The real Real

If you believe President Trump could be the savior of America and what's right about our country, then I'd prefer we minimize our interactions. I will still be friends, but I question your ability to reason and your moral or ethical guidelines. 

We will survive AI

8.3 billion people on the planet. If ai somehow killed 99.9% of them that leaves 8.3 million left on the planet. As long as there was usable air, soil and water those 8.3 million could survive. 

Then if ai killed 99.9% of those people that's 8,300 people remaining. Humans are dispersed, resilient and intelligent. Those few thousand would survive. And grow.

AI could never get us all short of the utter physical destruction of the planet. 

American

America should be about equal chances for anyone to succeed. 

Not about equal outcomes for all.

Christmas

I got some golf stuff, some books, some clothes and lots of snacks. It was a relaxing holiday. 

I did a bad job making Christmas dinner and threw a lot of it away. Sad. 

I was able to talk or text with most of my family and that was nice too.

Dementia to do list

Before I've totally lost my mind, here are the things I'd like to do:

.Go to Antarctica to complete visiting all 7 continents 

.Go to Romania with J squared.

.Ride motorcycles in Greece for my birthday with Uncle Bill

.Go to the new classic monster world at Universal Studios in Florida 

.More sex 

.Cage dive with great white sharks, probably at the Farallons off San Francisco. 

Yeah, that's basically my bucket list as of now. There are probably some food related ones I could write as well. I'd like to golf again with Max. I'd like to travel again with Killer. But yeah...

King Richard

Richard received a Christmas present from multiple of the neighbors. He has to be the only cat enjoying such love from non family members. 

Tis the season

We're standing in front of the A Christmas Story house, in Cleveland Ohio.

The Range

From 2012 to 2022 if I said I was at the range, it was the shooting range.

From October of this year if I say I am at the range, it's the driving range. Golf.

Shooting matches were called just "golf with guns." Now I can see why, doing more golf than gun stuff.

bracket

Undefeated through the winner's bracket. Gold medal 3.0-3.5

Freddy

Poor Freddy. Over two weeks in the pet emergency hospital but he's home now. What started as a blocked bladder turned into so much more....

He's definitely worse for wear after the experience, but he's making a comeback. 

100 dollar shirts

I learned how to play golf in Sept of this year and have been trying to improve in the intervening months. I try to play 9 holes once a week, driving range twice a week and 1 lesson a month. 

The weather here forecast a very cold morning, so my buddy dropped out. I still went to the course at 830am and was the ONLY one playing. I saw ZERO other people the entire 9 holes. It was surreal. 

I played 2 balls per hole, averaging the score between them if needed. Pics show some consistent ball placement, hitting the ground after the ball (used a flush tee for an 8 iron out of the tee box on a very short hole), and just stuff in general.

F45

I'm enjoying working out again. And I need it for my health in addition to just fun.

freaking sideway!

Why are some of my pictures sideways and why can't I edit them in the Android app????

It's Something

I was accepted as a patient into the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases. My first visit is in February. No cure, but maybe I can help research.

Ugly pants

I played golf for the first time in Scotland this September. After that experience I've decided learn how to play, practice to improve, and play courses. 

Today I went to the club I joined for the first time. The primary benefit is I get unlimited range balls for practice and using TopTracer for the data.

visualization

If you haven't seen me in a while, here is what I look like today. Still 5'7", 150lbs now.

Another Scar

I forgot to share the story of my latest scar. I crashed my mountain bike off a wooden stunt, doing downhill stuff. When I crashed on landing I slid on my left hand, trying to tear my pinky off. This was the last weekend in April of 2025. 

After multiple visits and x-rays and mris I had surgery in June. After I healed I then had 4 months if hand therapy. Four months. 

I can make about 90% of a fist, cannot splay my finger at all, and have only 50% grip strength. 

Yeah, typical Rowdy summer and fall. Fall, get it.

Thanksgiving week

I've gained a family reputation for making a good Thanksgiving meal. Not a feast, but a pretty good, traditional style meal. And the ability to host 10 or so guests at home comfortably. 

This year it was K, the W family and my parents. That's just 8 people visiting, but 3 of them littles. 

We went to fun stores, took motorcycle rides, drive through zoo, played in the yard, had the big meal, visited the driving range, played games and such. 

Hopefully as good a visit for them as it was us.

Personal note, I love the Thanksgiving holiday and do not find Christmas really enjoyable at all. Yuck to Xmas.

Travel Catching Up

     In Sept of 2024 we went to Australia and New Zealand. Now I only have to go to Antartica to have been on all 7 continents!! Very few people can say that. 

    I can't remember when we went to Portugal to watch a MotoGP race, but we've done that within the past year or so as well.

    In Aug of 2025 I went with Bill G riding motorcycles for a week in Arkansas again. Last year we rode around the NWA portion, this year we focused around Hot Springs. The plan is for him to accompany me to Greece for a ride in 2026. In May, for my birthday.

    In Sept of 2025 we went to London and Scotland with Max and his new wife S. Just the four of us. It was a great way to connect with each other. I played a round of golf for the first time, and of course it was at St Andrews. You know, the home of golf. hahahaha. We saw cool sights and we are fun food. The only negative was shopping with them for souvenirs. May they were indecisive hahaha. Oh, and I drove a right hand drive car on the left, with zero issues I might add

    I need to work on importing pictures from my phone to my laptop, or to publish from my phone. Either way, here is an extremely limited set of pictures from just stuff of late.

More and more

     I'll be trying to write more and more here. Though I feel adrift in what my main theme should be. Previously I just wrote about my life in southern California, focusing on my hobbies, food, entertainment, and travel. With just a small amount about family or criticism of world events.

    But since it has been years, years, since I've written with any regularity it feels new and unfocused. Also now I no longer have a hobby that dominates my spare time, nor am I working in any field. It seems issues with my health dominate my days and weeks, but I don't want this to focus solely on that part of my current experience in living as Rowdy. I may have no other good option.

    I do still read a considerable amount about the Cold War, The Great Game, the dissolution of the USSR, terrorism and other security issues. Would anyone be interested in my commentary or opinions? It's hard for me to feel the answer is yes.

    Should you be one of the 20 or so people still subscribed and still actually reading a blog, whereas it seems podcasts now rule, leave an anonymous comment about the direction you'd like to see my writing occupy. I may not follow it all exactly, but an external prompt could be helpful.

    One thing I've thought about doing is some retrospective, biographical videos on my YouTube channel. Just talking head videos as I discuss memories of my life. Maybe I'll cross post them here with my own commentary that isn't in the video's dialogue.

    OK, what's in the near future for me? Weekly pickleball league with Mel G. Weekly golf sessions with Mike M and others from church. Family coming to visit for the week of Thanksgiving. And in February a trip to Finland!! Focusing on the Arctic Circle/Lapland area. Brrrrrrr, freezing.