California Views
The Pat Hathaway Photo Collection
Mr. Pat Hathaway, Photo Archivist
Historic Monterey, California • (831) 373-3811
Historic Monterey, California • (831) 373-3811
There is something deeply humbling about waking up in a van surrounded by living skyscrapers. I’m currently parked somewhere along the Avenue of the Giants, and the morning fog is so thick you could cut it with a steak knife. These redwoods don’t just block the sun; they seem to swallow the very concept of time.
My camera is working overtime, but honestly, trying to capture a 300-foot tree in a digital frame feels like trying to pour a gallon of bourbon into a shot glass. It just doesn’t fit.
I spent the morning finishing Isaiah 53. Now, I usually turn to the Good Book when the parlays aren’t hitting or I need a miracle in the bottom of the ninth, but this chapter caught me off guard. It’s heavy.
The whole “Man of Sorrows” theme is a sharp contrast to the Wagyu-and-Maker’s lifestyle, but it hit me right in the chest. There’s a quiet beauty in that kind of sacrifice that makes my daily worries about point spreads feel pretty small.
It’s the first time a book has made me put down my glass and just think for a solid hour.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities…”
Heavy stuff for a guy who usually starts his mornings checking CuttingBall and TheRX. It left me feeling surprisingly centered — or maybe that’s just the lack of cell service.
Just as I was getting all spiritual, I managed to find a sliver of LTE service and checked my email. My accountant sent a message that nearly made me drive the rig straight into Fern Canyon. Apparently, I’ve got a $50,000 overpayment sitting with the IRS.
That means zero Q1 estimated payments. The federal government is currently acting as my interest-free savings account. I’m not thrilled about the arrangement, but I’ll take the win.
Most importantly, my “fun money” budget just received a massive, federally funded injection. In gambling terms, this is house money. And you know what Pat does with house money.
He goes shopping.
I took that tax-refund energy straight into the market. I’ve been watching Powell Industries for a while. They build the heavy-duty electrical infrastructure that’s going to power the Abacus AI boom and the grid revitalization I was dreaming about yesterday.
I didn’t nibble. I backed up the truck.
I’m now sitting on a very large position in POWL. If the world is going to demand more power, I might as well own the people building the switches. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it play, which works perfectly because I’ve got more trees to wander through and more bourbon to sample.
| Category | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Humboldt Redwoods, CA | Currently hiding from a very judgmental-looking owl. |
| Spirituality | High | Isaiah 53 is the real deal. Humbling. |
| Financials | Bullish | IRS owes me $50k. POWL position is now elephant-sized. |
| Beverage | Coffee & Maker’s | The “Redwood Eye-Opener.” |
| Betting | Holding | Waiting for Wild Card lines to drift toward the dogs. |
This afternoon I’m heading deeper into Founders Grove. I picked up the idea from Earth Times. I want to find a tree old enough to remember when the IRS didn’t exist. That’s the kind of history I can get behind.