Spicy Sunday: Pleasantly Unhinged (and Slightly Spiced)

🎵 Song of the Day: “Pleasant Valley Sunday” – The Monkees

It’s a cheerful, catchy tune about quiet desperation. Which felt fitting today, as I tried to sell pop culture collectibles with two overenthusiastic tacos, a broken A/C unit, and only four hours of sleep standing between me and a full mental shutdown. Oh, and did I mention the pre-dawn motivational assault? Yeah, that happened.

The Unholy Alarm Clock of Aspiration

My alarm clock this morning wasn't a gentle chime; it was Tobito and the Refried Avenger. Apparently, their first official "collectibles show assistant" gig had them buzzing with enough energy to power a small city. At 5 AM, I was jolted awake by a cacophony of muffled shouts and what sounded suspiciously like maracas.

"GOOD MORNING, COLLECTOR CONQUEROR!" Tobito shrieked from outside my bedroom door, followed by the clatter of something metallic. "RISE AND SHINE! THE FANS AWAIT! YOUR DISPLAY TABLE OF DESTINY IS CALLING!"

The Refried Avenger chimed in, "TODAY IS THE DAY YOUR VINTAGE TOYS TAKE FLIGHT! LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME! OR A TACO TO A PLATE OF NACHOS!"

I groaned, pulling the pillow over my head. "Guys, it's barely dawn!"

"DAWN IS WHEN LEGENDS ARE MADE!" Tobito retorted, followed by a loud thump. "NOW GET UP! WE'VE ALREADY STRETCHED! WE'VE MEDITATED! WE'VE... uh... tried to organize your comic long boxes!"

Their boundless, slightly unhinged enthusiasm was infectious, even at that ungodly hour. It was impossible to stay mad, especially when Tobito started loudly humming "Eye of the Tiger" off-key, occasionally yelling "Hulkamania!" They were so genuinely, ridiculously excited for our first show, their energy became my only option for getting out of bed.

Reality Check at Table 14

I woke up sore from lifting the day before, stiff from standing all week at work, and still dragged myself to the show like some sweaty, toy-hawking zombie. Not exactly the glamorous “side hustle” fantasy you see on Instagram. By 10 AM, I’d already hit 8,000 steps, mostly from pacing in circles trying to find where the airflow wasn’t dripping onto my carded figures.

I was tired. Like… “Is this chest tightness or just regret?” tired.

But I showed up. And showing up counts.

Tacos on a Mission (Kinda)

Tobito and the Refried Avenger insisted on helping today. That should’ve been a red flag, right after the pre-dawn motivational serenade.

From the moment we set up, it was glorious chaos. Tobito kept hanging signs upside down. I turned around and he was trying to spell out "RARE COMICS" using leftover tape rolls and pure chaos, only getting as far as "RaRE CoMIcS."

Then came the financial negotiations.

A sweet woman admired a vintage horror movie poster priced at $20. "Would you take $18?" she asked kindly.

Before I could answer, Refried Avenger burst forward. "NONSENSE!" he declared, puffing out his chest. "THIS IS A TREASURE! IT IS WORTH AT LEAST... ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS! It's from the golden age of monsters! But for you, friend, because your eyes appreciate true terror, we will make a special deal! FIFTY! Fifty dollars, and it's a steal! Do you know how hard it is to find a mint condition Dracula one-sheet?!"

The woman looked utterly bewildered. I quickly intervened, "He means... yes, $18 is fine!" She practically fled with the poster.

Later, a young couple was buying two smaller items – a loose wrestling action figure and a Silver Age comic – for $10 each. They handed me a $20 bill. As I reached to confirm the exact payment, Tobito, with a flourish, snatched the bill. "Allow me, my friend! The art of commerce is a delicate dance! Especially with variant covers!" He meticulously counted out... three quarters. "Here you go! Your change!"

I stared at the three quarters. The couple stared at the three quarters. "Uh, sir, that's... 75 cents," the woman said tentatively.

Tobito looked genuinely confused. "Is it not correct? Two tens are twenty! And this is... three parts of a dollar! Perhaps you do not appreciate the rarity of this particular quarter's mint mark?"

"No, Tobito," I sighed, gently taking the money. "It's exact payment. No change needed." I quickly handed them their twenty back and wished them well, apologizing profusely. It was clear their enthusiasm for customer service far outstripped their grasp of basic arithmetic.

They meant well. They just… weren’t built for subtlety or, apparently, subtraction. Or accurate appraisals of old wrestling figures.

Food Goals vs. Salsa Shots

I brought a protein bar and almonds. That was the plan.

Then the tacos “surprised” me with snacks, which basically involved handing me a tiny cup of salsa and chanting, “Chug! Chug! Chug!”

I didn’t break my food plan, technically. But I also didn’t exactly eat, either. It was more like… spicy hydration.

So yeah, that’s how lunch went.

The Fake Calm of a Pleasant Valley

You ever feel like you’re holding it together so well that it starts to feel suspicious? Like… “Wow, I’m really doing it!” right before your body reminds you that sleep is a basic human need?

The Monkees’ Pleasant Valley Sunday is all about pretending things are fine. Neighbors watering their lawns. Painted smiles. But under it all—burnout. That was me today.

Smiling. Joking. Selling.

Meanwhile, my calves were ready to unionize.

Tiny Victories Are Still Victories

Sure, sales weren’t wild today, and my assistants nearly bankrupted me with their financial wizardry. But I did:

 * Get a compliment on my exclusive comic variant.

 * Meet a local artist who wants to collaborate on a custom action figure line.

 * Catch a customer laughing at my “The Collectibles Are Real, the Tape is Optional” sign.

 * Survive without collapsing into a pile of melted protein powder and regret.

Sometimes success is just about not quitting—even when you want to curl up under your own display table.

Takeaways (Besides the Salsa)

 * Bring duct tape. Always.

 * Sleep matters more than I pretend it does.

 * The line between commitment and overdoing it is paper-thin.

 * My body isn’t mad at me… yet. But it’s definitely side-eyeing me.

 * Never let anthropomorphic tacos handle your cash box, especially when dealing with vintage toy pricing.

Final Thoughts

You can’t always measure progress in pounds lost or rare comics sold. Sometimes it’s just showing up when you’d rather hide. Laughing when things go sideways. Eating salsa from a cup because you’re trying. Really trying. And navigating the unique brand of chaos two extremely enthusiastic, but numerically challenged, tacos can bring to a pop culture collectibles show.

We don’t always get Pleasant Valleys. Some days, it’s just… Valley. But even in the chaos, we grow. And sometimes, you get a good story (or three) out of it.

Stick around. Subscribe. Share.

And if you dare… drop a comment and tell me your favorite motivational song, side hustle story, or small win from this week.

We’re just getting started—and things are about to get spicy.

🎯 Catch more of my journey into weight loss, self-improvement, and real-life balance here:

📍 theselfrevamp.blogspot.com