Pat’s Adventure: Redwoods, Range Time, and the “Powl” Pitfall
January 8, 2026I’ve learned two very important lessons in the last twenty-four hours: first, the redwoods are significantly more stable than the stock market; and second, “backing up the truck” on a stock is a great way to get a flat tire.
I bought POWL just in time to watch it drop four dollars. It’s a classic Pat move—injecting that $50,000 IRS “gift” into the market only to have the market immediately decide it didn’t like the color of my money. But I’m not sweating it. You don’t buy a grid-revitalization play for a 24-hour flip. It’s a long-term hold, and honestly, seeing the red on the screen just reminded me why I prefer the green of the forest.
Chasing the Sun: Pointing South
As much as I love the Avenue of the Giants, the morning fog is starting to settle into my bones. It’s time to trade the damp silence of the North for some high-desert heat. I’m packing up the
Old 442 rig and pointing the compass toward Palm Springs.
Why the desert? Because my golf game is currently in a state of emergency repair. I’ve been tallying up my recent rounds and the math is ugly. My chipping and putting are costing me four to five strokes a side. I need quality range time, and there’s no better place to find it than the Golf Center at Palm Desert. A double-sided, night-lit range and a par-three course that’s perfect for the short-game surgery I’m about to perform.
I’ve also found a
solid baseball book to get me mentally ready for spring training, which feels appropriate when you’re standing on a range trying to rediscover fundamentals.
I’ve got to drop a few pounds too. The Wagyu-and-bourbon diet is a ten out of ten for morale, but a two out of ten for the waistline. A week of walking fairways in seventy-five-degree weather should burn off some of that “IRS house money” celebration.
The Great Race Place
Before I leave California, I’m making a pit stop at Santa Anita Park. I’m ready for some horse racing, and today happens to be the Robert J. Frankel Stakes. I took a peek at
alexbrownracing.com, but Alex is already focused on the spring meets.
There’s something about the “Great Race Place,” with the San Gabriel Mountains rising behind it, that makes even a losing ticket look like a work of art.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for a long shot in the Eddie Logan Stakes as well. If I’m going to lose four dollars a share on POWL, I might as well try to win it back on a twenty-to-one closer in the final furlong. It’s about balance.
Texas Bound: Rodeo & Redemption
This is all just a warm-up for the big one. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be crossing the state line into the Lone Star State for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
I’ve already checked the 2026 lineup courtesy of
Eyewitness News:
February 12: Russell Dickerson kicks things off.
February 13: Hank Williams Jr. (the real Bocephus).
February 15: Brad Paisley.
I can already hear the chutes opening and smell the funnel cakes. Texas has a way of making everything feel big again—the hats, the steaks, and hopefully, the bankroll.
The Daily Vitals: January 8, 2026
| Category |
Status |
Notes |
| Location |
Leaving Redwoods |
Heading toward Palm Springs for short-game surgery. |
| Market Watch |
Down $4 |
POWL took a bite, but I’m still at the table. |
| Physical Goal |
Weight Cut |
Transitioning from filet mignon to fairway walking. Someone is going to put an elephant tag on me. |
| Upcoming |
Santa Anita |
Hunting for a Frankel Stakes miracle. |
| Texas Clock |
T-minus 2 weeks |
San Antonio Rodeo prep is officially underway. |
If you see a guy at the Palm Desert range hitting five hundred wedges in a row while muttering about transgressions and iniquities, don’t worry. It’s just Pat trying to find his soul and his swing at the same time.
