I don't know if it was yesterday or today but Cinemark is having a special that if you bring in any bucket (even a 5 gallon one) you can get it filed with popcorn for $5. It never says anything about having to go see a movie so my wife and I are going up to Cinemark just to get our bucket filled with movie popcorn and then go back home and watch the Football National Championship. It's Indiana #1 vs Miami #10, it should be a good game. Miami was not even supposed to be in the payoffs but beat out Notre Dame at the last minute. Now they have been beating everyone.

One of the basic lessons taught by any content advice on being "one's own man", a "gentleman", or a generally fully functional independent human, is the practice of maintaining one's living (and transportation) space(s). Sure, no one actually "enjoys" cleaning. It's maintenance, a necessity, a base-level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's often preached that "a clean living space means a clean mental, physical, and emotional life style". WHEN YOU'RE DOWN On the flip-side, I acknowledge when someone lacks the motivation or even physical ability to do so. For those unaware, last year I was constantly sick. Combination of pneumonia/bronchitis until doctors discovered a lung tumor. I was coughing so much it caused micro-fractures in my ribs (I knew they hurt, but wasn't until CT scans and X-Rays confirmed it). The chronic coughing often caused conscious black-outs, among other very disturbing symptoms, and a general lack of energy. Thankfully, I've recovered post-surgery, and getting back to, and even beyond, my former healthier state. I did at the time have some help from my ex-wife. Then again, those were during friendlier terms. MOTIVATION SOURCE That last point brings me to "motivational sources". Now, often when we're not yet adults, we have to be scolded by family to do our chores, instilling in us the hard lesson that we must care for one's space. Especially when we share a living space. As adults, we're usually nagged by our partners, or we already put cleaning into practice and take initiative. As for me, it was multiple sources. Both my own desire to improve my life, but also in the form of nasty character assaults from the ex (not that she has much room to talk, but still, it was the "final kick" I needed). ACTION So, for 4 hours yesterday between my haircut and saxophone practice, I put on some upbeat Jazz (video below), and got to work. My kitchen really needed some love.

I bought a solar watch a couple of years ago. The battery died about a week ago. It's really strange because I've never dealt with a watch battery dying like this before. I was told to put it in the window seal for a couple of weeks to let the battery charge. I pulled the crown out so it wouldn't try to run while charging and put it in the window seal. I tested it the other day and it seems to be working.

Gentlemen, Ladies It is with a mixture of regret, concern, and no small amount of disbelief that I must once again issue a formal communiqué regarding the prolonged absence of His Grace, Lord René — Gentleman-at-Liberty, Of Counsel, and, for reasons still under investigation, Honorary Cultural Attaché to the Danish Realm. As previously noted, His Grace had intended to return to active Society duties this week, including final sign-off on the Elements of a Gentleman curriculum. Unfortunately, that return has been indefinitely postponed, due to what is now being described — even by traditionally neutral Swiss newspapers — as an “escalating international incident.” You will, of course, be aware of the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Europe over Greenland. However, few are aware that the origins of the affair lie in a private liaison between His Grace and the Greenlandic Ambassador’s wife during last month’s Reykjavik Energy & Sovereignty Summit. While the exact nature of their interaction remains diplomatically ambiguous, it reportedly involved: - a miscommunicated sauna invitation, - a ceremonial sealskin robe, and - a regrettable misunderstanding regarding personal boundaries. President Trump, upon learning of the affair via unnamed sources (believed to be a disgruntled valet), has reignited his campaign to acquire Greenland, stating publicly that “if the Europeans can’t keep their nobility under control, we’ll buy the whole damn iceberg.” NATO, rather unusually understanding the seriousness of the threat, has mobilised a small joint task force. President Trump has since threatened retaliatory tariffs on European waistcoats and foie gras. His Grace, believed to be lying low in a remote fishing lodge under diplomatic hush, is said to be “reflecting on events,” with access to limited port and no external tailoring services. Until further notice — or until NATO stands down — His Grace will remain unable to fulfil his Society responsibilities. I have therefore been entrusted to continue issuing Sunday dispatches, safeguarding the archive, and keeping the younger members away from the brandy cabinet.