But now, we face a more formidable opponent, one who threatens to crush my Patriots & put down the rebellion for good: the dreaded Seahawks!

This whole playoff season has been an incredible ride! In fact, I was not even sure my Patriots were even going to make the playoffs—especially after our abysmal record last year.

Several of the teams we faced in the playoffs should have beaten us (especially the Broncos), due to the defenses we faced (all were top five contenders). However, my Patriots were able to eke out a win over our opponents, which in itself was incredible.

I am really excited about this upcoming game for two reasons: one, it’s my Patriots!!! The second is that this game provides a temporary distraction from the chaos that is happening around the world & the United States . It is a mental break from the stress that honestly helps me (& hundreds of millions of others) from being overwhelmed.

Anyways, now that both championships are over (AFC & NFC), I guess I will have nothing to watch for a while until the Super Bowl (as far as live television goes). Either way I am excited for next month!

Also, go Patriots!!!!!

We don’t mess about when it comes to plushies. Designed with love and care, our new plushie comes with the soft surface and pleasantly squishy stuffing you’ve come to expect, but is more portable than ever before, measuring only 20cm in height. Furthermore, we’ve got 2 new colors for you. Whether you want them to brighten up your desk, or provide comfort on an airplane, the #Plushtodon was architected to be your friend. (Mastodon Shop)

I am glad these are smaller than the original plushie, as they will be easier to travel with & stash around the house. Here is a screenshot recording via my iPad with a person’s hand grabbing blue Mastodon plushie (for size comparison).

Although I usually do not buy company promo merch, I enjoy supporting Mastodon as they have helped popularize the Fediverse (sites based on ActivityPub) as the future of decentralized social networking.

Note: Mastodon was founded by Eugen Rochko (his Mastodon account is @Gargron)

For folks on the Fediverse (regardless of the platform), feel free to follow me from Mastodon or your preferred ActivityPub handle here:

• Mastodon: @darnell
• Threads: @darnell
• WordPress: @darnell

However, I am not buying cold chicken that you need to season, cook & then cut up for a salad. I am buying the $5 chicken rotisserie chicken that is already cooked, along with a few other ingredients.

The best part is most of these other ingredients are around $5 too (prices may vary by location), & most can easily be purchased at Costco.

• Rotisserie Chicken ($5)
• 2 lbs block of cheese ($6)
• 1 lb salad mix ($5)
• 5 lbs of carrots ($5)
• Chick-fil-a sauce ($5, I use this instead of salad dressing)
• 2 lbs Honey Roasted Peanuts ($5 on Amazon)
• Various spices (prices may vary)

I would add tomatoes , but they can spoil the organic salad faster, making it soggy. If you love tomatoes like me, you can add fresh-cut tomatoes later.

After shredding the cheese & carrots (make sure you wash & peel the carrots first!), add everything to a big bowl (featured above).

All of the ingredients together will make about two big bowls’ worth of food, which can help feed a family without breaking the bank.

Prep time depends on how fast you can shred carrots & cheese , plus whatever else you add to the salad mix.

Mix everything, & add Chick-fil-a as a dressing & you are good to go!

Overall I am glad we advance to 7-2, putting us firmly in the lead within our division, & in a weird 3-way tie with the Colts & Broncos in the AFC.

Hopefully my Patriots can learn from this very ugly win, as we play the Buccaneers next Sunday, as the latter did not play today (it was their Bye week) which means my Patriots will be playing a fully prepared & rested team.

My Patriots did fumble & make unnecessary penalties in the beginning (gotta watch those late hits guys!), but aside from that we overcame adversity & defeated the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills!

I was nervous about this game earlier, & posted this on Threads:

View on Threads

My Patriots still have a lot to improve upon, but this win was necessary as it signals that my team has a shot at the playoffs.

I watched some of the reviews from people who tried both, & they looked like a decent, stylish alternative to Vibram FiveFingers shoes, especially when it came to activewear.

I am eager to start running again (doctors are telling me not to push too hard until 2026 due to a foot injury), so speed walking is all I can do for now.

I was thinking about ordering some Peluvas, but I came across some reviewers who claimed they were not designed for running and high impact (which I thought was weird).

Later, I confirmed it on their website from Peluva’s post earlier this year.

When Vibram Five Fingers released the original five-toe barefoot style shoe back in 2005, they became an immediate sensation. They consisted of a nylon, sock-like upper with a thin rubber sole. They offered by far the most barefoot-simulated footwear experience of any shoe in modern times. The Vibram marketing pitch was spot-on: elevated, cushioned shoes cause dysfunction, while a barefoot lifestyle is the ultimate expression of health and functionality. Forward-thinking fitness enthusiasts started wearing Vibrams for walking, hiking, jogging, gym workouts, and everyday life. Those hard-core folks who became barefoot-adapted drove a true revolution in fitness footwear. However, only a select few were able to enjoy such an unusual shoe, and for a limited number of fitness endeavors. Unfortunately, backlash occurred against this radical shoe movement in the form of complaints and injuries sustained by poorly adapted people. A class-action lawsuit blaming Vibram’s lack of protection for overuse injuries was a ridiculous premise, but nevertheless generated bad publicity for the company. […]

We’ve learned from the setbacks the barefoot movement has experienced in the past, and present the most functional, stylish, versatile and safe barefoot-inspired shoe ever developed. We are also committed to educating you about best practices and smooth transitions. For example, we encourage you to walk as much as you can in Peluvas, but don’t run in them–too risky for almost everyone (perhaps don’t run at all, a concept detailed in Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns new book, Born To Walk.) For more support, we offer our free 88-page PDF eBook called The Definitive Guide To A Barefoot And Minimalist Shoe Lifestyle at Peluva.com. 

~ Peluva Blog, Emphasis Mine

From what I saw, Peluva shoes offered more cushion than Vibrams, but I am disappointed that none of their shoes are designed for running.

Ultimately, I ordered some more shoes from Vibram (which offered a few at a discount—yay!), but I will keep an eye on Peluva, especially on some of their more fashionable options.

Note: I am still trying to find a decent dress-toe shoe or boot after Vibram discontinued their Bormio boots.

Yes, I know it is just the Preseason, but I will take any glorious distraction from the doom & gloom news that dominates the discussion nowadays.

Anyways, I am proud of the 48-18 victory over the Commanders, the latter who were not playing well together as a team.

I am concerned about Red Zone defense for my Patriots, as we appeared very weak once the Commanders were within 20 yards of the end zone.

Aside from that our defense looked really good, as well as our offense & special teams. However, this is just preseason, so this victory does not count for the record books.

However, my Patriots are showing promise, & maybe we will make it to the playoffs this season.

Overall, the movie did a better job presenting the First Family’s initial foe, Galactus, & overall the film had a whimsical, Jetsons-on-adventure vibe (which is very different from previous Marvel films).

Overall, I enjoyed the film, which is more or less a light-hearted adventure that helps take one’s mind off the stressors of the day.

I did feel like the Silver Surfer’s role was wasted (why did they even appear‽) and should have been more imposing, but aside from that flaw, it was a decent film.

Would I recommend people seeing it‽ Yes & no. Yes, if you grew up reading comics or are a superhero genre fan. But if that does not describe you, wait until this movie comes out on your favorite streaming site.

I have been seeing various workouts & one that has caught my eye on YouTube is the Solo Leveling Workout, which is based on the South Korean Novel / Manhwa (comic) / Anime.

The main character, Jin Woo, has to do…

• 100 Push-ups
• 100 Sit-ups
• 100 Squats
• 10 Kilometer Run

… every day, otherwise, he is sent to the Penalty Zone dimension full of gigantic carnivorous centipedes who will chase him for four hours in the sand! (I am glad I do not live in that world! )

Since my left foot is slightly injured, and my physical therapist has forbidden me to run (they said it would take months to recover—argh!!!), I am going to try to do the other three workouts (push-ups, sit-ups, and squats with knee braces on!) instead.

If I have time, I will try to walk 10 kilometers a day, but I will see if I can do that on my days off or when I travel overseas again (depending on the terrain).

However, once my left foot is near 100% awesomeness, I will try to run 10 kilometers. Of course, I will not be able to do all of these workouts every day (due to work), but I do like the idea of leveling up my body—without having the fear of being sent to the Penalty Zone!!

I finally finished filing my taxes! This time of year is always stressful, as dealing with various tax authorities (IRS or Internal Revenue Service, State Tax authorities, County Tax authorities, Local Tax authorities, etcetera) is always stressful—& unnecessary complicated.

I use TaxAct software to do my taxes as I have access to an accountant (if I need one), which makes it easier to file taxes accurately & on time. However, why does filing taxes have to be so complicated in America ‽ My friends in other countries the setup is way easier.

Either way, I am glad I finished filing. Now…I have to prepare for next year!