Tag Archives: Blog

Taking Another Shot

December 3, 2025 Kasanje Leave a comment

I watched a video on YouTube the other day that I felt especially compelled by. It got me to stop and think a bit more about my previous YouTube channels and to reconsider posting videos.

When I decided to close GameGirlsGallery (GGG), I also deleted my ASMR and Thrifting channels as well. They other two had fewer than a hundred subscribers, so it wasn’t any real loss.

After 18 months, GGG had well over a thousand subscribers and I regularly got comments and engagement on the content I posted. The decision to close the channel was difficult, but necessary. It was the same with removing that type of content from this website (Hard Choices: Removing Site Content).

Well, yesterday, I decided to go ahead and try again with YouTube. I’m terrible with following through on plans, but I will try to do a live stream every Wednesday and a recorded video once a week.

Ideally, I would like to be able to livestream with my phone, but you need 50 subscribers to do livestreams using the YouTube app. I thought about doing it in the office, but its so messy here, I’d be quite embarrassed.

I ordered an action camera off of eBay for 20 bucks and that should arrive sometime next week if holiday traffic doesn’t slow the parcel down. Its magnetic and has a lanyard and metal pad that can fit under clothes. That will allow me to film while I am out sourcing, but still keep my hands free.

I really wanted an Insta360 Go 3S, but its way out of my price range. My wallet can’t handle anything that fancy. Hopefully, the generic I bought will be able to manage my needs.

Other than videos related to eBay, I will likely include some slideshow videos of my domestic travel blog series.

Anyways, the channel is @FatWalletRefugee (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMzS1MYRiA570YCdXuEEQ-g)

Thanks for reading. See you next time!

Travel

Creedmoor, NC

Gallery November 23, 2025 Kasanje 2 Comments

Creedmoor is a city in Granville County.

There are several small local restaurants in town covering a significant number of cuisines. I saw Cajun, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, American, and Italian.

In Town

I realized I had been here previously last year, just after I got my Nissan LEAF. I had been driving around to potential job locations trying to get a feel for how long the drive would be and if that was something I would be up for.

City Trail Wetlands

I found a spot to park and walked along the City Trail for a short distance. Despite all the traffic, you could still hear the birds and insects that call the marsh their home.

Approach and Exit

I took the 50 South exit and headed down to Falls Lake State Park and one of the boat launch areas.

Errant Literary

My 40th Birthday

November 19, 2025 Kasanje Leave a comment

I don’t feel much older than last year, but there is a distinctive sense that comes with the big four-oh.

I awoke earlier than expected. After lazing in bed for a bit I decided that I would take advantage of the early start. I drove to the Treasure Hunt store, stopping by Starbucks for my free birthday treat along the way.

I ordered the Tomato Mozzarella Panini. I had gotten in the driveway and then realized I had mistakenly hit “in-store pickup,” so I had to maneuver out of the line and find a parking space.

Once I got inside, it was incredibly loud. The seats were packed with customers and the space behind the counter was abuzz with activity.

The pickup didn’t take long at all. I was soon back outside and walking to me waiting car. Upon my first bite of the sandwich, the spinach sort of flopped out. It was wet and soggy and sort of bland. The rest of the meal tasted good though. I paired the sandwich with a pear and that was my breakfast.

I stood in line at the Treasure for around 10 minutes before they opened the doors and everyone began filing in. I had brought my own bag, so I didn’t bother grabbing one of the big blue ones the store provides.

I went straight to the clothes bin and got some nice picks.

Amazon Basics Men’s Pajama Pants Size XL

Dickies Men’s Blue 4XLT Long Sleeve Shirt, sealed in bag.
6 Licensed NHL New Jersey Devils Tee Shirts, 5 Large and 1 XL.
9 Amazon Basics Men’s Pajama Pants Size XL, sealed in bag.
2 Amazon Basics Women’s Gingham Button Front Shirts.
2 Gradual White UV Block Tee Shirts, size L.
Soothefeel Women’s White One-Piece Tennis Outfit, size L.
Kanu Surf Women’s Purple Floral Rashguard, size small.
SENFURE Women’s Bodycon Dress Square Neck Pink Small.
Tru Luxe Blue Mixed Stripe Shirt XS Button Front Smocked.
Croft & Barrow Women’s Black Long Sleeve Top Snowflake Sequins Glitter Metallic S.
Fiori Green Long Kurta with Sequence Embroidery M-40.
NY Islanders Sports Cap by Zephyr ZHATS.
Bass Outdoor Men’s XL Fishing Button Front Shirt.
Sharp SWJF300 Water Filter.
Radwear High Visibility Work Wear Hot Pink Vest.
Exofficio Men’s Performance Travel Underwear Black.
Stance Men’s Casual Socks 3-Pack Combed Cotton Blend.
Naviskin XL Long Sleeve Tee Shirt, Teal.
Gradual Navy Blue UV Block Tee Shirts, size XL.

There were two items I picked out too hastily and didn’t notice large stains and other damage. Not a big loss, just 2 bucks.

I think maybe they were short staffed because the manager was running the register and he’s usually at the back counter on the PA system the other times I’ve gone inside.

Oh, and I picked up two sealed bags with Microfiber Golf Towels. Also a nice find.

Errant Literary, Side Hustles

Settling back in to old Routines

November 2, 2025 Kasanje Leave a comment

My first week back home from the vacation to Washington is nearly over. I think I slipped right back into old habits for the most part. Other than the loss of my watch, much is the same.

On Monday, my eBay shop came off of Time Away, and traffic, organic and promotional, returned to my listings.

I have received 6 orders so far. 3 for FatWalletRefugee, 2 for LaFemme1st, and an AprilAire filter through KingsCastleHomeImprovement.

In the weeks before leaving on my trip, I was involved in getting funding through Liberis for my eBay store.

For several months now, I have seen a banner notice saying I qualified for funding.

I had done some due diligence over on Reddit to see what other sellers had to say about the funding offer. I encountered mixed feelings among the comments.

In the end I decided to go for it. But as the trip approached, I decided it wasn’t a good time to initiate the “loan,” so I declined to sign the contract and after some messages, I let Liberis know I would reapply when I got back.

So two days ago, when I logged into eBay, I saw two banners. One for $600 in funding and the other for a line of credit valued at $1,100. I must say, the line of credit was appealing, but I was wary of the pitfalls of debt and decided to stick with the $600.

It’s not actually a loan per se. What I signed is a revenue purchase agreement. I agreed that 30% of all of my sales would go to paying off the lump sum funding I received. There was also one-time fee of $79.

The estimate I was shown said it would take 4-6 months at my regular rate of sales to pay back the $600 funding.

I received the money in my bank account yesterday and used it to pay off the American Express card that I use for sourcing products.

I also switched to GEICO for my car insurance, so I had another $1,120 charged to it today. I’m saving around $640 annually with this switch in insurers.

Although, I had a heck of a time getting through the application process. Somewhere in this world there lives a web designer; an employee of GEICO, who really needs their head smashed in. I said as much in the exit survey.

Actually, I toned it down. But that web form made me violently, violently angry. I finally got it done after having to clear my cookies and resubmit the form 3 times. No back or undo function. Utter eejits, all of them.

Next goal for my business is to not spend a penny on any new goods. I have backlog of unlisted products, I should be able to finish the year in the black.

Daily Writing, Errant Literary

My Lost Watch

October 29, 2025 Kasanje 1 Comment

I had submitted lost item reports to Delta Air Lines, RDU Airport, and Uber, yesterday. I got a response from the lost and found at the airport saying they didn’t have my watch.

I am still waiting on Uber and Delta to get back to me. I am disappointed but I can feel myself starting to move on from the loss.

It’s odd, I still have the tan lines on my wrist in the shape of a watch. I don’t think I will buy a replacement any time soon.

I’m going to start applying to jobs again soon. I don’t think the eBay sales are going to be enough to handle the car insurance payments I have to make.

Direct Auto is charging me $2440 a year as a new driver and I can’t really afford it. They had the best rates when I first checked last year. Progressive and Allstate both wanted double that.

Errant Literary, Travel

The Flight Home

October 28, 2025 Kasanje Leave a comment

My father scheduled a pickup by the SeaTac Rocket Shuttle at around 10:30 this morning (PST). The drive was around 2 hours, no ferries, just bridges.

We stopped for a break at a McDonald’s restaurant and I went inside and ordered a McCrispy Sandwich. I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s for maybe 5 years. It tasted delicious.

At the airport, I printed my boarding pass. This time it didn’t ask me to volunteer my carry on, so that meant I couldn’t skip the line at the gate.

I did see some folks with roll-on luggage that had the volunteer tags. I don’t know how they got them. Lucky folks.

My flight being at 3:50pm, I wandered about the terminal and took photos of the planes arriving and departing.

Papa gave me his old Olympus camera. It’s the same one he had from my 2019 trip to NYC to see my uncle Rupert, come over from England.

This camera is around 7 years newer than the one I have at home. A true DSLR with 2 different lenses and a filter. It includes WiFi for wireless transfer of photos to a smartphone. Quite fancy. I am looking forward to how it performs photographing apparel for my eBay shop.

Around 2:30, I sat down and did some blogging. By chance I gave up my seat to a family of three. I made the excuse of being at the wrong gate, which was true, but after I got to the right gate, I noticed the sign was wrong.

It turned out my flight had not only changed gates but was boarding already. I had to rush a bit to get to the actual correct gate. Once there I was able to relax a bit. I was in Zone 8 at the back of the plane, so I had some time before my group got called.

The flight was okay. I listened to music and edited the blog posts to remove broken links and redundant files. I got some shots of the Rockies from the plane using the Olympus and also filmed the entire taxiing and take-off sequence on my phone.

It got dark fast since the sun was setting behind us. I played some games and kept editing until we landed. I ordered 2 coffees and got 2 Biscoff wagers. I didn’t spend any money on my return flight.

I got a bit lost after landing and mistakenly told the driver I was at terminal 1, which is what it said on the sign next to me. I was actually at terminal 2.

After some back and forth with the uber reserve driver, I got to the awaiting car. It was a quick ride home, (somebody was speeding in the rain). While I appreciated getting home fast, I think 40 in a 25 is probably not a great idea.

Mama was up late waiting for my return. It was about 1 am when I walked through the front door. Maybe 45 minutes later I realized I wasn’t wearing my watch. I’m not sure when it came off, but I’ve messaged Uber for assistance.

I had switched the shoulder I was carrying my pack over, it possible I dislodged it either in airport, when I entered the car, or while exiting the car. Although, the strap was new, so I think I would have noticed it getting tugged on.

So, one dark spot at the end of a wonderful trip to my hometown and a touching reunion with my father.

I may have some additional posts to make. I’ll have to check the photos to see what I may have missed.

Thanks for reading!

Errant Literary, Travel

Driving Across Bainbridge Island

October 21, 2025 Kasanje Leave a comment

After the ferry boat ride we stopped in at Town & Country Market for some lunch and coffee.

I purchased the Maka Special which was a sushi dish of Yellowfin Tuna and Sockeye Salmon with some rice rolls topped with flavorful sauce and some crunchy bits.

I also grabbed a Power Green Salad; edamame, chick peas, quinoa, rainbow kale, and bulgar. A tasty assortment I must say.

Prices are certainly higher on the west coast. I spent $26.04 on my lunch. Back home that would be enough for dinner for a family of three.

Although, you’d never get such premium fish at such a price in NC. The sushi at Publix is half the size and often you’d be given the cheaper cuts and variety of fish or it would just be topped with Indonesian shrimp.

For coffee, I ordered an 8oz Mocha with a single shot of espresso. I was surprised how fast the drinks were ready. I must have gotten used to long lines at the Starbucks drive thru back home.

After lunch we had a slow drive up north through Bainbridge and along wooded roads off the main drag.

I didn’t realize it initially, but I later heard from my father that we had crossed a bridge to the Kitsap peninsula and then crossed the Hood Canal bridge.

I had been expecting a ferry ride across to Port Townsend, but that turned out to be unnecessary with the rout we took. The detour also allowed my father to show me the slip where his sailboat Cornelia is moored.

After visiting the slip we drove through Hadlock and into Irondale an then we took a more scenic route into Port Townsend.

I got to see the old spots where I and my mother used to live back in the woods in a trailer. I also saw homes and properties where schoolmates once lived.

We passed by Discovery Bay and Cape George. I had friend from Cub Scouts who lived in the private community at Cape George. I recall his mom was our Den mother before we graduated to Boy Scouts.

Thanks for reading!

Errant Literary, Travel

Landed, looking for Parking Space

October 21, 2025 Kasanje 1 Comment

The pilot let us know it’s a busy morning, their just waiting to be assigned a parking space. It shouldn’t take terribly long though.

This gives me a chance to photograph some planes on the flat and steady earth. I realized as I was shooting planes, I don’t know what my own plane looks like. It was still dark when we boarded.

I am at the back of the plane, and this time, I won’t get to skip ahead. So I’ll just relax till the line peters out.

My father is waiting at the Cell Parking lot while I disembark. After I get my bag from the claim area, we can rendezvous somewhere nearby.

Errant Literary, Travel

Gallery: Flight from Carolinas to the PNW

Gallery October 21, 2025 Kasanje 1 Comment

The trip has been smooth for the most part. I got some nice shots of the flatlands and hilly sections before we rolled over the Rockies.

It looks like I’ve got just an hour and twenty minutes left in the flight. Time for another snack!

I decided to open the packet of Biscoff wafer and Ghirardelli chocolate from the earlier snack cart. I still have most of the vodka left over. It was too strong for me.

I think that body of water is Warm Springs, but it’s difficult to tell from the flight map. When I zoom in I don’t see any lakes, only rivers.

The refreshments came by again and I asked for more Biscoff, I happily received two packets. I also got a second cup of the Pike Place coffee. Two creams no sugar, just right for my tummy.

Maybe the coffee is free because they didn’t ask for my card the second time. Or maybe the last call on snacks is free. I don’t know. My receipts have not arrived yet.

Usually digital receipts are instantaneous so I am a little confused. I spent $14 on the chicken sandwich and the first round of drinks was $11 (coffee, tonic, and spirits).

I should be getting a 20% statement credit on the in-flight purchases. That’s one of the perks available with the Delta Blue card.

I should mention, since I booked the cheapest airfare with Delta Air, my flight did not qualify for earning Miles. It is a bummer that I spaced out applying my saved points to this trip. I could saved $200 on my $300 tickets.

Next post Landed, Looking for Parking Space

Previous post Gallery: Up in the Air

Errant Literary, Travel

Gallery: Up In the Air

Video October 21, 2025 Kasanje 2 Comments

The Take Off

Well we did the taxiing down the runway and then with a roar we took off. I recorded the ascent but it’s too big a file to upload on this slow in-flight wifi. The connection says 200 mbps, but the upload was crawling by.

The above video is a trimmed 30-second clip.

The Seatback “experience” Delta offers does not include any international titles or content. I’ll be sticking to my phone for the remainder of the flight.

Unfortunately, my charging cable is in my pack, which got checked earlier at the gate. I remembered to grab my headphones but I forgot the charge cable.

For snacks, I’ll be getting the Biscoff wafers. The little screen is telling me they also have pink lemonade for breast cancer, which is the same event they were running on my last flight in 2019. I suspect it isn’t really a special but a standard offer.

I might try the Du Nord Foundation vodka and Fever-Tree tonic water. I like quinine and it says it has bitter orange in it too. Might as well get everything since I rarely travel.

I’m not sure if my bladder could handle also ordering a cup of Starbucks Pike Place. That’s the other item on offer in the menu. I am supposed to get double stars on flight days but I’m not sure if I have it set up properly to get credit.

Next post Flight from the Carolinas to PNW

Previous post Up in the Air