A supply of Atonomyte, just in
case we break out in dystopia.

This is the Human Claw Machine at the mall. I am not

sure if it is just for kids or if adults can participate as well.

The thing was not operating when I was there.

It looks like a person (you) lays in this harness and the

Claw Machine operator (the person who works there) moves

the person (you) up and down and back and forth and the

person in the harness (you) grabs for whatever it is they (you)

can for whatever it is that they (the company) has placed

under the tarp (that you can see if the first picture).

And lest you think anarchy reigns at

the Human Claw Machine, think again.
There are rules.

I bought this cross at Hobby Lobby during my Annual

Birthday Extravaganza (which has been over for a couple

of days now). Those days off were nice. I think I might

take a few days off in June as well. That would be good.

Happy National Popcorn Day 2026!

It seems that they’re not really a thing anymore, but

I enjoy wearing silicone wristbands. I found these
Saint Patrick’s Day wristbands at Walmart,
which is unusual lately, so I grabbed one
before they all disappeared.

Saving them for March of course.

This succulent bloom doesn't look like it is

from around here. Here... meaning Earth.

Happy International Hot and Spicy Food Day!

The timing is fortuitous as for my Birthday Extravaganza

I just bought one of my favorite things: jalapeño stuffed

green olives from World Market. These are delicious! But

I only buy them once every few years as they
 are kind of expensive.

On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, I bought the same brand

olives for my birthday. They cost $4.99 for 11.2 ounces.

This year, they cost $7.69 for just 9.52 ounces.

So yeah, a special treat. If you like green olives and

jalapeños, and you’ve got a little spare dinero in your

pocket, it’s a no-brainer!

And yep, here are my boys all together.

The newest guy is on the far right. I have had the one on the
far left for two years, the one next to him for three years and
the tallest one for one year. I love seeing them when

I come home at night.

Continuing on with what now seems to be the oinking-out
theme of my 2025 Birthday Extravaganza, I had my yearly
chocolate shake at Jack in the Box. That was worth waiting for
I will tell you what. But, they didn't put a cherry on top this time

around. I kind of missed that. It brings in a touch of color and,

probably, a psychological boost to the whole deal.

But in the end I managed to put on my
big girl pants and soldier on through!

For my 2026 Birthday Extravaganza I did go

to Surf City to enjoy a banana/banana

smoothie. SO good.

And I did buy a Wetzel's Pretzel with pepperoni

and jalapeno to take home for a late night snack.

Also, SO good.

And I did a few days ago buy this Texas cast iron(?)

wall art (that was surprisingly inexpensive) at Hobby

Lobby that I did hang up on my wall.

The 2026 Birthday Extravaganza
adventures continue...

Thrift store movie haul!

And I am ready.

I bought cheese popcorn.

For my 2026 Birthday Extravaganza, I did what I do

every year and made the long drive over to FYE to see

what kind of great movies I could find. They are a little

pricey, but I can usually find a deal or two. This was

FYE in January 2021.

What the?! Oh man. C'mon you guys. This is FYE today
in January of 2026. Closed. Gone. First REI and now
FYE? I'm going to go get a Wetzel's Pretzel with
jalapeno and pepperoni and a banana/banana

smoothie at Surf City. That will be good.

I'm really gonna miss FYE, even if it WAS only
a once a year visit. No movies today.

And there he is in his new home. My Birthday Cactus

for 2026. Trichocereus randiflorus, also known as the

Torch Cactus. Very handsome. When the light is right
I will take a picture of him with all of his new pals.

~ The Second Annual Pizza and a Movie Night ~

(Postponed from October 2025 due to dental issues.)

Tonight will be a double feature!

First up is The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), which is fantastic
if for nothing else other than the fact that they put the Creature
in a shirt and pants! Good ol' Dr. William Barton (far left)
would have The Creature in a suit and tie working retail
if he could. That seems like his evil plan. His wheels are loose.
It's a riot.

In the above Borden Cinema screenshot The Creature

is not walking among them, but The Creature DID walk among

the guy laying on the bed and now he is sporting several large
 gashes on his face which he is showing off to those fellers
standing around.

This is the second and I think final Creature from the Black
Lagoon sequel and is well worth a watch.

During the intermission I prepared a DIGIORNO Thin Crust Pepperoni

Pizza and a loaf of Signature Select garlic bread. I had Red Baron pizza

for the first Pizza and a Movie Night and I am thinkin' that DIGIORNO

kicked it's butt. The Signature Select garlic bread was great. I rated it

7.5 out of 10 garlic cloves.

Now it is time to sit back, enjoy the pizza,

the bread and the second feature.

The second feature of the night was The Phantom from
10,000 Leagues (1955). That there above in the Borden Cinema
screenshot is The Phantom. No spoilers here as they show this
guy in the first two minutes of the movie. I expected this to be
a pretty lousy old drive-in B movie and that's okay because that
is what the night is all about. And it was for the most part
that, but it was also REALLY enjoyable. I never
looked at my watch. Color me surprised. I will
actually watch this again someday.

And I had to put this guy here. This is Kent Taylor (1906-1987).
He plays Dr. Ted Stevens. This man is so awesome and
handsome and charming and .... smoooooooth.
I LOVE this guy. He alone makes the movie
worth watching.

The Phantom ended just before 12 AM and
that concluded my Second Annual Pizza and a Movie Night.

Another huge success. The third will hopefully take place in
October. I am planning it already!

Before.

After.
For my Birthday Extravaganza I made the semi-annual
long drive to REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) to

look around and see if they had any fun stuff.

What's this? They closed up shop. Gonesville. Sign in
the window says they've moved. Won't be open for

another month.

I will try again next year.

Well, this SEEMS to be a week of me eating... a LOT. Probably

because... I AM. During my Birthday Extravaganza I am giving

myself permission to oink out, so today I ate lunch at a
restaurant that I have been wanting to try for years.

It is one of those little hole in the wall places with a name
that ends in "berto's". There are quite a few of them.
I chose the one with the view.

And any little place that looks like this
is the place to be if'n ya ask me.

And this is why I am here. This is the stuff that dreams are made

of. A cheese enchilada, one beef taco with rice and beans, served with

two huge containers of hot sauce that is HOT! Use at much as you want!

I will come back here again someday to be certain.

OINK!

I finally hung the second "spur" on my wall.

I could only do one at a time due to stuff.

Plus, for my Birthday Extravaganza I had a
bacon burger (tasted way better than it looks)...

...and fries over at Tom's.

My Annual Birthday Extravaganza continues.

Guess what this is.

That's right! El Pollo Loco! My first time there in a few
years. I was looking forward to this. The pinto beans
were great. The rice was great. The flour tortillas were
great. The HOT SAUCE was HOT and great.
The chicken... not so great. Dry, bland, boring.

But I will be back at some point to

give it another shot.

In the past it has been really good.

My Annual Birthday Extravaganza for 2026 has begun

and I kicked it off by buying another cactus for my

bathroom window. I will be planting this guy in his new

home in a few days and I will take a picture of him

when I do. Until then he is in the window becoming

acquainted with his three new pals from birthdays past.

Ain't he purdy?

On Friday, December 26, 2025 I wrote that I was kind of

excited to plant this piece of cactus into a pot. It had broken
off from a larger plant higher up in the rocks.

Today I did plant it. This is a pretty heavy piece of cactus

and let me tell you what, this thing wants to stick you BIG

time. It tried really hard, but once again I survived. I think

this is such a cool piece. It came out okay I think.
It probably needs a bigger pot. We will see.

And this cactus was in survival mode. Look at those little
roots reaching out for the ground, which was only inches
away while it lay on its side for weeks and weeks.
Cactus is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

TRANSMISSION #110

Happy New Year 2026!

from

~ El Rancho De La Tex ~