From Hollywood to Hurricanes…by way of 50 unique cities

Stay strong Floridians, in the wake of Hurricane Ian and thanks for having me in your Sunshine state. Albeit, not much sun the past few days as I’ve experienced my first Category 4 hurricane. The good news is I’m located in central Florida and the brunt of the storm just missed us. The bad news is my friends in St. Pete’s and Ft. Meyers weren’t so lucky. No worries, just stay positive and enjoy the rebuild!

And as luck would have it, since I left Los Angeles about a year ago I’ve survived 30,000 miles of “nomad living” while trans-versing the United States and getting to know 50 unique and exciting cities. That’s right, 50 amazing cities in 10 different states where I’ve spent anywhere from several hours to several months (most recently in Frisco, TX). Check them out:

Leaving Los Angeles for…

Oceanside, La Jolla, San Diego, and Needles – CALIFORNIA

Yuma, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tuscon, Mesa, Chandler and Flagstaff – ARIZONA

Las Vegas – NEVADA

Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Tucumcari – NEW MEXICO

Amarillo, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Waco, Ft. Worth, Grapevine, Denton, Dallas, Plano, Frisco and McKinney – TEXAS

Texarkana and Little Rock – ARKANSAS

Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga – TENNESSEE

Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah – GEORGIA

Charleston – SOUTH CAROLINA

Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Melbourne, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Ft. Meyers, Sarasota, Naples, Hollywood and Miami – FLORIDA

Now I can only imagine what’s in store for the next leg of life’s journey. Have an awesome Autumn everyone…and get your workout in!

Peace – R

Summer’s Over Party!

Back in NYC circa the late 1990’s my cronies and I would begin every Labor Day weekend with a blow-out celebration called the Summer’s Over Party. A party it was, to officially celebrate the end of summer – which meant everyone on Wall Street and every other business would get their vacationed butts back in the office to start making money again.

The fact that our little Summer’s Over Party lasted the entire weekend as well as every subsequent weekend until Thanksgiving really didn’t matter (what can I say, we liked to party). Our real intent was to celebrate the beginning of something very good that was about to happen, or perhaps even exceptional.

So let’s get ready to celebrate the following happenings that are definitely very good and are no doubt worth celebrating:

  1. Serena Williams rockin’ the US Open at the ripe young age of 40 while drinking from the Fountain of Youth. And you can too, just read my book.
  2. Inflation is subsiding and the mild recession we’re already in will start to wane.
  3. The oppressive heat across the US and the world will subside. It has to because time goes quick and Winter’s fast approaching.
  4. COVID and/or the fear thereof will subside to the point where everyone on the planet – including those fear-mongering politicians – won’t really care or pass judgment on someone like me who isn’t vaccinated (which should have been the case from Day 1 of this controversial pandemic).
  5. Stocks and Cryptocurrencies will rebound in our investment portfolios before year’s end and we’ll all have a jolly good Christmas. And if you don’t yet have an investment portfolio, get started now…prices are cheap! Another prediction, albeit I’m a long term BULL so what can I say.
  6. Everyone on the planet will embrace my motto, Another Day – Another Workout, and get with a daily fitness program. Trust me, it’ll change your life and keep you drinking from the Fountain of Youth. Just like me and Serena. And if you could use some much needed inspiration, just read my book.

And finally here’s something I learned a long time ago that keeps rearing it’s paradoxical head: Never say Never. Like when it comes to Nomad Living. Let’s just say it’s time for me to head back east again – this time driving – to spend time with family plus add another dozen US cities to my noteworthy collection. What can I say…it’ll definitely be fun!

Happy Labor Day everyone…get your workout in and enjoy the party!

Peace – R

Nomad Living – The End

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

At least when it comes to those good things that have a positive impact on your life and are meant to be provisional. That is to say, they’re meant to inspire and empower you in the present moment, but definitely not the long haul.

Like nomad living.

Because any individual who roams about for any length of time will certainly desire a more permanent resting place. Trust me, I should know. After 9 months of transversing this great country – from LA to Plano to Las Vegas to San Diego with many many stops and cities in between – I’ve found my way back to Texas (no kidding). Although I loved every minute of the journey as well as my time in San Diego – a place akin to heaven – it was time to return to the land of the free and home of the brave. Thus, I’m back in Lone Star state.

As for cryptocurrencies, well that’s another story. Since my last post they’ve crashed by more than 50% and have no doubt sent seismic shocks to my portfolio, to say the least. But then again when it comes to anything in life and especially stocks and cryptos, nothing goes straight up. So keep the faith and HODL on for dear life everyone, because like I’ve said many times before on Tola Talks Texas, we’re in the first inning of a very long ball game.

Be kind and stay strong everyone, and no matter what, get your workout in!

Peace – R

Nomad Living – Part 2

Six months and 15,000 miles since leaving Los Angeles, I guess you could say my nomadic ways are coming to an end. At least for now, as I thoroughly enjoy exploring and transversing the plethora of amazing neighborhoods throughout San Diego (including Oceanside below).

After a dozen years living in LA and just a few months here in SD, no doubt San Diego trumps LA-LA-Land. In so many ways, but let’s just say it feels much safer and it’s definitely much cleaner here. Not to mention I haven’t had one homeless person approach or harass me, or worse, grab me like that time in LA. So rock’on San Diego! And speaking of rocking on, if you’re still HODL-ing firm with your cryptocurrency portfolio – like I am – keep the faith and know that prices will skyrocket again. That is to say, when the retail buyers come back with a vengeance coupled with 401K allocations for Bitcoin and hopefully Etherium and my fav, Dogecoin.

That’s what I believe, albeit perhaps against the grain, and like I said numerous times on Tola Talks Texas, we’re in the first inning of a very long ball game, so stay positive and stay the course everyone.

And as always, get your workout in. Peace – R

Never Live in Fear – Ep 20 – Tola Talks Texas

Today is all about doing whatever it takes to never live in fear. Because during the past two years of this COVID pandemic, the powers to be have done their best to control you by instilling fear in your mind, body and spirit. No doubt fear controls – so never let it happen. In our last Tola Talks Texas, at least for now while I travel and spend time with family, I do my best to communicate why we need to get rid of the divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Plus kudos to Bill Maher for his recent monologue about not wanting to live in a masked, paranoid world and never being scared of COVID, but rather the reaction to it. Not to mention this particular comment that I totally agree: So, the fact that America, the medical establishment never even attempted to get people to live a healthier lifestyle as response to this pandemic is a giant scandal to me. Right on Bill, because everyone needs to get with the program and Drink from the Fountain of Youth, like I do. And no matter what, stay strong, stay positive, stay true to your dreams…and get your workout in.

Peace – R

Top 7 Dumbbell Exercises – Ep 17 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the best exercises anyone can do from head-to-toe using only dumbbells. And since the news is rather depressing this Wednesday when it comes to current events including President Biden’s approval rating and paltry school lunches, not to mention murder rates we haven’t seen since the 1990’s and homelessness and inflation on the rise, let’s focus on an easy and affordable daily fitness program that positively affects your 7 body parts: abs, shoulders, back, chest, triceps, biceps and legs. Plus three more steps to everlasting youth from my book, as well as some encouraging price moves from our beloved – and sometimes unbeloved – cryptocurrencies on Robinhood. Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in!

Capital Punishment – Ep 14 – Tola Talks Texas

Today’s we’re talking about crazy crime stories involving victims young and old throughout the United States who were stabbed, frozen to death, shot and killed and/or left for dead, plus road rage incidents that’ll have you questioning your thoughts on who deserves to live or die for their offenses. Capital punishment is real and can be debated as positive or negative, depending on your personal values. Either way both are valid, just like being for or against Coronavirus vaccines that may or may not work. Both or valid and like the saying goes, to each his own. Plus more fitness tips to keep you drinking from the Fountain of Youth, and some quick talk about my Wall Street days as well as cryptocurrency prices and how no matter what, nothing goes straight up.

Fact vs. Fiction – Ep 12 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking fact vs. fiction when it comes to inaccurate claims about children being hospitalized for COVID (3,500 actual vs. 100,000) plus total US deaths and comorbidity, including highlights of the Fox News interview with Bret Baier and CDC director Rochelle Walensky; the negative affects of 5,000 schools still being closed for in-person learning; kudos to Marc Cuban for his clarity on Dogecoin vs. Bitcoin as an inflation hedge and better than a lottery ticket; plus a breakdown of soaring obesity rates throughout the US (up 26% since 2008) to an all time high of 42.4%.

Top 7 Gym Equipment Exercises – Ep 11 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the Top 7 Gym Equipment Exercises that anyone can do – and should be doing at their local gym or health club. Because when it comes to drinking from the Fountain of Youth, the best advice I always give is to consume a daily diet of iron. Gym equipment iron that is. Like I’ve been doing for the past 40 years. And like you can…either man or woman or adolescents over the age of 16, when I started training at Man’s World Gym in Trenton, NJ. Plus some more talk and confusion about the bipolar Texas weather as well as whether the best tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, will get to compete in Australia. And speaking of confusion, there’s more talk about investing in trillion dollar companies like Tesla (bought some today) and risky assets like cryptocurrencies, and how it’s best to limit your exposure to this so-called gambling while enjoying the topsy turvy ride.

More School Closures – Ep 9 – Tola Talks Texas

Today we’re talking about the negative impacts the pandemic continues to have on children of all ages, especially more school closures leading to our worst “academic achievement crisis in living memory”, as well as suicide rates rising sharply among girls 12-17 years old (up 51% from 2019-2021); another variant called IHU in France that is “definitely not worth worrying about at the moment”; kudos to Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers pushing back on criticism for hugging NFL reporter Erin Andrews in a postgame interview on Christmas Day; decriminalization measures in NYC meant to combat their growing crime; the good and the bad news when it comes to US companies hiring employees in December (good) while thousands of flights are still being cancelled and more Broadway shows are closing their doors (bad); plus good news from Goldman Sachs about Bitcoin potentially reaching $100,000 as it takes store of value share away from Gold. And of course, more talk about drinking from the Fountain of Youth and my new Tola Yoga class at Plano Athletic Club starting this Saturday at 12:30p.