Off to Albany
Discover more from Sunday Mornings in Bed
🛕 Travel Tales
Road Trip Out of Hell
Libby knows something is up.
When I start piling stuff in the living room and then bring her carrier in from the hall, she knows she's about to be trapped in that carrier for an undisclosed amount of time.
I have to time things out so she gets lulled into thinking everything is fine so I can snatch her up and get her in the carrier the morning we leave.
This is a new adventure for us. We're staying in places up north that are strange to both of us instead of with my father like we used to. Plus, we'll be staying in hotels for longer than normal on the way up. But Libby is generally a champ at traveling, so I'm optimistic about how it will all go. (I trim her nails before we leave so she can’t be too destructive.)
Whenever I leave my apartment in Florida in the summer for an extended period of time, I always know there's a chance it won't be there when I get back. Everything I own could be destroyed in a hurricane (or even a tornado these days).
I've built such a sanctuary for myself, and every piece of tangible memorabilia I have is in it. My entire life and all my memories. While I did put together a “to save" bag, it will be stored at a friend's house that could also get hit. But at least if I spread stuff out a bit, it minimizes the impact. Obviously, my most precious belongings (Libby and my Brompton) will be with me in Albany.
I’m grateful to have a friend riding up north with me. It will make the journey so much less stressful, and we plan to stop along the way for some fun. I'm hoping we will be out of these temperatures by the first night. Meanwhile, I have to fully load my car in this heat.
Next week’s newsletter will be tales from the road!
🌬 Capitalism Blows
A Prediction
I’m not a particularly brilliant person, but I do feel I have a keen knack for recognizing patterns. When you can recognize patterns, you can predict things. Ya know, like those little brain teasers that say, what’s the next number in this list:
(Answers: 1) 20, 2) 0, 3) 96, 4) -12 and 19, 5) 144 … and yes, I did them all myself!)
The very well-known Catherine Wood of ARK Invest (a company that is, coincidentally, building its new headquarters in downtown St. Pete) recently wrote about a company called Sofi. I’ve checked them out before but decided not to put my money there. She calls them a “neobank”, and that’s probably why I decided not to put my money there. According to Nerd Wallet:
A neobank is a tech company that provides online banking services through a partnership with an established bank.
This is what was in the ARK Invest email about Sofi:
Shares of Sofi traded up ~19% on Monday after the company reported1 better-than-expected second-quarter earnings, including 37% growth on a year-over-year basis in adjusted net revenue. The company also reported strong growth in its lending, financial services, and technology platforms, with deposits up 368% year-over-year. SoFi is a US neobank that offers lending and financial services to consumers, as well as financial technology solutions to other fintechs and financial institutions.
An interesting thing about Sofi is that they say they can guarantee deposits above the FDIC deposit insurance amount of $250,000. The FDIC covers $250,000 of your money in any bank. If the bank fails, you risk losing any amount above $250,000. But SoFi recently announced that deposits may be insured up to $2 million through participation in the SoFi Insured Deposit Program through a company called IntraFi.
Whenever banks get “creative” in order to make more money, I feel like bad things happen. And this isn’t even a real bank.
My prediction is that this will end badly for people enrolled in this and similar programs. (And then you and I will probably pay for it!)
👀 Life Observations
Gratitude
This little container of individually wrapped lozenges is my latest tool in fighting migraines. It’s a prescription for Nurtec and will probably last me many months.
As disappointed as I am to have to take prescription migraine meds again, I'm insanely grateful to have these.
The migraine medication I was taking four years ago had unpleasant side effects and cost $25 PER DOSE. This little lozenge that goes under my tongue tastes like peppermint, has no discernable side effects, and cost me zero dollars with my insurance.
It gives me so much pain that everyone cannot have the same insurance as me. It is something I will never stop fighting for for others. Even with my insurance, I hesitate to go to the ER because I know it would cost me $600 out of pocket. We shouldn't live like this. We can do better.
Accepting People Where They Are
A friend recently told me he was going to go on Ozempic. My first thought was disappointment. Why? I want to believe that my friends have the strength and the will to stop drinking and eat better on their own without a quick fix.
I've talked about this before… I love my friends so much that I think they're all great at everything and smart in every area. But that's an unrealistic expectation I put on them.
This crazy, screwed-up world doesn't help people live with moderation or have willpower. The way our society functions adds to stress (which can lead to obsessive and addictive behaviors) and isolation.
I ruminated on this on the bus ride home after seeing him. I decided to be proud of him for wanting to get healthy and finding a way that works for him.
What works for me doesn't work for everyone. And I have to accept that.
But I will say this, which is one of the reasons he's not getting any exercise…
Where You Choose to Live Matters
My same friend used to live in a place where he could walk out his door and take a walk, jump in a kayak, or ride his bike. He now lives in a place that is on a busy road where none of those things are possible.
Many people think living in Vermont (my home state) is de facto a “green" place to live, but living in the woods means you have to drive your car everywhere. Businesses are spread out even if you live in a “city.” Many Vermont roads don't have a shoulder to walk or ride your bike on. If you're in a quiet place or one with dirt roads, you can use them rather safely, but you have to choose carefully.
I have been completely spoiled since moving to St. Petersburg, FL (unofficially 12 years ago, but officially nine years ago). You may remember that I drove my car 4577 miles last year. The rest of the time, I was walking, riding my bike, taking a Lyft downtown to avoid traffic, or catching a ride with a friend. Living where I do gives me a ton of built-in exercise. I'm not a gym person. I'd rather get my exercise as part of my daily life (like they do in big cities or Europe).
If you choose to live in a place where you need your car to get everywhere, you have to purposely supplement your health with some kind of intentional exercise. Many people, myself included, find that very difficult from a time and convenience standpoint.
So, the next time you move, consider how much movement you will get living there.
🌱 Learning & Growing
Practice
I've not been meditating like I used to, and I can feel it in my attitude. I've been cranky and letting the world overwhelm me. I followed along on a YouTube meditation recently and was struck by this line: “May my thoughts and my words and my actions contribute to my happiness.”
I've been chewing on that ever since.
And I've been reminded yet again why they call it a meditation “practice.” Because if you don’t keep practicing, you'll stop benefiting.
In this world, we need to stay focused on gratitude, positive events, and how we can contribute in any small way to making the world more peaceful and joyful for ourselves and others.
One thing AI
A friend used a service to make some AI photos of himself, so I gave it a shot.
I don't know, folks. Posting photos of me that aren't actually me feels really fucking bizarre. I'm not going to do it again, but here's was $2.99 gets you on Remini.
I do want to ask my hairdresser about this hairstyle, though! 😍
🌻 One Positive Thing
Ohio lawmakers, including their Secretary of State (a position that is supposed to be non-partisan), pushed a special election ballot initiative to curtail the ability of Ohioans to pass ballot initiatives. (You can’t make this stuff up.) The underlying premise of the special election was to prevent the passage of an upcoming ballot initiative in November that would enshrine women’s reproductive rights (abortion rights) in the Ohio constitution. But Ohioans rebuked this effort to limit their power as citizens and weaken democracy in their state. Way to go, Ohio! 🎉
⏰️ Currently
❤ I’ve had some great meetups with friends who wanted to see me before I left.
👩❤️💋👩 Thinking a lot about the direction of The Hugmobile after having coffee with a friend who has a similar organization. We see a lot of potential for collaboration and mutual support.
🕵️♀️ Trying to stay curious and in the flow of life.