it at the time, it's been two years since I retired from the worst employer I've ever had. I still regret nothing.

... Nearly Melted in Miku's Driver's Seat Thanks for the kind words y'all, but can we talk about the weather for a bit? The blistering hot weather I thought we avoided on Labor Day Weekend showed up a week tardy. I'm currently under a Heat Advisory or Warning, depending on which part of the city I'm in.  I took Miku for a topless drive to Sprouts for eggs, fresh veggies and protein drinks, and... I don't think I'm going to do that again until midweek. When we were driving at speed, the wind in my hair felt glorious. When we were at an intersection waiting for the light to turn green? I sat there baking in the sun as I awaited The Prince of Darkness to wish me a good morning. Those temperatures don't tell the full story. Last night was so humid that despite going to bed at eleven I couldn't fall into a deep sleep until after three o'clock. It didn't matter if I used a ceiling fan or a pedestal fan. The former was ineffective, and the latter wa

Late last night, I learned the hard way that no matter how much I prepare for the worst outcome I'm never fully prepared for it when it happens. Just before midnight, at the same moment I climbed out of bed to do something about my sinus congestion, I received the news I've been dreading for the past couple of months: the eldest sister that was in a convalescent home passed away. I had a gut feeling that when I saw her in person a few months back I was saying goodbye to her, and I was proven right. I know she suffered greatly since 2021, and a part of me is relieved that she's now at peace. Or at least I hope so. I heard her final few weeks were not peaceful. I got so little sleep last night that I'm shocked my Fitbit gave me a 51 sleep score, let alone any score. All I remember is that I passed out around 1:30, awoke at four and then lied awake in bed until six. When I climbed out of bed, I didn't want to do anything other than make it. I wanted to skip my Zumba wo

After this morning's weight training workout, I took a picture with Audrey on a whim. I'm still a novice when it comes to selfies, so here I am soaked in sweat. My hair was a complete mess from doing dumbbell bench presses and flyes while lying on the floor.

... Made A Dick Joke Don't worry, y'all. This one doesn't get spicy like last Thorsday's post. You can almost safely read this one at work.  Yesterday, Artoria and I were blissfully on our way home from Sprouts with this week's haul of plant based protein drinks and high protein bars. I had just finished chatting up a pair of ladies that climbed into a vintage muscle car that looks a lot like KITT from Knight Rider, and I was understandably feeling a lot taller than my listed height. Life was good at that moment in time. And then Artoria and I pulled up alongside a monstrosity that had to be seen to be believed.  It was a Ford pickup, and not the kind that you typically see on its way to a job. Its flanks announced in chrome plated plastic it was an F-450, and it had a dualie axle in the rear. Twin exhaust pipes wider than a bowling ball ran vertically alongside the rear of the cab. An assault rifle graphic was plastered on its rear window. I noted the absence of a

  I celebrate Hell Week the same way y'all celebrate Halloween or Christmas. Starting this morning, I get to play my role as the days lead up to Sunday's season opener between the Los Angeles (AirBnB) Chargers and my Las Vegas Raiders. I fly my Raiders flags with pride, especially this extra special one. Have you heard the phrase, "Talk shit, get hit"? It's often uttered in contact sports like football and hockey, and that flag on my front porch is the equivalent of that. It marks the three times the Raiders hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl Champions, and every time a Bolts fan tells me my team sucks I get to point to that flag and ask them, "Where's yours?" Why am I a Raider fan living in the Bolts's former home? To be a Raider fan is to join forces with other misfits, eccentrics, and even a few bad apples for a common cause. In every day life, many of us are outcasts. We're brown or Black. We march to a different drummer. We

  This morning, I visited one of the two comics shops in my old 'hood. My friend used to work at both shops, and today I learned she's no longer works on Sundays at the one I didn't visit.  Miku and I had a good scare when I arrived. I had forgotten that the parking spot curbs at the shop are higher than standard, and guess what happened when I pulled in? Luckily Miku didn't suffer any structural damage, and I used a cleaner to minimize the appearance of her newly acquired scuff marks beneath the right front bumper. Talk about a close call! I wasn't planning on buying anything, but perhaps I harbored a little guilt for what happened as I entered the store. My old Doctor Who mug that died of old age not long ago was still for sale, and I look forward to sipping either tea or coffee from it after I wash it. To my delight, I found this cute Qposket figure of Hatsune Miku for sale. The store has finally noticed that many comic geeks and nerds have also become otakus dur

  WHAT’S ON MY MIND Family matters. It’s like life has become a Morrissey album, except I don’t get the urge to blow my head off after listening to the last track. All I can do is try to keep myself occupied so I don’t dwell on disturbing things that are happening. WHAT I ATE & DRANK A lemon flavored Suntory -196 to wash down a steak on Thursday night. After I spoke with my sister that afternoon regarding the family updates, I needed something resembling comfort food to take the edge off of things.  WHAT I BOUGHT A Samsung S9 FE 128GB tablet to replace the three year old Samsung A7 that picked the perfect time to die on me. It was $100 off due to a Labor Day Weekend sale. Yay! I changed my mind and signed up for NFL Sunday Ticket yesterday. I really don’t want to be tethered to my house on Sundays, but once the package price dropped roughly $70 below the renewal rate I was originally offered I jumped at it. Go Raiders! WHAT SACRED TEXTS I READ High School DxD, Volume 14 (In progres