Walt's Corner

$95 Million. That’s how much Apple has to pay out in the case of Siri listening in, recording, and sharing our information with advertisers from 2014 through the end of last year. After the attorneys who brought the case get their almost $30 Million cut that brings us down to around $65 Million left to split amongst the rest of us. Depending on how many file for their share, that could put up to $20 in the pockets of those of us who were used.

It was so almost guaranteed to happen that Carol and I would say random things into the other’s phone just so that advertisements would start to appear. “Oh man, why is my penis so small?” I would ask her phone. Sure enough. Penis enlargement ads would creep their way into her devices. At an exponential level compared to the usual. Good times. Definitely worth my $20.

Can you guess what my iPhone’s been named for the last few years? Wiretap.

Was a good year in reading for me. 21 books. I generally don’t designate a time during the day to read other than before going to bed. After brushing/flossing my rocks and taking my nightly meds/vitamins, I’ll nestle into my bed and read until I start to fall asleep. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes. I won’t be breaking any records for number of books read throughout the year.

In no particular order. I lie. I’m looking at my Goodreads list. That’s the order. Plus 3 more I know Goodreads didn’t include for whatever bullshit reason. Plus 3 repeat reads – the Wayward Pines Trilogy. My 4th time reading this excellent series.

• Cursed by Leigh Kenny
• The Infinity Engines: Anachronist by Andrew Hastie
• The Vile Thing We Created by Robert P. Ottone
• Close Your Eyes by J.A. Konrath
• Creep Out by Jeff Strand
• Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts
• The Excorcist’s House by Nick Roberts
• You Like It Darker by Stephen King
• The Church Beneath the Roots by Felix Blackwell
• Ragman by J.G. Faherty
• Red Inside by Bridgett Nelson
• Dead End Tunnel by Nick Roberts
• Contagion by Michael McBride
• A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L. Peck
• Snuggling the Grotesque by Jeff Strand
• Interview with the Devil by Michael Harbron
• 25 Days by Per Jacobsen
• Dry by Per Jacobsen
• Wayward Pines Trilogy by Blake Crouch.

All great reads in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed every one of these books. Authors I actively follow are Stephen King, Blake Crouch, Jeff Strand, and J.A. Konrath.All the rest in this list were recommendations from the Books of Horror Facebook group.

Our most anticipated camping trip of the year is always Big Bend Ranch State Park. My favorite playground. So many trails to explore whether it is along the easily accessible outside of Big Bend Ranch or within the rugged interior.

This year we chose the interior – Vista Del Bofecillos. This is the first individual site as you begin to travers the 20-something miles of Main Park Road headed towards the Saucedo Visitor Center. Our first time at this site was 2021. This road is not for faint of heart. Hauling our small pull-behind Lance trailer over its tumultuous waterboarded surface means no more than 10 MPH and sometimes even 5 MPH resulting in taking up to 2 hours to travel the 12 miles from FM170 to the campsite.

The goal was to go the entire week without needing to refill/dump water tanks. We left with 51 gallons of water between the freshwater tank (45 gal) and water heater (6 gal). Having an on-board 60-amp DC to DC battery charger as a backup power source eliminated the need to bring our small backup generator as usual in case our 400 watts of solar panels could not meet our power needs – especially with our intention of firing up the inverter Christmas Day to run our crock pot. Turns out the panels kept us up to charge, so we never used the 60-amp DC charger.

We have 2 x 20-pound propane tanks on board plus brought an additional 2 tanks as back-up. Previous years have proven to get quite cold at night, sometimes down into the 20s. This was not one of those years. Our lowest temperature was 43. Keeping our furnace set at 65 proved to be infrequent enough use to not deplete those 2 on-board tanks. Better safe than sorry though. One year we were not able to purchase or exchange any propane in any of the cities from Marfa through Presidio and even down to Lajitas and Terlingua/Study Butte. Everyone was out of propane. Luckily, we had just enough.

Day 1 – Presidio, TX

Not wanting to leave too early but also not wanting to arrive at sunset, we stayed at Loma Paloma just West of Presidio, TX. We have headed this way many times since 2015, but this was the first time we ran into heavy traffic waiting to enter Mexico. Traffic was at a dead stop for over 7 miles. Presidio Police provided escorts along the 2-lane highway for travelers wanting to go to Presidio providing us with a police escort traveling in the wrong lane. We still spent 2 hours between waiting in that line and the slow-paced escort around the traffic. When we eventually made it to Loma Paloma, check in was a breeze and the campground host, Kevin, was eager to please and provide local information. This put us 16 miles from our final destination. One draw-back from that police escort was that it took us away from our usual gas fill-up station. That meant dropping the trailer at Loma Paloma so that we could fit into a smaller Valero gas station to fill up. The following morning, we went into town and filled up the gas tank and then stopped by the Fort Leaton welcome center to sign in to Big Bend Ranch and get our official registration tickets. Back to the campground to hook up and begin our trek into Big Bend Ranch.

Day 2 – Vista Del Bofecillos

We left Loma Paloma around 1000 and had arrived and finished setting up camp by 1230. We relaxed for the rest of the day, taking in the surrounding splendor. By end of day the battery was charged up to 100% (200ah). Full sun.

Day 3 – Biking to Rancho Viejo Trailhead

Battery was down to 89%. We rode our bikes down to Main Park Road then went up to the Rancho Viejo Trailhead, passing the campsite we stayed at in 2022, by the windmill. Nobody was there. We ditched the bikes and did a couple miles of the Rancho Viejo trail and turned back. A cairn we built on top of one of the mountains we hiked up in 2022 was still there and visible via camera zoom-in. We have a few of these scattered around the park that nobody would know about except us. Battery was 100% by 1300. End of day battery at 100%. Full sun.

Day 4 – Biking to Ojito Adentro Trailhead

Battery at 89%. Rode our bikes about 7 miles from our campsite to the Ojito Adentro Trailhead, then hiked the small 1-mile trail that takes you to the Adentro Spring. Always a beautiful hike. The spring had a little more water in it than our last time here in 2022. Along the way to the trailhead, I spotted some nice hollowed out spaces in some cliff walls that will make some nice destination hikes in a year to come. End of day battery: 100%. Full sun.

Day 5 – Day Of No Scheduled Activity

Battery at 89%. Christmas Day. No plans for today other than the big Christmas dinner to be cooked in the crock pot. Pot roast with potatoes, celery, onions, and carrots. I did not want to to leave the trailer with the inverter on and powering up the crock pot for its inaugural use. Earlier this year I swapped out our 2000-watt inverter with a 4000-watt inverter (8000-watt max) and hard wired it into the power distribution panel to power up the whole trailer with AC power. I wanted to be able to monitor it just in case. Turns out it works perfect. Inverter did not even get warm. Wiring did not get warm. With the crock pot on, the inverter was pulling about 10 amps from the battery before the sun was up where it provided meaningful light for the solar panels on the roof. By noon, the panels were providing all the power for the crock pot and even charging the battery with 3-4 amps. End of day battery: 84%. Full sun.

Day 6 – Hike to the cliff of the plateau

Battery at 69%. Coldest night by far, down to 43 degrees. Previous nights’ lows were in the 50s. There is this 3-mile trail from our campsite to the cliff of our plateau that we are camped on. Reaching this cliff rewards you with a splendid view of FM170 near Redford, TX. First cloudy day we have experienced too. Entire hike is a little over 6 miles round trip. We enjoy the last sunset in Big Bend Ranch that we will see this year. End of day battery: 84%.

Day 7 – Back home

Big Bend Ranch State Park is once again in our rearview mirror. 2 hours coming down the mountain and a pleasant, incident free drive home. Now to choose which picture I will be using to commemorate this year’s trip on a Zippo.

Goddamn it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Like we didn’t already know this. Albertsons had tried pimpin itself out to Kroger for the last 2 years because, let’s face it, they suck and will have to file for bankruptcy. Albertsons thought they had secured Kroger to buy them. 2 years later just when it looked like it was about to happen, not one but two judges said nope faster than Captain Liam Shaw.

What’s Albertsons’ next move? If you can’t get them to buy you then you may as well try to sue them instead.

Being the slow news day that it was, this story somehow made the news. You know, tucked squarely between the CEO headhunter being caught and our own Walmart shooter case being delayed yet again, someone thought we needed to know about some couple’s quest for hitting up every restaurant because it’s not fine dining and more or less average food – something they’d make at home. I mean, I don’t want to steal anyone’s sunshine, so if your dream is to work 45 years so you can retire and spend your retirement savings/time visiting mediocre at best restaurants, don’t let me stop you. This is America. Live that dream, baby.

“The food is like home cooking to us,” Judy McNamara said. “We don’t like fancy cuisine or fine dining. Texas Roadhouse fits the bill of good country home cooking and is family-oriented.”

I don’t eat steak outside my house for two reasons. First, it probably won’t be as good as mine. Second, if it is, then I’m about to be fucked in the wallet. Ain’t happening. I’m looking at you, Cattleman’s Steakhouse at Indian Cliffs Ranch. Seriously? $46 for a 10 0z fillet mignon meal that costs me $7 to make at the house that is just as good, if not better. $70 for a porter house? GTFO. But hey, if you’re looking for a good steak, this is the one to try if you come to El Paso.

Texas Roadhouse falls into the first category. They make an average steak. I could boil a steak that tastes better. Well, maybe not. Fact: if someone claims this is the best steak they’ve ever had, they’ve never had a good steak. They’ve only had average or worse. Another fact: I have eaten at this very restaurant this article mentions. The only place where I’ve had a bone in my pulled pork sandwich.

You’re safe ordering the burger. I think. Oh, and the rolls are great. Worth traveling the country for when you can get them in your local Texas Roadhouse? That’s for you to decide. Also, always great to see that Texas flag flying high regardless of what state you’re in.

When I’m cooking my steak, I treat it like Jesus. Because this bovine died for me, for reals.