Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Breaking 90: Week 1 (Delayed) + New Product(s) Added

thepointsoflife

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July 3, 2023

Disclaimer: I may receive a commission if you click and buy a product listed.

Breaking 90, Week 1 (Delayed) is part of the TPOL to LIV PGA Trip Report (read the Introduction Inspiration).

Are you looking to break 90? Are you looking to golf in Saudi Arabia? Here’s what you will need. The ones in bold are the new, but critical additions.

Urban Turban: I tried to start my routine, but it is too damn hot in Puerto Rico. I should be wearing my Urban Turban while practicing. I should also be selling it to my Arab brethren (see The Urban Turban Has Launched: Buy One Today! [Limited Inventory]). Urban Turban is on sale here.
Hitting Net: Our driving range inconveniently opens at sunrise and closes at 4PM. Trying to avoid heat stroke, I purchased a hitting net so I can practice at night under a random floodlight. The Rukket training net costs $320 and is available here.
My friend’s book- Golf: How to Break 90 in 42 Days or Less: Mastering Just 6 Critical Golf Skills is a Proven Shortcut to Lower Scores.$29.95 on Amazon.
The Rapsodo MLM2PRO. Finally in stock and on sale for $699.
The electric shock therapy watch from deWizz, on sale for $699.
Various training aids like the impact bag from EyeLine Golf, on sale for $75.
A golf pro to teach you how to use this stuff. Prices vary.
The right attitude. Priceless.

~~Over the next 6 weeks,~~ I will provide my reviews of all these products and measure my progress. ~~Let’s get started.~~ I’ll let you know when I get started.

a grass field with trees and a fence at night — The field of dreams.

Simply The Best: June 2023

thepointsoflife

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June 30, 2023

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This may have been my laziest month since I began this fine blog 9 years ago (see Simply The Best: TPOL, The Professor, Turns 9!). I blame trying to be too organized for my inefficiency (see Could This Be The Cure?). I’ll be better for the rest of my life. For now, here’s what was written in June:

This Is The Best Use of 40k AA Miles
For 207,000 points, I am paying $235 for a business class itinerary that retails for $13,075 and flying 27,237 miles.
You Don’t Have to Order a Bottle of Wine
In order to maintain figurative and literal balance in my life, I am giving up the pleasure of ordering a bottle of wine at dinner.
El Doble: Happiest Hour in Madrid. And There’s Fresh Seafood
My friends gave me great recommendations for places to eat and drink in Madrid. And now I can do the same.
Coravin Wine System: The Solution for Classy Bingers
Whether you are looking to preserve souvenir wine from abroad or buy finer wine by the glass, the Coravin is right for you.
TPOL to LIV PGA Trip Report
As I did when I documented my training for the Athens Marathon, I will document my journey from the worst golfer in Rio Mar to Club Champion.
Don’t Take All Advice: Meh Restaurants in Madrid
Like opening a bottle of wine, dining out can be a wonderful adventure. Like opening a bottle of wine, sometimes the experience can be disappointing.
What’s in My Wallet 2023: Finally, Capital One
Here is what is in my wallet and why.

Could This Be The Cure for Blogger Inefficiency?

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2023

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I’ve tried all sorts of ways to improve my efficiency in blogging. I tried blogging on the go. That did not work. I tried blogging on a fixed schedule, M, W, F. That didn’t work. The more I tried to be efficient, the worse I became. Looking at my numbers from June, I have only published 10 times.

But this time I think I have found the solution. First, I am returning to my old schedule of writing 5 times a week. That’s the only way to ensure that I stay true to my promise to produce daily content (see TPOL Opens M-F at 9:07AM EST). Second, and most importantly, is the addition of this Google Pixel Tablet. With it, I can more readily edit photos (and videos), the most annoying, yet indispensable part of blogging. While I would prefer to rely on words, multimedia makes a blog come to life.

In addition to the Pixel tablet, I am attempting to use an old tool to complement this new device. Like my Blackberry, I love my Thinkpad stand-alone keyboard. I purchased one to be used with my iMac Studio, a computer that was supposed to aid in my production of high-flying drone videos (see Dronin’). Instead, it did nothing but set me back $3,500 (it has since been donated to Ms. TPOL who uses it for its intended purpose – making spreadsheets).

With the power of a portable tablet, the speed of a ThinkPad keyboard, the simplicity of Google’s photo editing app, along with the straightforward video editor, inShot, TPOL should be back, and unlike Greenie, better than ever.

Postscript: I am also going to be updating my website to mark TPOL’s transition from points blogger to entrepreneurial icon.

Breaking 90: Week 1

thepointsoflife

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June 26, 2023

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Disclaimer: I may receive a commission if you click and buy a product listed.

Breaking 90, Week 1 is part of the TPOL to LIV PGA Trip Report (read the Introduction Inspiration).

Are you looking to break 90? Are you looking to golf in Saudi Arabia? Here’s what you will need:

My friend’s book- Golf: How to Break 90 in 42 Days or Less: Mastering Just 6 Critical Golf Skills is a Proven Shortcut to Lower Scores. $29.95 on Amazon.
The Rapsodo MLM2PRO. Finally in stock and on sale for $699.
The electric shock therapy watch from deWizz. On sale for $699.
Various training aids like the impact bag from EyeLine Golf, on sale for $75.
A golf pro to teach you how to use this stuff. Prices vary.
The right attitude. Priceless.

Over the next 6 weeks, I will provide my reviews of all these products and measure my progress. Let’s get started.

a book on the ground with a flag in the middle of it

What’s in My Wallet 2023: Finally, Capital One

thepointsoflife

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June 19, 2023

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The contents of my wallet have changed since 2022 (see What’s in My Wallet 2022: Audits Welcome). Unfortunately, I have not. I am still disorganized and find myself missing out on points-earning opportunities and burning stay certs at uninspiring properties versus having them expire. The points game was a lot easier when my only job was keeping track of points. Nevertheless, here is what is in my wallet and why. Groceries: 3X

Citi Premier

Everyday: 2X

Capital One Venture X
Citi Double Cash (need to convert an old Citi card to this)
Amex Business Blue

Utilities: 5x

Chase Ink Cash: Internet, Cable, Phone

Gas: 3X

Citi Premier

Travel: 3X

Chase Ink Business Preferred
Citi Premier

Dining: 3X

Chase Freedom (Domestic only)
Citi Premier

Drugstore: 3X

Chase Freedom

Shipping: 3X

Chase Freedom

Advertising: 3X-4X

Chase Ink Business Preferred: 3X
Amex Business Gold: 4X

Marriott: 6X

Bonvoy Business: 7% rebate

Hyatt: 9X

Chase Hyatt Personal: 15k receive one night free, 5k receive 2 qualifying nights

Revolving: 5X

Chase Freedom Flex up to $1500

Hilton: 12x

Amex Hilton Business

a group of credit cards — Churning since 2011

Coravin Wine System: The Solution for Classy Bingers

thepointsoflife

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June 12, 2023

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Disclaimer: If you buy one from Amazon, I get paid.

I wrote the post You Don’t Have to Order a Bottle of Wine to outline my plan for not overconsuming and overspending on bottles of wine in restaurants. To complement this plan, I ordered a crazy contraption called Coravin which allows wine enthusiasts to enjoy a fine glass of wine without opening the bottle. I first saw this device in action when I was in Ribera del Duero (see Guns & Butter: Ribera Del Duero, Madrid Travel Guide (Vino Edition)) where I ordered fancy wine to sample by the glass.

a woman wearing a face mask holding a wine bottle and glasses — Unico goes for 425 euros per bottle.

I paid $279 for this special edition, Chinese New Version of the Coravin.

a red box with a red box with a picture of a wine glass and a corkscrew

a table with a red box and a red lighter and a red package

How It Works A magician does not reveal his secrets, so I will not give specifics. The important takeaway is that the bottle is never opened and the wine is preserved for months if not years.

a red wine bottle and glass on a table — Put it on the top of the bottle, tilt, and pour.

Value Hopping from country to country, it is difficult to bring wine home. When I do bring a bottle, I am hesitant to open it because it is the beginning of the end. With the Coravin, I can sample a taste of the souvenir wine without this worry.

a bottle of wine with a red handle — Saperavi from Georgia

Overall Whether you are looking to preserve souvenir wine from abroad or buy finer wine by the glass, the Coravin is right for you. TPOL’s Tip: Don’t use the Coravin for cheap wine as the Argon gas capsules which allow the magic to happen come at a cost.

You Don’t Have to Order a Bottle of Wine

thepointsoflife

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June 9, 2023

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A Bottle of Wine is part of The Adios Puerto Rico, Hola España Trip Report. Read, Why a Second Residency?, to see why I am here.

I write down lessons during my time travel or during residency (see Travel Lessons & Expat Lessons) to prevent myself from making similar mistakes in the future. After an underwhelming dinner at Cadaques where I received 6 pieces of shrimp and a bottle of wine, for an outsized bill (see Don’t Take All Advice: Meh Restaurants in Madrid), I decided that ordering a bottle of wine at dinner should be eliminated for future evenings out: Here’s why:

Pre-Dinner Drinks: In Madrid, it is common to go to a few tapas bars before dinner (see Best Tapas Madrid: No Budget Cuts Here). By the time I arrive for dinner, I have already had a few glasses. Alternatively, if I went straight to the restaurant, I would order a martini before ordering a bottle of wine. Pure vodka before vino is overkill.
Good till the last drop?: I enjoy perusing the wine list and I enjoy the pomp and circumstance of the sommelier opening a bottle of wine. It is a treat when the sample is poured and the result does not disappoint. Besides that experience, I have to question whether it is worth splurging for the whole bottle. By the time I finish my fourth glass, I am too inebriated to distinguish this fine bottle versus something basic.
Cost: When I go on a TPOL adventure, I typically run around for 24 days. When I go on a residency it is for 5 weeks. A $100 bottle of wine at dinner is cost-prohibitive.
Unnecessary Pressure: If I purchase a full bottle, I am compelled to finish the bottle for two reasons: First, I paid for it. Second, I cannot let good wine go to waste.
After dinner outing: Assume I drank before dinner and assume a whole bottle of wine was consumed at dinner. That is a significant amount of alcohol. The wise move would be to go home, but that is not fun. Neither is the hangover the next day if I stay out all hours.

Solution? Going on a pub crawl or tapas tasting in new cities, I fool myself into believing that the effects of a drink from one bar do not carry over to the next. The number of drinks consumed does not reset just because I enter a new establishment or because I switch from liquor to vino. Accordingly, my new rule is to order one drink when I am first seated, cheers to the experience, and sip slowly. From there, the time should be centered around enjoying the food. Indeed, being too buzzed detracts not only from embracing the intricacies of the wine but also from savoring the taste of food. At the time, I know that the wine and food are delicious, but the next day I cannot vividly remember the subtleties of the flavors. That is regrettable. Caveat: The one-drink strategy at dinner may not always work as I found out in Copenhagen, where I had the wildest Michelin experience (see Punk Royale Copenhagen: Michelin Restaurant on Acid). After that dinner, I should have gone home instead of overindulging (see Guns & Butter: Copenhagen Travel Guide). Here’s TPOL’s tip from that Travel Guide: Don’t overlook the alcohol consumed at the 16-course Punk Royale. I learned this the day after. Overall In order to maintain figurative and literal balance in my life, I am giving up the pleasure of ordering a bottle of wine at dinner. I will reserve the experience of trying new wines at wine tastings (see Global Vineyards) or at home where my Coravin Wine gadget allows me to sample a fancy or souvenir bottle of wine without opening the bottle itself.

a glass decanter with a red liquid in it — Imagine, we used to order two bottles of wine in Argentina.

Capital One Venture X Approved: First Time Ever

thepointsoflife

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June 8, 2023

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The good news about remodeling is that hitting minimums is easy to do. The bad news about remodeling is that I need new minimums to hit. Looking past the usual suspects, I decided to apply for the Capital One Venture X. Historically, I have had no luck with Capital One. Indeed, the four times I applied for the Capital One Venture card, I was rejected (see Capital One Says No, Again). My fortune has changed as I was approved. The offer is 75k after 4k spend. It does come with an annual fee of $395, but this is offset by the points bonus and the $300 travel credit. Keep vs. Cancel will be interesting a year from now as the card also gives 10,000-anniversary points.

TPOL to LIV PGA Trip Report

thepointsoflife

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June 7, 2023

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TPOL likes but does not love golf (see Golf Course Reviews). The reason I say this is because I have been playing since 2015 and I am still, to quote Chuck, turrible. Follow me, not on IG, but on USGA GHIN to verify this statement. That 29.4 handicap took many, many swings to earn. While I’m finally shooting under 100, I have yet to break 90. All of that is going to change. Why? First, I no longer believe that golf is hard. That is an institutional discriminatory line meant to create a mystique that only the elite can play this gentlemen’s game. That’s simply untrue. I will concede that it’s difficult if you want to shoot in the 70’s but anyone, fat, thin, athletic, or uncoordinated can shoot in the 80’s. How? The first step is to read my friend’s book: Golf: How to Break 90 in 42 Days or Less: Mastering Just 6 Critical Golf Skills is a Proven Shortcut to Lower Scores. The second step is actually to follow the blueprint and practice with a purpose. Many of us go to the range, hit a few drives, practice a few chips, and do not return until a meltdown on the course. That’s akin to going to the gym once a month, maxing out on the bench, and wondering why you aren’t in shape. While practicing more often may improve your game, it serves no purpose if you continue to practice the wrong thing. So what’s the solution? I have no idea. What I do know is that if I am going to succeed, I’m going to have to do it my way. And my way means going all out and going all in on training aids. Like my beach and aqua gym (see VIDEO: Battle Ropes in Puerto Rico! & TPOL’s Achilles Rehab Secret: Hydro Revolution), I have researched every training method and believe I have the right combination of gadgets and gizmos to correct the many flaws in my game. More importantly, I have invested in technology that provides real-time data after each swing versus the old-school approach of trying to find that magical feeling and then replicating it. My eccentric Tin Cup/Moneyball philosophy combined with lessons from a golf pro will ensure victory over my non-believing critic, Zjamahl. As I did when I documented my training for the Athens Marathon (see Athens Marathon: Complete), I will document my journey from the worst golfer in Rio Mar to Club Champion (see VIDEO: Golfing Rio Mar, Puerto Rico). Like all TPOL’s trip reports, this one will take years to complete.

a man holding a golf club — I will celebrate this glorious achievement one day.

Don’t Take All Advice: Meh Restaurants in Madrid

thepointsoflife

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June 6, 2023

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Meh Restaurants in Madrid is part of The Adios Puerto Rico, Hola España Trip Report. Read TPOL in Madrid: Why A Second Residency?

I have written extensively about where to eat in Madrid. From excellent tapas (see Best Tapas Madrid: No Budget Cuts Here), organic pizza (see Mo de Movimiento), burgers (see Junk Burger Madrid: Way Better Than Shake Shack), tacos (see ¿Qué pasa, güey? Mexican Tacos in Madrid), Asian cuisine (see TPOL’s Tip: Arrive Early to Avoid Sushi, Terrorists, A Taste of China, Hong Kong, and Japan…in Madrid, & Shogun Madrid: Hibiki, Kobe, & Wagyu), to authentic local flavor (see Espectacular Carne, Callos, Y Vino: Taberna El Rincon Madrid), TPOL has covered it all. That does not mean there weren’t some duds along the way. The first mediocre restaurant is called Pastamore. Typically, I do not on Google or Yelp reviews to tell me where to eat. I’d rather stumble upon something and end up tremendously surprised (see El Doble: Happiest Hour in Madrid. And There’s Fresh Seafood). That isn’t feasible when I’m looking for a specific type of food. Overfed on tapas, I was in the mood for Italian. Searching ‘best Italian food Madrid,’ I read a few reviews, checked out the website, and thought it might be worth visiting. When I learned they did not serve Italian wine, I should have left. I stayed and committed another mistake. I order a calzone, something that sounds better in theory than in reality. This I blame on George Costanza and my marathon watching of Seinfeld with my newly acquired projector (see Nebula Projector: Mandatory Travel Technology While in Residency).

a plate of pasta with mushrooms and sauce — Ms. TPOL had the mushroom pasta.

To be clear, the food itself wasn’t terrible. The reason I am writing about this experience is because as temporary residents, we only had so many opportunities to go out to eat. It is a tragedy when that dining experience comes up short. The second mediocre restaurant came highly recommended by a reliable source. He recommended Ten Con Ten in Madrid and put together the list of restaurants in my epic New Orleans weekend (see Guns & Butter: New Orleans Travel Guide (Binge Edition)). Trusting his taste for the finer things in life, I made a reservation at Cadaques, an upscale restaurant in the Salamanca neighborhood. I have nothing good to say about this place. Indeed, I will list the bad.

Price: It was 36 euros for 6 shrimp.
Disproportioned Portions: I was told that it would be too much to order shrimp, another appetizer, and rice as an entree. Disappointed with the shrimp, I ordered ganxet, white beans with cod and spinach. I would have preferred more beans and less rice.
Price & Proportion: The main course was rice with cuttlefish, monkfish and seafood. It was 32 euros per person. For that amount, I received an abundance of rice and a meager amount of seafood. Including the bottle of wine, the price of the meal was $200. I can’t comprehend how small amounts of seafood, beans, and rice could cost so much. Simply put, it wasn’t worth it. Thirty minutes later, I was hungry. That explains why I ended up at the cookie counter (see Most Wanted: GUILTY Cookie Shop Madrid).

Overall Like opening a bottle of wine, dining out can be a wonderful adventure. Like opening a bottle of wine, sometimes the experience can be disappointing. Unfortunately, all the research and recommendations cannot prevent this from happening. This is why it is important to appreciate the great times out.