Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – Day 302

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Good morning!
 Welcome to Wednesday.

Tim and Shawn returned the Yukon yesterday, freshly equipped with a new battery and a fully recharged A/C system. Without one or the other, that vehicle wasn’t going anywhere—especially with 90° temps on the way. Huge thanks to Tim and Shawn for the top-notch concierge service.

As if that wasn’t enough, Tim also helped clean up the garage. After our recent hazardous waste run, there were items scattered everywhere, leaving the car once again exiled from its rightful home. It’s become a pattern—every project seems to orphan the poor vehicle from the garage.

While Tim was still on-site, neighbor Fred popped over to remind me (a.k.a. the HOA) about his clogged gutter—something I’d normally take care of myself. Without missing a beat, Tim grabbed the ladder, hauled it next door, and had everything cleared out in 10 minutes flat. He got a little mucked up in the process—sorry, brother—but thanks for help and for keeping the HOA expenses down.

On another front, my anonymous book fairy struck again. Just after I dropped a subtle morning hint that I was nearly finished with Secret Prey (#9 in the series), Certain Prey (#10) landed on the front porch—six hours later. Amazon is fast, but this fairy might have a drone. I’m thinking it’s time for some hints as to your identity. Next time, how about a clue? Come on… give me a shot at solving the mystery. We’ve got 25 books left in the series—I want some chance to figure this out. Remember…I have zero visibility to who reads this blog…so without a clue I’ll never figure this out. I’m sure some of the other blog readers would be interested to learn more about you.

A couple of days ago, we stopped by Rise to explore more CBD sleep options. Let’s just say the respirator mask is not exactly promoting deep REM cycles. If I don’t take something to settle my brain, I toss and turn all night. And let me tell you—“rolling over” these days sounds more like an Olympic powerlifting event. The six-pack abs of yesteryear are long gone, and every reposition feels like a set of grunting reps. We may need to consider some kind of bed mobility aid down the line—maybe something to help me turn or sit up more easily. Hopefully, it can wait until my next ALS clinic in early August.

Now, back to Rise. Walking in felt like I was sneaking into a scene from Breaking Bad: Suburban Edition. I haven’t touched pot since the ’80s—and honestly, I haven’t missed it. Some things you just outgrow. I wonder which of my brothers have the three-foot graphic bong…or did we leave it hidden in 1922 when the house was sold? The bong was one thing Sally (mom) was never able to find during all those many years of basement parties. She found other stuff during her inspections…but the bong was well hidden.

At Rise, there’s a secure vestibule where you check in with a state ID (makes me wonder if any state’s would work). Once cleared, we were buzzed into the main room—a decent-sized space with kiosks for ordering and two queue lines for pickup. Not much else to see.

The lines moved glacially, with multiple ID checks and order confirmations to make sure everything was just right. When we finally wrapped up, the sales clerk leaned back, flashed a peaceful grin, and tossed up a solid peace sign. I half expected a product sample to follow—but he held the line.

We left with some Super Sleepeze gummies, supposedly stronger than the CBD mints. Unlike the mints (which taste like, well… mints), the gummies taste like pot. I’ve tried them the past two nights, and while I’m not totally convinced they’re much different, I am falling back asleep more easily—even if I still wake up listening to my Darth Vader breathing and experiencing the Mojave Desert in my mouth.

I guess I can keep adjusting the dose until I find my sweet (sleep) spot.

Have a great Wednesday.

Love you guys! ❤️