Ephemera #176

• Went to see "Mandalorian and Grogu".  While I liked it, it would have made a better three episode arc for the TV series than a movie.  I was hoping, as a movie, it would have higher production values and writing, but it was the same as the TV series.  It felt like they put this out to attract more subscribers to Disney+.
  
  I also watched a couple marvel shows.  The first was season two of "Daredevil: Born Again".  This I liked.  Looking forward to season three.  The other was "Wonder Man".  This short season one was an introduction to the characters.  It was good enough but I think the real meat of the series will be in season two.
• I walked 5 times since the last Ephemera post totalling 32.8 miles (52.9 km).  It is getting hotter and more humid here in Omaha so walking has become a struggle.  It sucks when you totally soak your shirt with sweat after walking only three blocks.
• This week I have my prostate biopsy.  It's a more detailed biopsy as the MRI reader suggested.  This means twenty-four samples versus the usual twelve samples.  Not really looking forward to this as each sample collection feels like a bee sting in your nether regions.

Weekly Ephemera #174

These 'weekly' posts are starting to be more like 'weakly' posts.

• While it's still cool here, I started preparing things for summer.  Our AC has been inspected and is ready to go.  I also tackled a leaky toilet.
• On the television front I finished "The Repair Shop".  I checked to see if there were more seasons and discovered that the host of the show is fighting rape charges so ... not sure there will be any more.
  
  After finishing "The Repair Shop" I watched a bunch of crappy Sci-Fi/mystery anthology series from the 1950s through the 1990s.  Frankly, the earlier stuff is better produced than the newer stuff.  I fall back to anthologies when I don't want to have to think too hard while watching television.
• I walked on and off since my last Weekly Ephemera post.  I walked seven times totalling 50.3 miles (81.0 km).
• May is starting to look like a busy month for the Wife and I.  
• We have a Hot Shops open house next Saturday.  It's been a few years since we've gone to one.
• Before mid-month I have to schedule my semi-annual blood draw.  It will be interesting to see if my A1C has gone down.
• We will be attending the confirmation of three of the Wife's cousins in Minneapolis.
• During Memorial Day weekend we will probably go to Brownville, NE for their semi-annual flea market.  Brownville is a nice little, Missouri river town with lots of history.  It's been a while since we've gone to one of these too.

Weekly Ephemera #173

• Had an MRI of my prostate.  Not much has changed from the one taken a year ago which is good.  I'm scheduled for a biopsy in June to see how things have changed since the last one I had last year.
• I walked 38.8 miles (62.5 km) since my last Weekly Ephemera post.  This last week I actually managed to walk three times which has been a struggle this year.
• I finished the second season of "Fallout".  It was ok.
• We've started to plan out our 2027 travels.  We are looking at a loose festival theme that would include Holy Week in Spain, Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca, and San Diego Comic-Con.

2026 Southwest Meander - Day 7

Day 7 - Las Vegas, NV

We left Kanab, UT and drove three hours, through beautiful landscapes and barren flats, to Las Vegas, NV.  We've been to Las Vegas many times before, not for the gambling, but for the shows.  This time would not be different.

When I picked a hotel in Las Vegas, I picked one that I'd thought we'd stayed at before a few years back but, totally by accident, I picked one that we'd never been to before but located in the perfect location for what we were planning to do.

The Judges and VIP section of the arena.

The first show we were going to was in the early afternoon and located, literally, across the street from our hotel.  The Battlebots Destruct-A-Thon was located in the Battlebots arena.  We walked over and, first things first, we went to the gift shop for a t-shirt, a magnet, a piece of 'Scrapnel' (a piece of scrap shrapnel from a battle bot with a certificate of authenticity), and a few gifts.

Several BattleBots were on display.

We entered the arena which included the same battlefield you see in Battlebots on TV (now on YouTube).  They were not filming a new show at the time but they hold daily shows.  I learned a few things.  There are multiple copies of each battlebot  When they aren't filming, random battlebots are selected to battle and a group of substitute drivers cycle through the running of the battles.  The owner/designers of the BattleBots only drive when they are filming.  Now before you start thinking these substitute drivers are professionals or anything, I ended up buying Red Vines and chips from one of them at the concession stand where we joked about having to feed the munchies and he looked like he had a lot of experience with the munchies.

They staged four battles which felt like you were watching the show on TV just more exciting in person.  One of the announcers, Bill Dwyer, was one of the original TV hosts for the BattleBots show on Discovery. Unfortunately, the lighting, the protective plexiglass, and the speed of the battlebot movements made it difficult to photograph the actual battles.

The Sphere from the outside, flowers projected on its surface.

After we left the BattleBots arena we walked the one mile to the Sphere.  Here we would be watching an AI enhanced copy of the original "Wizard of Oz".  The sphere is an incredible venue.  The actual venue takes up maybe two thirds of the sphere with the other third being full of escalators to get people to their seats.  We were pretty high up and, I suspect, anyone with a fear of heights would have issues entering the venue.  The stairs are very steep and I held on to the railings as I walked to my seat.

The "Wizard of Oz" in the Sphere.

The movie started with a small projection like a normal movie theater then at the perfect time the movie expanded to fill the inside of the venue.  AI was used to wrap the film around the inside of the Sphere.  Most of this was seamless but there were a few glitches here and there but, having said that, it was very impressive.  A large gasp rose from the audience when the projection expanded.  There were other things to enhance the movie experience like paper leaves flying around the venue during the tornado scene.  I was surprised how much of the movie I'd totally forgotten about.  Scene after scene seemed new to me even though I'd watched this movie a kajillion times.  Shows you how little I'd paid attention, and how much my memory simply forgot, watching it as a child.

Psychedelic Sphere.

The best part of the Sphere, frankly, was the graphics that are projected on the outside of the venue.  I probably could have sat there all day just watching it change.  It was particularly spectacular at night.

We managed to get out of Las Vegas without gambling even once and I didn't miss it.

Next ... Oxnard, Cambria, and the Clown Motel.

Photographs can be found in my 2026 Southwest Meander Google Photos album.

Weekly Ephemera #172

I haven't been very good at writing lately.  I have skipped several Weekly Ephemera posts and I have not documented important things in my life such as the family funeral in Texas.  I have been ... out of my rhythm since the beginning of the year.  I am catching up, slowly but surely.  Hopefully I will re-find my groove sometime soon.

• March Madness (college basketball) started this week so the Wife has hidden away in the she-shed watching multiple games simultaneously.  I have putzed around upstairs, mostly watching "The Repair Shop" on the Roku channel.
• Since I last reported my walks, I have only walked seven times totalling 48.3 miles (77.8 km).  I have struggled to walk longer distances and consistently during the week.  I think I am running into a situation where my diabetic medication may be reducing my energy.  I have noticed that, when I eat more carbs, I feel better on my walks.  Perhaps the medication is finally kicking in and lowering my blood sugar.  It does seem to have lowered my weight as I've dropped five to seven pounds since I started taking it.
• This week I have to take the car in for an oil change after putting over six thousand miles on it in the last couple months.  I also have an MRI scheduled to get my prostate imaged.

Have a good day! ... Take a smile.

Weekly Ephemera #170

Another couple of weeks that really didn't matter much.

• We really didn't do anything.  The Wife watched basketball and went to Mass , including one with her little cousin.  I just vegged, napped, and didn't do much else.
• I finally finished "Alien:Earth"  It took me two months to finish the last three episodes.  I liked it but it didn't excite me.
  
  I watched "Jurassic World: Rebirth" with expectations of seeing ScarJo kill some dinosaurs.  Strangely enough, no dinosaurs were killed by any of the humans, as far as I could see.  Several humans were killed by the dinosaurs though.  It was ok but it felt a little flat for me.
• I walked four times over the last two weeks.  I walked 29.8 miles (48 km) since my last Weekly Ephemera post.  On my last walk I must have looked bad as a lady in a car stopped and asked if I needed a ride.

Weekly Ephemera #168

The Holiday season has come to an end and, frankly, it felt like the shortest Holiday season ever.

• On New Year's day, after a quiet New Year's Eve, I took down the wreaths, lights, and ornaments from the front yard.  I took down the Christmas tree.  The Wife took the rest of the indoor decorations.  I will be stuffing everything into the furnace room closet this week sometime.
• I didn't walk this week.  I decided to take the last week of 2025 off.
• We watched the finale of "Stranger Things", which was a good end of the series.  Unfortunately it ended wide open for a sequel series.

Weekly Ephemera #167

• We had a quiet Christmas.  We went to see a movie ("Marty Supreme") which the Wife and I thought was Meh.  We ended the day with yummy steaks on the grill.
• I hiked three times this week for a total of 22.5 miles (36.2 km).  The walks were uneventful.
• We started watching "Stranger Things".  This is the last season and it seems to be a fitting finale so far.

Weekly Ephemera #166

Not much happened this week.  Just a relaxing week overall.

• I walked three times this week and did a good 23.1 miles (3.2 km).  The walks were uneventful though I learned not to park under a tree.  My car was covered in sticky berries/bird poop.
• I watched a couple good things this week.  The first was the third installment of the Knives Out franchise. "Wake Up Dead Men".  It probably wasn't as good as the first one but it was still entertaining.
  
  The second thing I watched was "The Amazing Digital Circus".  While I watched this on Netflix, it was first available on YouTube.  There are currently 7 episodes and the episodes do not come out in a fixed schedule,  varying from one month to seven months between episodes.  The show is a bit twisted and the seventh episode blew my mind. 

Weekly Ephemera #164

• It was an odd week for me.  I was in a do-nothing mood most of the week.
• I watched more episodes of "One Piece".  I still have a ways to go.
• I was going to walk three times this week but I ended up only walking once.  I walked 7.25 miles (11.7 km).  As I said, I was in a do-nothing mood.
• I tried to replace a spark plug in the snowblower but I simply discovered I am a crap small engine mechanic.  I gave up when I couldn't even get the boot off the spark plug.

Weekly Ephemera #163

• I went to the doctor on Tuesday to discuss my blood test numbers.  I'd been disappointed with the numbers but, when I told the NPRN, she asked me why?  She said the numbers appeared stable and she wasn't concerned.  I will be staying on my medication at the same dosage.  I guess this is a good thing.
  
  I talked about my blood pressure.  The NPRN suggested I bring in my blood pressure monitor I was using at home and compare it with a nurse's measurement.  Turns out it was around twenty-four points high on the systolic.  The old 30+ year old monitor is in the garbage and I purchased a new one which I will start using this week.  The new one has some features that should ensure more accurate measurements, like it will take three readings and average them.  It also tests for AFIB which I do not suffer from, but it's nice to know it will be monitored too.
• On Thursday, Thanksgiving, I put up the Christmas tree, outdoor wreaths, garlands, and laser lights.  The balls will go in the Oak Tree later this week.
• On Saturday we had our first snow.  It snowed around 3 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm).  The neighbor gave us her snow blower, like she does every year, but it wouldn't start, so I cleared our driveways by hand.  I have to say, the physical activity felt really good.
• I did not walk this week.  I just needed a break.
• I watched season two of "Wednesday" on Netflix.  I enjoyed it.  The Wife and I watched the latest season of "The Great British Baking Show."  The winner was obvious from the second episode.

Weekly Ephemera #162

• We celebrated an early Thanksgiving at the Wife's Niece's house on Saturday.  We had a good time with good food.  We are grateful that they include the Wife and I in their celebrations.
• On the prior Tuesday, I took my first blood test since I went on Metformin for my diabetes.  Unfortunately, my A1C and glucose went down only a tiny bit.  I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday to go over the results.  I expect either an increase in dosage or a change in drugs.
• I walked three times this week for a total of 24.4 miles ( 39.3 km).  This was a good week.  This coming week, I am considering taking a day off from walking on Monday.  We'll see.
• I started watching "Alien: Earth".  I haven't finished it yet but I have mixed feelings.  It is interesting but I am having trouble getting excited about it.  Not sure why since this should be right up my alley.

Weekly Ephemera #159

• We were going to have a visit of the Niece's family but sick kids changed those plans so, for Saturday I managed to get back to my routine.  I'm looking forward to the Niece's family to reschedule when everyone is feeling better.
• We've spent the week catching up with "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race"
• My blood pressure has been a little bit high since I got back from our travels so I decided to restart my walking.  I walked twice this week for a total of 13 miles (21 km).  The walks felt pretty good so I look forward to ramping up the distance again.
• The first of the travel posts should come out tomorrow or Tuesday.

Weekly Ephemera #156

• This week's highlights were visits from family and friends.  On Tuesday the MoH and BM dropped by on the way to their vacation.  We spent the evening digesting the superb steak dinner the Wife prepared while engaging in spirited conversation.  It is fair to say that none of the world's problems were solved.  Our guests treated us to breakfast the next day before they traveled on.
  
  Today, the Wife's best friend since high school is visiting.  Craziness will ensue.
• The HVAC guy came by this week and checked out our furnace.  Except for a dirty temperature sensor, everything is in good order.  We are now ready for the winter, though the weather for the next ten days or so is more summer-like than fall-like.
• This week I will be turning off our sprinkler system.  They will be blowing out the system in a week or so while we are traveling.  Potted plants and patio furniture will be brought in and the deck will be power washed.  Everything will be ready for winter when we leave.
• I did not walk this week and I will not walk next week.  I'm taking a break from walking until we return from our travels.
• I haven't really watched anything good on television.  But, I did watch some "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".  It's some easy background noise and it's fun seeing some of the old actors when they were young and new.  The writing is a bit hit and miss but my favorite part is Hitchcock introducing commercial and station identification breaks.  It is obvious he is not fond of the breaks interrupting his storytelling.  (For those who do not know, Station identification breaks allowed stations to let you know what station you were watching.  You don't see them much today because of the invention of the station's logo bug in the corner of the screen.)
• We are both getting ready for our trip.  We will be leaving on Thursday.  I hope the tropical storms off the coast of Georgia are gone by then, since our flight to Athens is through Atlanta.

Weekly Ephemera #155

• Forgot to mention last week that I got my Covid and Flu shots.  Take that, RFK jr!
• The Wife and I went to see "The Long Walk".  It is an interesting movie based on a Stephen King novel (writing as Richard Bachman).  It was good and felt ... relevant to our times.
• As for TV, I watched season thirteen of "Futurama" and I soaked in cheesy horror anthologies.
• I had a tough time walking this week.  After two 30 miles (48 km) plus weeks, my body just didn't want to walk.  I forced myself to walk twice, but they were shorter than what I have been doing.  I ended up walking a total of 16.6 miles (26.7 km).  I can already feel that next week won't be much different.

Weekly Ephemera #154

• Last Thursday was the anniversary of 9/11.  My feelings haven't changed since I wrote about it in 2023.  Based on the other news that occurred this week, it feels like our nation isn't getting any closer to regaining its sanity.
• I walked three times this week.  I've kept pushing myself, though I did shorten my third walk this week.  I walked a total of 31.5 miles (50.7 km) which was very satisfying.
• I finished the last three episodes of "Foundation" season 3 today.  Other than that, the Wife and I have found a safe place in the "Great Canadian Baking Show" on the Roku Channel.
• I re-read some of my posts that I'd written in 2006.  My writing sounded so much happier then.  I do not write as much as before.  I do not take as many pictures.  *sigh*

Weekly Ephemera #153

• Had a urology appointment this week.  Nothing new to report.  Will be getting an MRI and biopsy in the Spring.
• I watched season two of "Silo".  I like how it's going.  While we have a couple more weeks of Apple TV+ left, I'm kind of burnt out on streaming.  I have a couple things ("Invasion" and "Dark Matter") I could start but they will have to wait until the next time we subscribe.
• Weather, and a need for a short break, resulted in only two walks this week.  I did push those two walks to over eleven miles which I'm happy about.  My total distance this week was 22.6 miles (36.3 km).

Weekly Ephemera #152

TV and walking ... That was it.

• I watched "Foundation" season two and part of season three.  I didn't realize there was a season three.  The last three episodes haven't dropped yet but will be available before our month of Apple TV+ expires.  It's not following the books that closely but it is entertaining.
  
  Next I watched "Murderbot" season one.  I liked it, but the episodes were too short and the voice in the main character's head doesn't sound like the one I had in my head when I read the novella.  Obviously this is more of a me problem than a problem with the show. I look forward to the next season.
  
  I needed a break from binging series so I watched "The Gorge".  This movie is cheesy action and it fit the bill.
• This was a very successful walking week.  I walked three times, totaling 30.6 miles (49.25 km).  More importantly, I felt very good during these walks and I wonder if it's the new diabetes medication.

Weekly Ephemera #151

The last three weeks have been quiet, and my Weekly Ephemera posts reflect this.  This last week was just as quiet as the last.  I'm OK with this as I know there is some travel coming soon.  Anyway, this is what my week was:

• We have a vole (or possibly a mouse) living in one of our succulent pots.  Every time I water, it jumps out and nearly scares me to death.  Earlier this week, I spread some vole poison in the pot.   Yesterday, when I watered the pot, it jumped out again, and this time I swear I saw six legs.  I'm guessing it was mama vole carrying baby vole. More poison will be going into the pot.  I suspect when it's time to bring the pots in for the winter that succulent pot will be getting dumped out.
• College football has started up again so Saturdays, the Wife will be in the she-shed, enjoying some sports ball.
• My walking streak is continuing.  I walked three times this week, totaling 23.8 miles (38.3 km).  The walk on Wednesday nearly killed me.  Not sure why but I suspect it was a combination of the high humidity and the fact that the sun came out after several days of overcast.  This coming week will have much nicer weather for walking.
• This week we subscribed to Apple TV+.  I have at least five series to catch up on and a couple that I may start.  This week I watched "For All Mankind" season four.  All I can say is I wish this was the timeline I was living in.  I then watched "Severance" season two, which I also liked, though not sure I would like to live in that timeline.
• A while back I promised a Camino pictures post.  I'll try to get that done this week.

Weekly Ephemera #150

• Well, my blood tests were pretty lousy, as I expected they would be.  My A1C and glucose were too high.  My LDL Cholesterol was high, and my  HDL good cholesterol was low.  I've tried my best to lower my numbers by diet and exercise alone but I realize now that it's not enough, and I'm not disciplined enough to make it work.  I met with my NP and I'm starting on a medication to lower my glucose/A1C.  She thought I should be on cholesterol medications as well but I have had issues taking statins in the past so we are going to revisit this in three months.  I guess I've reached that age when I have to get a pill box to keep my medications straight.  *sigh*
• I walked three times this week.  I finally got into my desired distance range walking 23 miles (37.1 km) in total.  Now to push closer to 30 miles per week.
  
  It's been really hot here this summer and the humidity has been terrible.  It only takes ten to twenty minutes to be completely sweat soaked.  I can't wait for Fall to arrive and the temperatures drop below 80℉ (27℃) .
• Our Netflix subscription ended.  I reached episode 682 of "One Piece", which is about halfway through.  I watched season two of "Poker Face" on Peacock.  It reminds me of old-style crime shows like "Columbo", though its writing is a bit hit or miss.  This coming week I will probably be subscribing to Apple TV+ for a month.  I have several series to catch up on there.