Shogun Finale

I’m still digesting the Shogun finale from last night.  No big action set pieces, but that didn’t make the finale any less powerful, effective or poignant.  This was never a show about the action – it was about the storytelling, the characters, the language.  And it was consistently brilliant.  I’m going to say it, but it might be the best miniseries I’ve ever seen.  With it’s political machinations, most people have likened it to Game of Thrones.  But I think the show that I most liken it to is Chernobyl – another miniseries where authenticity was priority.  Just because Shogun is fictional, it didn’t make it feel any less real.  I hope they don’t make a Season 2.  Don’t spoil the legacy.

Share Price

Depressingly, my company has lost 20% of it's share price since the start of the year.  And thanks to my enrollment in the employee stock purchase plan and my tendency to hang on to the company shares after they have invested, this 20% decrease has a significant affect on my net worth.  Which is not good.  I don't want to be working in my 60's.  But with the way things are going - the economy, the increased retirement age, the increased cost of living, my dubious investment choices - it seems inevitable that I will not be able to retire early.  And by the time I retire, I don't imagine I'll be in the best of health.  Which is why I really want to take some time away from work sooner rather than later, while I'm in relatively good health.  I really wish my company offered a formal sabbatical like I know at least one of our competitors does (6 weeks sabbatical after every 6 years of employment, which I really approve of as a benefit).  I might still put in a request for a leave of absence when I turn 50 - but that comes with risks.        

Playoffs

 "PLAYOFFS?!  Don't talk about - playoffs?  You kidding me?  Playoffs!?!"

A quote that I suspect most people outside the US have absolutely no clue about.  And although the quote was from (American) football, it applies right now.  Because this weekend both the NBA (basketball) and NHL (ice hockey) playoffs started.  I don't watch much of either sport during the regular season, but I do during the playoffs - the stakes are raised, the quality of play is raised, and the drama is raised (for example, two basketball games today had classic endings).  Sadly, no Seattle representation.  The Kraken didn't make the playoffs, and Seattle still doesn't have a basketball team (there's been lots of talk about the NBA expanding and Seattle is near the top of the list of candidates for getting a team again - it's probably between us and Vegas - but who knows if or when that might happen).

Is my trail cam broken?

I checked my trail camera for the first time in a while, and it hadn't captured many images.  In fact none after early March.  The batteries hadn't run out of power, so I'm not sure what the problem is.  It's a shame, because I know I've had a lot of deer action over the last month - plus who knows what else.  I shall have to check it more often, or else buy a new camera (an expense I don't really need).

 

Reading

Something that I don't do nearly enough of, and that I want to do more of, is read more books.  There are a lot of classics I have never read, and a lot of very good books that I'm missing out on.  In the past I have printed out one of those lists of Best Books of All Time, or Best Novels Everyone Should Read, and started to get through some of them.  But that was a long time ago, and I haven't read anything of substance for a very long time.  Instead I spend way too much in front of my telly, or worse playing some stupid mobile game on my iPhone.  All the blue light I expose myself to can't be good - and is perhaps one of the reasons I don't sleep that well.  So I think I need to spend less time on my phone and more time immersing myself in a good story.

Delivery Fail

I hate Amazon delivery drivers - they're the ones who keep on driving over my grass.  Which is why I get most of my Amazon deliveries made to my office now.  But FedEx delivery drivers, who I expect more from, are testing my patience as well.  And today's delivery takes the biscuit.  I was getting some bookcases delivered.  I was in the office today, so wasn't at home for the delivery.  But that didn't matter, because they left the package right at the bottom of my driveway.  Frankly I was surprised to still see it there many hours later when I got home, because anyone driving by would've seen it and could easily have stopped and taken it.  This is not the first time that a package has been left at the bottom of my driveway, but this one wasn't even hidden from the road.  And this package was heavy, so I had to carry the blasted thing all the way up the driveway to my house without a hand truck.  Which was exhausting and took ages.  Whereas the delivery driver would've had one of those - but didn't bother to take the package up to the house.  Really unimpressed.  I think I will make a complaint because this is unacceptable.  I feel like for any future home deliveries, I'm going to actually have to include delivery instructions to specify that they make the delivery to my house and not just the driveway.  Which should be self-evident.  Frustrating.        

A Solid Bet

I had an enlightening, and depressing, conversation with my landlord yesterday about politics, the economy, the country, etc.  He represents two demographics that are key to the presidential election - baby boomer and blue collar.  He is no fan of Trump, but he hates Biden even more and hates the current state of the country.  I think this is a sentiment shared by a lot of people.  And these are not the views of an obvious Fox News type viewer, but someone quite rational and intelligent.  Based on this - I'm not a betting man, but if I was then I think I would put a considerable amount of money on Trump winning the presidency again.  An absolutely awful prospect, but one that I think we have to be prepared for.